Leave a waxed car in the sun for 20 years. Will paint fail?

[pman626]

I have never kept a car for 20 years, but would like to.

If the car is waxed every 3 months and left in the sun everyday for 20 years, will the paint fail, considering only the sun's effects?

[Harry Da Hamster]

I see many twenty year old cars with paint that's perfectly fine. If you're waxing religiously every three months, i'd say you're doing much better than most people.

[JHL88]

I see many twenty year old cars with paint that's perfectly fine. If you're waxing religiously every three months, i'd say you're doing much better than most people.

agreed.

[Vegas Transplant]

Depends on the wax, environmental fallout, UV intensity, etc...
Too many variables. Read something here last year about the UV inhibitors of clear coat residing it the top 10% of the CC. 80 waxing sessions itself will somewhat abrade the CC.


I was tapping out a reply, then realized I was speaking from experience. While my experience is documented with pictures and testimonials...it's not scientifically presented.

A couple of things I find remarkable about Optimum Protection Products:


Regarding Optimum Car Wax:

With continued use, Optimum Car Wax's UV ingredients actually permeate the paint and restore OEM UV inhibitors that were used up/lost.

Just playing devil's advocate.

[XSSIVE]

There's a 14yr old minivan sitting in my driveway that's lived outside its whole life here in NY (so not just sun but ice and snow) and has NEVER been waxed and has probably been washed 5 times in those 14yrs. Despite it being a scratched up, dull, water mark etched, swirl mark on wheels the paint is all still there. So 20yrs with proper care shouldn't be a problem.

[Vegas Transplant]

There's a 14yr old minivan sitting in my driveway that's lived outside its whole life here in NY (so not just sun but ice and snow) and has NEVER been waxed and has probably been washed 5 times in those 14yrs. Despite it being a scratched up, dull, water mark etched, swirl mark on wheels the paint is all still there. So 20yrs with proper care shouldn't be a problem.

My point exactly.
Seems to me that the more one rubs on the paint, the more CC that's minutely removed.
Even if it's only a wash and wax.

14 years of crud may provide an excellent UV inhibitor.

Also, read something here about the half-life of CC paint systems...12-14 years ~ death knell.

[Rsurfer]

With modern clear coats and some preventive maintenance, there should be no reason why a car that sits outside 24/7 cannot look good 20 years down the road.

[FUNX650]

I have never kept a car for 20 years, but would like to.

If the car is waxed every 3 months and left in the sun everyday for 20 years, will the paint fail, considering only the sun's effects?
I'll just consider your: "considering only the Sun's effects".

-Even though, IMHO, it's nigh unto impossible to omit all other environmental factors...
and even Human factors---you are going to wash & wax, possibly clay twice a year...aren't you?...
-It makes it so much easier when leaving out all of these:
'other factors' that could influence paint-failures and their rates-of-failing...Thanks!

As such:
Many OEM's have "paint exposure farms" in places such as Florida and Arizona.
There...paints are exposed to more than just the "Sun's effects".

-I feel this is important to point this out because at least one OEM...GM in this case...
has panels that are painted in every conceivable "color" that undergo the Florida paint exposure tests.

-These stringent and independently conducted tests (consisting of: the "Sun's effects", saltwater, heat, humidity, and bird-poop, among others)
are for up to 1,825 days of constant exposure in the harsh environment of South Florida:...Miami.

-According to Maureen Midgley, executive director of Global Paint and Polymer Engineering at GM:
"We have panels nearing 10 years of constant exposure."


Now if these particular "painted panels" can endure such hardships for a given 10 year period...
I can only "Imagine" your quarterly waxing-sessions can only serve to have your subject-vehicle's paint-life to be
extremely protracted into many future decades of serviceability. [Your heirs will thank you (?)]


However...What about:
-Rubber/EPDM seals
-Tires (natural/synthetic/hybrid rubber-mixes)
-Auto-glass
-Cabin-'materials'
-etc.

I would not want to leave these components to wither & die for the
next twenty or more years under: "High Noon" conditions.

:)

Bob

[HateSwirls]

Here is my 17 year old GMC, I bought it new, the paint is factory and has always been parked in the sun,the outdoors.
The shine speaks for itself, this pic was taken 2 weeks ago.

I wash it weekly.
Wax it every two months.
Clay it every six months.
Rinseless wash daily.

I also make sure to keep it sealed which is a plus.
Shines just as good as my new car.

It's all about maintaining the paint.

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w490/vpcajun/20130714_174543_zps6f3a53f9.jpg

[ame=http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i6kxAwFGb8I]Walk Around Part Two - YouTube[/video]

I polish it about every six months with m205

[Vegas Transplant]

What area of the country does the '96 reside?
Superb finish BTW :props:

[HateSwirls]

Southwest Louisiana.
Thanks:xyxthumbs:




What area of the country does the '96 reside?
Superb finish BTW :props:

[bcwang]

My 13 and 9 year old cars have perfect shine still that people think they are brand new. But I also wonder, has paint technology improved in the past decade such that a car produced now will have even more durable paint that my old cars do?

[Zapa]

Well with environmental factors now playing more into how cars are made I know a lot of companies have switched to a water based cc instead of a harder more durable ceramic based cc

[pman626]

I asked this question because I see 10 year old hondas and toyotas with completely failed, peeling paint on the horizontal paint surfaces. I don't want my car looking like that.

had to make sure wax was sufficient to protect against the sun, and not merely for water beading and extra gloss.

The horizontal paint surfaces of my dark colored 6 year old car are completely covered with micro-pitting, which has severely reduced the gloss, and I'm in the process of polishing it out. I have waxed it 2-3 times a year at least, and it's parked under the California sun all the time, but still has pitting.
So that made me question what protection wax actually provides.

[Rsurfer]

I asked this question because I see 10 year old hondas and toyotas with completely failed, peeling paint on the horizontal paint surfaces. I don't want my car looking like that.

had to make sure wax was sufficient to protect against the sun, and not merely for water beading and extra gloss.

The horizontal paint surfaces of my dark colored 6 year old car are completely covered with micro-pitting, which has severely reduced the gloss, and I'm in the process of polishing it out. I have waxed it 2-3 times a year at least, and it's parked under the California sun all the time, but still has pitting.
So that made me question what protection wax actually provides.
You may need to wax more often or use a coating for more protection.