How to maintain dealer(s) new vehicle Clearcoating applications?

[Triple_Se7en]

Bought two new Korean makes (Hyundai & Kia) in the past year. Both were clearcoated by the two respected dealerships, prior to my purchases.
What is the shelf-life of this protectant?
Do I need to get both vehicles new Clearcoat applications occasionally?
Will a polish like Nu Finish (my favorite for decades) harm the Clearcoat, if I wait a couple years before using Nu Finish?

 

[atikovi]

Cars come with clearcoat from the factory as part of the paint process. If the selling dealers charged you extra for this, you were ripped off.

 

[ammolab]

I never buy ANYTHING invisible from a new car dealer...if you can't show it to me...I ain't buying.

My wife worked for an Oldsmobile dealer that sold polyglycoat on every new car. They sold it, but often never applied anything to the car.

 

[WhyMe]

when i bought my 2 hyundai all they did was wash and vacuum and kick me out the door. wax? had to pay for it if i wanted it. Detailed them as soon as i got home.

 

[PimTac]

The clearcoat is applied at the factory. Maybe they upselled you on a paint protection service which usually means a sealant application of some kind?


I would wash and protect the surface with a LSP of your choice. Personally I wouldn't use the orange bottle stuff but if that's your preference then there you go.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Do I need to reapply the Clearcoat at some point? How often in my four seasons climate of Michigan, which uses winter road salt on roads?

My hand-waxing years are coming to a close, as I'm nearing 70 years-old. But I still want to enjoy looking at the two vehicles years from now, beading water after a rain or car wash.

 

[atikovi]

Get a can of Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish and apply every 4 months. Takes 30 minutes tops.

 

[WagonWheel]

I sold a car about 15 yrs ago to guy who worked at a detail shop that a local Chevy dealer used for their "paint protection" up sells. He said they used regular Meguiar's. There's a reason they call it ADP - Additional Dealer Profit

 

[WhyMe]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Do I need to reapply the Clearcoat at some point? How often in my four seasons climate of Michigan, which uses winter road salt on roads?

My hand-waxing years are coming to a close, as I'm nearing 70 years-old. But I still want to enjoy looking at the two vehicles years from now, beading water after a rain or car wash.



get a bottle of spray sealant. its not much work

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en

Do I need to get both vehicles new Clearcoat applications occasionally?


Do you mean that the dealer applied a "clearcoat" protectant/sealant(not a clearcoat itself)?

 

[VNTS]

I assume he means the dealer probably applied some paint sealant versus a ceramic coating.

I would simply wash the car correctly and once or twice a year, use a clay bar to decontaminate the paint, then lightly polish and then apply a new sealant or wax

Collinite, Maguires etc offer good products.

A good all in one is Poor Boys polish and seal.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

You'll know when water stops beading on the surface.


Use whatever product you want. I currently use spray sealants from Optimum because I hate having to apply wax.

 

[WylieCoyote]

If the dealership told you they applied something, it was likely a simple wax that you paid dearly for. I'm guessing from your question that they called it "clearcoat protection".

That was, and remains one of the biggest ripoffs in car sales. I was a detailer at a Pontiac / Olds dealership in the early 90s. The "paint protection" they were selling in the business office was a bottle of GM branded wax straight off a dusty shelf in the Parts Department, applied by me and my counterpart in the wash bay.

There's a ton of spray sealers / waxes out there that you can use in place of a laborious wax job. I use Renny Doyle's Bead Maker, and Torque Detail, and am very happy with the results.

 

[nthach]

More than likely you got a paint & fab done - look for a PermaPlate/Resist-All/First Place Finish/Auto Butler sticker on a window. Biggest ripoffs ever. It's just a silicone and Teflon rich polish that doesn't really hold up. When I was working detail and porting at the dealership, we'd use stuff from a Hendrick division that was pink and came in black bottles. The fabric stuff is more or less like Scotch-Gard.

I'd just use Meguiar's hybrid ceramic wax everytime you wash or a good wax from Collinite or Griot's. If there are no dealer-installed swirls, a ceramic coating wouldn't be an bad idea.