black 4 runner needs wax help... i'd like to keep here since is 5th gen

[4RunnerTrail]

Hey everyone. I waxed my truck and swear it gave me swirl and scratch marks. cleaner wax, xymol(from local autozone). Is there a wax everyone would recommend for black paint. not looking for a difficult process. one step. wax, hand buff, done.

 

[Fuzzylogic]

Hey everyone. I waxed my truck and swear it gave me swirl and scratch marks. cleaner wax, xymol(from local autozone). Is there a wax everyone would recommend for black paint. not looking for a difficult process. one step. wax, hand buff, done.

Did your dealer give you a Permaplate product when you bought your truck? I got a full car care kit with my truck that included a special wax that does not contain carnuba, car wash, shamoise and cloths. Apparently, carnuba is not good for our paint.

Check with your dealer. Otherwise, look for a wax that does not include carnuba.

 

[4RunnerTrail]

Did your dealer give you a Permaplate product when you bought your truck? I got a full car care kit with my truck that included a special wax that does not contain carnuba, car wash, shamoise and cloths. Apparently, carnuba is not good for our paint.

Check with your dealer. Otherwise, look for a wax that does not include carnuba.

no i did not get that kit nor was i told that... arrrgghhhh

 

[nigel]

I don't have anything 5th gen specific but I have been doing a lot of reading on www.autopia.org . I have found more than I ever wanted to know from that site.

Anyway, just a suggestion.

 

[ct221933]

In my earlier cars, I was crazy about detailing them. I used Zaino with the clay bar application first. Zaino is sworn by Corvette owners. Check it out.

 

[trentfysty]

I have used Zymol on all of my cars for the last 15 years. The trick is to order from Zymol or a detail shop not autozone. They have a wax for SUVs that I really like it's called Titanium. Make sure the car is very clean, then apply the wax with your bare hand. The warmth of your hand will help to melt the wax as you rub it in and you will get a better finish. Do a small section at a time, but don't let it harden super hard. Go back over with a microfiber cloth to remove. Also, when applying wax, don't go in a circle and don't use a buffer. I haven't had problems with swirl marks when I have done that.

I am not really sure why someone would say that Carnauba wax isn't good for the paint. There are some differences in waxes that contain carnauba and those that don't. Carnauba waxes are said to give a deeper look and provide the depth that we generally see in show cars. The downside is they don't last as long, especially the liquid form. If using a carnauba wax you should use a past wax as it will last a lot longer.

Synthetic or polymer waxes will last longer but don't provide the depth of finish and can acutally magnify paint flaws rather then hiding them like carnauba.

Black paint is one of the most difficult. Zymol also has a wax especially for black paint. I am in now way affliated with Zymol but I have used their products and find them to be of excellent quality. Hopefully this helps. I can also say that a good car soap is also key as a lot of soaps leave a residue that is difficult to remove. Also, never way your car in the carwash. Those liquid waxes seal in harmful dirt and don't do much good.

I would suggest the Titanium wax. It contains a high percentage of Caranuba so it will last. I have used it on my Land Rover and it has kept it looking like new. Also, waxing just before an offroad trip will help to avoid scratches and aid in clean up. The wax is pricey but if you put it on with your bare hand a little goes a long way.

 

[Okki]

Griots Garage products

I switched to an orbital waxer and things go faster and better than hand waxing; also uses less product.

Machine Polish & Wax Kit - Waxes & Sealants - Waxing - Car Care - Griot's Garage

1) wash your car and use a clay bar to get all remaining dirt off. If you don't, the particals will create swirl marks.

1.a) use a fine polish to remove any swirl marks you may have.

2) Use a Paint Sealant (once a year)

Paint Sealant Kit - Waxes & Sealants - Waxing - Car Care - Griot's Garage
This will give your paint the best base protection and make the wax adhere better.

3) wax the car with Best in Show wax (came in your kit)

Best of Show Wax® - Griot's Garage
If the wax is hard coming off (you used too much) spray with a small amount of liquid wax.

Spray-On Wax - Waxes & Sealants - Waxing - Car Care - Griot's Garage

4) if your car gets hit by bird dropping etc, clean of at once when you get home with Quick Shine detailer.

Speed Shine® - Griot's Garage

The initial investment kinda sucks (although it's not bad) but it last a long time and it makes keeping your car looking new a breeze.

Okki

 

[fins]

In my earlier cars, I was crazy about detailing them. I used Zaino with the clay bar application first. Zaino is sworn by Corvette owners. Check it out.

I swear by Zaino. You might need to run an orbital polisher to your truck to knock the swirls down. Claybar next. I highly reecommend Zaino.

 

[Woodztoy]

ZAINO all the way it will take the swirls out in no time its a stepped process and takes some time, but its worth all the effort you put into it I cant explain how well this stuff works!!!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

 

[Dispense]

I used Zaino for years before finding Autopia and AutoGeek forums. It is a good product line and has good durability. But I set out and explored other products based on others reviews from the forums.

For me, ease of use/time saving is critical right now because I don't have a lot of extra time in my days.

For now I have settled on Ultima Paint Guard Plus (wipe on walk away) and Signature Series II from Pinnacle (wipe on wipe off - no dry time).

The Ultima product is supposed to act more like a sealant and add durability to the paint protection. You can't beat a product that you wipe on and walk away from. Its too fast and too easy, I'm also very impressed with its protection/durability.

I like the Signature Series II carnuba wax for the great shine it gives and that little extra bit of protection.

Takes less than 10 minutes to do each product. It is right up my alley.

Head over to the forums mentioned above and you'll be immersed in detailing product reviews and tips!

 

[greatoutdoors15]

Try Zaino Z5 Pro. I used it on my jade green 4runner that got swirl marks from washing the mud off it. Worked great! Good luck.

