I have no doubt using a good wax/sealer prolongs the life of the paint. I've owned far too many vehicles over the years that I've taken very good care of to support this notion...
Paint protection. It’s all futile.
- Thread starter Kurtatron
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I think the cover over them helps quite a bit too! Nice fleet!People with oxidation usually only wax their cars annually if not at all, all these different spray waxes don't last long, they are good when you have a good wax coat on the paint, I'm Old Skool, still use paste wax regularly, not into expensive coatings and wraps, all my cars have excellent paint for their ages, people either don't have time for their cars or are just too lazy to get out and perform regular preventive maintenance, I'm 70 and still enjoy getting out there, almost like therapy for me.
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I haven't waxed a car since I've had kids, but I did enjoy polishing my turds ('81 Omega, '03 Tracker) especially the white walls on the Omega... Even in 2002 lots of people hadn't seen those in a while.
Without employing proper scientific methods, both of us are providing our unscientific opinions.
Will I continue to use paint protection products? Probably - but it is more of a feel good thing.
I am extremely skeptical of any color dependency in paint durability on modern automotive paint. The base coat almost never fails. The issue is the clear, and the clear is the same clear on every color minus satin or frozen paints, which are only found on luxury cars. I would expect white to fare the best anyway if there was any effect to begin with.
There is a myth like this for every brand. BMW jet black paint is “soft” etc. The reality is it’s the same baked on clearcoat as every other color, you can just see the issues more easily.
I will say, anecdotally, Japanese cars do seem to have the highest rate of clearcoat failure under 10 years old in my unprofessional and random experience.
One can't argue with results...
I have to agree with that. I had a 14 Outback. I loved the car but the paint was not good. I had the clear coat peeling on the hood and blisters on the roof. My back hatch just under the glass all became like a matte finish. This was about 6 years after I had it. Loved the car but the paint was not goodNo offense but It's because Subaru has lower quality paint. I have a 27 year old Sierra, 20 year old Volvo and 12 year old Honda and all the paint in near perfect. They have been sealed with one product or another their entire lives. It does help if you have decent paint from the start(all of these except for Volvo have had good and bad paint over the years depending on color. Volvo seems to always have decent paint):
Am having my mother in laws headlights restored by a local guy. He retired as the head of the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama Paint Shop. He now does detailing. Guy KNOWS HIS SHI#! Collectors trailer their cars from all over the Southeast for him to correct and seal the paint before shows and auctions. We had a discussion this morning and basically the car car industry is all catchwords, catchphrases and bullshi#! He told me that except for the ceramic coatings (as we all know they contain no ceramic) and the latest film protection($10K per vehicle) products, there has been not TRUE advancement in car finish protection in decades. Manufacturers tweak and adjust their chemical compounds and concoctions from the same ingredients but there has not be a true "breakthrough" in decades. Graphene this, ceramic that, blah, blah, blah. Oh, he also said there is no such thing as "layering" with any off the shelf product. Guys that claim they "layer" coat after coat after coat and "build up" this coating with paste or liquid sealants, waxes or polishes are fooling themselves. He said you can "layer" the so called ceramic coatings but nothing that you let dry to a haze or work in with dual action polisher can be "built up". Said to get it clean with a clay bar or whatever, give it a good waxing or sealing and stay on top of it. He said the waxes and sealants that are the hardest to remove are the most durable.
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Not sure I really understand the premise of this discussion. I look at paint the same way I look at all the other parts of a car. I start with the variables I have no control over.
1. The initial quality of the paint and and its application.
2. The environment the car/paint lives in. In my case, the northeast.
3. How much time the paint spends in adverse environments, ie snow,salt,sun, etc.
These factors give me a baseline of approximately how long the paint can survive.
Variables I can control.
1. Parking in protected areas when possible.
2. Cleaning the paint frequently but gently to remove environmental contaminants.
3. Applying protectants in a timely fashion.
These help me extend the life of the paint over the baseline. Does this mean cleaning and protecting is futile? No more so than using HPL to attain maximum life from the engine.
Why should we think paint can last forever when we know every part of the car will slowly wear out no matter how careful and fastidious we are? We are just trying to keep it going for as long as possible.
1. The initial quality of the paint and and its application.
2. The environment the car/paint lives in. In my case, the northeast.
3. How much time the paint spends in adverse environments, ie snow,salt,sun, etc.
These factors give me a baseline of approximately how long the paint can survive.
Variables I can control.
1. Parking in protected areas when possible.
2. Cleaning the paint frequently but gently to remove environmental contaminants.
3. Applying protectants in a timely fashion.
These help me extend the life of the paint over the baseline. Does this mean cleaning and protecting is futile? No more so than using HPL to attain maximum life from the engine.
