# Wax-it: Matt Nissan GTR - Swissvax Opaque ***9 Month Update***



## Wax-IT.be (Feb 3, 2011)

Back with an update on the Matt Nissan GTR which we finished with Swissvax Opaque 9 months ago.

You can read all about our first detail in  this thread.

And as regular reader you'll know that you can find all the pictures as a slideshow on our Flickr page. 

*This time I'll be showing some pictures fully so you can see the details we're pointing out.*

The car has seen a lot of action since we first dealt with it and it could do with some new protection and a thorough clean-up. The owner was overly impressed with the results so he was really looking forward to it.

*1. Washing*

We started of with the regular washing step. Cleaning the wheels first using a combination of cleaners, brushes and a washmitt made sure the dirtiest job was done.
Eimann Hi-Intensity was used for cleaning the wheel arches and Gloss-it Wheel Gel for the wheels. It soon was clear that this wouldn't be sufficient! The big Alcon brakes combined with the extreme brakepads were enough to leave a rough layer of dust that was very hard to remove. Two passes of IronX and Brakeduster left them looking nice again.

The car was pressure washed to remove the dirt. This was the first step where you could see the difference the Swissvax Opaque made. The water just sheeted of without clinging to the wrap like it did the first time. This proved there was still a little protection left from the Opaque after 9 months.
To remove the flies we used Bug Squash and APC for the rubber. This removed the leftover protection and turned the wrapping back to it's old state. The clinging, water not running, hard to dry,... It's not what we want when washing a car! (See third picture where we only applied Bug Squash to the mirror )

  

The car was then washed using two buckets, Swissvax Opaque Shampoo and the Swissvax WashPudel (lovin' this!). But you all know how this stage goes do you? 

*2. Cleaning*

As there's no possibility in claying, polishing or glazing the paint we could only start to deep clean the paint. Cleaning it with Swissvax Opaque Pre-cleaner removed a lot of dirt! Remember we already cleaned it using Bug Squash. This is what we we're left with after we only did the hood. (Picture1)

It removes even more then we'd expect, especially around the exhausts where we couldn't even see it. (What a mess btw!)

The leather needed a good clean and Gloss-it took care of this.
Same thing goes for the amazing looking and sounding Akrapovic exhaust, here we used Briliant as the winning combo.

  

*3. Waxing*

Last time we had a lot of questions on what the wax actually does to the looks of the car, if it changes the finish. This time I took some pictures from the same perspective or angle, making sure we could capture it as good as possible for you. 

Another thing we noticed is how different this wax is compared to others when applying. When touching it, it's much drier, actually feels rough. As a result you have to work it in more, not just actually applying. It is clearly visible when you missed a spot. 

When applying a second layer it get's much easier. You can feel that there's already protection. But some parts really need a second application, the parts that are exposed the most. This really showed around the exhaust, on the hood and the roof.

It is important that the applicator pad has a sufficient amount of wax. This really makes a difference when working the wax in. We then started using regular amounts (like any other Swissvax) but buffed of one panel, half panel or quarter panel at a time, depending on the panel that is.

In the first picture half the hood was done, then 3/4 quarters and then fully...




























Same steps as before...  You can see the line underneath the window, running to the rear wheel.

  

*4. Conclusion*

You can see the difference and it looks very neat in real life. It's hard to describe it but it actually looks deeper, more matt and it really feels softer to the touch. Some people say it's greasier but when seeing it that is clearly not the case.
We had a wrap-professional over to check the car out, so we could get his thoughts on the finish. He really loved how the wax turned the car around and said this stuff is really the thing to go for to rejuvenate your wrapping. He's seen and heard a lot of different advice to maintain wrap foils but this was actually the best he'd ever seen. 
As a test he used it on a matt black E30 M3 spoiler he just did, even then he was amazed by the color and protection, he previously stated that "this would probably work on older dried out foils…"

What we noticed after 9months:
_(remember the wrapping itself is almost 2 years old.)_


 Protection was still visible as sheeting after 9 months, beading was reduced to a minimum.
 Flies and bird droppings had worked their way through the waxlayer, probably been there for too long
 All flies, tar and bird droppings could be removed by a combination of Bug Squash and Opaque Pre Cleaner
 You really can and need to work the pre-cleaner in when removing stronger contamination. This doesn't alter the looks of the (this) foil.
 You really need 2 layers of wax to be sure you have a perfect even coverage.
 When you still see a spot with bad coverage after two layers, using Quick Finish Opaque is not the best way. It's easier, quicker and better to apply another waxcoat.

*Hope you enjoyed our view on the Opaque lineup and how it works. We loved it from the beginning but it was very interesting to see how it performed. 
Thanks to you for reading and thanks to the owner for letting us use his car as a testcase! *

Some more pictures:


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

very nice.


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks for sharing, that is what a post should be about. A clearly defined process with great detailed pictures actually showing the differences :thumb:

Superb , oh and I like the car as well :lol:


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## North east Car Care (Jan 14, 2008)

Cracking write up matey


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Looks very nice..


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## AndrewBigG (Jul 28, 2009)

:thumb:
Loving how you're doing your business 
May I ask you why is your ceiling black? 
Thanks


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## Superspec (Feb 25, 2011)

WOW, that's all I can say


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Fantastic job mate, car looks mint.


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## emrah arıcan (May 8, 2011)

very nice...


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Stunning Motor....:thumb:


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## himpe (Apr 20, 2006)

AndrewBigG said:


> :thumb:
> Loving how you're doing your business
> May I ask you why is your ceiling black?
> Thanks


Thanks.

The ceiling is black because of styling purposes. It just looks better, all the wiring , connections, ... are also painted black and even IRL they are very hard to spot.
It just gives it a clean look


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## AndrewBigG (Jul 28, 2009)

Thanks. It's certainly stylish. I like it!


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## wish wash (Aug 25, 2011)

Looks awesome, i bet you dont get bored working on that car


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## athol (Oct 3, 2009)

Thats very nice, not usually a fan of 'wrapped' motors, but that one looks the business !! Lovely detailed write up too, and some very nice pictures


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## Wax-IT.be (Feb 3, 2011)

Thanks a lot guys!


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Very nice info and stunning pics :thumb:


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