Temporary LSP - What would you use?

[oneheadlite]

So here’s kind of an odd one.

Short Version: What would you use (products below in bold) to protect a decon'd car until you can do full correction and LSP'ing? Want adequate protection, but nothing that's a pain to polish off.


Long Version/Backstory:

I’m in a position where there’s just not enough time in the day (or free time in a weekend) to sit down with either car and get them taken care of nose-to-tail. Between work, commute, 4 year old, and normal home life, I just don’t end up with the free time I’d like to be able to sit down and do them right.

With winter coming up, I really need to go through and do at least a minor correction and get a proper LSP on each car. After watching weekend after weekend pass by, I’ve decided to revise my approach.

My plan is to do a thorough decontamination wash in one sitting: Iron removal, deep clean, and mechanical decontamination. Not being a production retailer, I know this is going to be a good chunk of time, and I won’t be able to proceed directly to the correction and LSP steps.

So, after the wash process, I’d like to apply an LSP to provide short-term coverage until I can start the next steps. This way the paint’s not bare-naked, susceptible to whatever life throws at it (both cars are daily drivers). Ideally the LSP will be long lasting enough to get me by until I can finish the process, while not being a colossal pain to polish off.

I'm going to stick to inventory on hand, since I already have more LSPs than I have cars to put them on: McKee’s Hydro Blue, Optimum OptiSeal, Turtle Wax Seal N Shine. These seem like they'd make the most sense as they're incredibly easy to apply. I'm leaning towards Hydro Blue, as it seems like it would give me the longest buffer/best performance until I can get to final correcting/protecting. I'm hesitant to do Seal N Shine based on what I hear about how resilient it is; does anyone have experience polishing it off? OptiSeal is super easy to put on, but I feel like it had some drawback that made me stop using it. It's been a while...

Things I also have, but aren't at the top of the list: Griot's Spray On Wax (Worry it's too short term), Griot's Liquid Poly Wax (Would be machine applied; seems like too much time invested for the purpose. May be a final LSP on one of the cars), FK1000 (Another likely final LSP candidate), and Griot's Foaming Poly Gloss (Love this stuff, but feel it doesn't carry the durability that may be required).


Once I get the decon and seal done, the plan will be to do my correction and final LSP panel by panel so I can focus on getting the best results instead of stressing about getting things done in time. It'll drive me crazy to have a fender done but not the door next to it, but at least this way I can focus on finally making some progress.

Thanks for reading!

[Dr Oldz]

Optimum car wax and call it a day. I have had it last 4 months on it’s own.

[2black1s]

My suggestion(s)...

Skip the decon and simply apply one of your AIOs. That will provide some level of cleaning and protection until you find the time to do the full process. Or if you'd feel better do the chemical decon as that is a fairly quick process you can accomplish while washing and follow that with your AIO. In either case, skip the claybar for now.

Then as time permits you can come back and do the claybar, correcting, and finish LSP a panel or a few panels at a time.

As for which AIO to use initially... I'd use whichever I thought would provide the best, longest lasting protection. Regardless of the AIOs durability, any of them will polish away without issue when you get around to doing the full process.

[Desertnate]

How long do you need this temporary step to last?

With winter not too far away, and life being crazy for you I'd simply give the vehicles a good wash and then hit them with the most durable product you have; most likely the FK1000. This buys you time until spring. Soon they will be covered in snow, rain, salt and grime, and you won't have to worry about them looking their best. Can't believe I said that when it's 90 here today....

I'm not sure I'd go the AIO route. They do clean and protect in one job, but I've never had good luck with durability. Weeks at most, which you can do with some spray LSP's these days.

Another approach may be a hybrid of the suggestions. Set a schedule for the vehicles needing care. For those you'll get to sooner, hit them with something easy like a spray product. For those you will simply have to push off to next spring/summer hit them with something really durable and then don't worry about it.

