Does a sealant really offer any paint protection for a car always outside?

For a vehicle tha`ts always outside or even one that`s sheltered but driven alot I really question the benefits of a sealant coat and think they are best reserved for garage cars that barley see any roads. Paint is so delicate & stock cars don`t have a thick custom paint job.


From my experience so far with my ride always sitting in my drive way and driven say once a week or fortnight under no trees, a product like fk1000p looks to last only 2-3months. Even by 2months the beading of water & slick feel reduced alot.


For me applying a wax/sealant requires a huge amount of extra work for what looks like very tiny results. I would say it`s not worth it unless you have a shelter for the following:


For outside: The time required for a full wash, dry, & wax, cleanup can be 2-4hours working like a dog & that can be very hard to find the time especially in non summer months with rain, in my area there simply isn`t time & when doing this every 3months it`s pretty taxing. With a garage I could just work on it at random times throughout the day even late at night.


Usually there is fine debris floating around from nearby trees in wind that lands on panels given the time past waiting for car to dry. This along with the microfibre towls getting worn in I suspect over time what I`m really doing is adding fine swirl to paint despite being as clean as I can. There is no way to know when the microfibre waffle towls should be replaced or if they are really soft enough. You have to really take your time to make sure the towl is held right & also avoid getting product all over molds & in tight gaps ect.


Finally before I started using a sealant, I had my ride for two years washing once a week, & all the damage I got on paint was from falling twigs chipping the paint, birds landing on car & small chips & fine cracks that appeared over time maybe from heat & cold? Or chips if I went for a drive at moderately high speeds.


That was before I gave the paint a mild cut with m105 & polish with m205. Back then bird poop would really stick in summer but I could always rubb it off.


I`m trialing fk100p again with 3 coats to see if it will last longer, but i think at the most I might just use it only once every 6months regardless.


What do you think?

There must be a thousand sealants available so why not try a different one? There are also hybrids like Collinite 845 that are known for their durability.

So are you saying to just leave the paint naked? I`m not sure if your expectations are realistic. A sealant or wax isn`t going to protect your paint from much more than sun and liquid contaminants. A coating is unlikely to do much more, what you are expecting is the protection of a wrap.

I get similar results from FK1000P, about two months is all I like to go. That said, your washes sound really long, I can wash an average sedan (including wheels and wheel wells), dress the tires, do a quick vacuum and wax in about 50-60 minutes. The actual waxing itself takes 10-20 minutes depending if I`m going by hand or machine. Even if we are on the high side, 8 applications over two years is what, less than 3 hours? That`s less time then if you do a coating once every two years. The other option is using OCW once a month, I find that it provides good protection if re-applied frequently, and really, you can use it as a drying aid at every wash.

I`m with you though, I`d love to find something that does what a coating SAYS it will do and applies just as easy as something like Optiseal. We`re probably a decade or two away before that actually happens.

Manix- IMO the FK1000P (which I still consider the best choice among conventional LSPs for your situation) is at least providing some protection you wouldn`t otherwise have...even if it needs redone every couple of months. Eh, I can`t help but think "you need a garage" but if you don`t have one then that`s that.

If I were in your shoes, I`d see if using something like IUDJ (mentioning that one because it works so well for me, especially on FK1000P) as a Drying Aid makes any difference. But there I go again, spending *your* resources for ya.. "Gee, you oughta buy IUDJ and add work to your drying process!" :o

IF you just don`t find the whole thing worth the hassle, then OK..it`s your call. I mean, seriously...who cares if someone else`s car`s cosmetics aren`t all that great; some people care about such stuff and other people don`t (I`m assuming that rust-out isn`t an issue for you). And if you replace your vehicles every few years, well...OK, "disposable cars" works fine for lots of people, including most of the folks I know IRL. I`ve done that myself and ya know what? Those vehicles were among the best automotive ownership experiences I`ve ever had; I just drove the wheels off `em while attending to other stuff that was far more important and then traded them in. And no, they didn`t get flamed for not being in Autopian condition, quite the opposite to my great surprise, it`s like all my friends who lease- they abuse the [crap] out of those cars, utterly trash them, yet are *never* penalized for it because nobody cares.

Eh, guess it`s more of my Autopian Heresy, but IMO..*as long as such neglect doesn`t compromise the vehicle`s ability to safely do its job*...this stuff only matters as much as each individual thinks it does. Everybody oughta decide for himself what`s important enough to justify the expenditure of resources and what`s NOT.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

I`ve done that myself and ya know what? Those vehicles were among the best automotive ownership experiences I`ve ever had; I just drove the wheels off `em while attending to other stuff that was far more important and then traded them in.

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Man, I loved having daily drivers I didn`t think twice about setting stuff on `em. Looked at them like tools, keep `em functional and that`s about it.

*sigh*

BudgetPlan1- Heh heh, well...I can`t say I`ve ever set anything on any vehicle...can`t recall ever doing it in this lifetime even as a child. But yeah..the whole "it`s just an appliance" perspective might run counter to Autopianism, but unless it`s something with some unusual sentimental/artistic/etc. value....I`ll repeat my Beware the Curse of Autopia! warning ;)



Manix- Here`s a Q for *you* :D

Do you genuinely appreciate the difference when your car`s nicely detailed? Like...if there were no functional/preservative/etc. reason to do it, would that Detail have value for you anyway? If it`s just not worth it *to you* then it`s just not worth it and there`s nothing wrong with that.

It`s no big secret around here that I don`t really enjoy detailing. Just like I don`t enjoy many of the chores that consume my resources. But I do value the end-result enough to justify doing it, just as with those other chores. Somebody else with different values would run the cost:benefit analysis and come to a different conclusion. It`s purely subjective in the proper sense.

