Choice of Wax/Sealant for a new blue model 3

[paintnewbie]

Hi, as the title stated, I would like to hear any afterthoughts on the performance of any Carnauba Waxes or Synthetic Sealant on the model 3 paint (blue preferably)

What I am looking is to add gloss/shine, a wet look, and a bit deepening effect. I know carnauba does the job but which one does well on model 3 is what I like to know. I am new to detailing and only read through pages on forums.

I am not looking for any ceramic coating, Si02/graphene spray, or new sealant stuff (super hard ceramic type). I know it may perform better in resisting water spots, chemicals, self-cleaning etc., but I don't want to wet sand or polish in order to take the coating off; Since scratches are inevitable and wax/sealant can be easily strip off where I can decon and polish it back to showroom quality. Originally was going for DIY ceramic coating but if I were to put the effort to 'reload'/'refresh' the coating every few months AND do a ONR wash every week or so AND get any water off the car whenever it rains with a blower, might as well go for a cheaper product like wax/sealant that gives the same look which I am solely after.

Neither do I want to use boutique brand items like Opt*-S***/ CarP** / Chemical G*** since I don't want to pay the marketing department, so if anyone has recommendations on mass products that work well in giving gloss/shine, a wet look, and a bit deepening effect it would be appreciated.

Please also state the Durability, any Streaking, Ease of use, (hydrophobic property if you want). Thank you =)

 

[bpobill]

Go to the auto parts store and stand in front of the waxes. Cover your eyes and randomly grab one. Apply to car and watch it perform like every wax ever made. You are putting way too much thought into wax, and not sure why having a blue car is any different. It makes no difference.

Source: I have a garage filled with cheap and expensive products.

 

[croman]

I'm not sure why you don't want ceramic? They have ones you just apply like any sealant and they last years. You can then wax over the ceramic coating. That's what I've done and my car still looks great after 4.5 years. I do have a xpel wrap for the front (with ceramic on top and periodic wax over).

Anyways, the xpel saved the looks of the front of the car. After 56k miles and countless rocks, no paint chips.

 

[TBrownTX]

I use Zaino. Lasts MONTHS even in the Texas sun and heat.

Tim

Note: Someone will come along shortly to flame Zaino.

 

[Jejunjm]

Try the turtle wax sio2. Cheap easy to apply. Or griots garage sio2. Same. Based on this guy's reviews which were useful to me

 

[f308gt4]

Ive used Mother’s Speed Wax on my Blue M3P. Looks great and is super easy to apply. I think its supposed to last a while, but wouldn’t really know, as I use it fairly often (did I mention that it is easy to apply?).

I’ve also heard very good things about Turtle Wax Seal and Shine, but haven’t personally tried it.

I did recently try Turtle Wax Flex Seal with Graphene. It looks good, but is a bit more difficult to apply (I got lots of streaking).

 

[joebruin77]

I have a blue P3D and have tried many different waxes and sealants.

If you want to go "old school", you could go with the combo of Jescar Powerlock Plus Sealant (a great polymer sealant) and Collinite 845 (one of the best carnauba waxes on the market). You first apply the Powerlock to clean, decontaminated paint. Once that cures, you then apply the Collinite carnauba wax on top of the Powerlock. If you don't want a two-step process, Collinite works great as a stand alone.

I think you may be confusing ceramic coatings and ceramic-infused spray sealants. Unlike ceramic coatings, ceramic-infused spray sealants are very easy to apply and maintain. Unlike coatings, which can be unforgiving if you make a mistake, ceramic spray sealants have no such issues. But the spray sealants do need to be reapplied every 3 to 6 months.

For great gloss and protection, I recommend Xtreme Solutions Poly Seal Hybrid Sealant and Griot's Garage Ceramic 3-in-1 Wax. Both of these products are hybrid products in that they are a polymer sealant, carnauba wax, and ceramic spray all in one.

One advantage of the more modern spray sealants is that you don't have to worry about getting them on plastic or rubber trim. Unlike some carnuaba waxes, which can stain black trim white, these spray waxes won't stain trim and will even protect it.

 

[UncertainTimes]

Get a spray and rinse sealant. Takes 5 mins to seal the car with no physical effort.

 

[nobznss]

I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to my cars and the products used. I agree, they're mostly the same. The only real difference I've seen with specific "formulations" of sealants is how long they last on the car. I have never seen one shine better than the other. I use Pinnacle or Wolfgang products pretty exclusively. They're not cheap but I've been happy with how long they last compared to other "off the shelf" products. I agree with everyone on just going to a ceramic. I've ceramic coated both my Tesla's myself and the prep takes forever, but it's worth it. 10 hours of work for something that will last a few years and makes the paint look better than when it rolled off the line? Worth it.

