Wax/Sealent for long(er) term protection - Recommendations for two cars

A

anhizer

New member
Hi All,
I was hoping for some recommendations for protecting two different cars:
2013 BMW 335i - Black "sapphire" metallic: This car is my daily driver and sits outside all of the time (no garage). I have been using a variety of products but none seem to really protect the paint well from bird droppings. Is there anything that works well against this sort of fallout?

2016 Volvo XC90 - "Ice" white (metallic): Wifes daily driver which also sits outside all of the time. This is a brand new car and has whatever the dealer put on it. I plan on washing, claying, Light polish, & some sort of topcoat.

On the BMW i have tried a few different waxes/sealents to try and keep the shine. overall i think most of them perform OK, but none seem to give the protection im looking for. Also, I`m not sure how indicative of protection life, but most don`t seem to bead water nicely for more than a month or so.
HD Speed: a one step type polish; i put this on last week and had a bird dropping on it 1 wk later; paint was majorly etched (didnt see the dropping for ~6 hrs)
HD Poxy: gives a good shine but doesn`t seem to last. Also, does not hold up to birds. Doesn`t seem to bead water much longer than 1 mo
FK1000P: seems to last a bit longer but again, similar results to the HD poxy. Doesn`t seem to bead water much longer than 1 mo
Blackfire Wet Diamond (BWD): Similar to others. Doesn`t seem to bead water much longer than 1 mo


For the volvo, I will probably use whatever i get for the BMW, so no special issues there. Plus its white so it doesnt show up as readily.

Am I unrealistic in my expectations of the products? Would a coating perform better for longer term paint protection? I can wax the cars more frequently, but its difficult to set the time aside. I would like to limit it to 3-4 times/yr.

Thanks!
 
anhizer- Interesting that the FK doesn`t perform better for you..your results are completely different from mine but there are always *so* many variables.

The only thing that`s rivaled FK1000P for me was heavily layered KSG. While that`d look fine on the white, it`d sure be a PIA to do.

Some people find Collinite 476S lasts as long/longer than the FK. While it didn`t work that way for me, maybe it would for you.

But I suspect that a coating might come a lot closer to meeting your expectations.
 
My choices would be FK1kp and Collinite 845. Topping with a quick spray wax after each wash may help you with durability also.
 
I`m with Guz, are the surfaces being properly prepped before sealing? I had BFWD sealant on my car last summer and it was still beading 6 months later when I prepped my car for winter. And I used HD Speed on my wifes SUV not too long ago and wasn`t impressed with the protection that it left behind either.
 
The Guz said:
Are you claying prior to protecting the paint?
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Ya know...much as I like/use/recommend clay, I`ve *NEVER* seen any evidence at all that claying makes any of my LSPs last longer. I know that`s more of my Autopian Heresy, but that`s been my experience.
 
Hey, thanks for all the quick replies. Prior to application i typically do a two bucket wash (with a foam cannon rinse prior) and have been decontaminating using a mild nanoskin mitt + optimum no-rinse. If I include a polish step, i have either used the HD speed OR 3m Perfect-it II(? I think its II, whatever the finish polish is).

Im in California (San Jose) and the car is in direct sunlight all day during the summer.

Is there anything that protects well from bird poop? I don`t mind having re-apply every two months (though its not ideal), but I really don`t like having to polish out etching all the time (or living with the etching).

Sounds like i should start looking into sealents, though im not super excited about that idea for some reason.
 
Based on your feedback on the previous products used I would step up to a coating.

I like GTechniq`s products personally.
 
anhizer said:
..Is there anything that protects well from bird poop?
Click to expand...

The FK1000P resists etching so well that I don`t even bother cleaning off the bugs and bird-bombs very often. But that`s just how it works for me and YMMV (and all bird-bombs aren`t the same either..some day one will etch my paint but good if my luck runs out).
 
here my thinking
[h=1]Duragloss TPP (Total Performance Polish) add a little 601 bonding and your golden![/h]Step Saver Tip - Blend 4 parts #105 to 1 part 601, Polish Bonding Agent for added durability and gloss. Accelerates the curing process for instant bonding. Apply within 2 hours after mixing for maximum results.
 
Really surprised to here your not getting bird bomb protection and durability from the FK1000p. Perhaps it`s the Montan Wax in the HD Speed that is interfering with the bonding.

