Is durability really that much of an issue?

9

94BlkStang

New member
I keep reading on here about this product lasting longer than that and how Zaino lasts longer than NXT etc., but in reality, don't most Autopians wax there cars fairly frequently to always have that just waxed look? I know I do, especially in the spring and summer. I usually follow a wash job with a shot of Meguiars Final Detail and then wax at least once a month. The only time I would be concerned about durability would be during the winter time, othe than that, my cars usually always have a fairly fresh coat of wax.:D



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I second that thought. As a hobbyist, I am almost constantly tinkering with the paint on my cars. To me, a month, is a looong time.
 
Winter is a big concern for the durability of products. You also have to remember that many people on this board use these products on other people's cars, so durability comes into play again there.
 
ZaneO said:
Winter is a big concern for the durability of products. You also have to remember that many people on this board use these products on other people's cars, so durability comes into play again there.
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Exactly right. And not all of us are out tinkering with their vehicles every few days or weeks. I used to mess with my car every couple of days, now its gets washed every 7-10 days (maybe) and gets polished once or twice a year. I'm always playing with wax/sealant durability so applying another coat ruins my testing.



Even if I wasn't testing product durability, I just don't want to be working on my vehicle constantly anymore. So a durable product is more important to me than having a fresh coat of whatever.
 
bretfraz said:
Exactly right. And not all of us are out tinkering with their vehicles every few days or weeks. I used to mess with my car every couple of days, now its gets washed every 7-10 days (maybe) and gets polished once or twice a year. I'm always playing with wax/sealant durability so applying another coat ruins my testing.



Even if I wasn't testing product durability, I just don't want to be working on my vehicle constantly anymore. So a durable product is more important to me than having a fresh coat of whatever.
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I totally agree that durability is a big issue if you don't wax very often, and I even mentioned that winter time it is a concern for me. It just seems the majority on here wax there personal cars fairly frequently. My post also wasn't really intended for the professional, but really more for the do it yourself members who take care of there own personal vehicles.:D
 
Personally, I like knowing what I am using has good durability just in case a month or two goes by b4 I get the time to add another coat of whatever....
 
To answer this we have go back to the idea of why we wax our cars in the first place; so they look good, and they are protected.



Ideally, these would go hand in hand, but in reality it is not the case. One the one hand, a durable product could be one that shines and shines wash after wash, but what kind of protection does it offer? Ideally one would want protection from airborne contaminants, acid rain, and UV rays. I think when most autopians talk about durability they are talking about the whole package not just shine. Hell it is tempting just to wash 1-2 times a week and use a spray wax or quick detailer, but we all know this will yield the protection we are seeking even though the shine is there.
 
DETAILKING said:
To answer this we have go back to the idea of why we wax our cars in the first place; so they look good, and they are protected.



Ideally, these would go hand in hand, but in reality it is not the case. One the one hand, a durable product could be one that shines and shines wash after wash, but what kind of protection does it offer? Ideally one would want protection from airborne contaminants, acid rain, and UV rays. I think when most autopians talk about durability they are talking about the whole package not just shine. Hell it is tempting just to wash 1-2 times a week and use a spray wax or quick detailer, but we all know this will yield the protection we are seeking even though the shine is there.
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Those are good points, but I guess what i was really getting at, and probably didn't say it very well in my first post, if wax A lasts 12 weeks and wax B last 8 weeks, but you wax every month, then does it really make that much of a difference? Would shine, ease of use, availability be the bigger issues?
 
MattZ28 said:
Uhh...dude, are those tires on backwards???????
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I had that same thought when I saw the front tire in the photo. It looks like a directional tire. Normally the angle of the groves is to pump the water out away from the tire center to reduce hydroplaning. Just to be safe look at that tire and see if it has rotation markings and if it is mounted properly. Maybe it's just the camera angle but it does look like it may be improperly mounted.
 
