Best protection for the AZ sun on older cars?

[JB44]

Hello!

I’m new here and am looking for the best sun protection for my cars in hot Arizona. I’ve been using Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax followed by Meguiar’s NXT on both cars but I feel I need better protection.

My 1998 dark green Integra has been repainted once already due to sun damage, and is starting to experience some clearcoat failure again on the roof. It sits in the sun all day. I’m planning to try Meguiar’s ColorX to see if I can bring back a little luster to the roof and remove some rain spots elsewhere that Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax didn’t help. The rest of the car still looks pretty good but I would consider the paint delicate at this point. I understand that the waxes/sealants won’t bring back any color, but at this point, I’m in preservation mode and prevent further sun damage.

My wife’s 2005 silver Toyota Highlander’s paint is in good condition. It’s only in the sun partial days now, but will have a life parked in all-day sun soon. There may be some imperfections, but to my eyes, I’m happy with it’s condition.

It’s a constant challenge for me finding time to wax the cars, which I can only find time 2-3 times a year. So I can’t get too perfectionist - I just don’t have the time to do too many layers of protection - or the budget to have them professionally done. So I need products that will work well with my time constraints, stand up well in the Arizona sun and that hopefully can be applied and/or removed with the orbital buffer I have. I’m sure I would be happy with the lustre of any of the products, so best sun protection is the goal! Perhaps a sealant like Klasse is the direction I should go?

Thanks!

[Scott@IncrediblyDetailed]

I would use a coating and top it with a spray wax after every wash. Adds 5-10 minutes to your wash.

I don't think there is going to be an easy solution to your problem, it's going to come down to frequently refreshing your LSP (last step product) to make sure you have plenty of UV protection.

[GettingStarted]

I have been experiencing success with jetseal 109, any sealant should be able to handle the heat from the sun. Most if not all waxes burn off at 100+ degrees.

and quick question...does anyone have any experience with Collinite 845 in high heat low humidity climates such as Arizona?

[peter hurcos]

No experience with 845 in high heat, but I understand it doesn't purport to have UV protection.

Figure your best bet other than finding shade for your car would be a spray wax with UV protection, applied after all maintenance washes. Supposedly Duragloss Aquawax does, I assume there are others.

Don't miss the heat, except maybe on a day like today. People back east don't even understand the concept of a gardener having to rush to harvest his crop of tomatoes before they stew on the vine.

[a g thang]

+1 Sealant or a coating, but I heard montan wax can with stand higher temps than carnauba wax, also cg lava wax as terrible as it it from reading review it is can withstand high heat hence the name lava lol


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[HateSwirls]

If you want great protection that will last through the summer months and give you an amazing shine go for the Wolfgang Paint Sealant.
You'll love it:)

[Rayaz]

My experience with wax in Arizona is looks good for about 1 week and then disappears. That's on a garaged white car. I haven't found anything that stands up to heat so I'd go with sealants or coatings. In fact, that's why I frequently trumpet the virtues of Opti-Coat 2.0. I've done 6 cars with it now and it holds up great. Topped with Aquawax, I have the slick shine with a pretty much bullet proof coating underneath.

If the clear is failing, nothing is going to help that and I've seen some pretty impressive failures when flaky clear is polished. That's the price we pay for a 72 degree Christmas. Paint, rubber and plastic don't like the sun much.

Good luck and welcome.

[oldmodman]

My suggestion, which won't really help all that much, is to put on a fresh coat of wax every week. What you use won't make that much difference. That sun and high heat is brutal.

Is there any way that you can put up a "tent" to keep the sun off the car?

[hernandez.art13]

I wonder how Opti coat would hold up to those environments?

You could give Optimum a call or even AutoGeek for that matter and,

Good Luck!

[Radarryan]

First, welcome to AGO! I, too, would recommend a coating. I've got coatings on all of mine, and my family's, vehicles. There are really no downsides, in my opinion. If you want extra shine, just throw a layer of wax down. When it fails, and inevitably it will – it doesn't matter if there's a coating or just the clearcoat that the wax is adhering to – at least you still have the protection of the coating staying behind.

Now, some like to make a big deal about Opti-Coat being permeant while other coatings only last two years or 18 months or whatever. This is largely irrelevant for most of us that have bitten the detailing bug as, even with proper washing techniques, swirls and scratches will start to form over time. The odds are that within that 12 or 18 months, or even 3 years or more, you will have used a polish and/or compound to return the paint to your version of acceptable. Now, if your version of acceptable is "protected", then choose the coating that will last the longest - Opti-Coat.

Now, if you think that you'll be re-polishing before that 24 month period, then choose the coating that suits your eye. I have read tests that GTechniq did that states their products have been used on cars specifically in the Arizona sun and still exhibited hydrophobic properties 3-4+ years after sitting in a salvage yard, outside 24/7. If not GTechniq, CarPro CQuartz is another great choice that will give you the added protection you desire. The nice thing about CQuartz is it has a specific topper, Reload, that can be used to extend the life of the coating. I hesitate recommending the DP and PBL offerings because they haven't been out as long and there have not been that many reviews on them, other than initial application reviews, notwithstanding the potential quality of the products.


I wonder how Opti coat would hold up to those environments?


Art, I recall reading a thread that talked about just that, Opti-Coat life in the Arizona desert. If I remember correctly, it was still going strong 4 years into the test. Could be wrong on the time but you may want to do a search of Opti-Coat, Arizona, desert, etc. and see if you can come up with it.

Happy detailing!

[JB44]

Hi all,

Thanks for the great recommendations! Really too many good choices here on AG…out of these mentioned here, is a coating or a sealant easier to apply by an amateur like me for these older cars? Also, what is the follow-up step a few months from now if I use a coating or a sealant? Just another application layer, or more?

[GettingStarted]

sealant would definitely be easier.

[hernandez.art13]

A sealant is easy to use. I think and in my opinion. Opti Coat is really easy to use and apply too, from my experience.

[addysdaddy]

Finish Kare 1000P Hi-Temp Paste Wax, high melt polymer car wax, Finish care auto wax (http://www.autogeek.net/finish-kare-1000p-wax.html)

Consider FK1000 - made for this exact type of environment.

[Coach Steve]

Hi all,

Thanks for the great recommendations! Really too many good choices here on AG…out of these mentioned here, is a coating or a sealant easier to apply by an amateur like me for these older cars? Also, what is the follow-up step a few months from now if I use a coating or a sealant? Just another application layer, or more?
Hey there JB44, welcome to the forum! Check your PM's. What part of the valley are you in? I'm in Chandler. If you're in the east valley, there are a couple of us who would be more than happy to assist you with your issues and help you to help yourself based on your budget, time constraints, etc. More about that and my contact info is in the PM.

Steve