How is it that paint on new cars can remain slippery under the worst of conditions?

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poweredbytorque

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???



I sealed my car about a month ago and the paint is extremely grabby. I'm sure the sealant on my car is still there as it still beads very well and it looks fantastic especially after a wash. However it just doesn't have that "slippery" feeling that my uncle's never waxed car thats ~1 year old. His paint even feels smoother than mine when his car is dirty and mine is clean...



Are the manufacturers putting on some super sealant that we don't know about?
 
It all depends on the environment around you.



You may want to clay it again.



Personally I clay then use Zaino, with two coats my truck stays slick well over 4 months and I redo it every 3 months.
 
Beading isn't directly related to protection, it is just a byproduct of many sealants'/waxes' finish so we take it to generally mean that there is still protection. It could very well be that it beads up but doesn't have protection, depending on the sealant you are using.
 
I'm using DG 105 topped with AW...sealants should have no excuse for lasting less than a month...



I'll be honest in that I didn't polish the car but I don't think that should matter. If I have shiny swirls then I have shiny swirls. I don't want to level the clearcoat as I don't think a shiny car is worth the minute layer that polishing takes off...
 
poweredbytorque said:
I'm using DG 105 topped with AW...sealants should have no excuse for lasting less than a month...



I'll be honest in that I didn't polish the car but I don't think that should matter. If I have shiny swirls then I have shiny swirls. I don't want to level the clearcoat as I don't think a shiny car is worth the minute layer that polishing takes off...
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Meassuring clear coat thickness - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online Archive
 
poweredbytorque said:
I'm using DG 105 topped with AW...sealants should have no excuse for lasting less than a month...



I'll be honest in that I didn't polish the car but I don't think that should matter. If I have shiny swirls then I have shiny swirls. I don't want to level the clearcoat as I don't think a shiny car is worth the minute layer that polishing takes off...
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The amount you are taking off won't even be measurable using a paint thickness gauge. Unless you plan on compounding using a cutting pad several times a year, you can regularly polish paint over the course of 10 years and still have more than acceptable paint thickness.



Getting back to the original topic, I've noticed GM SUV paint stays reasonably slick and beads well for 12-18 months from the date of the factory paint job even without wax. No idea why.
 
My guess is environmental contamination of the clearcoat layer. I bet after a car comes out of a factory painted the clearcoat is smooth and uniform, but after few years of exposure it gets pitted and roughed up. Not at a level you can feel or see, but more on a microscopic level. If you look at it under a microscope the new paint looks smooth and the clearcoat surface looks chemically bonded tightly, but on an old car it would look compromised at a microscopic level even a rotary couldn't reach to correct.



That's just my guess, just a guess, but I think it may be close or not lol :)
 
there must be more contaminants where ever your vehicle sits most. At least more contamintants then where your uncle lives.
 
I'm with Yal. I would have to think that a car that is several years old, the paint has to be rough on a very minute scale. Stones, bird crap, hard washing techniques, and who knows what else that causes swirls and scratches are making the finish rough. Why else would a freshly polished surface feel silky smooth compared to before? And I'm sure that the same has taken place on the surface of your sealant even if it is still there.
 
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