Waxes/sealant questions

[MrRaspberryJam]

So I'm in the market for a good wax/sealant but of course I annoy the hell out of everybody with my million and one questions so if you guys are willing to read what I have to say then any help will be much appreciated!!!

 

So I'm getting ready to clay bar my car In a week or so and I'm looking to replace my turtle wax ice liquid wax for something Adams obviously but there's just SO MANY products to choose from (not a bad thing). My biggest questions are, 1) what's the difference between a wax and a sealant and 2) which one should I use

 

Recently when Adams had their mystery box sale I bought one and got a bottle of paint sealant but I've heard of other products like buttery wax and brilliant glaze and what not. To clarify a few things I only have one car it's my daily driver obviously and kept outside 24/7 and I wash my car about 1-2 times a week. At the end of the day I'm looking for something that's gonna protect my paint, keep it looking clean and new, and lastly something with a good amount of shine!!!!

 

Like I said any amount of feedback is appreciated;) thanks!

 

Jam on

[James__]

The best thing would be to read this thread, it should answer most of the questions you have on differentiation.

 

http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/27631-faq-should-i-use-wax-or-sealant-on-my-car/page-1

 

For maximum protection, use paint sealant. If you want to add more shine, layer wax on top of it.

[pirahnah3]

If you are going to be going all out with it, the Paint sealant is by far one of the toughest products Adams makes, it will not last forever, and most say that even with daily drivers you can expect to get several months out of it, longer if topped with another protecting layer such as a wax or another sealant such as the H20 Gloss and Guard. 

 

On a daily driver a sealant will offer far more protection for your paint than a wax will however the wax will give you a nicer looking finish, which is why many will top a sealant with a wax. While your finish will not be as pristine as say a car that is perfectly detailed and done with say a nice coat of only PW which will just give the car such a beautiful look but only last a few weeks on a daily driver. 

[MrRaspberryJam]

The best thing would be to read this thread, it should answer most of the questions you have on differentiation.

 

http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/27631-faq-should-i-use-wax-or-sealant-on-my-car/page-1

 

For maximum protection, use paint sealant. If you want to add more shine, layer wax on top of it.

 

Wow that was a really helpful thread. Thank you!!!!

[MrRaspberryJam]

If you are going to be going all out with it, the Paint sealant is by far one of the toughest products Adams makes, it will not last forever, and most say that even with daily drivers you can expect to get several months out of it, longer if topped with another protecting layer such as a wax or another sealant such as the H20 Gloss and Guard.

 

On a daily driver a sealant will offer far more protection for your paint than a wax will however the wax will give you a nicer looking finish, which is why many will top a sealant with a wax. While your finish will not be as pristine as say a car that is perfectly detailed and done with say a nice coat of only PW which will just give the car such a beautiful look but only last a few weeks on a daily driver.

Definitely sounds lies the route im going with, how's the buttery wax rank? It seems like it's the easiest to apply out of all of them. Plus, spending the money on patriot or Americana on a daily driver seems a little pointless to me

[Rich]

Buttery Wax is good, but not durable.  You're going to get better results with Americana and even better with the Patriot.  Patriot costs more, but it lasts a LOT longer and you'll get plenty of uses from one can. I started with the Buttery Wax years ago and was happy with it until they came out with the Americana. Then I had been an Americana user until I tried the Patriot. Now that's all I use. It's my wax of choice. Such a difference. 

[pirahnah3]

I do like the buttery for an easy quick wax job. Personally I like it on my Daily Driver and I can get a coat on after a rinseless or waterless wash in about 15-20 min if I really rush, which usually means Ill miss a spot or two. If I take my average time its about 35-40 min and I have a coat on and removed all while knowing I didnt miss a spot. 

[stripesace]

I do like the buttery for an easy quick wax job. Personally I like it on my Daily Driver and I can get a coat on after a rinseless or waterless wash in about 15-20 min if I really rush, which usually means Ill miss a spot or two. If I take my average time its about 35-40 min and I have a coat on and removed all while knowing I didnt miss a spot. 

 

How quick are you to buff it off? I'm afraid to let it sit on the car for the entire car like the bottle says because I don't want it to harden up on me. By the time I finish the NEXT panel, I go back and buff off the previous panel. 

[pirahnah3]

I have put a coat on my 2015 CC F250 from roof down and then gone back to remove after. Sometimes it has been a bit more resilient than others to remove but I almost always have the detail spray nearby in case. 

[Ricky Bobby]

How quick are you to buff it off? I'm afraid to let it sit on the car for the entire car like the bottle says because I don't want it to harden up on me. By the time I finish the NEXT panel, I go back and buff off the previous panel.

If you are applying buttery very thin it shouldn't get too much harder than liquid paint sealant. It should be very easy on and easy off like LPS, even if on the surface for a while. Do the swipe test on a panel to see if it's ready to remove. Unlike Americana where you need to apply to 1-2 panels max then immediately remove.

[Chris@Adams]

How quick are you to buff it off? I'm afraid to let it sit on the car for the entire car like the bottle says because I don't want it to harden up on me. By the time I finish the NEXT panel, I go back and buff off the previous panel. 

 

It also depends on if you are working outside, if working in sun, if it's humid out, there are a lot of variables.

If I am working in my climate control garage I might be able to wax the whole car before wiping off, also like mentioned thin coat is key, less is more.

[ccommodari]

H20 guard and gloss is what I use to keep the wax/sealant going . My main coat consist of 2 coats of the liquid paint sealant and than a top coat of Americana.