i meant to post this over the summer when my co-worker brought this up.

i work for the beach doing maintenence and such in the summer, and we get our work done pretty quick and while everyone else lounges, i like to find stuff to do, and i found i was waxing my car maybe once every week, sometimes twice a week. then my co-worker came up and said:
'hey, you know you shouldnt go waxing your car so much, its not good for it, i was talking to a guy with a real nice hot rod and hes says only to wax your car once a year, sometimes once every two cuz you can ruin your paint by over waxing it.'

i thought he was just talking out of his a$$, i kept waxing my car every week (using 3m paste wax) and i still have seen no problems with the paint...i dont think there is such a problem as over waxing your car...is there, is it true?


i think he may have either been thinking of rubbing compound or maybe he read the same article in a restoration magazine where the guy said he would only wax the car once and then cover it and leave it in his garage, cuz in his opinion waxing and even washing your car put little micro scratches inthe paint.

 

y do you feel the need to wax it so much? if you use the proper wax/materials it shouldnt harm the finish. but seriously, how shiney can paint get.

 

i only wax it so much cuz i got nothing else to do...i know that the paint can only get so shiny...i just like to keep it nice and clean lookin as often as possible, especially int he summer, i clean the inside of it atleast once a week, wash it about 2 times (seeing as how i work at the beach, sand gets everywhere by being blown by the wind)

its not like im trying to make it super shiny or anything like that...i just get bored, i have an extra 2 hrs of time so i look around and figure, hell, might as well wax my car.....again lol

and i mean i clean it totally before i wax it so theres no dirt on it, then i use the 3m wax imentioned above (should be good for 18 bucks for a tin of it)...its a daily driver so i try to protect the paint too as much as i can.

but is so much wax bad for the car? i wouldnt have thought it could be that bad

 

The only issue I can think of would be a build up after a while - maybe a good buff every so often would be a good idea... I couldn't imagine it doing any type of harm to your paint - after all, the waxes are designed to protect your vehicle's finish...

 

ah i see, i wouldnt worry about it. i dont have any vehicles that are wax worthy, so i honestly couldnt tell you if its bad to wax that often. as long as your cloth is clean and the car is clean, i dont see a reason for any damage, but dont hold me to that.

 

Only if you use silicone wax, which in time goes through the pores of the paint eventually going through the primer down to the metal. After this happens getting a new paint job is really hard, as the silicone basically takes away all the 'sticky' part of the metal and makes new paint bubble over instead of sticking to the metal. So if its silicone and you plan to get a new paint job sometime in the future, beware you might not be able to, or will need to be grinded to bare metal and the metal surface roughed to gain the adhereable part back on the metal....

Just read this from a Guide on how to wax your car. Silicone waxes can still be used and work great, just getting a new paint job will be hard work.

P.S. Its one of Don Taylors Books.

 

I cannot stand when people say that! It is not correct. Most waxes are non abrasive. The cleaner waxes have slight abrasives, but that is not going to matter. As long as you're using a clean applicator and a clean towel (I prefer micro fiber to prevent swirls), you have NOTHING to worry about. Some waxes can be layered. I usually have 3 layers on my car (24 hours cure time between coats). Anything more than three is a waste. Once a week is a little excessive in my opinion, but you're not going to harm anything. Eventually a car loses its "just waxed look" when the oils start to wear off, but it should take longer than a week for that.

Now if you were buffing your car every week with an abrasive (such as a swirl remover), then that would eventually be a problem.

 

well like i said above, i only wax it so often cuz im bored at work lol...i got nothing else to do and i just love working on my car that much and yeah, i dont use cleaner wax or rubbing compound, i just use regular old paste wax....ok thanks guys for clarifying this for me. i kinda figured the kid was talking out of his anus. i dont know a whole lot about cars (im pretty much learning as i go) but i do know that usually too much of a good thing isnt ever that bad....especially as simple as wax

 

maybe if you were applying the wax with a buffer, buffers tend to take a little clear off so eventually you would wear threw the clear. but Im sure most people are like me and only use the buffer for rubbing compound/polishing compounds. wax is best by hand IMO..

sorry if somebody said this already, I didn't really read the responses all that well but I'd agree with irocthe5.7.. I mean just look at his car and that shine!

 

If filling time is the primary goal, try a clay-bar application, before the next wax.
That is supposed to be miracle stuff at getting out microscopic oxidation, etc.
of older surfaces.

 

This begs the question, " are you waxing it near the beach where the chicks are walking by, and, if so, WHY?" Enjoy the scenery!

Wax on, Wax off. I see no harm, other than your priorities.

 

lol well i actually have to wax it in the garage cuz of the sunlight...but when i bring it out of the garage (i got a cut-out which i like to leave open lol) and the nice new clean look on it, its a real head turner!

and yeah, i'll have to try clay bar, i mean the car has 2 yr old paint on it now, but i had to repaint a spot on it so it has overspray on it...i have to compound the whole car again soon anyway.