How to protect against UV clear coat damage?

[Cujet]

Vinyl wrap?

Here in South Florida, paint degrades rapidly due to the sun. I have a 3 car garage and "had" covered parking at work. No paint issues what so ever. Now that my car is parked outside, the paint is failing rather rapidly. Especially the repainted trunk.

I've never seen a product that helps paint or clear coat last longer, for cars parked outside.

 

[HYUNDAIFAN0001]

Originally Posted By: spackard
Jaha42k: when you get your next car get a car cover and use it.
Too late for your current car's finish. I wouldn't bother unless you get it resprayed, but, upholstery and dash plastics got the same dose of UV so even if you get a new paint job you'll soon see those things go bad.

Great suggestion - there are a number of UV protection fabric car covers out there.

Just a few - all claim UV protection (of course):

UV Car Cover provider 1

UV Car Cover provider 2

UV Car Cover provider 3

But of course...there a few naysayer folks who would have us believe nothing works other than the original clear-coat (not car car products, UV covers, etc.). Some of us know better.

Thanks for posting.

 

[RooflessVW]

Not sure where in So Cal you are exactly, but if you're where I am I'd advise against the cover. Winds hit 15kts daily - and a cover flapping on a sandy car will murder your paint.

 

[FastEddie]

Sad part is UV claims are some of most exaggerated in the detailing industry, and many are outright lies....but hey, those claims work at getting people to buy the products, which is the goal.

 

[njohnson]

A coating will probably provide the most or more protection against UV clear coat damage compared to sealants and waxes.

Here is the description of Optimum Gloss-Coat.

I can attest to the part where it says "The paint will retain its color..." I put this on our dad's Tundra, and it seemed to make the red paint color a deeper, darker red, and it has locked that in and it has stayed that way. I applied it around 2013 and it is still going strong. It is impressive because the truck doesn't stay in a garage part of time, it is our dad's work truck and it is outside 24/7.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Vinyl wrap?

Here in South Florida, paint degrades rapidly due to the sun. I have a 3 car garage and "had" covered parking at work. No paint issues what so ever. Now that my car is parked outside, the paint is failing rather rapidly. Especially the repainted trunk.

I've never seen a product that helps paint or clear coat last longer, for cars parked outside.


That's real world for many people. Old school paints like enamels and lacquers may in fact benefit from some products because as the pigments age and die off and they leave the surface slightly porous but this is not the case with solvent or water based urethane clear.
Specialty paints like Imron AF700/740 used on aircraft are so hard almost nothing touches or bonds well to them. The only problem with it is it is dangerous, I can spray it with my breathing equipment but the shop refuses to even mix it and I really don't like to use it.

 

[FastEddie]

Originally Posted By: njohnson
A coating will probably provide the most or more protection against UV clear coat damage compared to sealants and waxes.

Here is the description of Optimum Gloss-Coat.

I can attest to the part where it says "The paint will retain its color..." I put this on our dad's Tundra, and it seemed to make the red paint color a deeper, darker red, and it has locked that in and it has stayed that way. I applied it around 2013 and it is still going strong. It is impressive because the truck doesn't stay in a garage part of time, it is our dad's work truck and it is outside 24/7.

C.Quartz UK has been on my car for 4.5 years now parked outside 24/7. I stock most commercial grade coatings at my shop and apply them regularly to clients that don't want to wax their cars regularly.

 

[Pajero]

How about a car cover? Bit of a pain. Check out Autogeek.net . They have some awesome products and a great forum for do's and dont's. In the end, you can only do so much! Good luck!




Respectfully,

Pajero!

 

[PimTac]

I’ve read somewhere that the uv protective properties in clearcoat only last for a few years, maybe five years. Is that true?

 

[njohnson]

Originally Posted By: njohnson
A coating will probably provide the most or more protection against UV clear coat damage compared to sealants and waxes.

Here is the description of Optimum Gloss-Coat.

I can attest to the part where it says "The paint will retain its color..." I put this on our dad's Tundra, and it seemed to make the red paint color a deeper, darker red, and it has locked that in and it has stayed that way. I applied it around 2013 and it is still going strong. It is impressive because the truck doesn't stay in a garage part of time, it is our dad's work truck and it is outside 24/7.


