How Can You Tell When A Finish Is Gone ??

[HondaMan]

I know that might be a dumb question, but I`m serious.

Obviousley, I knew when I touched mom`s `94 Camry that hadn`t been washed or waxed in 2 years that there was nothing there. And dad`s `01 Mitsubishi Galant felt "rough" also.

But I put 2 coats of UPP on mom`s car and the 1Z EX Glanz (holding up nicely) on dad`s.

Should I be looking for "roughness" on the cars in another 2-3 months when the finish is worn (both cars stay outside -- my car has the garage, hehehehe)? Or should I maybe see how water beads on it NOW, and compare in a few weeks/months?

Since I don`t do this all the time, maybe I`m not going to be "sensitive" enough to detect a difference by "feeling" with my fingers when the finish is 2 days old versus 2 months old vs. 4 months old.

I`m leaning to using water beading as my test, but what should I be looking for beading-wise when a finish is new versus a few weeks or few months? By beading, you mean breaking up into little droplets and running off the hood/roof? Falling entirely off the car? What?

If any of you guys have something other than a touch-test, I`m all ears.

[Bob]

Are you talking about finish as in paint finish or finish as in a wax or sealant product? I am not sure what you mean.

[JaredPointer]

I have heard on here that the "beading" test is not a very good measure to determine if wax/sealant is still doing it`s job. Some waxes sheet instead of bead also. I would like to know of a good way to tell if it`s time for some more protection, I just don`t know if I`d use beading as the only factor.

I think as often as most of us here at DC keep our cars waxed/sealed that durability is never really an issue for us (on our personal cars). It seems none of us let it go for more than a week or so until we do something else.

[HondaMan]

I`m talking the sealants...LSP`s....acryllics, polymers, sealants (EX-P, UPP, Klasse SG).

Jared, what is sheeting vs. beading?

Yes, I probably will put on additional coats on MY car before a finish is worn...but for OTHER PEOPLE`s CARS -- since I `aint getting paid !! -- I pretty much either want to wait until they really need it again or they do it themselves (never happen!). So I am interested in the longevity issue for cars other than mine since I deal with many lazy bumbs. :)

[JaredPointer]

Jared, what is sheeting vs. beading?

Sheeting = running off the car, in a sheet pattern. Leaves no beads of water. I guess the visual would be when you use a flooding technique for a final rinse. The water sheets off the car.

Beading = when the surface beads the water in little spots.

I don`t really know another way to put it, and I`m no professional or chemist. I do know that I have read that some waxes tend to sheet water instead of bead the water. That`s all I meant.

[HondaMan]

Makes sense, next time after my 2nd LSP`s are applied to my car, I`m gonna throw a bucket of water or two on it and see how it reacts.

[kimwallace]

One of the best indicators I have found is that when the wax or sealant is about gone, Spray and wipe does not work as well as it should and my QD (Meguiars Final Detail) is hard to wipe off and has a tendency to streak.
Just my opinion on this one!