Car Wax for Classic Cars: Pros & Cons
If you have a classic car, you want to take the best possible care of it. The question often comes up: is waxing worth it? There are many benefits to waxing your classic car, but there are some drawbacks as well.
One of the primary benefits of waxing your car is that the wax provides a protective barrier, coating the paint and protecting your vehicle from the elements. Wax helps to prevent rust by filling in tiny surface scratches that are invisible to the eye but leave room for rust to start to form.
If you choose a high-quality wax—and you always should—you can look for a wax that includes UV protection. UV rays aren’t just damaging to your skin; they can damage your paint job too. The rays cause the paint the paint to oxidize which is not a good thing. Not only will the paint start to look dull but it will also deteriorate.
Waxing your car can be a very big job. It takes a good amount of time and effort, and a whole lot of elbow grease. If you’re going to go through all that effort, you don’t want to cheap out on the wax that you use. However, a good car wax can be expensive: between $30 and $300 for one container! But isn’t your classic car worth it? One of the ingredients to look for in a good car wax is polyurethane.
Another advantage of waxing your car is that it makes it much easier to clean. The smooth surface of a waxed car also dries more quickly and is less likely to show streaks. However, a waxed car does attract water molecules. That’s why a waxed car is often associated with water beading on the car’s surface. Have you ever noticed that when you wash plastic items in the dishwasher, like Tupperware, water clings to the surface of the plastic, even after running the drying mode? That’s because plastic is hygroscopic, just like wax, and water will cling to it. This isn’t an issue on the surface of the paint, but it can be an issue where the paint meets metal. That’s why it’s so important to apply the wax properly. Otherwise, your efforts can backfire and cause extreme rusting.
Overall, we still think that waxing is worthwhile, provided you don’t mind the amount of time it takes. Waxing your car properly can take hours, and to do it right you really ought to reapply the wax every 45 days. That’s a big time commitment. If you’re afraid of the word “commitment” then waxing your car probably isn’t for you!
Do you have experience waxing your classic car? Do you find it to be worth the effort? We’d like to hear your car waxing stories. Leave a comment or drop us a line!