Do Carnuba's really gray the surface?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Do Carnuba's really gray the surface?

A friend of mine had a white Mustang that he waxed often with a Carnauba wax. Over time it got a yellowish tint to it . Maybe it was just waxing over dirt or maybe using a straight wax over and over again. What ever the reason he used a cleaner on it and it was white again. He then didn't wax so often , and used a cleaner wax from time to time.

That's what's called a wax build-up, which historically was always thought of as a bad thing, now days online enthusiasts call this layering and *some*consider this not only a good thing but the ultimate goal.

And that proves the point that layering isn't a good thing if you don't know 100% for sure the paint is clean and the product you're using isn't giving you a wax build-up.

This is why most people actually "need" a cleaner/wax because most people drive "Daily Drivers" and the paint on daily drivers gets dirty over time. If you don't clean the layer of dirt, contaminants and road grime off the paint before you wax it then you lock it in and over time this can cloud the finish, usually a grayish/blackish tint.

It's almost funny... since the advent of the Internet in general and discussion forums specifically, we went from the fear of a wax build-up, a bad thing, to the goal of layering, a supposed good thing?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Do Carnuba's really gray the surface?

A friend of mine had a white Mustang that he waxed often with a carnuba wax. Over time it got a yellowish tint to it . Maybe it was just waxing over dirt or maybe useing a straight wax over and over again. What ever the reason he used a cleaner on it and it was white again. He then didnt wax so often , and used a cleaner wax from time to time.

Besides this exception, can you think of any other cars you've seen first hand where the wax has changed the color of the paint?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Do Carnuba's really gray the surface?

A little story...

About a year or two ago there was a guy on one of the Corvette forums, DigitalCorvetes I think, that had a custom hood scoop grafted onto his hood and then had the car painted white and then clear coated.

He used NXT on the paint and claimed NXT was turning his white paint yellow. Of course, NXT is white in color but more important than that little fact was the only place the white paint was turning yellow was where Bondo was used under the white paint to form around where the hood scoop was grafted onto the hood.

His painter tried to blame it on the wax probably so he wouldn't have to redo his work or at least redo his work for free. It was obvious that something applied to the outside of the paint, (on top of the clear layer), was not selectively seeping through the clear and changing the color of the white basecoat.

Until this issue had to be broken down and explained in AR detail before everyone involved could see the truth through simple common sense.

Hmmm....

[BlueZero]

Re: Do Carnuba's really gray the surface?

The problem with common sense is it isn't very common.

[Larry A]

Re: Do Carnuba's really gray the surface?

Besides this exception, can you think of any other cars you've seen first hand where the wax has changed the color of the paint?

No ! Youre right .