After polishing with HD Polish last June I applied a thin coat of FK1000, then 48 hours later a second thin coat. In prep for winter I added another thin coat of the 1000--it`s still beading and sheeting water like crazy and self cleaning almost as good as the day the 1000 was applied. In the winter during one of our trips the car sat at the airport for two weeks out in the open in long term (cheap) parking--upon return the car had a number of bird bombs that clearly had been on there a while and the car was coated in jet fuel exhaust. Car cleaned up in a snap--no etching, no problem getting the coating off. I continue to be amazed by FK1000p--just wish they made it in a liquid.
 
JVD said:
Based on your feedback on the previous products used I would step up to a coating.
Click to expand...

This might be the next "best" option.

pwaug said:
Really surprised to here your not getting bird bomb protection and durability from the FK1000p. Perhaps it`s the Montan Wax in the HD Speed that is interfering with the bonding.

After polishing with HD Polish last June I applied a thin coat of FK1000, then 48 hours later a second thin coat. In prep for winter I added another thin coat of the 1000--it`s still beading and sheeting water like crazy and self cleaning almost as good as the day the 1000 was applied. In the winter during one of our trips the car sat at the airport for two weeks out in the open in long term (cheap) parking--upon return the car had a number of bird bombs that clearly had been on there a while and the car was coated in jet fuel exhaust. Car cleaned up in a snap--no etching, no problem getting the coating off. I continue to be amazed by FK1000p--just wish they made it in a liquid.
Click to expand...

Good point. Perhaps HD Speed is causing the topper to not bond. Might try an area of the car with a dedicated polish followed by one of protectants you have as stated.
 
Detail Impressions said:
here my thinking
[h=1]Duragloss TPP (Total Performance Polish) add a little 601 bonding and your golden![/h]Step Saver Tip - Blend 4 parts #105 to 1 part 601, Polish Bonding Agent for added durability and gloss. Accelerates the curing process for instant bonding. Apply within 2 hours after mixing for maximum results.
Click to expand...

This so reminds me of how I had to custom mix Zaino Z2 or 5 with their ZFX to speed up the curing in the very moist Pacific Northwest.. :) Had to get the 3 coats on in 24 hrs you know.. :) Thin Coats!!! :)

Thanks for this !
DanF
 
Stokdgs said:
This so reminds me of how I had to custom mix Zaino Z2 or 5 with their ZFX to speed up the curing in the very moist Pacific Northwest.. :) Had to get the 3 coats on in 24 hrs you know.. :) Thin Coats!!! :)

Thanks for this !
DanF
Click to expand...

Are you saying DG sounds a lot like Z ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
 
Hey All,
thanks for the extended feedback. I think ill try the FK1000P again since i have it already. I will also try stripping all the HD speed off to ensure i have a good starting point. Is Optimum power clean good for this application? i have heard of people using IPA as well. Which is best to `clean slate` the paint?

Thanks!
 
Anhizer -

Here is my thinking -
And it goes along with whats already been said above..

Prep is everything for anything to stick to paint for any amount of time..

When you say you use a nanoskin mild, is your paint really smooth after you have dried it all off?? If not, then it still had embedded gunk in it that will not let your good stuff get in there and stick...

If you ever get to correct/polish out the paintwork, and wipe it down after this step with something like car pro eraser, etc., I can promise you everything will adhere better because there is little to nothing between the paint surface and the product to interfere with the product adhesion..

Very few waxes if any - (Finish Kare, Collenite- probably the best) - are going to last very long and their protection is not that great either..

There are dozens of Sealants, etc., that evolved next, after waxes.. Some pretty good, some not...

Then Coatings, and then there are a lot of them with new ones coming out all the time...

Everyone promises the moon, without a whole lot of years of - or any - field testing; well except Optimum, which tested for years and has been out the longest in years, and still here...

If there ever was a magic product that went on and left incredible clarity gloss and years of protection without any detailed prep work, we who do this for a living would be all over it... :)

Good Luck !
Dan F
 
I might consider booking time with Joe at OCDetailing in Orinda.

Honestly, other than a pro coating, not sure what will stand up to bird bombs for any length of time.
 
Accumulator said:
...(and all bird-bombs aren`t the same either..some day one will etch my paint but good if my luck runs out).
Click to expand...

The FK is working out for me so far.

That bird-bomb thing is so *very* true. I had one recently, the day after I did that wet sanding job using Poorboy`s products, and I tried everything I normally do to remove bird bombs. I kid you not, after a while, I thought maybe the bird ate some concrete mix. That`s what the consistency was like. It was hard to remove. haha. Yeah, it was like a bit of wet concrete fell on the hood, dried, and then a bird dropped a bomb over it!
 
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