Many people wonder if waxing their cars or trucks is necessary. M&G Body Shop answers, “Yes!” But. waxing is not as necessary in frequency as in ages past. In fact, we are happy to share with Cincinnati some helpful points about this very question from Popular Mechanics:
“Waxing has always made cars extra shiny. That’s still the case today, but both modern paint jobs and wax formulations have improved a lot in recent years,” according to an article on the Popular Mechanics website. “A new car got a layer of primer and a few coats of colored lacquer, and that was it. Wax not only gave the paint a good gloss, it was also the only line of defense against scratches.”
However, a couple of decades ago, car makers started adding a clear coat. The clear coat can become hazy and dull-looking over time due to normal environmental factors. But, the clear coat is protecting the paint layer below, which under normal wear circumstances, stays in decent shape longer than it did before manufacturers began adding that clear coat layer.
While you don’t have to necessarily wax your car as often as your grandfather did, adding a layer of wax to the clear coat provides a “sacrificial layer on top of the clear coat so that when you remove dirt and such you’re not directly rubbing the paint,” the Popular Mechanics article says.
Popular Mechanics recommends waxing twice a year – once before winter weather sets in and once again in the spring.
