What is Turtle wax?

[drrdave27]

Greetings . After reading the wax vs polish sticky it left me wondering, what is "Turtle Wax" (the cheap wax in the green bottle from supercheap). Is it a wax or a sealer and is it any good?

I wash the T4 and after its dry I apply the turtle wax, wait 5 min or so for it to dry and then buff it off by hand like the instructions say. Is this really going to last 12 months like the bottle claims and will it provide adequate protection from sun, acidic rain, poo (he he) and the like?

Cheers DAVE

PS: Is waxing pointless if i dont polish and clay the paint to achieve a perfectly clean surface? or will the wax/sealant still bond to the paint without polish/clay?

[Preen59]

Turtle wax isn't bad. It's basically a liquid synthetic (i'm pretty sure) wax.

A sealer helps stop the wax from coming off but does not protect or correct paint. So you only use it to help protect the stuff that is protecting your paint (the wax).

Clay barring your paint before polishing or waxing stops you from scratching your paint with the stuff that is stuck on it even after you've washed it (tar and all sorts of other tiny bits of grit etc.. You'd be amazed). You don't have to clap bar your paint before polishing or waxing it, but as the pro's will tell you, it's a bloody good idea.

That's my 2c on the matter anyways.

[drrdave27]

That makes sense, after using the wax after a wash only I did notice some extra dirt and grime on the buffing cloth. thanks for the info.

[Golf Houso]

turtle wax, although is not a bad wax finish per finish does leave ALOT of chalky white residue which always seems to stick around on your car even years after you have applied it, stick with the slightly more expensive stuff imo...

[DMS_Dan]

Turtle wax isn't bad. It's basically a liquid synthetic (i'm pretty sure) wax.

A sealer helps stop the wax from coming off but does not protect or correct paint. So you only use it to help protect the stuff that is protecting your paint (the wax).

Clay barring your paint before polishing or waxing stops you from scratching your paint with the stuff that is stuck on it even after you've washed it (tar and all sorts of other tiny bits of grit etc.. You'd be amazed). You don't have to clap bar your paint before polishing or waxing it, but as the pro's will tell you, it's a bloody good idea.

That's my 2c on the matter anyways.

Turtle wax is a synthetic. It wont last 12 months though and there is so so much better for less or not a lot more.

A sealant does protect the paint. Often better than a wax. It is usually layered down before a wax to provide extra protection as it lasts longer than the wax. This way if you dont replace the wax before it wears away your car will still be protected.

As preen said a clay is not technically necessary but your wax will last longer and your car will feel smooth as glass.

[Preen59]

A sealant does protect the paint. Often better than a wax. It is usually layered down before a wax to provide extra protection as it lasts longer than the wax. This way if you dont replace the wax before it wears away your car will still be protected.

Hmm well there you go.. I was wrong..

[jasn78]

Hmm well there you go.. I was wrong..

can we get a record of that please

[Golf Houso]

can we get a record of that please

Just put the quote in your sig

[drrdave27]

Jetseal 109

Hey thanks for the info everyone. Did half the van in turtle wax and half in Jetseal 109 and it should come as no suprise which side looks better. Jetseal by 10. Wasn't even that much more expensive and much easier to apply and remove (thanks to microfibre towle). Cheers for the info.

[Preen59]

can we get a record of that please

Ha-ha...

[Fizz]

How often do you polish and wax your car? I found depending on the frequency of washing it doesn't last very long. Also it just masks minor scratches/ swirl masks doesn't remove it.

Personally my opinion is if you going 2 take the time 2 polish and wax you might as well use decent stuff. I use maguiars polish and canuba wax or if you want an all in one the NXT tech wax is good. i wash my car every 2nd week with NXT car wash which removes the dirt and grime while protecting your polish and wax. Every 2nd wash I use the NXT wax detailer spray just 2 keep the wax protection up and car looking glossy.

But yeah try a few different products till you find one that you are happy with

[Mrk_Mickey]

How often do you polish and wax your car? I found depending on the frequency of washing it doesn't last very long. Also it just masks minor scratches/ swirl masks doesn't remove it.

Personally my opinion is if you going 2 take the time 2 polish and wax you might as well use decent stuff. I use maguiars polish and canuba wax or if you want an all in one the NXT tech wax is good. i wash my car every 2nd week with NXT car wash which removes the dirt and grime while protecting your polish and wax. Every 2nd wash I use the NXT wax detailer spray just 2 keep the wax protection up and car looking glossy.

But yeah try a few different products till you find one that you are happy with

Sorry Fizz to single you out mate, I'm not having a dig or anything; I just want to make this very clear for people who don't already know:

Polishing a car means taking paint AWAY. It doesn't add protection, and should not need to be done more than about twice a year if you're washing it using the 2 bucket method. The cheaper, off-the-shelf ''polishes'' are almost always a filler type product; that means, they fill in whatever scratches are there and when the stuff eventually wears away, you're back to square one. The PROPER types of polishes for cars are paint correction products; they are the polishes that take a skim off the paint and correct the scratches by buffing them away! Now don't be alarmed, you have a lot of paint and polishing takes next to nothing - it dulls down the edges of the scratches so they are less visible/invisible.

So Fizz, the Meguiars you're using will indeed ONLY fill scratches. To get rid of them you'd need to actually use an abraisive polish, and not a filler.

[Fizz]

agreed u'll need a proper cut and polish to remove scratches and swirls i wasn't very clear, i appologise