This is something I've been mulling over for a while but would appreciate some thoughts from the collective wisdom on here.

Is there much difference in appearance between the various waxes / sealants you have used. Its clear there are significant differences in ease of application and longevity but what about looks ? If say one half of a bonnet was waxed with product A could you tell the difference between the other side where wax B was used.

This then leads on to if you can, why are qd's / spray sealants used by so many as potentially the finish is that of the last product applied rather than the wax or sealant used ?

 

I may be opening a can of worms but you often see posts with statements such as nice wet look, glassy etc and wondered if people were really seeing a difference or as I have a suspicion the real difference lays the polishing beneath ?

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

Interesting post. I'm sure someone who knows a lot more than me will be along shortly, but here is my amateur take on it.

 

There is no substitute for preparation of course, but there are definitely products out there that will improve the look of an uncorrected car. Poorboys' Black Hole Show Glaze has completely hidden a number of small scratches that I haven't had time to correct out yet for example. My sealant (Fusso 99 Dark) definitely gives a nice shine, and provides a great base for the PB Glaze, which deepens the shine even further, while masking small imperfections. My top wax (Megs Ultimate) is there to keep the finish the PB Glaze has generated intact, and I don't think it adds any shine, just protection. So my approach is to create a "sandwich"; protection followed by enhancement followed by protection of the enhancement (if that makes sense). 

 

So in short - my sealant enhances shine, my glaze hides defects and deepens shine even further and my top coat keeps it all in order. I suspect that the show waxes etc might further enhance shine, but I'm not a user of them so will leave others to comment.

Put simply; yes, there can be a large difference. And something you could spot if you did a 50:50 bonnet comparison, between products.

 

Generally, you're choosing between gloss, wet look, depth of appearance, shine and longevity/durability. Trying to get all of those is certainly a challenge! Typically you'll get more of a 'WOW' factor from a natural, carnuba-based wax product. But because it's natural, it's broken down more easily. So you need to apply more frequently. That's when blended/hybrid products come in, or ones that are fully synthetic. 

 

QDs/spray sealants - certainly an area that's changed over the past few years. As you're actually talking about two different products there, with different outcomes. But blended products have become available, which can be used at the QD stage, but contain more durable ingredients to add further protection. Why use them? It's a case of topping up protection and also the ability with a more traditional QD to enhance the wax finish that is underneath.

 

Does what is underneath make a difference? Yes, hugely. If you simply put a wax product over a car that's simply been washed and dried, you're a world away from something that's had correction work and preparation applied. For me, there'd be no point using a wax until those stages had been completed. As Jeff laid out above, the stages work together and the aim is to lock in the good work done by the step before, as work on the paint finish continues.

 

As for product selection - there's a great deal of personal preference and the type of finish you're after. There is also trial and error involved, between what products work best with each other, and compliment. With waxes there's also the hobby angle of this past-time too; trying out different potions! So lack of durability certainly isn't always a bad thing, as you can get a great looking finish, then try something else on the car the next time