If you knew that you would religiously wax your car once a month or so, durability really wouldn't be important. In that case the appearance would be the most important factor. Just have to find what makes you happy and keep it up :)
 
I dont really like waxing all that often. I like a durable product that will maintain that just waxed look for a 3+ months. After about 3 months I will redo it. Unlike w/ a less durable product, when 3 months rolls around it will still be there but will look like cr@p.
 
jfelbab said:
I had that same thought when I saw the front tire in the photo. It looks like a directional tire. Normally the angle of the groves is to pump the water out away from the tire center to reduce hydroplaning. Just to be safe look at that tire and see if it has rotation markings and if it is mounted properly. Maybe it's just the camera angle but it does look like it may be improperly mounted.
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Here is a picture of the tire up close from the Tire Rack website. It's exactly how mine are mounted. Not sure what you guys are seeing.:nixweiss



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Durability



For me, it depends on which car I am applying a FSP. For my car, not really a concern. For my mom's or GF car, then it does become more an issue as they are not hugely interested in having a perfect finish and don't have the time/patience/know how etc. to be applying wax every 4 weeks.



I'd like having the piece of mind of knowing that something like Zaino/Klasse will last at least 3-4 months since I don't normally have time to do there car's more often than that.



Then there's always Winter to contend with. From mid Dec to end of March, it too freaking cold here to really every get a chance to detail your car properly so knowing that Zaino is such a good protectant buys me some piece of mind.



Is durability a key factor - Absolutely.



For me, I'd rather deal with a product that's a bit more difficult to use then a product that's highly reflective or wet and provides less durability.



The reason being that between all the snow and rain we get here in Ontario, our vehicles get less than a 30% chance of being clean on any given day over the course of a year. Which means, that 2/3 of the time, it really doesn't matter how great of a look the FSP provides, the protection factor is more important.



The past couple of months alone, we've hardly had more than 2 days without rain so the car tends to always be dirty. Couple that with the past winter where it was almost always slush/snow covered and I definitely prefer something which protects for a longer period of time.



Especially if something comes up and you can't get to cleaning your vehicle the one or 2 days it's nice out, then you can end up going 2 weeks with a dirty vehicle (like this past weekend).



As for the tires above, I'm pretty sure that's how they are supposed to be mounted. The reverse grooves help with water removal from the contact patch. I see a lot of Michelin Hydroedges mounted the same way.



Paco
 
I prefer durable products because it frees up time for me to work on other parts of the car. Having your car reach that ever elusive state of being perfectly detailed comes, IMO, not from waxing your car like there's no tomorrow. Instead, it comes from taking the time to make sure every part of your car is being maintained.



Let's face it....keeping your paint waxed and relatively marr-free is the EASY part. The real challenge comes from the rest of the car. For example, I GummiPhledged the door seals, shampoo'd the interior, cotton swabbed the seams with IPA & cleaned/conditioned the leather to all three of my cars this weekend. I also spent several hours trying to make the clear-bra on our Audi less visible. I certainly wouldn't have had the time to do this (nor would my wife have been too appreciative) if I had to wax 1 or 2 of the cars as well.
 
I love the way a car looks when it's done, but hate the doing of it. And with six cars and other sundry vehicles and vessels, I ain't waxing every weekend. So durability is a big issue for me.
 
As several others have already mentioned, durability is a big deal to me. I don't have time to wax/seal my vehicles every weekend let alone every other weekend. I want a product that will still give me protection after one or two or even three months. Layering coats after a wash is not a big deal. I know that once I get the desired layers on my vehicle I don't have to worry about it for months. This gives me peace of mind.

Intermezzo you made a good point. Once my exterior is done to my satisfaction I can then work on other parts of my car. Like cleaning the engine:shocked
 
I find it interesting (and I'm glad to see) that this thread hasn't prompted any responses like "any *true Autopia* waxes so frequently that durability doesn't matter".



I like not having to redo the beaters very often (in fact, one big job per year is plenty) and with numerous vehicles to deal with, why SURE durability matters to me. Lotsa things to do besides waxing cars....
 
I wax once a week (if I have time) maybe once every 2 weeks but to know you don't have to because your wax can handle the weather is a different story.JUST TO KNOW YOU DONT HAVE TO WAX is a different issue
 
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