I just bought a black V8 Runner and I know it will be a ***** to keep clean. I have just always used Turtlewax car wash and Auto Armour car wax or Turtlewax wax. I see many people use many other products which I am not familar with at all. What is the best products to keep your car looking clean and getting rid of those pesky water spots after it rains? Anyone use any of those new Teflon washes and waxes?

For over the counter products I recommend Meguiars Gold Class Shampoo, or Meguiars NXT Tech Wash.

For waxing I recommend Meguiars NXT Tech wax. These are great over the counter products. There is a durability issue with the Tech wax, but it is very easy to apply and remove so hitting your 4runner once every few weeks will help keeping it look its best. Something with more durability try Meguiars #26 liquid wax. I think you will be pleased.

For black the best is Pinnacle Souveran Paste Wax. It really makes a black or dark color vehicle shine.

On the down side it's expensive stuff and requires frequent applications. They recommend first using Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion to polish and clean before waxing.

I suggest using some of the more 'professional' companies like Meguiars, Mothers, or Pinnacle, before using Turtle Wax of Armour All products.

With a black finish it's going to show any scratches, etc.

Check out www.properautocare.com for tips, etc.

Dave

Thanks all for your input. I will give those products a try. Will these products also address the issue of the waterspots after rain?

I would search this section for info. There is alot here.

And I would stick to Griot's or Zaino's. They are both mail order but IMO they are easily the best. I use Griot's for polishing if needed and/or Zaino's for the wax (really a sealant).

The Zaino's lasts an amazingly long time with minimal effort to put on and take off.

I won't use any product that claims to contain teflon. Not that there is anything wrong with teflon but teflon in products does nothing for the product but generate marketing hype. I consider it an insult when someone tries to sell me a product containing teflon. When I bought my 4Runner the salesman wanted to sell me some teflon dash or paint treatment - he changed the subject an instant after he said the word "teflon"; I didn't even say a word, I guess he could read my anger from my body language.

I will have to check out and see what our local auto store has in stock. I did search the site and there is such a vast amount of products that everyone uses that its ridiculious. I was hoping for some really good products to be picked out of the pile and it appears that you guys did just that. Thanks.

NXT Wax---'nough said.

I agree, inexpensive and a very nice product.

Souveran Paste:yesyes: $59.99-69.99 depending where you get it, but one hell of a beauty wax.

You are right it doesn't last long but it goes on and off like butter making frequent applications a breeze.

If it makes the job that much easier (I don't mind doing it frequently), then it is worth it. Time is $$$ Where can I get some?

www.pinnaclewax.com

occassionally it will go on sale for @ 60.00

Make sure you get the SOUVERAN not the paste.

If you want to make the job quick and easy then use a synthetic like Meguiar's NXT or Zaino's Z2-Pro. The synthetics wipe on, dry and wipe off much quicker and with less effort than a carnuba.

I use Zaino's - Z2-Pro with ZFX accelerator and buff with Z-8:
http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...ory_Code=Zaino

Synthetics also last longer than a carnuba. An advantage of carnubas is that they may be better at filling and hiding scratches.

One thing to note, with either the synthetics or high end carnubas like Souverain is that they do _not_ contain any cleaners (abrasives). The carnuba waxes that you buy at the local variety store are cleaner waxes that contain an abrasive as well as a wax. With the synthetics and high end carnubas you will need to explicitly use a seperate polish (abrasive) product on occaision to remove scratches etc.

Cool, thanx guys! I recently waxed my baby about 2 weekends ago and it was a PITA. Especially since I used a no name brand I bought at a show (county fair). I should've known better to stay away from those products. It was a REAL PITA to remove the wax b/c it kept sticking to the paint. I had to use some quick detailer spray and microfiber towels to remove the residue throughout the body panels.

Teflon in wax products is actually a gimmick. In order for teflon to adhere and actually be effective (like in a non-stick frying pan) it has to be applied at almost 735 degrees. It sounds good and is a great marketing idea for waxes but really has little effect on a vehicle's surface. Save your money, avoid the teflon and stick to the basics...........