Best Daily Driver Sealant? Looking for protection in the North-East

[c3uo]

It`s been a long while since I updated my detailing arsenal. I have a 20 year old PC7424, various Mequiars and primarily Zaino products. I`ve been using Z-AIO, ZPC, and Z2. Just over a year ago I tried Duragloss Enviroshield. It worked well, but the thing about ceramics on a daily driver - you still get embedded contaminants.

My two daily drivers are a Lexus and Porsche SUVs. They get detailed 3 or 4 times per year, bucket washed every 6 weeks ish, and spray cleaned / touchless washed the rest of the time. I have been using Zaino car wash and/or ONR. They see ice, salt, snow, etc. The biggest issue (even with the ceramic coating) has been dealing with embedded contaminants - fallout, tar from road repairs, bugs, etc. I`ve found that expecting to just put on a ceramic coat and spray wash clean is just unreasonable expectations. You will still have to polish / decontaminate - particularly the lower quarter. I think people who live south have no idea how good they have it - we have snow and salt, then pothole season, bug season, asphalt repair season, then back to snow and salt .

In all seriousness, what is a simple recommended routine? I had been happy with Clay, ZPC, ZAIO, then Z2. But i think things must have gotten better.

How about clay then Blackfire One step or Sonax perfect finish. Then wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant, or FK1000p. Any other product suggestions? Want to start fresh this year. Also considering Duragloss 501 / 111.

Must not stain black trim, and prefer to apply with PC, then remove with microfiber. Looking for protection and durability. Looks are secondary as it will be filthy in a day or three. Prefer whatever product is more hydrophobic / stays clean on its own (frequent showers here on east coast).

Thanks!

[Accumulator]

c3uo- Welcome to Autopia!

I was going to suggest you top the ZAIO with FK1000P, which is my standard approach for my Dailies. But you said "no trim staining" and you should keep the FK off trim.

Other than keeping it off the trim (which I`d prep with Griot`s Rubber Prep even if it`s not rubber and then seal with Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus), the FK1000P would be perfect for what you`re after. Lasts longer than anything I`ve ever tried short of a Coating (e.g., lasts a lot longer than layered Klasse Sealant Glaze, my second-most durable) and does the self-cleaning thing incredibly well, and protects against etching so well that I no longer clean off bird/bug messes between washes.

But you do need to keep it off trim. Though you could just wipe off any "oops!" before it dries, especially if you have the Ultima on there.

[E-Jag]

c3uo, you happened to hit upon my favorite product line - Duragloss. We don`t deal with snow/salt/winter in coastal Florida but you haven`t lived until you`ve experienced the yellow rain - pollen. During pollen season (now) you can`t do anything to your car except spray it off. An hour later it will be completely coated in yellow again. Consequently, during January and February I will wash it, maybe spot clay it and then use 501 since that is a very light paint cleaner. It will get rid of light imperfections and leave a nice gloss. I`ll then use 105 and a couple of coats of 111. I`m a geezer so this all takes me a couple of days and a few beverage breaks. Every 3 weeks or so I spray it with Duragloss Aquawax, except during pollen season. I`ve lived in 6 or 7 snow states, though, and I figure that as bad as the yellow stuff is, at least it won`t rust my car. Good luck. There`s just so much you can do.

[TheMeanGreen]

The only benefit with FK1000P is the resistance to water spotting. Due to your wash cycle, and environment, you will still experience contamination and may experience quicker degradation than a coating. Using your coating wash habits, expecting a sealant to out perform a coating is unreasonable. When maintaining the coating, did you ever wash the car with degreaser, perform fallout removal, do a really light clay, and then finish with a mineral deposit remover? Though I live in the south, I live in West Texas where mineralized water falls from the sky and dust coats your clean car in a matter of hours, sometimes minutes, and then forms a crust in the morning dew. My biggest fight is against the minerals in the water that falls from the sky, water found on road ways, and even the softened water used by the coin-ops; I am treating mineral accumulation almost monthly..... Particularly with that Porsche, if you are not physically wiping the surface during every wash, you will experience the same things with a sealant, as you have with a coating, the downside with a sealant is that it won`t hold up as well to the chemicals of the touchless washes. IME, particularly FK1000P holds up will to distilled white vinegar, but anything lower on the pH scale will strip it, and certainly anything with a higher pH>8-9 will take a bite out of its longevity, generally. Have you ever thought about addressing your wash procedure before addressing what LSP to use?

