Gold Class Carnauba plus..

[02Rodeo]

I received the Gold Class kit as a Christmas gift and was wondering what was the best topper for the carnauba plus wax..

[BillyJack]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

IMO, GC is best used as a topper, since it's more of a "beauty" wax than a "durability" wax. I've used "durability" waxes, such as NXT or Collinite as a base, then followed with GC or M26 as a final step, such as the night before a show on an already well-polished car. Longevity isn't a strong characteristic of GC. You can refresh it with GC Quick Wax to extend its life.

Bill

[Top Gear]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

I agree with Bill, although I don't ever bother with the sealant step. Topping Gold Class Wax with anything other than Gold Class Quick Wax or Ultimate Wash & Wax Anywhere will moot the point of using it in the first place, because you'll just be removing it as you mix on the next layer of wax/sealant. IMO, you want that carnauba in all its glory (with Gold Class, or Detailer D301, or Deep Crystal, etc), and if you take care of a carnauba-rich finish (regular use of UWWA and GCQW, avoid driving in the rain, etc), it will last pretty much as long as any "sealant" - all things equal - and a sealant is also just a micron-thin layer of UV protection that weathers away just like anything else.

Enjoy the Gold Class look

[02Rodeo]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

Avoid driving in the rain...that's almost impossible..

[Top Gear]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

It's a challenge Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. Even with the car parked, a short rain is great for removing dust, but a long rainstorm will weather off the wax/sealant layer. The best advice I've found on this site is to use UWWA/D115 and the GCQW I already used, such that every few days I'm re-waxing the car, and when I do a bucket-wash, I use UWW (because it has a bit of carnauba), even though I prefer Gold Class (sometimes I'll use GC and then UWW). I just try to do a re-waxing with the DA every month or so, two months if I've avoided the rain well enough

[02Rodeo]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

So what your saying is use GC as a topper for a sealant such as ULW..

[Top Gear]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

No, as I said, I don't do topping with two kinds of protection (sealant and wax).

Sometimes, though, I do two passes of the same wax (say D301, which is a cleaner-wax), the first aggressively as a cleaner/claying step, the second gentle for a regular wax coat. That's only when I'm not going for a full correction. Most times I don't even need two passes, as a spirited single pass will do the trick.

A protection layer, wax or sealant, is only supposed to protect the correction and polishing oils underneath, and then regular UWWA and GCQW will protect and boost the carnauba protection layer's effect, or UWWA and UQW or NQW will protect and boost the sealant layer's effect. It is a myth that sealants "last longer" than waxes. The elements (particularly in regions where we have more severe weather events) destroy the carnauba effect faster than the sealant effect, sure, but we're talking days of difference, not months. If you're doing UWW/UWWA/GCQW, you can go many months with a carnauba finish. I've done it. However, you'd be safer to go ahead and re-wax monthly or so.

If you prefer the silvery Ultimate/Mirror Glaze and sealant look, though, that's another story. You'll want to use a sealant, say NXT or ULW, then regularly clean/boost with UWWA and the matching quik wax. Sticking GCLW into that mix of sealant finishing defeats the purpose of seeing the Gold Class look in all its glory.

[The Guz]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

There is no best topper for gold class carnauba wax. Any of the Meguiar's detail sprays and spray waxes will work fine. Some offer different attributes than another.

As Mike Phillips would say, find something you like and use it often.

[Top Gear]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

All Meg's products work well together, and are more alike than they are different. However, the name "Gold Class" on a bottle of quik wax or detailer is a pretty good clue it's better or more optimized for boosting Gold Class/M26 wax than the others, both for the carnauba thing, as well as the color cast (just look at the liquid). That's why NXT quik wax has the name NXT on it, and again for Ultimate (the wild card is Synthetic Xpress QW, which does not match the Detailer line it is placed into). Likewise, a given detailer's Gold Class/M26 look will appear to last longer than the DAMF or Ultimate/MG look because of it - not the wax protection, but the "look". For example, the DAMF blue look will slowly go away toward the silver/gold as I use UWWA & GCQW.

It's certainly not "wrong" to mix and match these products, but they definitely look different, and it's a bit pointless if you truly want to compare the different "looks" Meguiar's has to offer.

