two questions

[romulus]

hello to all,


I tried searching but so far I haven’t found the answers to my questions.
My car has a good paint condition (1 year old), with some really light swirls. I want to strip out all the layers of wax to start with a clean slate. My car has seen 2 layers of Liquid Glass (first time waxing) and I think about 5 to 6 layers of NTX. Because these waxes/sealers are synthetic, I think that the best way to remove them is to use MPPC since is stronger than DCPC. I also have #83, #80, and #9 in my arsenal. Since my main goal is to remove the old wax I think that is good enough in going lightly through the paint with my PC unlike polishing the paint. What would you recommend?

Also, I recently read that some people top their two layers of NTX with a pure carnauba wax as LSP like #16 to give a deeper look. But yesterday Mike mentioned that some people are using Mother’s California Gold carnauba wax to top the NTX. Is that ok? I know that is recommended to stick with products from one manufacturer to ensure its compatibility. I would think that using a carnauba wax from other manufacture will not bond properly with the NTX. Since I have a bottle already (before switching to Megs) I guess that I will try it in a test spot to see if there any change in how the paint looks.

[gbackus]

Applying NXT with a polishing pad on the PC will pretty much strip anything on underneath, however, MPPC will do this as well(even by hand) as it is a very effective paint cleaner, and the MPPC won't leave anything behind.

My personal opinion is that you don't need more than 1 layer of anything, exception being 2 thin layers will offer more even coverage. I don't really get the whole topping thing as most waxes and sealants have some type of solvent system that will generally remove anything already on the surface, and some even have specialized cleaners to promote bodning(like the chemical cleaners in #20, or the "highly specialized" cleaners in NXT). My advice is to find a LSP you like, and just stick with, I personally don't believe in layering, but that's just me. Some of my favorites include NXT(best looking overall LSP IMO, can't wait to try #21), AutoInt's Finishing Wax(only on properly prepped surfaces that are 90% or more free of defects), FK1's Pink Wax(easiest paste wax I've ever used but I don't really like Paste Wax's), and Meg's #26(best OTC Carnauba Wax I've used). I've used and continue to use all of these depending on the occasion, except the Pink Wax, I just prefer liquid waxes.

[romulus]

gbackus,
Thank you for your response. I will go with MPPC because of its cleaning ability. Regarding using NTX, yes I will apply two thin coats for more even coverage. Perhaps I will see no difference if I top it off with carnauba wax.

[Jose Torres]

Re: two questions

Hello romulus,

gbackus' answer (a great one by the way) is correct. If I could just add a couple of things.....

Originally posted by romulus
I want to strip out all the layers of wax to start with a clean slate........ Since my main goal is to remove the old wax I think that is good enough in going lightly through the paint with my PC unlike polishing the paint. What would you recommend?

There are a couple of ways to easily strip the wax from a finish. You can clay the finish. Since wax is actually bonded to the finish, a clay bar will remove it along with any other bonded contaminants. Or you can use a paint cleaner (i.e. Medallion Paint Cleaner) to strip it. Determine which method to use by evaluatiing the finish. If it feels rough, then you can kill two birds with one stone by using the clay to remove the rough texture and strip the wax. If you have stains, light oxidation, etc., then you can tackle them as well as remove any wax with a liquid paint cleaner.

As for layering; I too am a fan of using a single layer of product (2 thin layers at most). In regard to people topping of NXT with #16; the process that is taking place is:

A polymer based product will continue to cure after removing the residue from the initial application. During this process, a thin layer of carnauba (if applied) will become a co-polymer as they cure together. The polymer product will sort of grab on to the carnauba layer. So you can get the qualities of both in a sense.

However, it does not mean that it is in any way required or recommended as normal procedure. Everybody has their favorite products and application process, and what one person considers great results may be completely unnacceptable to another. When trying to decide on which products to use, the best thing to do is to use each system side by side on a section such as the quarter panel. Then make your decision on which one to use. I hope this helps.