 

[mgrande]

My brother owns a detailing company and he has all sorts of nice stuff. But to be honest I just use the stuff I got at autozone. But I sure as hell dont use a buffer, I do it all by hand so I dont leave any marks and can take count of any new blemishes on my paint. Black shows so much so I would defiantly make sure you took your time and did it by hand and with good materials.

 

[mountaineer83]

I use Adam's Polishes myself and the results are outstanding. I don't have all of the product line yet, but what I do have is very easy to use with excellent results. They also have a forum where everyone can give and share advice. It's an excellent forum so I'd check them out. The owner of the company is also a great guy and will give advice anytime it's needed.

I don't have my 4Runner yet, as I have to pick it up from the dealer next weekend. But it's black as well and Adam's will be the only thing to ever touch it once I take delivery of it. Just my $0.2 worth.

 

[Koz]

Here's the problem, (BLACK PAINT) ANYTIME you touch a black vehicle you will get fine scratches (swirl marks). The trick is to use SPECIAL supplies and products. You even need to use a special way to wash your vehicle. To wash your vehicle you need to use the two bucket method. One bucket with just water to rinse the sponge/microfiber and one to add the soapy water, after rinsing. Get the softest high quality sponge or microfiber wash mitt you can find. You will need high quality microfiber towels to dry. Your best bet is to take some time and read the proper procedures to wash, polish and wax your BLACK vehicle. You need to remove/polish the swirls out before you can wax. I recommend Meguiar’s 205 (mild) or 105 (medium) polish or Ultimate Compound (over the counter). I use Lake Country flat orange (mild) and white (extra fine) cutting/polishing pads.

There is a world of great info on this site;

Dual Action Orbital Polisher Guide: how to remove swirls, scratches, & oxidation with an orbital buffer. Porter Cable 7424, foam pads, backing plate,

If you need any other info PM me.

Koz

 

[mountaineer83]

Here's the problem, (BLACK PAINT) ANYTIME you touch a black vehicle you will get fine scratches (swirl marks). The trick is to use SPECIAL supplies and products. You even need to use a special way to wash your vehicle. To wash your vehicle you need to use the two bucket method. One bucket with just water to rinse the sponge/microfiber and one to add the soapy water, after rinsing. Get the softest high quality sponge or microfiber wash mitt you can find. You will need high quality microfiber towels to dry. Your best bet is to take some time and read the proper procedures to wash, polish and wax your BLACK vehicle. You need to remove/polish the swirls out before you can wax. I recommend Meguiar’s 205 (mild) or 105 (medium) polish or Ultimate Compound (over the counter). I use Lake Country flat orange (mild) and white (extra fine) cutting/polishing pads.

There is a world of great info on this site;

Dual Action Orbital Polisher Guide: how to remove swirls, scratches, & oxidation with an orbital buffer. Porter Cable 7424, foam pads, backing plate,

If you need any other info PM me.

Koz

:iagree:

Also, I don't think you mentioned with the two bucket method to use the Grit Guard at the bottom of the bucket in BOTH buckets. As you said, wash one part of the vehicle, then rub the wash mitt across the grit guard in the clean water to clean the pad, then rub it across the grit guard in the soapy bucket before touching the vehicle again. It is impossible to keep all swirl marks out of paint, any color of paint that is. But with the proper wash methods, then they can be kept to a minimum and only intermittent maintenance is required then to keep them looking great. As said above, lots of info out there, just research it to get a better idea.

I use the Porter Cable 7424XP myself. It's very user friendly and will not harm your paint at all under normal use. It's also great for applying machine waxes and sealents one polishing is completed.

 

[adoihcj]

Mine is black and I went through the same thing you did. I ended up using Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 Paste (Meguiar's Direct NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0 Paste).

The ultimate key to getting this done right is to use a polishing cloth to finish. Remove the paste from the paint first using a terry cloth. You'll still see swirls in the paint. Finish with a nice polishing cloth and it does wonders. If you use a terry cloth on the final polishing step, you'll see swirls.

As for the scratches, the NXT Gen paste does a good job of removing them. The fine scratches are typically only seen when my 4R is in the garage. Outside, you can't see them as much.

 

[Koz]

Mine is black and I went through the same thing you did. I ended up using Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 Paste (Meguiar's Direct NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0 Paste).

The ultimate key to getting this done right is to use a polishing cloth to finish. Remove the paste from the paint first using a terry cloth. You'll still see swirls in the paint. Finish with a nice polishing cloth and it does wonders. If you use a terry cloth on the final polishing step, you'll see swirls.

As for the scratches, the NXT Gen paste does a good job of removing them. The fine scratches are typically only seen when my 4R is in the garage. Outside, you can't see them as much.

NTX is a wax (very good over the counter product) it will not take ANY swirl out, all it does is fill/cover the swirl. Only polish will remove the swirl. Meguiar's Ultimate Compound will remove the swirl. NEVER EVER use terry cloth on a black car!

Koz

 

[4RunnerTrail]

NTX is a wax (very good over the counter product) it will not take ANY swirl out, all it does is fill/cover the swirl. Only polish will remove the swirl. Meguiar's Ultimate Compound will remove the swirl. NEVER EVER use terry cloth on a black car!

Koz

what do you use to dry or instead of terry cloth?

 

[Dispense]

I have mostly COBRA microfiber towels, they have towels for each job around the car.

As long as it is a quality microfiber towel with scratch-free edges though, just pick a brand. With proper use they will not harm your paint's finish.

 

[Mike G.]

Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Wax liquid car wax with real carnauba, protects and shines all auto paint! liquid car wax, paint sealer, carnauba wax, liquid carnuba, liquid soveran

I use this on my Camaro and I really like the results.