The Fundamentals of Exterior Cosmetic Car CareMay 26 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Simply care for your car's exterior on a regular basis in relation to your local climate and your car will look great many years down the road.
Introduction As discussed in my first write up on this subject, The Fundamentals of Interior Cosmetic Car Care, I mentioned how maintaining your cars interior was, in short, beneficial. The same is true with the exterior of your car. Maintaining the quality of the various finishes, whether painted, plastic, chrome, or stainless, will increase the resale potential of your vehicle as well as your pleasure as an owner. Some of the key points to consider when you're trying to establish a schedule for maintenance, or simply trying to find the best product for your needs. For those of us in Texas, for example, we need to worry more about the constant UV barrage on our paint and plastics. Folks in the NE however really have to be concerned with salt (airborne or on the road), snow as well as harsh low temperatures. People in Oregon or Washington may be more concerned with the best sheeting agent (wax) available. It is also important to consider the underside and wheel wells of your vehicle exterior when considering exterior maintenance. This is far more true in the northern US simply because of snow, ice, and salt considerations. Even todays well manufactured vehicles are open to salt damage. Though paints are much better today, all it takes is a chip in the right place to get rust started, and road salts only worsen this effect. Wheels wells are the same way, but if mud is more of a concern then its more of a, well, cosmetic issue. Paint Protect it, end of story. Whether your car is brand new or ten years old, the condition of the paint says a lot about the owner. Most waxes are relatively cheap, but even as you get into some of the more premium brands you will see the price rise a little. Where Turtle Wax may only run you $3.99, Meguires Gold Class may cost you more than $15. The particular polycoat I use is $24.99/pint, but it is what I consider to be a "super premium" product (Klasse, imported from Germany) with vastly superior results to what is commonly available and I feel the cost is worth it. Older paint should really be cleaned first with a de-oxidizer. Blue Coral, Mothers, Klasse, Meguires, Eagle One, and 3M all offer products to get this done, all around $6/bottle. A MILD rubbing compound can also be used cautiously. Rubbing compounds are best done by hand by the novice simply because it is SO easy to burn your paint with an orbital if you've never done it, not a pretty sight. Pay close attention to the directions! These products are not all the same and have varying application/removal methods. For many brands this step is often referred to as a cleaner and may be labeled as "Step One" or something of the like. You don't have to stay within one brand, I don't, but stay true to what you are doing, don't use a cleaner after you've just polished for example. The next step is a polish or sealer. Some brands use both words on the bottle. This will be your second step to caring for your paint. The purpose of this is exactly what is sounds like, to "seal" the paint surface after cleaning, prepping it for the oncoming wax. One isn't required to use this product, but it will aid in the final effect. A prepped surface will receive the wax or polycoat better than a dirty surface. Not unlike priming before you paint, to get the best finish. The brands above all have this aspect covered like a drum as well...go figure. Most sealers will run you from about $5-$10. I have used the word polycoat a couple of times already. Although it is ON several brands offerings, it also slightly slang for any synthetic wax. The product I use, Klasse, is actually a sealer, but is so good I don't use wax except maybe once a year or for special occasions. This is not the case for most sealers, so I do recommend using a wax if possible. Again, all of the above brands make fine waxes. I also want to point out, there is nothing wrong with classic Turtle Wax, but some of the other products simply offer more protection and a level of research and engineering not found in the cheaper products. I am a big supporter of Mothers brand, Meguires is also very good too, just check the products section of car care for more info. The wax represents the final step for paint car. All these steps won't be necessary EVERY time you work on your paint. A wax once, twice, or four times a year can be all you need sometimes. Nu-Finish is a very decent product that offers MUCH longer intervals between reapplication that some other products out there for you folks who don't have the time or inclination to this as often as I do. Personally, I clean (lightly) and seal once a month, but thats me. Rubber and Plastics Trim pieces, rocker panels, some bumpers, and even lower grills can use a little attention when caring for your exterior. All these pieces will look better