I was thinking about this as I dinged my head on my garage door opener for the 3rd time as I was trying to buff the sealant off of the roof of my truck.
What would be the harm if I applied my sealant like usual, but just left it there on the roof of my truck instead of buffing it off?
Obviously it would look bad, but in the case of my truck, it's over 6'-3" high, and all I really care about on the roof is the protection it provides(Besides nobody can see it). It seems to me like it would provide more protection as it would be quite a thick layer of sealant compared to what's left after buffing? Am I wrong?
Applying wax/ sealant but not buffing it off?
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Hello, I don't think you're wrong at all. I always think when I see a the new Toyota FJ or think about my friend's rough 1989 black Chevy truck, "I'd like a white roof on any truck".
We'd go through dairy country every Summer. I took to daubing layers of cheap wax on the sides (below the belt line) of my mother's '91 Ford Taurus and leaving it to dry without buffing. The car was putty (pale, pale grey) so the whitish color of the wax didn't stand out. Removing the formerly liquid but later baked-hard-like-stone cow manure was easy. Without the wax, removing the manure was extremely difficult. Kira
What would be the harm in backing it out of the garage when you do the roof?
Some sealants benefit from being left on the car for an extended cure time but not taking it off at all...I don't know. I can tell you that some waxes will become extremely difficult to remove if left on the car for even 15 minutes.
It's not that hard to back it out, stand on the tire or door sill and hit the roof, may as well do it right.
JHZR2
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I kind of like the concept of some opaque solids sitting on the surface blocking the sun a bit.
Question is if the dried solids are really benign or if they are potentially problemmatic.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I kind of like the concept of some opaque solids sitting on the surface blocking the sun a bit.
Question is if the dried solids are really benign or if they are potentially problemmatic.
Duplicolor has a coating that removes with soap and water. Designed as a temporary car art, i'm sure it could be used for a trip to the beach, mud etc. They claim it withstands rain.
Only available in black white red and blue.
http://www.duplicolor.com/products/carArt/
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JHZR2
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Originally Posted By: milkboy
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I kind of like the concept of some opaque solids sitting on the surface blocking the sun a bit.
Question is if the dried solids are really benign or if they are potentially problemmatic.
The amount you see on the surface is really just excess - it provides no benefit at all. That's why the key to proper application is an extremely thin layer.
If you leave it on the surface, it will dry and become very very difficult to remove later on.
Originally Posted By: gofast182
What would be the harm in backing it out of the garage when you do the roof?
Some sealants benefit from being left on the car for an extended cure time but not taking it off at all...I don't know. I can tell you that some waxes will become extremely difficult to remove if left on the car for even 15 minutes.
It's not that hard to back it out, stand on the tire or door sill and hit the roof, may as well do it right.
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
It will also be a dirt magnet.
In a month, the roof will be covered with an abrasive that won't wash off.
Better off leaving it naked.
Buffing off clean wax/sealant now, or claying off an abrasive film later?
Seems like an easy choice to me.
If you don't care what it looks like (leaving wax on it), why even waste time claying it?
Claying isn't meant to remove heavier road grit and sand. That's what will be imbedded into the residue. I think you'll be cutting the finish. There's no good way to remove that mess. Best bet is a power washer.
I just don't consider an abrasive film very smart protection.
I think if you're that worried about the paint and you know nobody looks at it, simply buy some two part clear and put an extra layer of clearcoat on top. Certainly today's newer finishes are a little on the thin side but I guarantee you even a thick visible wax layer won't protect like a whole new layer of clear, simply compound it if it starts to oxidize.
Mask the areas you don't want cleared. Scuff up the paint with scotch brite, clean with prep sol, and since you don't care about appearance mix up the paint, thin a little with MEK and use a foam roller. 3-4 coats will give you some insane paint thickness to work with and it'll last the longest of all.
If that's too much, clay, clean and prep and use a hardcoat like Opticoat. That will definitely protect better than any wax or sealant. Since you're not going for looks you don't have to polish to perfection, just polish it to remove any invisible layer of oxidation to give the hardcoat fresh paint to stick to.
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