I feel for you and have been in your position. My kids were older, but it doesn't get any easier with their activities. I found setting up a schedule for doing the work would let me plan months ahead and spread out the work. The timelines or the amount of time I could put into it were often not the best, but you simply do the best you can. Family is more important.

[FUNX650]

I'm going to stick to inventory on hand,

Optimum OptiSeal

^^^This.

Bob

[oneheadlite]

Dr Oldz: I know Optimum Car Wax is a solid performer, but unfortunately it's not one on my shelf.

2Black1s: Hopefully I didn't misuse the term LSP - I hadn't meant to imply an AIO, merely a Last Step Product to serve only as protecting the paint after decon. I get where you're going for using the cleaning action of an AIO; but if I'm going to put pad on paint, my goal is to have it as prepped as I can beforehand.

Desertnate: Thank you for your thoughtful post. You bring up a very good point - It's a bit of an unknown how long I'll need the "temporary" LSP to last.

The reason I really want to do a full decon for both cars is that it's just been too long. This last winter I did a thorough standard wash on my wife's Q5 and applied Sonax Polymer Net Sealant. (This was done in a 60+ degree shop and given some cure time). In the spring the first couple washes were chased with Sonax BSD. Despite the high reviews here, I wasn't impressed with either of them, and I feel like this comes down to not having had time to do a mechanical decontamination.

I like the schedule idea - I'll definitely be thinking that over.

Bob: I'm leaning strongly towards OptiSeal for my car. My plan is to take advantage of being able to squeeze in a panel here and there at work (I've done blitz washes during my lunch break...). For the Mrs', I'm leaning towards Hydro Blue unless I hear it's a pain to work with. Worst case scenario, I can just reapply every once and a while until I can start the process on hers.

Final piece of the puzzle will be the "Long Term" LSP decision. I've got FK1000 that I feel is destined for my car, then for the Mrs I'm debating between: giving PNS another (proper) chance, The Griot's Liquid Poly Gloss (just because all their stuff is so foolproof to use every single time), Optimum Gloss Coat (want the paint correction to be on point before applying), or the Turtle Wax Seal & Shine (less likely). I've also got Gyeon Cancoat on the shelf that I got to do a friends car, but I still haven't seen it yet...

[PaulMys]

I always do my decon/polishing in the spring.

I agree with Nate about just getting the car clean, and putting on your winter LSP.

I have never used the FK1000, but many put it right there with (or even better than) Collinite 476s. The 476s easily lasts through the NY winters for me.

This being the case, I would just wash, use the FK1000, and call her (well) protected.

[FUNX650]

Final piece of the puzzle will be the
“Long Term" LSP decision.

I've got FK1000 that I feel is destined
for my car...

•Great choice.
{I consider it a (First) Cousin of Coatings.}

then for the Mrs I'm debating between:

PNS
Griot's Liquid Poly Gloss
Optimum Gloss Coat
Turtle Wax Seal & Shine
Gyeon Cancoat

^^^I’m not particularly fond of any of those.

•IMO:
-Again...Go with FK1000P.
-It is the personification of:
”Here I am, and here I’ll abide”!


Bob

[oneheadlite]

My thoughts on going FK1000P for my own car vs the Mrs' is that my car has much less plastic/rubber I need to worry about keeping the FK off of.

I know, I know - all this talk about taking steps to facilitate focusing on doing the job well, the easy reply to that concern is just: Don't get FK1000p on the plastic or rubber.

Truth be told, I do ultimately want to have different LSP's on the car just to see how they fare. I might give PNS another shot on her car to see if I'm happier with it when it's got a smooth base underneath it.

Waiting till spring makes complete sense, except I've got a G9 sitting on my shelf dying for some polishing miles.

[SWETM]

My vote goes to McKees 37 Hydro Blue. Easy to apply with a decent longevity but not to long either. And if you see it starting to fail it's easy to top it up with it again.

/ Tony