Midworst car care is it worth it?

[soapboxpreacher]

Ok living in the midwest and the effort it takes to maintain your cars beauty is a tedious pain in the ass. It would be a much different situation if I was in florida, texas, cali, or Az. The winters, rain, and just flat out change of seasons seems to be an effort that doesn't last long no matter how mighty or exotic the product is you use. We get hit with a strong month of rain being april and part of may. Then you have the good summer months of june-august. But september to october start to get cold and we get rain. As for everything else...well it is cold rain then snow till march. The midwest is just not ideal for exotic or expensive car care. There is no product(s) on the market that can maintain the look through all this inconsistency. Just my opinion, but that comes with experience.

My past black Acura CL (some 10 years ago) with zaino taught me that no matter how go these products are a few rain, washes and you gotta wax, polish and so on all over again to maintain that stellar look...if your lucky (because of our unlucky location and constantly changing weather). So is the effort worth it living in the midwest? Zaino which as much as it is a pain to use it really does an unbelievable job. And It did last longer than others but not that much longer, not considering the effort IMHO. If your car is garage kept maybe you could get a marginal amount of time of beauty out of your baby. But lets be honest what we love to do takes work and it that work doesnt last that long in this region. Hell, 5 months of the year your car is subjected to cold, rain, ice, snow, and so on...all of which break down a nice wax job in a hurry.

So I can only draw this conclusion, once you get your finish in a place that you are happy with it isnt worth all the effort and expensive products to spend all the time to only have your baby get done in by mother nature. Now I am more speaking toward the darker finish cars because the visual imperfection are more noticeable then a lighter call exterior. But just because you have a lighter exterior and it does look better, doesnt mean it is any more protected from mother nature and her recent wrath.

At least here in the midwest! Ill use Zaino as my example, it made my CL look they best she has ever! But it took a ton of effort, I was impressed and once again it really made her look the best she could ever! It did last longer than other products but that longevity was marginal at best. This is why I have determined that even though a product like NXT doesnt last as long it can certainly provide the shine and depth that is close. But more importantly it is sooo easy and inexpensive it is hard to deny considering the what I feel are such small gains from the more expensive product. Not sure what you guys think and this is coming from a guy that has clayed his car, polished and waxed it to be the best it can be! I am wondering what you guys think. My opinion is currently based on a car with a dark interior. When I had my white 04 TL it was pie to make her look good...but this region still made it tough.

[jankerson]

Black is a full time job anyplace....

Best colors are White and Silver.

[hernandez.art13]

I wonder how a coating such as Opti Coat would do in the type of situation you are describing soapboxpreacher.

just a thought...

[FUNX650]

A person shouldn't obsess over it...
But I think it's worth it to take care of my vehicles, even though I live in the Midwest.

A good way to test this, IMO:
Is to not take care of them, and see if there is, eventually, any noticeable difference.


Bob

[soapboxpreacher]

This isnt a question about not maintain your cars finish its more about the extent of products used to do so in regions that make the longevity of these products all or close to the same. In this environment even the most expensive, exotic and so on dont hold up well or at least marginally better than their cheaper less labor intensive counterparts. Considering the weather and constant up keep, a product like zaino or blackfire will marginally last longer than a cheaper easier to use product such as an NXT. My first hand with Zaino with several layers on my old CL was excellent but the efforts considering how long it lasted seems to be more of a "is it worth it" question after a few rain storms, snow, cold, etc, I think this is a different question if I were to live in a different area. Either way I will always maintain my vehicle...to what extent it depends on the region. I can get the an excellent shine and depth from something like an NXT with once again minimal effort and minimal expense. I could be wrong but reading a few other post here talked directly about the cost, effort and how short it really last. A few rain storms a wash or two (even with 901 and other products) the shine depth and clarity is just not there. You gotta wax it all over again! Just my 2 cents and theory but from a first hand experience with a black vehicle and some decent products I cant only draw this conclusion!

[jankerson]

Might want to try WGDGPS.

From what I have seen it lasts for a long time and makes for easier cleanup.

[FUNX650]

OK...
I agree with the: "It's not worth it idea"...of using the expensive and exotic
car-care products, year 'round, on Midwestern-vehicles...Because I don't!


Bob

[hogie]

Slightly marred paint isn't worth worrying about. The average person sees a shiny car and doesn't notice anything beyond that.

I like to keep my cars clean, but if I don't get to wash it for a month I am not going to flip out about it. I have bigger things to worry about than that.

