20 ways you waste money on your car
why paint protections matters?
Cars make us irrational. We call them our babies and lovingly wax them every weekend ... Either mindset will cost you money, sometimes a lot of it
MSN recently wrote a beautiful article "20 ways that we can waste money on our cars will be "
Car washes. Ten bucks for long lines and gray water? Nothing shows you care like doing it yourself.
a common scene in Malaysia (this was shot 14 months ago) (car age - 8 months old)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q...0/DSC08446.JPG
the most severe country affected with acid rains
just after 10 days or so without washing her (this was shot 14 months ago) (car age -8 months old)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...0/DSC08435.JPG
that is the very reason, our car instruction manual hand book recommends us to wax as often as we change our engine oils....
I have been doing a study on the effectiveness on paint protection?
at my own discretion, in quietly & secretly on my sis new car....
22 months ago (car age 1 month old)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-a...0/P1010866.JPG
when she got her ride 2 years ago, I offer to detail her ride, at the beginning I did the washing & wax
but 8 months later, when she is got busy....the ride became.....turning from white to zebra
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j...0/DSC08421.JPG
a year later I got some OPTI COATING from USA and without her knowledge, I embark on this secret voyage...since she doesnt have the time to maintain her ride, by putting on the world's acclaim coating on.
.........hoping to find a solution for people like her..........perhaps to treat her laziness
nobody knew in my family, i even make some shots after the coating (car age 8 months old)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-O...1mM/s800/8.JPG
position mark on the hood
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5...v8/s800/14.JPG
the uncoated side
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u...Xk/s800/aa.JPG
the following day, i did some day light shots, in order to documenting this study
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p...0/P1060923.JPG
not too bad after 8 months (age 8 months old) driving & in spite of sending it regularly to the road side wash
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R...IMk/s800/b.JPG
(age 8 months old)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-D...ITA/s800/c.JPG
left side - Pls pay extra attention to this part (the non coated part)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B...0/P1060969.JPG
giving back to her ride like new (age 8 months old)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D...0/P1060996.JPG
__________________________________3 months later
(car age 12 months old)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W...5M/s800/16.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Z...QI/s800/15.JPG
on the uncoated side - Left side
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-q...0/P1060925.JPG
12 months later (car age - 20 months old)
pay more attention on the Left side - swirls & rids became very visible
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8..._q8/s800/m.JPG
read more
after coating for 12 months (car age - 20 months old)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M...MQg/s800/g.JPG
very obvious difference & visible
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L...EU/s800/z3.JPG
day shot (car age - 20 months old)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r...SM0/s800/k.JPG
by this time differences is more define
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q..._1U/s800/i.JPG
___________________________________(13 months later)
(car age - 21 months old)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c...DY/s800/z4.JPG
13 months later after coating (car age - 21 months old)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-8...BQ/s800/z2.JPG
13 months later after coating (car age - 21 months old)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i...PE/s800/z5.JPG
now
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c...DY/s800/z4.JPG
__________________________________________________ ____________________________
remember this pic after coating
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u...Xk/s800/aa.JPG
3 months later
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Z...QI/s800/15.JPG
12 months later
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d...fWg/s800/o.JPG
13 months later (now)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-F...jY/s800/z1.JPG
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
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remember what happen to the uncoated side 3 months - minor scratches is already found visible
some compassion close up shot
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-q...0/P1060925.JPG
and now 13 months later became worst
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b...p3M/s800/h.JPG
day time after 14 months
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H...8_I/s800/s.JPG
simple conclusion
better protection = means lesser contamination = means lesser scratches gonna to be inflicted during washing (a coated surface is a tension surface - better repellent) in this case better protection on the coated side
see again
on this very left side (uncoated) very visible scratches can be seen
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k...-y8/s800/t.JPG
as compare with the protected side (it is not so much of an issue)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S...uto/s800/v.JPG
the conclusion
the very part of the paint is protected - it will with stand the stress & test of time
12 months later
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6...2rs/s800/u.JPG
NOW - 13 months later
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-F...jY/s800/z1.JPG
look at the coated side
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-d...fWg/s800/o.JPG
better protection = means lesser contamination = means lesser scratches gonna to be inflicted during washing
Quote:
Why protecting?
The finish on your car, from the primer through the top coat, is just .004 to .006 of an inch thick. It is inevitable that our clear coat paint would deteriorate and become dull with time. Acids Rain, winds, extreme heat, pollution from factory emission, insect fluids and bird droppings damage the car's finish. protection such as wax, sealant
it would be even better after coating as it adds another .002 -.003 of an inch thick on our clear
this acts as a barrier between the car finish and the degrading factors.
its time every owner should start taking care of their investment.
just a weekly wash & a monthly wax will drive a long way
Quote:
better protection = means lesser contamination = means lesser scratches gonna to be inflicted during washing
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
Dang KC! Completely awesome. Very cool experiment. That difference is incredible!
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
WOW, good to see products that really work
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
Excellent documentation and a great read! Well done:applause:
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
awesome
I wonder why I haven't seen an infomercial for one of these coatings as yet. Only enthusiasts seem to know about them.
Are they that difficult to apply for the general public?
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
Awsome thread, this should be shown to any of the haters that say waxing/sealing is pointless. Think i'll be getting some opticoat from AG, shame its not sold in the uk.
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
This is really cool...cause I just Opti-Coated my car. I was hoping to read some durability threads but these pics give great comparisons about its protection. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. :)
Thanks for sharing
Re: 20 ways you waste money on your car
wow!
Great job showing the benefits of opti-coat but I can't believe anyone would drive around with a car with the hood half clean/half dirty looking for 13 months. I'd be to embarassed.