wax???

[maxtraxduffy]

do you wax or not that is the question??

[jwight]

Me personally, no. Cars, yes.

Based on what I saw at the Dallas smart center, waxing isn't really needed; the plastic panels, painted or molded in color, have a really smooth and shiny finish. I think some spray on detailer is all that'll be needed. But if you do decide to wax the car it won't take long.

John

[mdfortwoguy]

Always. I personally find it relaxing to spend an afternoon with the car and a few beers making it shine.

That being said, there are fringe benefits to waxing. It does protect the paint from oxidization (for silver, red, and blue at least). It also makes bugs and other crud that gets on the paint remove easier.

I grew up in the snowbelt, so another good one for me is this. If you put a really hard coat of wax on right before winter - it will make the salt rince right off. As well - when it comes time to clear off the car, the snow just slides off.

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by jwight

Me personally, no. Cars, yes.

Based on what I saw at the Dallas smart center, waxing isn't really needed; the plastic panels, painted or molded in color, have a really smooth and shiny finish. I think some spray on detailer is all that'll be needed. But if you do decide to wax the car it won't take long.

John

good question...never really considered plastics, although I guess in many cars these days there is painted and molded plastics on bumpers, fascias etc.

But, as for the original question is NO.....no wax, but I use Zaino instead - which is a polymer polish. Much easier to use, holds up longer then wax.

[maxtraxduffy]

well i used to have a bricklin sv1 back in the late 70s and and it was plastic also and i waxed it and never looked right after waxing had to buff till mty arms fell off. dont want to repeat that at this point!

[jonnysan]

Originally Posted by SmartCard

good question...never really considered plastics, although I guess in many cars these days there is painted and molded plastics on bumpers, fascias etc.

But, as for the original question is NO.....no wax, but I use Zaino instead - which is a polymer polish. Much easier to use, holds up longer then wax.

quite abit of plastic on the lower panels and waxing/detailing sprays have worked well on it for the last 7 years.

John

[hyakugojyuuichi]

I use Zaino which has been the best stuff I've ever used. It leaves a very wet-looking finish and lasts forever. It doesn't build up like other waxes and doesn't take much effort to apply either. Here's a picture of my 01' New Beetle with several coats of Zaino polish.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10288387@N07/2206636641/

[SmartAzz]

I'll use a polymer product, one of the three I have around, either Epic, Klasse or the Ultimate stuff for shine and protection.

[E-SMART]

fiberglass (old Corvette) cars with great results, used to buy it from a distributor out east and it now looks like you can also get it on amazon.



I use a detailer spray from the same company in-between the polish ... no swirl marks and really kind to the finish without any buildup ... for the 'plastic' or composite panels on the smart I would make sure that whatever product you use has something along these lines ... (from a FAQ list on the mfg site):

Question: Are Race Glaze products safe for use on my boat, camper, or motorcycle?

Answer: Yes, Race Glaze products are safe for use on the following: painted metal, fiberglass, plexiglas, chrome, glass, brass and aluminum; cars, trucks, aircraft, campers, RV's, motorcycles, wave runners, snowmobiles and boats.

As always --- I'm not the distributor or mfg, just passing along a product I've used many times in the past and have been happy with ...

[Fredvon4]

One more time so we are clear on this (pun intended)

All the body panels are plastic and they are ALL painted

Three are colored with the base color as Molded In Color (MIC)...Black, White, and the Yellow...these three are top coated in clear PAINT

Three are base color MIC Black and painted in Blue Metallic, Red Metallic or Silver Metalic...these three are also top coated in clear PAINT

As far as we know ALL the metal parts are Powder coated either Silver or Black

The exterior visible sections of the Tridion (silver or black) are hand polished on the assembly line

This car can be washed and waxed exactly like any other painted car

There is one exception...the clear top polycarbonate roof on some models needs special care... harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners and such will scratch or haze it badly

Like wise the Cabrio rag top has special care instructions...