[jankerson]

Might want to look at my thread here, WGDGPS after 2 months of a lot of rain, snow, washes etc.....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/76279-washed-blow-dried-truck-today.html

[zmcgovern45]

This isnt a question about not maintain your cars finish its more about the extent of products used to do so in regions that make the longevity of these products all or close to the same. In this environment even the most expensive, exotic and so on dont hold up well or at least marginally better than their cheaper less labor intensive counterparts. Considering the weather and constant up keep, a product like zaino or blackfire will marginally last longer than a cheaper easier to use product such as an NXT. My first hand with Zaino with several layers on my old CL was excellent but the efforts considering how long it lasted seems to be more of a "is it worth it" question after a few rain storms, snow, cold, etc, I think this is a different question if I were to live in a different area. Either way I will always maintain my vehicle...to what extent it depends on the region. I can get the an excellent shine and depth from something like an NXT with once again minimal effort and minimal expense. I could be wrong but reading a few other post here talked directly about the cost, effort and how short it really last. A few rain storms a wash or two (even with 901 and other products) the shine depth and clarity is just not there. You gotta wax it all over again! Just my 2 cents and theory but from a first hand experience with a black vehicle and some decent products I cant only draw this conclusion!

I live just a few hours south of you (Peoria, IL) and have to live with the same changes in season and ultimately poor weather yet I have no real complaints about "too much effort" to maintain my car.

My vehicles have all been coated with a durable silica coating that does last MUCH longer than traditional protection (ie sealant or wax).

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3774/10351801846_79bb3111f3_b.jpg
Photos from Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog (http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/how-to-impliment-a-foam-lance-into-your-wash-routine/)

^This photo was taken a few months ago after completing a routine wash. The car has not been "waxed" in well over a year since the coating was applied... I think you'll agree that it still has plenty of depth and clarity :)


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7389/10351802285_b9b42c6589_b.jpg
Photos from Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog (http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/how-to-impliment-a-foam-lance-into-your-wash-routine/)

Water still beads and sheets very well, and the vehicle is a breeze to clean. The car is maintained with a wash at least every other week during warmer weather and then whenever possible in the winter. During the winter my regular routine is to simply visit the coin op power wash and spray the car off and then return home and do a quick rinseless wash. Every few months I will use Iron X and then apply CarPro Reload (takes all of 5-10 minutes to apply) to maintain the coating. To me, all of this is very easy maintenance.



Edit: Also, if your LSP is "too labor intensive" then you simply need to find a better product. A sealant like Menzerna Power Lock is easy on, easy off. Application via machine can take less than 10 minutes. Even better yet, a spray sealant like Reload can last many months on it's own and takes very little time to apply. Still better are products like HydrO2 which require NO wipe on, wipe off... Simply spray on, rinse off and your car is protected for at least a couple months.

[mwoolfso]

A person shouldn't obsess over it...
But I think it's worth it to take care of my vehicles, even though I live in the Midwest.

A good way to test this, IMO:
Is to not take care of them, and see if there is, eventually, any noticeable difference.

Bob

Bob says it well and I will expand a little more.

A "show car finish" on a vehicle that is used regularly is a contradiction in terms after several days of using the vehicle. Granted you have the "wow factor" in the first 1-2 weeks but after that you are already thinking about when you are going to do the next detail. :)

Personally, for me as this is a hobby, it is a lifecycle process. The car looks great for a period of time and then seems to begin collecting "stuff", so I wash/QD it keep it maintained, etc... After a few months I think about how the LSP is holding-up and then start firming up a date when I can detail it again.

[MattPersman]

I live in the Midwest and opti coated both my and my wife's cars hers is black mine is silver. stuff lasts but black is just dirty all the time with salt dust, slush, snow, etc. Mine looks cleaner way longer but I also have a car wash at my work so I can run it through whenever I feel like it.

Coating lasts much longer than traditional if you are looking for something traditional but easy maybe just dry with aqua wax after your wash should give protection and shine

[07gtcs]

I also live in the midwest and two of mine sit out all the time so I use a sealant on them in the fall, wash at the touchless when above freezing, race home and go over it with a rinseless and then touch up with a spray wax. Its worked so far in this snowy cold tundra called Iowa.

[tommygee]

I feel your pain. I'm in NE Ohio and it's a tough battle. My car is silver so it doesn't show as much. This is my hobby and stress release. I used the Klasse Twins with an 845 topper and it seems to be holding up alright. Weekly trip to the touchless and I'll do a garage washless after then Duragloss AW. I look forward to the weekends when I can do some detailing and not think about anything!

[hamlyn]

Until recently, I paid someone else to clean and maintain my car's exterior/interior. This past August I learned the art of detailing, and today I wash, clean and maintain my own car, because it is something I enjoy doing, and it helps pass the time.
When it becomes a burden, and I no longer enjoy it, I will go back to having someone else do the work.
My point here is this: only you can determine if it is worth your time and effort to go through the drill of detailing and up-keeping your car. I believe that when it becomes a burden, and the products used no longer give you the satisfaction, is when it may no longer be worth it.