good products for the long-term?

C

chris0626

New member
Quite a while ago, MBZ500E and I got into a discussion and agreed this would be a good thread to create. But be forewarned: This is of interest only to those who own older vehicles or who are interested in maintaining a vehicle for decades, not just today's "Bling-bling" effect. I think this is mostly an issue for Concours participants or aspirants.



I wonder: When long-term preservation of a vehicle is your goal, do you choose/use products that you might not use for today's glitzy vehicle that you just plan to keep for a while til your next trade-in or trade-up? Or conversely, are there products you would use on a newish vehicle that you would not use if long-term preservation were your goal?



I'm assuming that sealants and waxes are not an issue here -- that they do not have any questionable long-term impact on car. I'm assuming we all have our favorite glaze, sealant, or wax that will give the vehicle a great gloss/shine/depth on Concours day. The pros and cons of these are well covered in the Detailing forum.



But how much do we know about the long-term effects of other products? Are there some we know should be avoided because of long-term damage? Are there some we use because we know they have long-term benefits?



One example might be the many discussions of SMRs, polishes, etc. A car is "born" (or resurrected) with only so much clearcoat, and we know it needs to be protected. So are others of you as worried as I am about the longterm effects of polishing over the years?



Ditto for leather/vinyl treatments. I tend to be very conservative about these, out of concern for long-term consequences. But I'm not sure we actually have enough info to be making well-informed choices.



Similarly, I take great precautions about treating the rubber seals with GummiPflege and similar products because I know these seals need to stay flexible and attractive for decades, not just years.



OK, this thread is now open for business. I'm hoping some of the more knowledgeable Autopians will weigh in here.
 
Most of the paint on my car is 13-years-old (the front end was repainted after an accident about 3 years ago), and for the first 6 years I had my car, I pretty much used Meguiars Body Shop Pro line for surface correction and finishing and waxed with #26. My paint definitely looked better than new.



For the last year, my QD of choice has been Quikshine and I've gone from Paste Glaz to Souveran to S100 as my main wax, still using Meguiars BSP line for working the paint.



I think the main thing is to use quality polishes, swirl removers, etc and either a sealant or carnuba wax of your choice for long term protection. The most important thing though, it to keep the exterior washed and the interior vacuumed.
 
Leatherique seems to be the product of choice for resurrecting very old and damaged leather seats. I suspect that I would want to use there cleaner and rejuvenator once every year, maybe every other year on the rejuvenator. Then probably use Lexol for short-term routine maintenance. A lot depends on how much use the vehicle in question get.
 
I'm glad you finally started this thread Lynn and hopefully many experienced restorers can chime in. I personally have done a few things that I know are going to be ok for long term use.



For the exterior rubber and trim I make it a point to QD them regularly to keep them clean and pliable and when I notice the color is off I use a Vinyl/Rubber treatment which has UV protection and no harmful silicones or petroleum.



For exterior lights (plastics) I QD these and also cover with wax occasionally, to give them UV protection. For other black plastics I use QD mainly and keep them very very clean. I've noticed that if plastic is allowed to stay dirty for long periods it will discolor.



Interior leather I started using Lexol since it's tried and true although I'm going to try the Griots conditioner as well. I have a stained leather rather than the modern painted leather. I've heard leatherique is the best but on a car that doesn't really get driven often I wonder if it's really required or is it excessive?:nixweiss



Interior Vinyl gets UV protection at least once a month, I can usually tell when it needs it. I use Megs Vinyl/Rubber but am also considering Lexol and 303 for the future. I'm just not as familar with these products.



This one's important for anyone that has real wood trim on their interior. I use a polish which has UV protection at least once a month to prevent cracking. I personally use Cory's Piano Polish for this one but I've heard many use exterior Carnauba Wax as well.



Pigspit is a product I'm currently testing and wonder what it's long term affects will be. It works great on metal surfaces and I'm positve it won't harm them. I've also used it on plastics in the engine bay which also is not a problem since plastics are petroleum based. My concern is for the rubber parts. I decided to test it on my wheel well rubber liners to see the long term affects. I'll let everyone know if anything bad occurs.



Others please add products that you know are good to go the distance.
 
As the XJS gets older, I've noticed its becoming finicky about leather treatments. Currently, the only one that absorbs evenly is Connolly Hide Care (formerly called "Hide Food"). Well, it IS Connolly leather, but I was still surprised. In the past I never had any trouble with Lexol, Griot's (the rejuvenator and both old and new formulas of the conditioner), or Pinnacle. But these days it wants the Connolly :nixweiss



One of my more contrarian-sounding practices is my use of products made for PAINT (AIO, VM, BFII, a few different carnaubas) on my exterior plastic, vinyl and rubber trim (:scared huh?). Keeping in mind that this car DOES NOT sit out in the sun much (so I dunno about UV protection), the ERV surfaces on the car have held up GREAT. The solvents, etc. in the waxes I've used have NOT harmed these surfaces, in fact, they're very well preserved. Just my (even weirder than usual) $0.02, but we ARE talking 18 years here, so it's a pretty long-term experience. Why do this? I didn't like how the usual ERV dressings got on the cover and ran in the wash (or, especially, in the rain, back when it was a daily driver). And yes, *chuckle* if I ever decide I need to go back to the ERV dressings, I'll let you know :o Time will tell.



