Originally posted by Greg
Perhaps I should have interjected that durability is subjective to the eye, as well as the conditions present. This is nothing that hasn't been to death here lately though.
Bret- the main reason I said it was so subjective because as I'm sure we've all read that and I can't confirm the validity of these claims:
1. Beading isn't a sign of protection- just suface tension- this is true
2. Slickness isn't a sign of protection
3. The best "protection" doesn't bead- from limited Zaino testing, Zaino beads like crazy and is considered the forerunner of durability and protection
4. Some products sheet water on some cars, others bead (ie Accumulator said his SG is beading like crazy, on the car I had SG on for an extended period of time- it was virtually dry after a rain)
While I am probably forgetting some, our first instinct is to associate protection with beading and slickness, while in reality I can put canola oil on my car and it will be slick and bead.
I totally agree that to figure out this puzzle, one must first understand what consitutes "protection" and what things are going on with the ingredients and the cross-linking, then maybe durability will become objective once and for all! [/B]
Originally posted by big pompous know it all
I think we all can agree that both durability and appearance of car care products are subjective. It's a matter of degree but it is difficult to be objective about the results we see and experience. A primary reason it's so difficult is that we don't know *why* a product is providing the results it is. So we turn in different directions looking for answers.
I know lots of things can bead water but within the context of car waxes I think it means there is something on our cars. Whether that's a protective ingredient of some sort cannot be determined if looked at but with some detective work I think we can narrow it down. Really the only people that know for sure what causes beading are the product mfr's and almost all of them aren't talking or are saying very little.
We've got to keep digging thru this if we're going to learn anything.
I see what both of you mean. My thoughts...
'Protection' is difficult to test, but the 'durability' of a product's shine, clarity, depth, beading, and slickness isn't, especially from a comparative standpoint (side by side comparison!) While I realize the durability of a product’s enhancement and the protection from the elements are two different things, the latter seems less important. The clearcoat will provide more protection than any wax will, and as Edwin pointed out, paint maintenance should be stressed instead.
Originally posted by blkz28conv
Do not get caught up too much with the durability idealogy in term of longevity but be more concern with the idea of paint maintenance.
Um, longevity *is* important, because most of us wax to make our cars look good (not necessarily protect) for a given amount of time and to reduce labor later on. Or we can just glaze...
Greg, in regards to 'beading,' I agree. Beading is not a good indicator for telling whether a product is on or not. But again, with side by side comparisons, I do feel that if a product is still alive, it should in one way or another affect how the water reacts. Take SG for example. It doesn't create perfect beads and therefore has less surface tension, but if you compare it to a panel with nothing on it, one can clearly tell it's there by comparing how it affects the water. (Relativeness = imperative in testing) Perhaps we should all use 'Water-Affecting-Factor' instead of beading - (if Mike has LSP, then I'll have WAF, OK?) Tight beads are cool looking and are an easy way to check a product's existence though... and, does anyone become suspicious when a product beads profusely the first week and stops the third week?
Bret, I know! Understanding how a car works is equally important as enjoying a car. If a manufacturer claims that their car has a 'completely new and improved' six-speed automatic, yet you feel no improvement when you drive it, you become suspicious. Then applying your own knowledge about gears, you drive around, and count only four shifts... something is wrong and you investigate. Or you could be a completely naive consumer, and agree with the bazillion other drivers that it's a nice car: When you turn the wheel left, it goes left. When you wipe the product off, it creates a nice shine. Is that all you want?
