Paint / Fabric protection

[Corey_R]

LMAO @ them trying to sell you 'rust protection'.
I would've immediately walked out on them at the mention of that and told them to talk to me when they know what car they're actually selling!

[G-rig]

All those post-sale protection treatments are a waste of money (except for tinted windows) and you'll just blow away any savings you made on the car deal back to the dealer. If you have to do the seats yourself a can of scotchguard isn't that expensive.

Those acrylic paint protections don't do anything for stone chip protection either although may be designed for lazy people who never want to wax their car. Better off going for a clear car bra/Paint Protection Film which is almost invisible and i have it on my car.

If you invest in some nice cleaning/detailing products the car will stay looking good for ages and it's not that hard. I'm also using Optimum Car Wax (a spray wax/sealant) after washes that gives the car a great shine.

The Golf seems to have a fantastically resilient paint finish.

I waxed my cars with carnauba wax for years. But whenever I ran my hand over the shiny waxed surface, I found that fine particles had stuck to the car.

I've recently come to the conclusion (20 years later) that putting wax on my car (which lives outside) could be the worst thing in terms of maintaining a smooth finish.

Sounds like you've been doing something wrong, did you prepare the surface first by using a clay bar and polish? I agree that newer cars are easier to look after and keep clean but doesn't mean they leave the dealer with a proper detail.

[Dubya]

Sounds like you've been doing something wrong, did you prepare the surface first by using a clay bar and polish? I agree that newer cars are easier to look after and keep clean but doesn't mean they leave the dealer with a proper detail.

My apprehension about waxing has nothing nothing to do with preparation, G-rig.

If you refer to the second half my post you'll see the issue is not the quality of the wax finish, which glows as expected. Rather it is that the wax, protective barrier though it may be, provides a softer surface than the car's original finish into which metal and other particles can lodge.

That's the theory and after writing the above-mentioned post I did run my hand over my never-waxed car and it certainly seemed to have far fewer of the sharp particles that used to accumulate on the surface of the cars I used to wax. And my car still shines like new after a wash and chamois . . .

[G-rig]

Ah fair enough, sounds a bit strange though. I was mine roughly once a week and never have that problem as the high pressure rinse and hand wash gets most of it off. I may only do a proper wax every 4-6 months but the surface doesn't seem hard to maintain after that.

[Dubya]

If you think leaving your paint unprotected is a good thing then I'm not going to spend too much time trying to persuade you otherwise. Many, many knowledgeable people disagree with you, spending lots of time and money protecting their cars (and they look better afterwards too).

Not trying to weasel here, Greg, but my main point was not so much that leaving a car unwaxed was a good thing, rather that increased particulate uptake (as KRudd might say) appeared to be a downside of waxing.

I used to love the look and effect of wax on my cars but hated feeling so much fallout embedded in the (waxed) surface.

This does not seem to happen as much when wax is not present - but I take Maverick's and your points about protection and the "sacrificial layer".

I just hope I should not have been waxing while I've been waning.

[G-rig]

Could be an intersting topic for a detailing forum, there are many experts on there that do it for a living. Agree with Greg could be a bit hard for people to convince you if you're happy with your process.

[Dubya]

Could be an intersting topic for a detailing forum, there are many experts on there that do it for a living.

As Maxwell Smart would ask incredulously:

"A detailing forum?!?!?"

To which the Chief might respond:

"Yes, Max, the Government's asked Control to establish a Top Secret detailing detail - to look into the detail."

[Maverick]

Not trying to weasel here, Greg, but my main point was not so much that leaving a car unwaxed was a good thing, rather that increased particulate uptake (as KRudd might say) appeared to be a downside of waxing.

I used to love the look and effect of wax on my cars but hated feeling so much fallout embedded in the (waxed) surface.

I haven't noticed anything in the surface of the products I use but my car is parked undercover 90% of the time. Some of the sealants you can put on you mix in a 2 part process and they're very hard, this could be an option but they are harder to apply.

This does not seem to happen as much when wax is not present - but I take Maverick's and your points about protection and the "sacrificial layer".

I just hope I should not have been waxing while I've been waning.

Here's some info and photos on clearcoat failure - http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ad.php?t=20411

From that same page

"There are a number of things that can cause clearcoat failure.

1. Thin clear / wet sanded too far
2. Frequent sun exposure
3. No protectant (most common reason)
4. Paint has dried out. "

And some info from an Australia forum and photos - http://www.waxforum.com/showthread.php?t=3391

And another - http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...y-archive.html

[Dubya]

Agree with Greg could be a bit hard for people to convince you if you're happy with your process.

Process? What process? When it comes to waxing, I don't do nothin' about nothin'.

As far as convincing me, as Tony Abbott would say, I'm all ears if there's a better way, not that I know why you or Greg would speculate about my ability to be convinced, especially when I was only referring to one aspect and possible downside (particulate accumulation) of waxing, without referring to, let alone dismissing, the potential protective benefits (and have since acknowledged the concept of a sacrificial layer).

But people do tend to jump to conclusions and either not fully read/understand the posts, or draw unsubstantiated inferences.

[Dubya]

"There are a number of things that can cause clearcoat failure.

1. Thin clear / wet sanded too far
2. Frequent sun exposure
3. No protectant (most common reason) []
4. Paint has dried out. "

Okay, at 18 months maybe it's time I applied some Porzelac(?) as I wouldn't want clear coat failure. But I might only coat the roof initially and then give it and the bonnet a smooth-o-gram after a few weeks to see how they compare.