Coating Longevity

[ShakingHorizons]

I am only able to detail my mom`s car once a year and she unfortunately utilizes a swirl-o-matic every chance she gets. She refuses to wash her car by hand! I am looking for a coating that will last a minimum of a year, even with her using the automatic wash. Her paint is in great condition (2008 Altima), and she loves the "just detailed" look.

I know the new Sonax PROFILINE Ceramic Coating CC36 will be released soon, but I am looking for "real world" experience before coating her car. I used Sonus ION on it last year, and her and I both hated it. Her comment was "it doesn`t look as good as it usually does".

Suggestions?


EDIT - I am not looking for something that resists scratches - just something to protect from UV and hopefully work with the automatic wash instead of the automatic wash just removing the coating.

[Raymoche]

I believe nothing will protect any car from swirlomatics... probably not even Opti-Coat pro** which is in many cases well known for its durability.

I realized I didnt suggest anything

Okay, I will say try opti coat gloss coat (new 2.0)

[ShakingHorizons]

Opticoat gloss coat has been on my wishlist for some time now.......

[RaskyR1]

I wouldn`t waste my time, effort, or money.

[ShakingHorizons]

I wouldn`t waste my time, effort, or money.

Just tell her that if she isn`t going to care for her car after I do, then it`s not worth the effort? LOL

[RaskyR1]

Just tell her that if she isn`t going to care for her car after I do, then it`s not worth the effort? LOL

Pretty much. The slap n` scratch is going to abrade away any coating in a short period of time and would be a waste IMO.

[512detail]

I`d have to agree with Rasky here

seems like a waste of time to me

you could go with mckees coating its really cheap

[JustJesus]

Opticoat gloss coat has been on my wishlist for some time now.......

I wouldn`t waste my time, effort, or money.

Oh wow. Initially, I thought Rasky`s comment was at Shaking`s with regard to using Gloss Coat! whoa. But I get it now. It has to do with the slap n scratch. Got it. whew

[rlmccarty2000]

Sorry but same song here. I know of no coating that will look good after a few swirl-o-matics. I coated my Mother`s car over a year ago with PBLv2 and while it still beads and looks decent I`m not sure a good sealant wouldn`t have done just as good. She runs it through the local touchless wash and I think the soap they use is so strong it affects the coating negatively. Even a coating needs a proper maintenance wash and a booster to keep it looking good. I am waiting for SEMA to see what the next generation of coatings will look like.

[RaydiantDetail]

Sorry but same song here. I know of no coating that will look good after a few swirl-o-matics. I coated my Mother`s car over a year ago with PBLv2 and while it still beads and looks decent I`m not sure a good sealant wouldn`t have done just as good. She runs it through the local touchless wash and I think the soap they use is so strong it affects the coating negatively. Even a coating needs a proper maintenance wash and a booster to keep it looking good. I am waiting for SEMA to see what the next generation of coatings will look like.

Agreed with Rasky and others here that a coating probably won`t last if its being taken through the car wash regularly. I believe the car soaps in the car washes contain Hydrofluoric acid (or some diluted amount not sure as to how much HF content) as a cleaning agent as its cheap and effective at eating away at brake dust, rust, metal deposits etc. So probably taking the car through the car wash regularly is going to really diminish the coating.

That being said nothing stopping you from putting the coating on the car either way and testing it out.

[512detail]

not sure if anyone recalls my bubba test idea with the exo and csl on my daily driver frontier but...yeah..i chickened out of it because i just simply couldn`t bring myself to abuse my hard work

granted im suffering through hardly ever washing ot, for research...but i just couldnt bring myself to travel through one of those horrid devices

id say go for it and test out a lower grade coating..i mean, itd last longer than any wax or sealant and a spray coating like mckees would be super easy to apply

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[silverfox]

Coatings are interesting because they tend to attract people that aren`t anal about routine car paint maintenance, yet coatings imo require frequent washing or they start looking like crap in a short time just as clear coat does if left alone...which inevitably requires it to polished off and reapplied if you want that car looking like new. The irony is that frequent washing means automatic car washes to 98% of car owners. I honestly think coatings are a waste of money for a majority of car owners. Just my two cents

[BudgetPlan1]

yet coatings imo require frequent washing or they start looking like crap in a short time just as clear coat does if left alone...

I dunno...since coating our black cars last Spring, I wash the cars much, much less and they stay clean and looking good much longer. And washing them if much less work.

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[silverfox]

Unless a coating owner is prepared to do a proper hand wash at least once a month and preferably 2x a month (which most aren`t especially women), imo they are wasting their money on a coating. Doesn`t matter if the coating makes the washing easier...if the owner ignores the frequent need to hand wash the car. My point being that a vast majority use automatic car washes which will compromise the coating which doesn`t do anybody any good.

[ShakingHorizons]

Not what I wanted to hear (obviously), but thanks everyone!