Is waxing BAD for your finish?

Dealers are good at one thing: selling cars at the highest price the customer will pay. Past that, they know practically nothing about automobiles. Most Mazda salesmen think the MX-5 is FWD! Clearcoats need the same protection as naked paint.

Mazda paint is pretty thin, so it really is possible to wax through it to the primer, IF you use a harsh cleaner wax too often (e.g., every weekend).

To keep your paint in top shape, it needs to be waxed. You'll get the best results with a multi-step system such as Meguiar's: try the Swirl Remover (very mild abrasive cleaner plus nutrient polish) followed by Liquid Yellow Wax. Very easy to use by hand or with a buffer, lasts for months (depending on how often you wash the car, which abrades the wax), delivers an amazingly-deep shine. Other similar brands work just as well. There's no longer any advantage to paste waxes; all the best ones are now liquids. For cars with oxidized paint, the three-step process is best (more-abrasive cleaner, plain polish, wax).

Meguiar's also makes a one-step cleaner wax that's superior to Turtle Wax and the other mundane brands. It looks good...but once you go the multi-step route, the dazzling shine will ruin you for the "easy" waxes. It also lasts longer, justifying the extra work. My red NA Miata (no clearcoat) has the deep, deep gloss of cherry hard candy.

You need to be careful with waxes that have cleaners in them. Each time you 'clean' the paint, you strip off a little bit. Do this enough times, and you will eat through the clear coat.

------------- Alex

Shame on your dealer for stating erroneouos and unsupported 'drivel'. ANY coating surface is porous on a macro/microscopic level. Wax is used to seal such porosity/permeability and protect from oxidation penetration *into* the surface. Catalyzed paints have less permeability but still requite a 'top seal' to prevent the inevetible oxidation. Wax by itself will also oxidize (and promote further oxidation of the substrate surface) and should be routinely stripped periodically with (diluted) caustics or wax 'lifters' and then wax re-applied. Natural Carnauba Wax contains NO abrasives (as are found in most wax/cleaner combinations) are are probably the safest to use, especially on the acrylic lacquers as is found on the older miatas. When you wax/clean and see pigment residue on the soft abrasive free rag that you're using its probably dead/oxidized paint that should be removed anyway. Nothing lasts forever, a good wax job will protect any painted surface and make it last longer.

Your dealer also repaints vehicles as an income source. Think about his 'objectivity'.

Natural Carnauba Wax has consistence of a brick. Whenever You see "100% Carnauba Wax" on a label -they LIE! Maximum usable amount is about 2%.

Best regards, Kempi '01 silverfish,IL

Thank you all for the advice! I'll pick up some QUALITY finish-care and start using it right away.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com

Just a follow-up to let you all know your advice did not go to waste. I picked up Macguire's step 2 polish and step 3 wax and did the whole car yesterday. I didn't expect to see much of a difference, but WOW! It shines like a mirror!

And the good thing about a Miata is its size. It only took about 45 minutes to apply each coat over the entire car. I used to have a

4-door Mercury M>A dealer told my father that newer cars should NEVER be waxed because

When my red (no clearcoat) 99 was new, I decided that I did not like the slight "orange peel" left on the surface of the paint. A small buffer and fine rubbing compound removed the surface imperfections. Next, a high carnuba wax intended for RVs and fiberglass boats was used, and buffed again with new pads.

I happened to stop at an antique car show in a shopping mall not to long after. Parking was such trhat I parked just on the otherside of the rope deviding the "show cars" from the rest of the lot.