ldc

I am becoming more and more concern about the quality of my car's paint (or the type), being non pearl finished (eg. tungsten silver) you don't have that deep flakes effect which i love. I'm not an expert on paint but i'm sure that there is more protection with the pearl finished type (certainly looks thicker) than the non pearl type. Also dirt and grease just wash off these surfaces far easier.

Anyone agree or disagree?

s6 4rings

iTrader: (1)

The color you have is Tungsten Pearl.

Bichon

Disagree. The top layer of paint, the one that you wash dirt and grease from, is the clear coat. It is the same regardless of which color basecoat is underneath.

ldc

The clear coat is almost non existing, or cannot be seen due to the flatness of the type of finish. Today i washed my car and notice it's getting harder and harder to remove road grimes, certainly with my other cars which was of the deep flakes finish, the grimes just wipes straight off without much effort...

Is deep flakes better than think flakes?

Bichon

How long has it been since you waxed your car? Which product(s) did you use to wax it?

ldc

I don't wax my cars due to lack of available time, i just use the all in the one solution (wash and wax).

LexusTexas

I tried the wash and wax combo product, but noticed that my car seemed to be tarred and feathered with dirt and grass clippings. Went to a regular high quality wash and it's not nearly the dirt magnet.

15951

Well, that's the problem. If you want your paint to clean easier and look better, then you have to detail it on occasion. If it appears dull after washing, you probably need to clay it to remove bonded contaminants. Your finish might also need polishing if it is swirled, etc. Polishing uses abrasives to level your clearcoat to "remove" swirls - they are literally worn away with paint levelling. Both contaminants and swirls/holograms can cause your paint to look dull.

After all of that is finished, you need to follow up with a good sealant or wax (or both). If you're time limited, then I would suggest using a sealant, as they last longer. Sealants give a more "wrapped in plastic" look, while waxes tend to provide for more depth.

If you go through this exercise - or have someone else do it for you - your future washes will go much easier. I washed my car this morning, and most of the dirt came off with the hose before I even used the sheepskin mitt. As a previous post stated, the addition of pearlcoat to your paint makes no difference - the clear is the only coat you'll ever touch (hopefully!).

Good luck.

ldc

But washing and then waxing will take all day

I suppose waxing it one every 2-3 washes is reasonable. Will give waxing a go Thanks fot he advice although i still think the thicker flakey finish is alot easier to clean.

javyLSU

iTrader: (21)

^You have a couple of options:

1) Wax your car every now and then. One waxing every month or so should be more than sufficient.
2) Pay someone to wax your car every now and then.
3) Live with it.

Javier

ISF_GG

iTrader: (2)

Most of the newer waxes made for cars are quite easy to put on and buff off. After washing, it shouldn't take you more than an hour or so to wax your car. Just set aside a little time and do it!

ldc

Yeh i should give waxing a go, and see what results.

Any products u recommend?

Zanorath

Is this recommended? I always thought it was one or the other so I've always stuck to wax, if I can have depth wrapped in plastic thats the best of both worlds.

Bichon

I'm not familiar with all of the sealants, but the one I tried, Zaino, requires that you remove wax (using Dawn dishwashing liquid of all things!) before applying their system.

15951

Many/most sealants look great with a wax topper. The wax doesn't typically last more than +- 1 month, so it's nice to have a sealant underneath. Just make sure you don't use a cleaner wax that will remove sealants, etc.

A good combination, for example, is Klasse AIO topped with Souveran. Be sure you use the sealant first. The wax is always the last step.