Depends. Good quality car waxes can be great or bad. Good for drum wrap:Those final stages of Novus are great. Bad: If you get the waxy kind that you let dry and then buff...be prepared to buff it properly with a buffing wheel, or vigorous hand rub, or you will get swirls. This wax is perfect for car finishes and final step to great lacquer finish, I use it for this a lot, but not for drum wrap.

Vintage drum wraps are not plastic, they are celluloid acetate. Made from chemically treated wood fibers. Since this is a vintage drum forum I am assuming you are talking about vintage drums. In any case, acetate may not have the same issues with respect to car wax.

'errr You plan on driving them in the rain?"

(kidding/funny

I don't think waxes will really harm wraps, and sprayed finishes, and cause things like yellowing.

But the thing I never liked about either waxes, or synth sealants that are a wipe on, and wipe off proposition is getting such into crevices, and then become very difficult to remove residues around lugs, badges, and other hardware.

Is one reason I have liked using what is referred to as a WOWA product, which means "wipe on-walk away". Also nice for other things like Bikes-Bicycles, and such where there's very little worry of dried product left behind.

Another area these excel and are very easy to use, are things like door jambs, trunk and under hood areas. They will not stain/discolor parts like rubber weatherstrip, or textured plastics.

The two products I really like, are Optimum Opti-Seal, and Ultima UPGP. (Ultima Paint Guard Plus)

Both are optically clear liquids like water, a little goes a long way, one squirt onto an applicator will basically do an entire tom or snare shell. Then only a minor wiping required after with a soft Microfiber Towel to remove high spots-excess of product.

No cleaners/abrasives in either of these products, they are solely synthetic protectants.

On a daily driver vehicle they will usually last about 3 month's time.

On a drum shell, or a garage queen vehicle, of course much longer.

I have used this stuff called Nu-Finish (orange bottle). It's made to be used on cars like a wax, but it's some kind of micro-encapsulated silicone something-or-other. I had it, so I used it...not much research went into the decision. I don't know it there will be some kind of chemical reaction to it in the future, but it made my drum look nice and shiny!

As far as like carnauba wax or the like -I personally don't think it would hurt anything. As long as you use a small amount and spend the time to buff it out well. Some waxes do tend to yellow over time, I suppose.