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Originally Posted by Dan

So are you saying to just leave the paint naked? I`m not sure if your expectations are realistic. A sealant or wax isn`t going to protect your paint from much more than sun and liquid contaminants. A coating is unlikely to do much more, what you are expecting is the protection of a wrap.

I get similar results from FK1000P, about two months is all I like to go. That said, your washes sound really long, I can wash an average sedan (including wheels and wheel wells), dress the tires, do a quick vacuum and wax in about 50-60 minutes. The actual waxing itself takes 10-20 minutes depending if I`m going by hand or machine. Even if we are on the high side, 8 applications over two years is what, less than 3 hours? That`s less time then if you do a coating once every two years. The other option is using OCW once a month, I find that it provides good protection if re-applied frequently, and really, you can use it as a drying aid at every wash.

I`m with you though, I`d love to find something that does what a coating SAYS it will do and applies just as easy as something like Optiseal. We`re probably a decade or two away before that actually happens.

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If my car is very clean say after rain it takes me about 1hour 20mins to fully wash, dry with MF towls & wax coat. And my car is large & time is needed to prevent adding damage. Take into consideration half of the year is cold, wet & small light hours combined with busy weekly activities it is actually very hard to find the time to wax outside.

If however my ride has been sitting outside for 2weeks & sometimes 1 week, it can take alot longer due to all the extra cleaning in gaps, door jams where leaves & dirt build up.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

Manix- Here`s a Q for *you* :D

Do you genuinely appreciate the difference when your car`s nicely detailed? Like...if there were no functional/preservative/etc. reason to do it, would that Detail have value for you anyway? If it`s just not worth it *to you* then it`s just not worth it and there`s nothing wrong with that.
.

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I do, but if there was no outside paint damage gathering over time just by sitting there or from drives (chips), I wouldn`t mind doing this chore all the time. So really I think without a garage or shelter I might have to drop this chore & just wash it & keep interior clean. That`s life! Paint is gonna damage.
Not sure if that answers your Q?

cheers

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Originally Posted by Manix

If my car is very clean say after rain it takes me about 1hour 20mins to fully wash, dry with MF towls & wax coat. And my car is large & time is needed to prevent adding damage. Take into consideration half of the year is cold, wet & small light hours combined with busy weekly activities it is actually very hard to find the time to wax outside.

If however my ride has been sitting outside for 2weeks & sometimes 1 week, it can take alot longer due to all the extra cleaning in gaps, door jams where leaves & dirt build up.

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Got it, yeah, if you let things slide, the times definitely go up!

Manix- Actually, yeah...I think you *did* answer my Q pretty well!

While hopefully looking forward to the day when you have a garage/carport/etc., IMO you should do whatever seems right to you. I`d think that doing a quickie job with an AIO + FK1000P every now and then would be of benefit, but keeping the leaves/etc. out of areas where they could build up/retain moisture/lead to corrosion or other issues is a lot more important.

I don`t get the paint chipping thing as our vehicles have six-digit mileage, do extensive roadtrips year-round, and simply don`t exhibit much of that. But if it happens to you then it happens to you and fortunately, IME, while paintchips might get surface rust when down to the metal, they seldom (never, in my case) lead to anything truly serious.

Honestly...if in your situation I`d probably consider it a "disposable car" and just trade when you think it`s time. That`s what I`ve done when the situation called for it.

Heh heh, I do have to say that for *me*, an hour/hour-and-half isn`t even the start of a quick maintenance wash! This stuff takes me forever but then our vehicles have to last indefinitely as we`re not planning to ever replace them. Different people do different things to deal with different situations. Do what`s right for *you*.

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Originally Posted by Dan

[...] I`m with you though, I`d love to find something that does what a coating SAYS it will do and applies just as easy as something like Optiseal. We`re probably a decade or two away before that actually happens.

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I agree and I`d like to see AIO technology continue to progress too. If you don`t have the time or correct environment to do near perfect prep and polish work, a AIO may give you better returns.

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Originally Posted by DetailZeus

I agree and I`d like to see AIO technology continue to progress too. If you don`t have the time or correct environment to do near perfect prep and polish work, a AIO may give you better returns.

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Yeah, for sure, AIOs are really a good bang for the buck as far as time goes, and there hasn`t been much progress out there in a long time. I still haven`t found anything that outlasts ZAIO and DG501. A quick clay and either of those and people think you are a magician.

Dan- Agree completely! The AIO + topper is kinda the modern equivalent of cleaner-wax + straight wax, which plenty of guys have done fine with since forever. Not necessarily Autopian, but OK nonetheless.

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Originally Posted by Dan

Yeah, for sure, AIOs are really a good bang for the buck as far as time goes, and there hasn`t been much progress out there in a long time. I still haven`t found anything that outlasts ZAIO and DG501. A quick clay and either of those and people think you are a magician.

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Dan--are DG501 and ZAIO really true AIO`s since it`s my understanding they don`t include abrasives like HD Speed or McKees 360 as examples? So wouldn`t 501 and ZAIO be considered cleaner waxes?

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Originally Posted by pwaug

Dan--are DG501 and ZAIO really true AIO`s since it`s my understanding they don`t include abrasives like HD Speed or McKees 360 as examples? So wouldn`t 501 and ZAIO be considered cleaner waxes?

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Not sure what`s in them, but with a regular polishing pad, they have no trouble clearing up minor hazing for me, even on harder paints. Is it the pad, is it the product...<shrug>. I haven`t tried McKees 360, but HD Speed certainly doesn`t have a ton of cut either. I used to love M66, but that lasts a couple of showers and then its done for.