PAINT 101 TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR CAR’S EXTERIOR
When it comes to keeping your car gleaming, there are a few things to consider
There can be no doubt that one of the biggest factors in attracting consumers to new vehicles, like flies to honey, is appearance. And a big part of the looks of any vehicle is the mirror gleam of its paint. This is why countless enthusiasts will gladly give up a bright Saturday morning to spend time with their wheeled loved one in the driveway, washing, rinsing, and polishing.
But is all this really necessary? When it comes to waxing and protecting our rides, which products stand out?
First, if your vehicle was built within the past 20 years or so, its paint is protected by a factory clear-coat application, so waxing really isn’t a necessity. So why bother? Because wax can prevent corrosive and toxic-to-paint materials from sticking to and embedding themselves into the surface of your vehicle’s paint.
Waxes basically come in three forms: paste, liquid, and spray. The latter doesn’t last as long and may require almost weekly applications. Sprays are best left for newer vehicles without any paint oxidization. Even the best paste and liquid wax treatments will lose their shine and protective effect after five or six weeks, so the notion of a permanent paint treatment is pretty much a fairy tale.
No matter what type you decide to use, remember to keep waxes away from any non-painted plastic or rubber components of your vehicle’s exterior. Waxes often contain distilled oil compounds and these will quickly degrade any rubber parts, such as wiper blades and seals. They can also be abrasive, as is the rubbing required to apply and polish them, so it’s critical to start with a perfectly clean and freshly washed surface.
When you’re standing in front of the auto wax and treatment shelves at your local parts store, the selection can be daunting, to say the least. Consumer Reports recommends three particular brands: Mothers, Meguiar’s and Turtle. But even with recognized brands, you need to be careful choosing. Specifically, stay away from anything that has the word “polish” in its name. Polishes or cutting compounds have a substantial amount of abrasives and they’re designed to remove layers of heavily oxidized or faded paint; unless handled by an experienced detailer, they can lead to swirl marks and scratches.
Also avoid treatments that bill themselves as “wax cleaners” or “cleaning waxes.” A good wax treatment can’t both clean and protect effectively. Consumer Reports reviewers found paste wax easier to apply than liquids, and of course with paste it’s easier to avoid getting the wax on the rubber and plastics you want to stay away from.
Tinted or coloured waxes should also be avoided like the plague; they never match and leave your car looking like it’s wearing a badly fitted toupee. Before you head to the cashier, pick up a bundle of microfibre towels, as old T-shirts and terry cloths just won’t cut it and you’ll waste a lot of time removing the threads they leave behind.
One of the newer paint treatments on the market calls itself a ceramic or polymer coating. Few credible tests and lab reports are available but the theory behind it deserves consideration. These treatments have a stronger bond to the paint than traditional waxes, thus leading to longer effective life spans of six months or more, depending on environmental and weather conditions. The general opinion from users is that while they don’t necessarily provide the same level of shine as a good wax, they do a much better job of keeping things from sticking to the paint, making clean ups much easier.