Why should we think paint can last forever when we know every part of the car will slowly wear out no matter how careful and fastidious we are? We are just trying to keep it going for as long as possible.
JHZR2
Staff member
Explain this please.
Of course I agree there is a high likelihood of not much truly improving over many years for most products.
Proper wash technique and periodic application of a wax/sealant or coating is all you can do. Or keep it in the garage and never drive it.
Can Coat impressed me and I'll likely go back to it. Truck still looks great 18 months later with it. But there are a million products now on the market that generally perform similar being they are blended by only a handful of different manufacturers and suppliers. Kind of like oil.
Can Coat after 11 months. Washed once per week. The self-cleaning is real, but not as good as some make it out to be. You can also achieve this by using regular sealants, but you just need to reapply more often.
Can Coat impressed me and I'll likely go back to it. Truck still looks great 18 months later with it. But there are a million products now on the market that generally perform similar being they are blended by only a handful of different manufacturers and suppliers. Kind of like oil.
Can Coat after 11 months. Washed once per week. The self-cleaning is real, but not as good as some make it out to be. You can also achieve this by using regular sealants, but you just need to reapply more often.
I have noticed in areas close to beaches that many late model cars show early signs of paint failure. Go a hundred miles inland at the same latitude and the problem disappears. I have noticed a similar phenomenon in parts of the country with heavy pollen, i.e. where cars turn yellow in the spring. Typically the areas of paint failure coincide with where the air flow is strongest such as the hood and front part of the roof. That made me think that these cars are essentially being sandblasted by abrasive particles in the air such as salt, sand, and pollen. If so, no chemical protection could possibly work. The only defense is frequent car washes or rain.
I searched for this thread after seeing a car with the paint nearly faded away and wondered if routine washes and waxing (or other protection as mentioned) would have prevented that from happening. I've read through the posts and decided I will keep to my semiannual wax jobs (but admit that I might be treating myself and not the car).
I agree with you, but I think there is a combination of factors. The sides of the car just behind the wheels also see a lot of air, but don't seem to be as affected. When I see failing clear it usually is hood, roof, sometimes trunk lid. All horizontal panels. Maybe a combination of abrasion and UV.
And considering that I've always taken care of my cars and for many years would sit out in extreme sun and heat when I lived in Arizona and Nevada. I've never had clearcoat give up on a car at even 15 years old and other cars of similar vintage would be like this example here. Even if the product did nothing(which I don't believe) I'm not taking the chance even if I was only just washing it and removing those contaminants were the real reason why. I've seen those examples too. Washed weekly, never waxed, and the scuffs and wear marks are worse than the treated cars.
I also worked for a chain of detail shops when I was in Phoenix so I saw this stuff first hand and knew the habits of some of the vehicles that I regularly saw.
Well my 2004 Ford Focus is now officially 20 years old. Now how many 1st Gen Foci do you see anywhere on the road even in California? Yet, my paint/clear coat is holding up fine despite parked outdoors it's entire life. One must note that I wash the car every week except during the rainy season. My washing removes all atmospheric contaminants that accumulate during the week. Waxed 3X a year. So the 20 years, which equals 1040 weeks, means I have hand washed my car over 900 times.
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I actually think I did a poor job on my purchased new 1998 Maxima. I washed and waxed through 2009. BUT, a t in the rear right 1/4 broke due to corrosion, for the electric antenna and sunroof drains. This meant water pooled and rusted it from the inside out. Once that happened I gave up and didn’t wash the car. So 2009-2023 it severely rusted. So much for the pics in the brochure of the unibody being dipped in a tank. At the same time I’ve vowed not to let any other cars go. All 3 remaining cars have zero surface rust, 2006 2007 2011….only the 2007 is hand wash only. I have accepted the car wash on the other two….
Even amongst colors on the same make and model that came down the same assembly line, you will see differences in durability. For whatever reason, probably the pigment, some white domestic vehicles have had delamination issues for over 30 years. I know that on ‘15 and up aluminum F150 delamination is happening on the roofs and tailgates of white, bright blue, and silver trucks. Some of the failures are happening on meticulously maintained trucks.
As far as beading water, I’ve wondered is the beaded morning dew and sunlight magnifying the light intensity? I probably don’t have to worry much. My cars are only waxed every other year or so.
As far as beading water, I’ve wondered is the beaded morning dew and sunlight magnifying the light intensity? I probably don’t have to worry much. My cars are only waxed every other year or so.
I love products that are extremely hydrophobic and bead well for one reason - airdry. I can airdry the vehicle in seconds when using Can Coat. It eliminates the need to touch the paint to dry.
I really do think Can Coat is one of the GOAT in the detailing world. You apply it just like any other sealant. You can layer it and even top up with it after 6 months. It's extremely durable. Just a fantastic product.
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