On a more conventional note, I too keep wax on its interior wood. Some stuff I've had FOREVER from Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories called Interior Wood Polish. Made by Zymol, it seems like a VERY VERY mild cleaner wax. Not strong enough to compromise the wood's finish. Doesn't cause a problem if I slop a little on the surrounding surfaces when applying. The wood's holding up like new, but again, this thing's been a garage queen for a long time now and I believe it's the heat and UV rays that do the damage.



Lynn, I'm starting to think you oughta get that cover...or at least make up some reflective shields to protect the interior.
 
Some notes about vinyl:

The trick with vinyl treatments is to be sure they are water based. The best have high UV protection, the higher the better. 303 Aerospace claims to have the highest rated UV protection on the market. Also, do not use vinyl protectants with cleaners that are based on petroleum products. These will attack the vinyl and dry it out leading to shrinkage and cracking.



Some notes about waxes:

If you were to compound your car twice a year every year for the rest of your life you may have issues with the longevity of the paint or clearcoat thickness. But that is not likely to happen if you do a proper job ONCE with paint prep and then seal it properly and follow up with PROPER maintenance, washing and dring techniques. (people do more harm to their own finishes than any outside influences.



So, short of using cleaner waxes with built in solvents and abrasives in them (I generally dislike them) you will have no issues polishing/ waxing as often as you like.



Some notes about clay:

Clay is another detailing device that is offered is several types. Some are rather hard, more plastic and offer more shearing action and some are more abrasive. None are very dangerous when used properly and with lubrication. Clay can be used as often as necessary with no risk to the finish.
 
I have a couple of questions.



Brad,



What type of wax and polish are you currently using on your cars? You mention that you don't like cleaner waxes due to high solvent content but what about polishes? I currently use SEPC before each coat of S100 Wax which is about once a month. I only apply both by hand and can't imagine I'm removing any clearcoat by hand. Will this be a problem in the future with regards to wearing through the clearcoat?



For those of you using Gummipfledge, I need to get your opinnions. I noticed yesterday that a few of my door seals have some minor cracks in them, they are still very pliable but obviously this is not good. Will Gummipflege reduce or eliminate the cracks and will it leave a residue where the seal sits against the paint?
 
MBZ 500E said:
For those of you using Gummipfledge, I need to get your opinnions. I noticed yesterday that a few of my door seals have some minor cracks in them, they are still very pliable but obviously this is not good. Will Gummipflege reduce or eliminate the cracks and will it leave a residue where the seal sits against the paint?
Click to expand...

I cannot imagine it would "heal" existing cracks. If so, I'm going to buy a case of it!

But I've been using it on the coupe and the Benz, and have not seen any residue where the seal contacts the paint.
 
What a great thread. My Volvo is eight years old, but I intend to keep it for a long time. When I like something, I don't like changing it. I hate shopping. ;)
 
MBZ 500E said:
I have a couple of questions.



Brad,



What type of wax and polish are you currently using on your cars? You mention that you don't like cleaner waxes due to high solvent content but what about polishes? I currently use SEPC before each coat of S100 Wax which is about once a month. I only apply both by hand and can't imagine I'm removing any clearcoat by hand. Will this be a problem in the future with regards to wearing through the clearcoat?



For those of you using Gummipfledge, I need to get your opinnions. I noticed yesterday that a few of my door seals have some minor cracks in them, they are still very pliable but obviously this is not good. Will Gummipflege reduce or eliminate the cracks and will it leave a residue where the seal sits against the paint?
Click to expand...





I use Zaino on my cars. I like sealants because of their durability. I like to add layers from time to time but rarely go back to rubbing on the base clearcoat. If I do take clay to the car I am generally working on a layer of sealant not on the clear itself. I haven't buffed the Audi with abrasives, for instance. in 3 years.



In your case, your risk is minimal, but greater than mine. You need to use a cleaner because your wax is not as durable and contaminants and scratches are not shielded as well. It also may be part of your maintenance rituals. Are you causing swirls and scratches yourself mandating a need for wax touchups?



No products made....NONE....will repair cracked seals. Gummi can help them from getting worse, however. It does not leave any residue that I notice.
 
Wow, I missed this thread. Not much else I can add except that I never use any wheel cleaners of any kind except good old fashioned car shampoo and an old MF mitt. As long as the wheels are cleaned regularly (i.e. weekly), I've never had a need to use anything stronger.



Don't mean to say that some good quality cleaners like EFHI and E1 are bad for your wheels....I just prefer treating them the same way I do the body-paint. Ultimately, I believe this will increase their longevity.
 
Intermezzo said:
Don't mean to say that some good quality cleaners like EFHI and E1 are bad for your wheels....I just prefer treating them the same way I do the body-paint. Ultimately, I believe this will increase their longevity.
Click to expand...



Totally true! Better Ph balanced products vs high alkaline. "IF" it will clean the dirt you are trying to remove then you are better of using it for sure. :up
 
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