Easiest way to prevent clear coat failure on older DD in Florida weather 24/7?

[jem7sk]

I have a 9 year old Subaru Impreza that sits outside 24/7 in the central Florida sun and weather. I only wash it about once a month with a nice hand wash. I really don't enjoy polishing anymore but do have a PC dual action. It seems I'll polish it out once a year and wax it with Big White Hi-Temp Paste Wax. I'm not sure how long the stuff lasts but I doubt long enough for the year.

What would be the best/easiest/quickest method to make sure my car is protected at all times to prevent Clear Coat failure. It seems that everyone that I know has clear coat failure on their cars after about 10-12 years here. I'd like to implement something in my method above that wouldn't take up any more time that what I normally do but provide much more protection. Is it possible? How would you do it?

[Bill D]

I live in Central FL too and if I had a DD outside like that I would religiously wash it.IMO once a month isn’t frequent enough.

I’d also invest in getting it coated for optimum UV protection. No need to polish it unless there are defects in the paint and the majority of defects come from improper washing techniques so I would learn correct methods for washing. The coating is what is going to help save the paint.

[glen e]

Get a cover…in Fla, there is little you can do once degradation starts, Especially if you have Japanese paint. Move to a garage, carport or a cover. Get it out of the UV.

[Bill D]

I don’t use covers because when the wind moves, even if you have them strapped down, they can micro mar the paint. I learned the hard way and had to polish.

[glen e]

You can get covers that don’t scratch, I used one daily for 2 1/2 years on a Corvette C7 down here in Ft. Lauderdale never had a scratch problem.

[Bill D]

What brand/ type of cover is it?

[glen e]

I don’t remember now, but it had like a silk lining that touched the paint. It did not scratch. It was a genuine GM accessory. Car was coated at that time with CQUK.

[Paul A.]

In my experience in Tampa UV attacks the horizontal surfaces faster i.e. hood, roof and rear deck lid. I would focus on keeping those protected religously.

If you can manage at least a biweekly wash and ensure those surfaces are protected with a robust LSP.

I've kept cars in the family for periods longer than 10 years and have never had clearcoat failure but admit, I'm anally diligent.

[PaulMys]

Not as good as a coating, but OCW has patented UV protection in an easy to use spray wax.


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[2black1s]

My vote goes to using a car cover.

Any marring from a cover is easily correctable. UV damage - not so much.

As for covers and scratching/marring... Yes, it will happen. Regardless of the cover type some marring is unavoidable. It may not be the cover itself that causes the marring... It's the movement of the cover in the wind and the dirt between the cover and the paint that causes it, and you don't have complete control over those variables.