If you`re pressed for time in maintaining your vehicle, and don`t want to experience much of the cold, and don`t care that much about inducing some swirls. I would look into AMMO FROTHe and AMMO BOOST, along Eagle Edgeless type microfiber towels, and the Marolex Axel 2000. I do want to say that AMMO FROTHe can be used in a way that will not induce any wash marring or swirls.

[SGM2008]

I would add Sonax Polymer Net Shield and Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer to your list, it’s a great combo.

[Accumulator]

The only benefit with FK1000P is the resistance to water spotting. Due to your wash cycle, and environment, you will still experience contamination..

I`m still wondering why others don`t always get the same kind of miraculous performance out the FK that I do...I mean, in all the years I`ve been doing this stuff I`ve never experienced anything like it. YMMV! again I guess...

..and may experience quicker degradation than a coating. Using your coating wash habits, expecting a sealant to out perform a coating is unreasonable...

Heh heh..right. I`d sure be disappointed if a Coating did *NOT* outperform a wax, even a really good synthetic one like FK1000P.

I live in West Texas where mineralized water falls from the sky and dust coats your clean car in a matter of hours, sometimes minutes, and then forms a crust in the morning dew. My biggest fight is against the minerals in the water that falls from the sky, water found on road ways, and even the softened water used by the coin-ops; I am treating mineral accumulation almost monthly.....

Oh man, that`d DRIVE ME NUTS!!

FK1000P holds up will to distilled white vinegar, but anything lower on the pH scale will strip it, and certainly anything with a higher pH>8-9 will take a bite out of its longevity, generally...

Ah, interesting! Thanks for posting that info (and for figuring it out).

Have you ever thought about addressing your wash procedure before addressing what LSP to use?

I gather the "Home Touchless for FK1000P" just doesn`t work as well for others as it does for me

I do want to say that AMMO FROTHe can be used in a way that will not induce any wash marring or swirls.

And *I* want to say that I sure find that interesting Does that hold even for truly *DIRTY* vehicles?

[TheMeanGreen]

1. I`m still wondering why others don`t always get the same kind of miraculous performance out the FK that I do...I mean, in all the years I`ve been doing this stuff I`ve never experienced anything like it. YMMV! again I guess...



2. Heh heh..right. I`d sure be disappointed if a Coating did *NOT* outperform a wax, even a really good synthetic one like FK1000P.



3. Oh man, that`d DRIVE ME NUTS!!



4. Ah, interesting! Thanks for posting that info (and for figuring it out).


5. I gather the "Home Touchless for FK1000P" just doesn`t work as well for others as it does for me



6. And *I* want to say that I sure find that interesting Does that hold even for truly *DIRTY* vehicles?

1. I think you have so many layers applied to the surface, that it would take a long time or really strong cleaner to reduce reduce water behavior.

2. Agreed

3. It`s a fight, but I only have to live with it until I finish my degree and move back to North Texas.

4. One took some diluted acidic wheel cleaner to remove some water spots, and it ate through the FK1000P and PB Black Hole, netting me very clean paint.

5. Unfortunately the home touchless doesn`t work for me as I can easily see the finish becoming cloudy, I either need a strong pretreatment for washing, mechanical wash, or both in order to keep my paint as shiny as it can be.

6. FROTHe is no miracle, and needs to be used strategically, but it is quite a product. People think the thing about humectants is a joke, but it`s actually not. There are areas on my vehicle, since moving back to West Texas to finish my degree, that I can only clean with FROTHe because I don`t have easy access to a free flowing water as the water is really really hard. Letting FROTHe soak for a minute or two cleans quite well as the wetting agents within FROTHe wet accumulations of dirt.