 

[f308gt4]

I think you may be confusing ceramic coatings and ceramic-infused spray sealants. Unlike ceramic coatings, ceramic-infused spray sealants are very easy to apply and maintain. Unlike coatings, which can be unforgiving if you make a mistake, ceramic spray sealants have no such issues. But the spray sealants do need to be reapplied every 3 to 6 months.

This issue I have with these ceramic infused sealants is that if I recall correctly, any microfiber you use to apply/remove must be washed separately from other microfibers or the ceramic coating will affect absorption of the towels. Maybe thats not the case any longer, but I recall discussion about Mothers ceramic infused sealant and that’s what I was told. So, if you use this stuff, then you need to separate out your microfiber towels when washing. The other alternative is to get some cheap microfibers (I.e., the yellow ones from Costco), and throw away after each use. Feels a little wasteful to me.

If that’s not the case any more, that would be useful info to know. Otherwise, I’ve decided to stay away from the ceramic infused stuff for now.

 

[joebruin77]

This issue I have with these ceramic infused sealants is that if I recall correctly, any microfiber you use to apply/remove must be washed separately from other microfibers or the ceramic coating will affect absorption of the towels. Maybe thats not the case any longer, but I recall discussion about Mothers ceramic infused sealant and that’s what I was told. So, if you use this stuff, then you need to separate out your microfiber towels when washing. The other alternative is to get some cheap microfibers (I.e., the yellow ones from Costco), and throw away after each use. Feels a little wasteful to me.

If that’s not the case any more, that would be useful info to know. Otherwise, I’ve decided to stay away from the ceramic infused stuff for now.

I could be wrong, but my sense is that the concentration of SiO2 in most ceramic spray sealants is a lot lower than the that in ceramic coatings. When I apply a ceramic spray sealant, I keep a bucket filled with water mixed with either ONR, All Purpose Cleaner such as Meguiars D101, or a dedicated MicroFiber detergent. Once I am done with each towel, I dunk it into this bucket and leave it there. That way, you don't have towels with the ceramic sealant drying out. Once the whole job is finished, I do wash the microfiber towels in their own separate load. This is not because I am worried about the SiO2 contaminating other towels. I am concerned about dirt, lint, or other contaminants from the other items in the load from getting into my microfiber towels. So as soon as I am all done, I immediately wash all the microfiber towels that had been sitting submerged in the bucket with ONR, APC, or detergent.

And like I mentioned above, you want to avoid fabric softener and only dry on an ultra low temperature.

 

[mdelvin]

I like the long-lasting effect and durability of Collinite 845.

 

[TheRFMan]

Collinite 845 for the best depth of gloss. Put the bottle in warm water (or let sit in the sun for a while) to make the wax easier to apply. If you want a sealant to go on once and lasts a long time on the car, Sof99 Fusso Coat is really good. I'm not sure how easy it is to get in your part of the world. It's made in Japan.

 

[Knightshade]

I use Zaino. Lasts MONTHS even in the Texas sun and heat.

Tim

Note: Someone will come along shortly to flame Zaino.

Nope- quite the opposite.

I used it for years on my Impala SS (back when they turned the correct pair of wheels on them) and even the not-known-to-be-awesome GM factory black paint still looked great years later.

NC weather, and I applied 2-3 coats every 6 months, always looked awesome.


With the Tesla (and because I moved someplace with a much longer, highway-rock-throwing, drive to/from work) I just had PPF applied, so a no-touch car wash or just a hose spray and it looks clean every time (but if you don't have rock concerns you can buy a LOT of zaino for what the PPF costs...)

 

[joebruin77]

Collinite 845 for the best depth of gloss. Put the bottle in warm water (or let sit in the sun for a while) to make the wax easier to apply. If you want a sealant to go on once and lasts a long time on the car, Sof99 Fusso Coat is really good. I'm not sure how easy it is to get in your part of the world. It's made in Japan.

I am a huge fan of Collinite waxes. Collinite 845 is one of their most durable waxes. If you are interested in the most gloss, the Collinite 915 contains even more carnauba. But it is not quite as durable as 845.

Marque D’Elegance Last Step Concours Paste Wax | Collinite Since 1936

With our deepest show stopping polymer-carnauba shine, this top-shelf blend is the protective coating to have for darker, pristinely-kept paint finishes.

www.collinite.com