The case against multi-year ceramic paint coatings - Road Grime = Surface Staining Daily Drivers by Mike Phillips

[Mike Phillips]

That BMW looked 100 percent better after you guys were done with it! NICE article Mike!

Thank you and if you had been there in person the before and after difference would have had so much more impact than the pictures I was able to get to tell the story.

Dr. Beasley's Nano-Resin Hydrophobic coating states as follows:

Dr. Beasley's Nano-Resin Hydrophobic Coating is a semi-permanent paint coating designed to provide the longest lasting paint protection possible. Protecting against UV rays, marring, staining, and damage from airborne contaminants, Dr. Beasley's Nano-Resin Hydrophobic Coating creates a 2 micron thick coating layer in just one application. Keep your paint as protected as possible with Dr. Beasley's Nano-Resin Hydrophobic Coating!

Even though it boasts stain resisting properties do you think the coating will still get stained over time by film or road grime, but this will happen at a slower rate?

Dr. David Ghoudussi states something similar about his coatings and I'm sure many other companies or chemists will state something similar bout their coatings.

Here's the deal...


Everyone can decide what's best for them, their cars and their customer's cars.

Me?

I've detailed too many cars for too many years and I know what I've seen. Stating something on paper is a lot different than what I see when I polish a car that's been detailed and then put back on the road, in service as s daily driver over time in areas of rainy weather.

The outside of the car and this includes the car paint will get a FILM on it that I have termed Road Film. I chose these words long before I found out our friends in the U.K use the term Traffic Film. So of course, I branded this film with what I knew.

Each of us can decide how to remove road film. You can spray something caustic or acidic or use a strong detergent, etc. to chemically dissolve and thus remove road film/traffic film off the car's paint. While I believe this can work, it's simply not the method I would choose for my own cars nor any customer's cars.

I would choose and use a method of mechanically polishing the paint. This is why I'm NOT a big fan of multi-year coatings for daily drivers in geographical areas where it's common to rain. Of course use a multi-year coating for all the great benefits and features provided by the coating - but if your car is a daily driver, driven in the rain, AND this is key, AND if you want it to always looks the best - then DO SOMETHING to the paint on regular schedule, whatever that might be. But to apply any brand of coating and think the car is going to look the way it does immediately after the final buff, (after coating installation), 10 years down the road? I don't believe it. It's not what I've seen It's not my experience.

Again - each of us can choose our own path.

Me? I detail cars. I teach car detailing. I also write LOTS of educational car detailing articles like this one you're reading and sometimes in my articles I go DEEEEEEP, like I did in this article.

I love it when everyone chimes in and discusses their opinion or experience for the topic-at-hand. Like taking place in this article. And of course, everyone can feel free to write their own deep article on this topic or any topic. It's never too late to start.

As I type, here's my current count.




Writing how-to articles just comes naturally. Some cynical people might say, "well it's part of your job". True but I would write articles whether it was my job or not. I started writing car detailing articles BEFORE it was a job.

If it wasn't for road grime (I'm on a 31 hr cross country drive now) I'd have nothing to do and would have to find another hobby to kill time.

Ha ha.... good one John.

[DetailZeus]

Just to note - anytime you're using an acidic wheel cleaner for anything, including cleaning wheels. Be sure to use the appropriate personal protective equipmnet or PPE. Things like eye protection, gloves, apron, water-proof work shoes, etc.

Check to find out what type of acid is being used in the wheel cleaner. Some chrome wheel cleaners may use Hydrofloric Acid, which is very dangerous if not used safely or without the correct PPE. Some wheel cleaners like Meguiar's Wheel Brightner use Ammonium bifluoride and while not as dangerous as Hydrloric Acid, you still need to treat it accordingly and take the proper safety precautions for yourself, your employees or even people around you in the work areas.


Here's a thread with LOTS of information about Hydrofloric Acid as used in wheel cleaners.

Hydrofluoric Acid to clean wheels?


See posts #4,

And #8 and #18 - from PiPUK who I remember to be a chemist.

And posts #11 and #23 From Bob aka FUNX650


And posts #15 from David Hayward, a Trained First Responder


Post #19 from jfelbab

Post #24 - this one might scare you enough to wear the proper mask or face shield



My comment?

Everyone can do as they wish. I know over time road film or Traffic Film as our friends across the pond call it, builds-up on any exterior cars surface, (we all focus on the paint but if it's on the paint isn't it on everything?), and for me I simply think the best way to deal with it on car paint is to re-polish and then re-seal the surface.

Spraying a harsh chemical on to car paint won't make the paint more glossy or more shiny or more protected.

What is the opposite of the word more.

I don't mean to derail the thread, but one product I have been extremely curious about is 3D Super Wheel Cleaner. It's my understanding that this is an acid-based wheel cleaner but with Tunch Goren's emphasis on making products that are SAFE to use I'm curious if his has done something clever with the chemistry. Might be worth starting another thread.

Here is another post that discusses this Best wheel cleaner out there? (see post #16) with the point being that "acid" doesn't always mean "dangerous" and "non-acid" doesn't always mean "safe."

So I guess at the end of the day read the bottle and buy trusted products from Autogeek