[Coatings=crack]

Once done with all my rinseless waterless option will probably only use Frothe pretreated with Pure rinsless or Mckee’s 914. Hoping new DP rinseless wlill take place of 914.

As for protection I love Polish Angel Cosmic and they make a Viking spritz designed for harsh winters and road chemicals that come with them. Sio2 based, It’s spendy but well worth it

[Accumulator]

TheMeanGreen- It might be surprising to hear that I don`t really have that many layers of FK1000P on anything. Too many tends to cause pseudo-holograms for me, so I never have more than four layers and usually only two (I just refresh before it`s really necessary).

There are just so many variables in the Home Touchless! I`m using awfully good water and some really effective equipment (e.g., that Lonn Cleaning Gun at ~120psi).

Glad you`re finding ways to deal with it all while pursuing your degree; that`s the *REALLY* important thing to prioritize IMO

[BMWWW]

A quick bit to add.
I kinda "fell" into a discovery regarding the si02 products that are "spray and rinse" to apply.
Specifically in this case, Mckee`s Hydro Blue.

I applied last in late Sept/early Nov on my wife`s car.
After 4 months of Toronto winter, and only washing it twice via touchless car washes.

I did a touchless wash at a new Shell, and this touchless in particular liked to CAKE ON the tri-foam cleaner. Most others around me will give it a light dusting of that stuff, but not enough to really cake it on. Good lord, despite 2+ months of winter grime, and combined with only one prior touchless car wash, the si02 layer under was still working strong cause the paint came out looking 90% of what I expect from a hand wash.

I will try to only do 1 wash a month next winter, and have made note of this particular location that cakes on that tri-foam soap.
Last year we washed it once a week, and come early Feb, there would be a layer of grime that remains until a good hand wash.

[John U]

Ya know, I buy the latest flavors and use them for a while and then regress back to Zaino AIO...(one and done...not the multiple step approach). I found a bottle of Zaino Clear Seal in my "inventory" and topped it on my AOI`d Corvette last week....easy peasy no wiping off. Meantime I have a bottle of BlackFire Si02 I use as a topper on the minivan between AIO, and a bottle of the TW Ice Seal & Shine I was testing on half a hood.
Bottom line.... With my 64 year old eyes, they all look good! Go with the ones that you believe go on the easiest and give the results you like.

[Accumulator]

BMWWW- Gee, that`s some great performance you got out of the Hydro Blue! And it sounds like your local Shell station has a good touchless (I for one don`t think they`re all terrible, IMO some are quite good and certainly better than nothing).

It sounds like you`re not suffering any from not doing it as frequently as last year...but I do wonder about the undercarriage/etc. nooks and crannies retaining salt/etc. for extended periods. Eh, might just be me and my need to preserve older stuff...

John U- Your "64YO eyes" comment caught my, uhm...eye... ...as my 60YO ones have had a ton of surgeries that, well.. OK, they still work. Kinda.

I`m glad you found stuff that *you* think looks good and that is otherwise right for you. Chasing after what others think/like/say can drive you nuts.

[John U]

John U- Your "64YO eyes" comment caught my, uhm...eye... ...as my 60YO ones have had a ton of surgeries that, well.. OK, they still work. Kinda.
.

At some point we`ll only be able to judge...... slipperiness using our hands!

[Accumulator]

John U- Heh heh, hush your mouth! Just teasin`, but I actually meant it when I said that in my case "at least they still work, kinda" was a great outcome compared to how it quite easily could`ve gone. Like...literally. Had I been born a few years sooner I`d be completely blind (as would my wife). Even "regular Detailing" is pretty challenging for me, or at least even more time-intensive than it used to be.

[ctdave]

I like the Griots garage sealant for the winter and for everyday use. It makes it thru the winter and if I need a little more shine I just use a spray wax for a quick hit and good to go.