[Steelholder]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

I came across this wondering whether or not to top ULW with gold class carnauba. One is a sealant and the other is a dedicated wax with no cleaning properties that im aware of. Some mention that the sealant only look(sealant as last step) is more mirror like, compared to a warm glow provided by the wax. I have yet to try either but will do a little side by side. Has anyone topped ULW with gold class carnauba plus?

[The Guz]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

I came across this wondering whether or not to top ULW with gold class carnauba. One is a sealant and the other is a dedicated wax with no cleaning properties that im aware of. Some mention that the sealant only look(sealant as last step) is more mirror like, compared to a warm glow provided by the wax. I have yet to try either but will do a little side by side. Has anyone topped ULW with gold class carnauba plus?

I've topped ULW with M26. I had no issues.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

I came across this wondering whether or not to top ULW with gold class carnauba. One is a sealant and the other is a dedicated wax with no cleaning properties that im aware of. Some mention that the sealant only look(sealant as last step) is more mirror like, compared to a warm glow provided by the wax. I have yet to try either but will do a little side by side. Has anyone topped ULW with gold class carnauba plus?

First off, there is no need whatsoever to use both a sealant and a wax - they both do the same thing just in different ways. Carnauba waxes make use of carnauba wax (well, duh!) which is a naturally occurring ingredient and an old school product for protecting the paint. Sealants, which is just a fancy term for "man made wax" or "synthetic wax" provide more durable protection due to the cross linking polymers used to provide that protection. Note that these cross linking polymers are very different from the other polymers used as supplemental ingredients in most carnauba waxes and they behave very differently.

Early synthetics were often criticized for making a car look like it was wrapped in plastic wrap, which many people thought was an unnatural look for paint. As technology has evolved many sealants have moved away from that wrapped in plastic look, but a lot of people still prefer the look of carnauba waxes. There really is no right or wrong answer with regard to "which looks better, carnauba or synthetic?" as that's a very personal opinion. It's like asking "what's better, prime rib or fillet mignon?" Well, gee, what do you like?

So, you're comment about doing a side by side comparison is really the best way for you to decide which one you like better. We all see things a bit differently, just as we hear things differently, taste things differently, smell things differently, etc. Some people become really attuned to certain looks, or flavors, or scents, etc. Again, there is no right or wrong here - you're going to like what you're going to like and nobody can tell you're preference in something is wrong.

Those who make a habit of applying a sealant first and topping with a carnauba will usually say they do so because they want the durability of the sealant but they like the look of the carnauba. Hey, if they can see a difference, and that's what they want to do, good for them. But you don't have to.

[Steelholder]

Re: Gold Class Carnauba plus..

First off, there is no need whatsoever to use both a sealant and a wax - they both do the same thing just in different ways. Carnauba waxes make use of carnauba wax (well, duh!) which is a naturally occurring ingredient and an old school product for protecting the paint. Sealants, which is just a fancy term for "man made wax" or "synthetic wax" provide more durable protection due to the cross linking polymers used to provide that protection. Note that these cross linking polymers are very different from the other polymers used as supplemental ingredients in most carnauba waxes and they behave very differently.

Early synthetics were often criticized for making a car look like it was wrapped in plastic wrap, which many people thought was an unnatural look for paint. As technology has evolved many sealants have moved away from that wrapped in plastic look, but a lot of people still prefer the look of carnauba waxes. There really is no right or wrong answer with regard to "which looks better, carnauba or synthetic?" as that's a very personal opinion. It's like asking "what's better, prime rib or fillet mignon?" Well, gee, what do you like?

So, you're comment about doing a side by side comparison is really the best way for you to decide which one you like better. We all see things a bit differently, just as we hear things differently, taste things differently, smell things differently, etc. Some people become really attuned to certain looks, or flavors, or scents, etc. Again, there is no right or wrong here - you're going to like what you're going to like and nobody can tell you're preference in something is wrong.

Those who make a habit of applying a sealant first and topping with a carnauba will usually say they do so because they want the durability of the sealant but they like the look of the carnauba. Hey, if they can see a difference, and that's what they want to do, good for them. But you don't have to.

Thank you for your insight. I love both prime rib and fillet mignon, so naturally I'll do a side by side in hopes that topping will give an alternative attractive look and protect at the same time. If ULW looks better I'll stick with that.