Regular waxing vs. polishing every couple of years.

[Jreepers]

Aside from perhaps price, what would be the cons of washing a car regularly, but neglecting to ever wax it, and instead getting it polished when the paint started to look dull, etc. (once every few years?)

 

[blucpe]

wow i'm lost for an answer on that one. there's no upside to doing it, not waxing it or protecting the paint for 3 yrs. if it's left outside you could have clearcoat failure then polishing won't do anything you'll need a paint job.

 

[Accumulator]

OK, today's clearcoats are pretty tough. Not likely that the paint will utterly fail if it's not LSPed. I know plenty of people who never wax their leased vehicles and there's never any issue at turn-in. Only Autopians care about any of this stuff.



BUT....



Besides the usual arguments about protection in the sense of maintaining a nice appearance (e.g., protection from etching, which can be a *huge* issue) and the fact that LSPed paint will look better after a short perod of time has passed since the polishing, IMO the biggie is that a well-LSPed finish sheds contamination more readily, greatly reducing the chance of wash-induced marring. It can even lessen the chance of contamination sticking to the vehicle in the first place (e.g., the way some LSPs are "self-washing in the rain") and will provide a barrier/sacrificial layer against stuff like ferrous contamination.



Note that some LSPs make a much bigger difference in these regards than others.

 

[Dan]

I can easily go 4-5 years with careful washing and waxing before I get enough swirls where anyone outside of autopia would notice. If I don't wax, I'll get hard water etching, bird bomb and bug etching and dull paint. Uncoated paint oxidizes quickly and starts to lose shine in 3-6 months (depending on color and location).

 

[yas]

There are, IMHO, decent 'wash and wax' products available



I found simply adding optimum car wax to car wash soap solution worked pretty well



For waterless wash, optimum has ONR wash and wax recently



I'm sure there are several other similar products



I park my car outside and had several massive bird bombs on it baking in the sun all day. No issues so far, although to be honest I didn't inspect really carefully and maybe my car is white it hides defects well



You might also consider wipe on walk away sealants, it takes about 10 out 15 minutes

 

[Jreepers]

Thanks guys. To be frank, I want to protect my paint, and if a wax/sealant will help do that I'm all for it. However, the idea of applying a "traditional" wax/sealant every few weeks isn't too appealing to me, which is why I've put it off. That said, I just discovered Opti-Seal (which is WOWA) and it looks very appealing to me due to the ease and speed of use, I wish I had seen it sooner.



Here's my next question: I got the car a few months ago and have had it since new. I haven't clayed or waxed it, only washed it regularly. Am I okay just applying the sealant now (appearance-wise the paint looks fine to me), or am I going to seal-in any contaminants unless I clay/polish/cleanse first (this only concerns me if those contaminants will continue to do damage).

 

[yas]

I don't think the wax or sealant will bond to the contaminants

 

[Jreepers]

Would something like Poli-Seal applied by hand suffice?

 

[pwaug]

Would something like Poli-Seal applied by hand suffice?

I'd bet it needs a good "claying" if it hasn't been done before. If you're going to do this by hand you might be best off with a good cleaner sealant like Duragloss 501 16 oz. - Marine & RV Polish Note: it's note a polish as it has no to little abrasive particles. After you remove the surface contamination with the clay the DG 501 will clean the paint and add a sealant for protection. It won't remove swirls or scratches (you really need a DA and the proper abrasive products for this) If you want to you could top this with something else, but there is no need and it will give you a good 4-6 months of protection depending on where and how the car is used/stored.

 

[Bill D]

Something like using the ABC decontamination wash system and then LSPing the paint ought to suffice and get a good gloss, but any paint defects will remain until they are polished out.

 

[David Fermani]

Polishing will make your car look great.



Wax really isn't going to make your paint last longer. Look at all the cars lasting for decades that have never been waxed. What prevents aging is keeping it out of the harsh sun/elements.

 

[yas]

Jreepers, I only take care of my daily driver, and in same situation as you I think. I didn't have any protection on the car for about 2 months after buying / driving it.



I never clayed or polished my car, and tried both ocw and optiseal, at first only adding OCW to the wash solution .. The only claying I did was with ultrafine clay on a few very small areas



I don't have the level of knowledge others have here who take care of several vehicles



That said, I'm happy with the results, I'll only clay / polish if I notice problems



Here's my civic with opti-seal. I know its not on par with the work you'll see here, but to most people it looks impressive and it looks good enough to me.

Link to larger image - View image: IMG 20130720 130341

 

[Jreepers]

Look at all the cars lasting for decades that have never been waxed. What prevents aging is keeping it out of the harsh sun/elements.

