What wax should I use ?

[53chevy]

I've just finished stripping 5 layers of paint off my 1958 VW splitscreen camper. It's taken me 10 months and hundreds of hours to get it back to it's original colour. I've managed to save around 70% of the original paint and had to blend in the areas that had been bare metalled or just worn through with age. This original paint hasn't seen daylight for probably more than 30 years. It's in pretty good condition for 54 year old paint but I want to give it some protection and build up a layer of wax to protect it. Have you any recommendations what I could use ?

[anonymous-user]

Simoniz is old fashioned and slow to use, but works for me.

I like your van!

[benjj]

Remember that new paint needs to cure before you put anything on it. I asked this same question when I'd had a bare metal respray and the general concensus was to leave it at least a month, two months ideally. That is without anything on it at all.

Cracking camper

[Rob Dicky]

Hi at the moment the wax of choice for me is Harley Wax

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=harly%20wax&...

[anonymous-user]

Is it just me that hoped this thread would be about something....., er, else?

[benjj]

Breadvan72 said:

Is it just me that hoped this thread would be about something....., er, else?

I hear that, I was hoping for, "I can't decide on a Hollywood or 70's full bush for my wedding night. Please see attached pics and help me decide. Yours, slutty French supermodel who likes cars."

[task]

I use either Dodo Juice wax or AG HD Wax, both are pretty good. Dodo is harder to work and the AG leaves a slightly "wetter" look to my black paint.

Well done for stripping that all the way back to original paint, I wouldn't have had the patience and would have just resprayed the whole thing!

[griffter]

I currently use raceglaze 52 having given up on anything that comes in a bottle. Goes on easily, buffs off easily and goes a very long way. Seems to last well too.

[Davey S2]

Collinite.

I've tried Zymol, Dodo Juice and lot of others but this stuff is the best all rounder. It lasts far longer that most other waxes and is under £20.

[HaylingJag]

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/car-care/carnau...


take your pick!

please post pics ipon completion,

[M3John]

task said:

I use Dodo Juice wax

This ^

I use the Hard Candy and am very very pleased with the results.

http://www.dodojuice.com/hard-candy-carnauba-car-w...


And i bought it from here. Very good company to deal with :
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/dodo-juice/cat_5...

[Deisel Weisel]

You've actually stripped away paint layers to get back to the original paint? How the bejesus did you do that?

I'd go with Collinite 845.

[dbdb]

I'm amazed you have returned it to the original paint - what an incredible achievement!

I have been pleased with Collinite too, but to be honest have found that Meguires wax does a pretty decent job on my car and isn't expensive.

[53chevy]

Thanks for the replies - sorry to disappoint those who were expecting something a little more 'interesting' . When I bought the VW about 3 1/2 years ago it had recently been imported from California and was painted a dark blue metallic. It wasn't a great paint job but I tidied it up so it looked half decent but always thought it would look better in a different colour. Last July I was in the garage with nothing much to do for once and started chipping some of the blue paint off an area where the original paint was showing. I did one screen post, was happy with the look of the old paint so took the plunge and started stripping the front end. I originally started by sanding each layer off - there was the dark blue then the primer, then another light blue metallic, another layer of primer then a layer of high build primer. It was a slow and very dusty process - I looked like a smurf when I came out the garage . I'd got a tin of Nitromors paint stripper in my cupboard so I tried a small area to see what happened. It did do the job a bit quicker so working in small areas with a small scraper and being careful not to damage the original paint I carried on with it. I did find some horrors under the paint - the rear corners had both been hit and 'repaired' by using a slide hammer and a good 5mm of filler slapped on to finish. I removed all the filler, welded the holes up, did a bit of careful hammering and got it looking half decent again. All other areas where filler had been used to cover dents were taken back to bare metal and painted - I'd rather see a few small dents than cracked filler and I think it adds to it's character having a few battle scars.
Here's how it all started :

[iwanna]

I gather you do the snow foam, 2BM etc etc

Look at Bilt-Hamber products.

The Cleaner and Wax sound ideal for you.

If however you want more indepth work then your looking at either a DA &/Or rotary.

[papple]

As the guys here suggest, take your pick.

But the common theme appears to be those that contain real carnauba wax. This really is the best and is more suitable for the traditional flat paint on your camper.

The newer types (eg almost all of the Autoglym range) don't contain carnauba wax - they are based on polymer resins. These are perhaps more suitable for newer metallic paint or those with clear coats. The better versions don't tend to "dust up" as much as the cheap brands, but, to me this is a downside of all polymer polishes - white dust everywhere.

Personally, I'm using Simoniz carnauba wax which is as old as the hills but just relaunched as a quality alternative to the lazy man's spray-and-wipe polymer types.

Hard work, yes, but it look fabulous and lasts ages.

Others may differ of course - just my opinion.

[BorkFactor]

I have been using AutoGlym HD wax for a couple of years now, and it really is fantastic. Highly recommended, and Amazon is the place to buy it as it is considerably cheaper than in the shops

[braddo]

53chevy said:

I've just finished stripping 5 layers of paint off my 1958 VW splitscreen camper. It's taken me 10 months and hundreds of hours to get it back to it's original colour. I've managed to save around 70% of the original paint and had to blend in the areas that had been bare metalled or just worn through with age. This original paint hasn't seen daylight for probably more than 30 years. It's in pretty good condition for 54 year old paint but I want to give it some protection and build up a layer of wax to protect it. Have you any recommendations what I could use ?

Amazing work - well done for having the patience to do it!