Do You Wax ? Or Do You ICE ?

[psychos2]

I tried the Ice this last weekend, and was not impressed, had to do the cladding with 2 coats, will see how it holds up in all this rain we are supposed to get, but hard to take off and looks smudged.

Did you use the microfiber towel ? shawn

[jgalt]

I had to wax the VX and, being the lazy SOB I am, I tried the ICE.

In summary ... not bad ... and being able to do the cladding is a huge bonus in my book as she looked very sleek and sexy when done plus the effort was minimal. However, I did not use any product on the cladding prior to applying ICE and, if you are seeking the elusive "dark black" cladding, you won't find it from just using this product (my experience - YMMV).

After one week, I'm somewhat disappointed, but I do believe that this has more to do with the road salt used here in Utah than anything else. The day after applying it rained cats and dogs. The wax beaded nicely, but residue was left on the body panels and cladding when it dried. Again, I think this is largely due to the amount of road salt used here in Utah - that and we're just coming off a big spring storm ...

Bottom line - very easy to apply, great look when done and can be applied to the cladding. I'm definitely going to finish the bottle and sound back with more long term results.

Best,

Jim

[VX crazy]

Did you use the microfiber towel ? shawn

Yes, but after going over and over the paint I used a regular towel. It may be because of the color of silver that is easier to see the hazing. The hood insert had swirl marks that I could not get out, but after the second coat it looked tons better with no swirls. I am not saying its bad, I like the convienience of one product for everything, but for the paint I think I like the Meguires NXT wax (I think thats what its called) I only wash/wax it a few times a year anyway.....

[Leah]

Is there any product that causes water to sheet off instead of bead and pool? I hate the water spots caused by the hard water in this area. They're almost impossible to get rid of.

[Ldub]

Leah,
Try the Mr. Clean car wash system, even if you don't use the "wash" part of it, it has a filter built in that removes a lot of the minerals that cause spotting when rinseing.
Also, getting after it with an absorber or chamois works wonders.

Ldub

[psychos2]

VX crazy, I made the mistake of not using the microfiber towel. The wax does not come off very well with a regular towel ,nearly impossible. I did not realize there was a microfiber towel in the package and was having a hell of a time getting the wax off. I picked up a larger microfiber towel to use. Works better than the tiny one they give you .

Leah, I use a the Absorber to dry after washing .It only takes a few extra minutes .Well worth it to keep away the spots. You can get one at walmart for around $10 .Should be in the automotive dept near the waxes. shawn

[transio]

I saw this product in the store the other day, but didn't get it. looks promising!

[Chopper]

If a shop sands that silicone treated car before a good strong detergent wash followed by a solvent wipedown, they're only grinding the stuff in... not off. Even a fresh coat of armorall on interior will be vaporizing the whole time, contaminating the exterior. The problem isn't one of adhesion as much as the fisheyes it causes. Then again, people didn't really rub silicone all over the outside of their cars...till now. It is the nemisis of a good shoot-we hate it. Leah, only a layer of good wax (Meguires High Tech Yellow #10) and quick removal of the water will prevent it, and once burned in, only a buffer and compound will remove it. Not something you can do many times and not usually a do it yourself job.

[Leah]

Leah, I use a the Absorber to dry after washing .It only takes a few extra minutes .Well worth it to keep away the spots. You can get one at walmart for around $10 .Should be in the automotive dept near the waxes. shawn

Thanks, Shawn

[E-ZooZoo One]

After my no-so-thrilling experiences with Mothering the Cladding, I went out and bought some ICE, and intend to give it a shot later today – although, after reading this thread (particularly the part about silicone-based waxes hindering future repainting efforts), I have decided to use the ICE on the cladding ONLY…

The thing is, after using Mother's Back-to-Black, it seems like my cladding has become a dirt magnet, complete with a layer of grime that is so tenaciously adhered that even a thorough blasting from a high pressure car wash wand will barely budge the stuff - not even at VERY close range - especially not out of the ‘pores’.


With that in mind, does anyone have any advice or helpful tips that they’d like to share, and hopefully prevent the onset of Turrets Syndrome at Villa de Smiley later this afternoon?

TIA!

[Leah]

Leah,
Try the Mr. Clean car wash system, even if you don't use the "wash" part of it, it has a filter built in that removes a lot of the minerals that cause spotting when rinseing.
Also, getting after it with an absorber or chamois works wonders.

Ldub

The day I posted that question, I couldn't think of the name Mr. Clean. I do own that system, but do you know, it never occurred to me to just use the rinse part? Isn't that silly? I didn't care for the wash part but the rinse filter always did a great job. I'll give that a try the next time I wash my car. Thanks! (I use a towel to dry with after washing but I'm never quick enough to get all the spots.)