[steve k]

whats everyones take on this ? i keep my 911 outside 24/7. i was thinking of using a black specific wax or sealant. anyone have experience or care to share any info ?

how do you guys prep your paint for winter ?

 

[Wheelman916]

I know others may disagree... But I personally dislike waxes/sealants marketed as "specific" for one color. The best waxes and sealants should offer perfect or near perfect optical clarity... Letting the paint shine through. Some of these waxes that are dark in color and marked for dark cars, hide the paint under a tinted layer of garbage. Nothing wrong with a glaze that helps fill swirls and such, which is the biggest problem with darker colors like black... But it should be topped with a quality wax or sealant that is as close to clear or colorless as you can get.

All that being said, for darker colors, I prefer a wax, a carnauba wax, high in white carnauba content, over a sealant. Carnauba brings that deep, wet shine and warm depth of color out of darker paints. It's just an inherent quality of carnauba based waxes.

Zymol Concours is one of my favorite.

ZYMOL CONCOURS GLAZE 8 oz

For a car that is stored outdoors year round, Zaino Z5 Pro, or Collinite insulator Wax are both very durable.

 

[roger v]

I wonder think a semi permanent coating like opticoat would be your best bet. That said, you will probably want to have a professional apply it.

You could prolly get by using optiseal topped with a long wearing wax like Collinite 845

 

[pecka13]

Collinite.
Couple coats of 845 and you should be fine for winter and then some.
Permanent coatings are not permanent, they are great though. But full detail is required, cost goes up.

 

[djantlive]

i would never park a nice car outside 24x7 without a car cover.

 

[Envious Eric]

waxes cant tell the color of the car...

coatings are you better option - 22PLE, CQuartz finest are my two favorites

 

[Larsinnj]

I've waxed mine with Swissvax Shield befor the winter set in, and the car is being used everyday in salt, snow etc, and washed regularly. Still holds up just fine! Applied in two thin layers with about 2 hours of hazing, and 24 hours of hardening after buffing the last layer.

 

[DetailersDomain]

how are your winters?
at our shop we would correct the paint then protect the paint.

the current hot products are coatings or sealants.

opti coat is a great coating.

sonax polymer net shield is durable about 4-6 months

 

[sheerluxedetail]

I wonder think a semi permanent coating like opticoat would be your best bet. That said, you will probably want to have a professional apply it.

You could prolly get by using optiseal topped with a long wearing wax like Collinite 845

Opti-Coat is not a semi permanent product. 22ple, CQuartz etc are semi perm coatings. Your best bet would to be, have some degreed of paint correction done and a coating. If you need help finding a reputable detailed in your area let ms know.

 

[roger v]

Opti-Coat is not a semi permanent product. 22ple, CQuartz etc are semi perm coatings. Your best bet would to be, have some degreed of paint correction done and a coating. If you need help finding a reputable detailed in your area let ms know.

Sounds semi-permanent to me...

"Opti-Coat (Opti-Guard) is a hard wearing, aftermarket, ceramic clear coat for superior resistance to scratching (9H) and chemical etching from environmental impacts. It provides permanent protection for all factory paints, and can also be applied to exterior glass, metal and hard plastic surfaces."

 

[Immaculate Reflections]

What specifically sounds semi-permanent to you?

 

[Hevonen]

None of these products are permanent. Not even opti coat lasts over a year if the car sees the light of day weekly and the winters are winters, not some california winters where the roads dont see salt 5-6 months per year. If it were summer forever and the car is driven under 5000 miles a year then i'd say opti coat lasts 2 years max.

 

[Immaculate Reflections]

None of these products are permanent. Not even opti coat lasts over a year if the car sees the light of day weekly and the winters are winters, not some california winters where the roads dont see salt 5-6 months per year. If it were summer forever and the car is driven under 5000 miles a year then i'd say opti coat lasts 2 years max.

The only OC failures I've heard of is where people didn't prep properly. Opti-Coat does last years of daily abuse if done properly.

What is your point of expertise on this?

 

[Hevonen]

Multiple reliable Finnish detailers have made the same notice with prooven evidence. I'm not saying it isn't a good product, but saying it lasts for years is a bit wrong. As I stated, the weather conditions up in here are a bit more harsh and it might last for years (which is 3+ years imo) in California. Still I'd recoat it after 2 years, atleast the critical areas.

 

[Immaculate Reflections]

Multiple reliable Finnish detailers have made the same notice with prooven evidence. I'm not saying it isn't a good product, but saying it lasts for years is a bit wrong. As I stated, the weather conditions up in here are a bit more harsh and it might last for years (which is 3+ years imo) in California. Still I'd recoat it after 2 years, atleast the critical areas.

Then those Finnish detailers aren't doing it right. There are PLENTY of areas of the USA and other countries with harsh weather, and I personally know many who have it and its going strong years in. I'm guessing you haven't had personal experience with this.

 

[Hevonen]

Then those Finnish detailers aren't doing it right. There are PLENTY of areas of the USA and other countries with harsh weather, and I personally know many who have it and its going strong years in. I'm guessing you haven't had personal experience with this.

Nope, I haven't applied it myself. I Just find it very hard to believe it would as good as you are saying because I've seen the pics online and read the stories behind them. Also, two of my friends tried it and I saw it "fail" (fail = lasted under 2 years). It's good if its working properly in your customers cars and I'm not saying its a bad product, just that it isnt as good as the hype suggests up in here in these weather conditions

 

[Immaculate Reflections]

Nope, I haven't applied it myself. I Just find it very hard to believe it would as good as you are saying because I've seen the pics online and read the stories behind them. Also, two of my friends tried it and I saw it "fail" (fail = lasted under 2 years). It's good if its working properly in your customers cars and I'm not saying its a bad product, just that it isnt as good as the hype suggests up in here in these weather conditions

Well my experience base is on a few hundred coated cars and dozens of other pro detailers who reside in areas where winter is like yours and all have the same results I do. Ice and salt don't hurt OC PRO. Perhaps the person or persons who installed it for your friends didn't install it correctly. It is absolutely as good as the "hype" suggests. I vetted the product for a year before ever offering it to anyone to make sure it was legit. If your friends had "failures" they should have gone back and had it fixed, don't you think?