Oops! I forgot to include the link!

https://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-coat.html

 

[Jaha24k]

Thanks for all the responses

 

[hummdrumm]

Optimum Car Wax advertises UV protection and worked well for my cars parked outside in LV. OCW can be used as WAUD, spray on dry finish. Easy and fast and looks great. My usual go to LSP.

 

[danez_yoda]

My 10 year tacoma has just been washed ans waxed with klasse twins, then later meguiars when i ran out of klasse.

Meguiars ultimate polish to remove scratches and water spots every year or so and waxes every 2 months.

I park in full sun in houston tx all year.

Dark blue paint to boot.

. Had a black 97 mitsubishi eclipse that was 11 years old when i sold it with perfect paint as well. It only saw meguiars cleaner wax or high tech yellow wax.

Easy on easy off.

 

[Trav]

That's all well and good but honestly you cannot give credit to anything you applied to it, its probably a higher quality clear.
How many MB, BMW VW, etc with failing OE clear coat? Not many, it would be an uncommon occurrence.

 

[Warstud]

 

[Jaha24k]

Originally Posted By: danez_yoda
My 10 year tacoma has just been washed ans waxed with klasse twins, then later meguiars when i ran out of klasse.

Meguiars ultimate polish to remove scratches and water spots every year or so and waxes every 2 months.

I park in full sun in houston tx all year.

Dark blue paint to boot.

. Had a black 97 mitsubishi eclipse that was 11 years old when i sold it with perfect paint as well. It only saw meguiars cleaner wax or high tech yellow wax.

Easy on easy off.


Which meguiars products did u use? That’s pretty good because most Tacoma’s I see out here your gen have fading in the roof and sometimes the hood. Twice a year is fairly often though. How long does it take u?

 

[FastEddie]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
I’ve read somewhere that the uv protective properties in clearcoat only last for a few years, maybe five years. Is that true?


Many painters will tell you that if you get 10 years out of your paint job, you are lucky. This is highly subjective though, but I will say, as a person that makes a living detailing, I see clear coat fail daily. On all makes and models, but some are more prone than others. And this is why I always talk people out of doing harsh compounding on OEM paint to remove deep swirling or scratches, it is so thin now that removing any more than necessary will compromise the longevity of the paint job. Best protection for your paint, a garage.

 

[HYUNDAIFAN0001]

Ah yes...good old Scott in that video. He makes a living doing mobile detailing, and then in this video (he does tons of videos)...he basically debunks his profession to say it's virtually "voodoo". LOL - what a character. Good thing only 1/2 of what he ever says is based on fact, and most people know that. If you watch enough of his "stuff"...you'll actually see him contradict himself on certain products.

My last car was 18 years old (2000 model), and still had a solid clear-coat protection after all that time (defying what good old Scotty says is possible). It was inspected carefully by a paint spectrometer to confirm the clear coat was still "active". All it took was some UV protection products used on a regular basis...commonly found in a number of car care products. The dealer that bought my 18-year old car said "this paint job looks virtually like its 1-2 years old - remarkable", Not really...just taken care of like anyone else can do if they choose.

Somebody needs to beam up Scotty.

 

[SirTanon]

My take - The clearcoat protects the paint.. but you have to protect the clearcoat if you want it to last.

- Wash the car regularly, and above all, if you see contaminants on it, like bird poop or something else that could damage the clearcoat, clean it off as soon as you can.

- 'Wax' the car regularly, whether it be wax, or a sealant, or something in the middle.. or even a coating of some kind.

- Use a spray wax to keep the wax 'topped off'


While what you put over the clearcoat may not necessarily protect it from the sun, it WILL help protect it from the elements and whatever else ends up coming in contact with it. Stuff like bird poop, acid rain, etc... can and will wear out a clear coat prematurely. Keeping it clean and well topped will help minimize it, even in the harshest climates..

I've used my car as an example in the past, but I feel that it's a good one.. My 2010 Fusion gets parked outside 24/7. Even at home, it's parked in the driveway. I live in Phoenix, where we get harsh sun and brutal summer heat (115F and up frequently).. but I wash my car regulary, I keep a close eye out for bird bombs, etc.. I wax the car a few times a year, and I hit it with a spray wax like D156 after each wash. The car is nearly 9 years old, but the paint is still in top shape:

 

[PimTac]

SirTanon, your comment is spot on and considering the extreme conditions your car endures, the results definitely speak for themselves.