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I live in a hot, sunny climate and one of our cars is stuck outside often. Both of our previous cars started to show paint (and headlight) fading by the time they were 5 years old. I`ve been using Collinite 845 which I like for its durability, but it doesn`t seem to have helped much against fading. I see a lot of products advertising UV protection, but it`s hard to know what actually works. Are there any coatings, sealants, or other products you`ve personally seen good results from?
Sabs:
Not to sound facetious or mean-spirited, BUT the best "product" is a garage or car-port; IE, keep the out of the sun altogether if possible.
Colors like red are notorious for fading in the sun and if such a colored vehicle sits outside 24/7, its paint life will suffer accordingly.
Now can you use a product, like a coating, to diminish (but not eliminate) sun fading??? I would just suggest keeping it polished and waxed on a regular basis, like at least one every 4 months. Yes, it will reduce the life expectancy of your finish, BUT at least it will look good for, what I would guess should be at least 5-6 years, depending how aggressive you are with the compounding/polishing process. Which is WHY professional detailers use Paint Thickness Gauges (or PTG) to measure the actual clear coat left on a vehicle BEFORE they start compounding/polishing so they will not compromise (IE, burn through the protecting clear coat) the vehicle`s finish.
By the way, Collinite 845 Insulator wax is a good wax to use (I use Collinite 915 Marque D’Elegance Wax myself) , BUT I think many professional detailers are migrating to coatings.
We keep our cars garaged as much as possible. One is outside in a parking lot during work hours with no shade trees or buildings to provide any kind of protection. I realize nothing is going to prevent fading, but if there are any products that slow the process more than an average wax I`d be interested. Without someone having done a very lengthy test between products, though, I suppose it`s tough to make any recommendations.
Is there any kind of a car cover that reduces the UV rays that would work in your situation. I don`t know anything about them, never had one, so if it`s a dumb suggestion just go to the next post----
Jay
I would suggest taking a look at Optimum Car wax. Since it is a spray wax it is ````` easy to use and also has a patent for its UV protection. It is supposed to protect and help replace the UV protection in the clear coat. I would continue using your #845 and then use the OCW after weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly washes.
One nice thing is OCW has decent durability as wel and most can get 2-3 months out of it on its won and some as high as a claimed 6 months. But it is so easy to use I find myself using it monthly.
I live under the Vegas desert sun and I`ve had cars where the paint was beat up in that climate. I purchased a gallon of Optimum Car Wax (thanks to the posts here) and I`ve been applying it every time I wash. At least every time in the summer. I know it`s overkill, but I`m determined to keep the shine on this one.
I had to decide between OCW and Meg Ultimate Fast Finish. I went with OCW because of the stated UV protection and the economical gallon size.
Sabs- One more vote for the Optimum Car Wax, which I use on UV-sensitive lenses (even on vehicles that have a different LSP on them, including when a vehicle wears Collinite).
And I would absolutely minimize any correction. Avoid abrasive polishing. Don`t take off any more clear than you absolutely have to. Thicker clear protects *so* much better; most of the UV-resistance is in the top however many % of the clear and a few "seemingly normal" corrections could easily take off that much.
Never Enuff- Using any kind of car cover under those conditions would result in marred paint from putting it on/taking it off when the vehicle is less than perfectly clean. It was *not* a dumb suggestion though...in some cases I can see a bit of marring being preferable to environmental exposure.
Opti Seal also minimizes UV. Opti Spray Wax over Opti Seal????
Does anyone know if high temp car wax, like FK1000, protects better in the desert summer? Or does it just last longer, and if I apply frequents coats of OCW, then it doesn`t really matter that much what is underneath? I currently use Ultimate Liquid Wax and my car is garaged.
I would say that garaging your vehicle and keeping it out of the intense Las Vegas desert sun does more to "protect" your vehicle than anything you can apply to the paint surface. That said, FK1000 Hi-Temp wax is a hybrid wax developed by Finish-Kare from their line of fiberglass mold release waxes many years ago, which had to withstand the higher temperatures generated by curing fiberglass resins in part molds. Waxes, generally, do NOT last long in high temperatures: they melt away. Finish-Kare has developed proprietary polymers and chemical compounds to mix with natural carnauba wax to enable it to withstand higher environmental temperatures, meaning it will last longer than most other waxes in the hot sun. As far as providing UV ray protection, that I am not aware of.Quote:
Originally Posted by Melon
I have an old sealant from Blue Coral called Autofom. It was "fortified" with a "patented" UV-fade protectant called Fomblin-A. It was all the rage in the mid-to-late 1980`s and advertised in info-mericals on TV by pitchman Dennis Weaver, actor from the TV-series McCloud. I used it and it worked OK, but my white single-stage paint on a Subaru still faded outside. The point is you do not here about Blue Coral or Autofom anymore today. Something else has replaced it.
As to the UV protection afforded by waxes, that you will have to try for yourself. Your (frequent) use Optimum`s Car Wax spray on your vehicle and the hot sun environment you live in should be proof enough IF those claims are valid. We can all learn from your experience. Keep us posted!!
Ahh, I remember using Autofom. Those infomercials were really all over the place. I remember it not looking particularly good but I was sure it provided awesome protection, maybe it did.
As Lonnie stated, the best protection from the sun is a garage or shade. A product that is microns thick isn`t going to do much if anything. Look at auto glass, it is tinted and you still get fabric fading.
I "forgot" I had posted this SAME response above in post #2. What an idiot...blame it on Parts-heimer`s (like Alzheimer`s disease, only part of the time.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan
By the way, Dennis Weaver used a gloss-measuring gun in this infomercial for Autofom to "prove" how really glossy it was. That is the first time I remember seeing or hearing about a tool for measuring gloss. Not sure if the digital read-out value was faked (predetermined to show a specific number) and what that number really meant in "gloss units." Looked impressive though, doing the gloss readings before-and-after application of Autofom to a car paint surface. Food for thought about quantifying "how shiny is shiny?".
Would use a coating like cquartz tio2 (classic) every 18-24 months
It’s rated by carpro for better UV protection than the UK version
If no coating then at a minimum use the optimum car wax just buy a gallon and use it every few weeks. Should last a bit
Not sure if a gallon would last 24 months using it every few weeks probably since you aren’t going to use a ton. But it’s 50 a gallon compared to like 58 for the cquartz. Obviously more prep is involved in the coating though
I doubt there has been any documented tests with a good name brand coating vs something else as far as UV protection goes.
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