In pondering whether to wax or not to wax on occasion over the past couple of months, I've thought about this a lot myself. I see some older cars (nothing fancy) that have paint that's in nice, shiny condition given the age of the car. Then I see other cars that are newer or even the same age (and same make/model) but the paint is noticeably dull, faded, or in plain horrible condition (extreme oxidization, etc). Is it because:



1) They rarely wash the car.

2) They never waxed/sealed the paint.

3) Some cars are garage kept, others are parked outside 24/7.

4) Some paints are more durable than others.

5) ???



Or is it a combination of all of the above.



Regardless, seeing how easy the Opti-Seal is applied and how inexpensive it is to boot, I can't justify not using it and risking premature paint fade/wear/dulling/oxidization, so I ordered it along with some Poli Seal and am looking forward to applying it and getting rid of that nagging "what if I don't apply any protection" question I've had. (As a result, I have a brand new, unused container of Zymol Carbon and bottle of HD Cleanse I'll no longer be needing; if anyone is interested, send me a PM.)

 

[David Fermani]

Here's an interesting thread to consider: http://www.autopia.org/forum/epic-threads/142171-waxes-sealants-even-necessary.html

 

[Jreepers]

Here's an interesting thread to consider: http://www.autopia.org/forum/epic-threads/142171-waxes-sealants-even-necessary.html

I've already read it -- twice.



I do agree with one of the posters in the thread: with all of the technology we have today, why can't any of these wax/sealant companies simulate years of paint wear with and without wax/sealant and show a comparison?



This of course doesn't mean waxes and sealants don't help keep paint looking nicer longer, but still. It would be nice to have some actual evidence rather than what we have today, which seems to be anecdotal for the most part.

 

[Accumulator]

Thanks guys. To be frank, I want to protect my paint, and if a wax/sealant will help do that I'm all for it. However, the idea of applying a "traditional" wax/sealant every few weeks isn't too appealing to me...

I have zero interest in applying a LSP every few weeks either, or even every few *months*! This stuff is not fun for me, but rather a chore that eats into the time available for things I really care about.



So I do most of my vehicles with stuff like FK1000P, which lasts a long, long time. And it makes washing *very* easy because dirt/etc. won't stick to it. And yeah, LSPing makes my vehicles look great too and helps keep them looking virtually showroom after many years and miles of hard use.



But hey, it's not like you *gotta* care about this stuff. If [whatever process] makes it look good enough in the owner's eyes, then that's all that counts IMO. Some Autopian might cringe (get that all the time here in reference to some neglected exotic), but it's the owner's opinion that counts, period.

 

[tom p.]

So I do most of my vehicles with stuff like FK1000P, which lasts a long, long time. And it makes washing *very* easy because dirt/etc. won't stick to it. And yeah, LSPing makes my vehicles look great too and helps keep them looking virtually showroom after many years and miles of hard use.

^^ A-men!



Jreepers, what's happened to your game plan of 'taking such good care' of your new vehicle ?? Have you lost interest already?

 

[yas]

Geez, all these great feedback on fk1000p



I'm sold on trying it out once my car needs a polishing which I think it will after the winter



I've used fk425 on my civic as a drying aid , the look was outstanding

 

[imported_PiPUK]

I do agree with one of the posters in the thread: with all of the technology we have today, why can't any of these wax/sealant companies simulate years of paint wear with and without wax/sealant and show a comparison?

I'll give you what is my interpretation, from an insider perspective. Many of those who buy these type of products talk a big game in terms of wanting real world information. I suspect that this number does not constitute a majority of the total customer base. Most importantly, no matter what is said online, I have seen precious little return on any studies that answer these queries and concerns. Sadly, there is much much more mileage in spending your budget 'incentivising' big name detailers to use your products, giving away freebies and giving big discounts to get into retail outlets. We talk about wanting real world info but that info is rarely good beyond a discussion point - the market will tend to continue buying the same products based on fanboy preferences.



For what it is worth, it isn't hard to do the sort of test you note but when you consider that we get things like UV protection claims (without any backup), claims which realistically should take 5 minutes to demonstrate - long term wipe tests are a long way away.

 

[Accumulator]

...I'm sold on trying it out once my car needs a polishing which I think it will after the winter..

Leaving aside why it'd necessarily need polishing after a winter, I sure wouldn't want to wait until *after* the worst season to do the LSPing! I'd want the vehicle protected throughout the winter to minimize the chances of things getting worse. Note that people often find lots of ferrous contamination after winter, supposedly from things like snowplow blades; I'd want the (sacrificial) barrier of a good LSP on there to protect against, well...all sorts of winter stuff.