when they look new. Even some lighter colored (dark/light grey) can use a little shine every now and then. Here we get back to our northern friends again. Road salts can permanently discolor some exterior plastics and do a real job on tires, another reason to treat these items every now and then. Tires are pretty straight forward, spray them off and scrub them if necessary. There are many tires shine products out there, but remember, none are really necessary for "protection". Tires these days are very rugged, they don't really NEED protection. Though many have UV blockers in them, which is good, this is a PURELY cosmetic choice. Spray it on, yer done. Rocker panels and bumper trims are easy too. Brands like Formula 2001, Mothers Back-to-Black (very good stuff!), and Nu Vinyl do a great job, aren't really greasy or drippy looking and help maintain the color, look, and feel of most plastic parts. A well waxed car can be broken be filthy rocker panels or trim. Its a cheap, about $5, product that really makes the whole car look a lot better! These products tend to be spray on, but I have found applying them to a terry cloth first helps give a more even appearance. If you finds a that the product you chose drips on a given material, just wipe it down with a dry cloth later to get an even shine. Wheels Depending on the wheels you have, there are a lot options available to you for cleaning and maintaining them. As written in my review of Mothers Mag and Aluminum Cleaner, I have heard of and seen people do amazingly destructive things to wheels to attempt to clean them. Here what NOT to clean them with (taken from that review), Easy-Off or other hard core kitchen degreasers TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) in any form! Sulfuric acid Hydrochloric acid Hypochlor type products (pool chlorines, I have only HEARD of that one) I can understand the impetus, to etch your wheels in order to clean them. Not a bad idea, just use a product that is specific for it (Eagle One offers a VERY effective etcher) and have water ready to stop the reaction if it looks as if it is starting to damage the wheel or starts dripping onto your rubber. In all reality, all that is need to clean any wheel is dish soap, water, and elbow grease. A power sprayer can greatly quicken this process. As far as polishing? Well, you can use the Mothers product I mentioned or any other, but a good majority of the wheels out there are clearcoated, so all that is needed is a swipe of a dry towels after the wash. For those that aren't protecting them is a little more important, aluminum will oxidize over time and up north salt will wreak havoc on the finish. Just take care when doing it, cast wheels aren't cheap to replace, especially O.E. cast wheels which are notoriously above market. Glass Keep it clean, simple as that. If you have been on a long trip and the bugs are killer, try Rain-Xs heavy cleaner, it has very light grit content that is safe for glass to help scrub off the bugs, which by the way, will eat through unprotected paint in NO time! Rain-X makes a very reliable, effective, and inexpensive product line. Rain-X, the original, is a water repellent for your exterior windows. I recommend it highly. It does exactly whats it says (sheeting water from your field of view), and is very easy to apply. It is a simple safety measure that can save your life, poor visibility is a serious issue. Also Rain-X helps keep your windshield cleaner by not allowing a lot of spotting or dirt retention, kinda like waxing your glass! There are several others brands available for this same purpose, but I have tried none, so I can't recommend them. Again, it is an inexpensive product, about $4. A Serious Note on Power Washers Don't use them unless you absolutely must on painted surfaces. Truck beds, wheels, wheels wells, some trim, and glass can benefit from a power washer any day, but paint...not so much. Remember, the average power washer is pushing water at about 3000-4700 psi. at the nozzle. Imagine water traveling at such forces hitting your paint, the dust on top of the paint, and then pushing all those little potential scratches over your finish. On a relatively clean car that gets a fair soak first, its not so bad, but to do this to a dirty car on a regular basis for many years can really dull the finish. Hand wash whenever possible. My car takes less than 15 minutes to hand wash, just find a system or style and you can get yours done just as fast. Always try to use car specific washes, not dish detergents, they tend to be quite harsh. Armour All makes a good wash as does Mothers, Meguires, and (my fave) Rain Dance. All are about $5. Summary In summation, simply do some of these things on a regular basis, hopefully all of them, and your car will look great years from now. Lets face it, a clean vehicle is more fun to drive, and reflects well on you. I am not saying you have to have it show-quality, but the cleaner the better! Happy motoring!  |
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