Long lasting protection

Today is November 7th and it will be 70 degrees. Very unusual for Long Island. I will give the Tundra another coat or two of polish (which can be layered) and then clear seal.

Unlike the lucky ones in states where you can detail 10 out of 12 months, it will soon drop into the 40's and below. The the snow, sanded and salted road will assault the paint. I know there are protective films like lamin-x. My own personal opinion is that is NOT a path I wish to chose.
A friend did not have a very good experience with it and even my Toyota dealer did not recommend it.

My question: What have you found to be a long lasting regime for protecting your Tundra. If you do have one, how long does it last??

If this has been discussed before, please post the thread.

Thanks!

 

I don’t really have a long lasting regimen. I put a coat of wax on as soon as I can after winter and as late as I can before winter .

 

A good sealant like meguiars ultimate or similar, and top coated with something like beadmaker or the other sprays once any sealant cures will last a long time. Especially if you use the beadmaker (or your choice of similar product) as a drying aid when you do wash after the full treatment. I think you could easily get 4+ months of effective protection.

 

A little confused about you putting 'another coat of polish" on your vehicle. Polish leaves very little in the way of protection....basically only the oils in the polish itself. Typically, it's a step to refine the finish prior to application of a wax, sealant or coating. Lamin-X is a form of PPF...paint protection film. A lot of people use it, but not simply as a winter protection layer.

Once you have your paint looking the way you want it to, a good quality sealant will provide you solid protection for the painted surfaces. I've been using Wolfgang SIO2 sealant, topped with Wolfgang SIO2 spray once a month as a topper. There are also now some ceramic spray coatings, which bridge the gap between a traditional sealant and a full blown ceramic coating. In addition to these are the graphene spray coatings, like the one now offered by 303 products. These claim "up to" one year of protection. If you're hesitant about any of these coatings, whether traditional or spray, I'd recommend using a top quality sealant like Wolfgang SIO2, Wolfgang Deep Gloss, or McKees HiDef.....all will give you several months of protection

 

I just did 2 coats of the Griots 3 in 1 ceramic wax as reviewed/recommended in another thread in this forum section. It's my first experience with it so I can comment on longevity, but I was very impressed in what an easy product it was to apply.

 

I saw this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0Dv2-7XHo

Push to the 8 min mark. Longevity is seems high. I used the old formula. I am not a professional like Larry, but I wasn't happy. One thing that happened was some leaves fell on the car and seemed to stain the paint. Meaning it didn't come off with cap soap and water. Having said that, his longevity claim could be for UV protection.

 

Once you get the truck looking good, I would use a polymer sealant. I have had good luck with jascar. Then once a week I would bring it to the touchfree wash. Get the cheapest option, less chemicals the better. After the wash, hand dry with a drying aid like beadmaker or speed shine. That is how I do winter up here in Maine. Come spring, it is ready for some polish and sealant again, but that will get you through.
An even better option is to have a professional detailer ceramic coat it for you. I did that for my wife's car, and all we do is drive it through the car wash. No drying, because it sheds water so well. Very expensive though.

 

Agreed. I do you a clear seal.

 

Something you may also want to consider...there are treatments you can get for your undercarriage to help with all of that salt/chemical buildup underneath. I've never used one, but I know there are guys on here who do.

 

Thanks! I saw this post: https://www.tundras.com/threads/rust-prevention.77463/

Shine is usually easy. Getting something to last the entire winter in NY a bit tougher. And other states have it rougher than we do.

 

I also managed to get 2 coats of Griots 3 in 1 on before the weather started turning nasty. It will have to do for a while, with some trips to a pressure spray car wash to rinse the salt and brine off the truck when it starts snowing.

I guess I'll get to see how durable this is.

 

Let me explain:

1) The first coat I put one is a CLEANER, sealer, and protectant. An AIO (all in one) product. Nothing special here. Most Waxes / Polishes on the market do this as the average person are not nearly as diligent as we are.
They want one and done. The cleaning aspect is important to remove paint contamination. It is NOT meant to be layered. If you apply it twice you will take off the coat you already applied. I should add if the paint needs it I do clay before this step. But not always.
2) With the paint cleaned I use a different polish that does not clean. It protects and it is made to be layered. So you if you do it twice you have two layers of polish.
3) I use a self curing transparent sealer. There are many of these on the market. Apply and let dry.

I think part of the issue is we do not all (not referring to this site) talk the same language. I saw this link: 5 Best High-Performance Sealants for Car Enthusiasts in 2020 (caranddriver.com)
The last one is (Z-8) is not a sealant. Someone reading this article looking for a sealant will be very disappointed. It is a shine spray. It is made to make cars shine and offers no protection.

 

I think your use of the word polish as a catch all for wax or sealant or even an actual polish. Polish is an abrasive cleaner and defect remover, yes some have some protective qualities but I think your choice of wording is confusing people here.

 

Can you give me the product names for the 'different polish' you mention in step 2 and the 'self curing transparent sealer' from step 3? Actually, the Z-8 product, which I'm guessing is Zaino Z-8 Grand Finale, is a spray sealant and does offer protection, likely along the lines of P&S Beadmaker. If you're applying it and let it dry, without any buffing, you're not following Zaino's own instructions as shown in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDHDGkbb0Jg

 

agreed

 

Very true. I doubt that many people do not use "wax" except for carnauba which is know for its shine.

In my case, I went to the website and used their terminology. They used polish and their distinction was a "cleaner and protectant" that could not be layered and a polish they was a protectant only and could be layered.
Maybe polish is universal term to them.

Now to me a Sealer is not a wax or polish. It is put on to protect the paint (clear coat) and is not a polish or wax but can be used in conjunction with polish or waxes. I'm sure that is clear as mud. (sorry)

As far as longevity one of the best tests I saw was on YouTube. A guy went to a junk yard. Took hoods from cars, taped them off into 4 squares and used various products on them. He then left them out in the open to let the elements wreck havoc on them. After a time (not sure how long) he came back washed them and checked for beading.

Any Long Island guys want to test various products you like, I would be up for that.

 

Yes I can. I left them out not to show a bias. I am not a salesperson and do not profit from the sales.

The first one I use is the Zaino all in One. Zaino calls it a polish. So I used their term. It does help remove stain and swirls. A bird pooped on my Tundra. I wasn't careful about it's removal and left some not so fine scratched in my clear coat. The Zaino all in One removed them.
The second polish I use is the Zaino Z-5. It has not cleaner and is made to be "layered"
The clear seal I use is the Zaino Z-CS, a self curing transparent sealer. That is a sealer as per the site. Not a wax or polish.

I have used Zaino Z-8. I have not seen it offer protection. But you are correct and I was wrong. I saw it as product to add a layer of shine. According to the website, it does offer protection.
Z-8 Grand Finale™ Spray Seal:

• Leaves a high gloss, high shine, deep, rich, wet finish thanks to advanced optical-clarifying polymers
• Leaves an ultra-slick finish that repels dust, dirt, environmental fallout and other stains
• Locks in the improved looks and protection for weeks - not days
• Contains anti-UV agents to protect your vehicle's finish against damaging sun rays
• Is easy to use: wipe on, wipe off
• Is intended for special occasions and events only; it is not a Z-6 replacement
• Should be used in conjunction with the Zaino Show Car Polish System, including Z-2 PRO, Z-3 or Z-5

I personally have never found it to be much of a "protectant".

I am 66 and have used so many products it is hard to remember them all:
Classic car wax (carnauba?)
the old simonize paste wax
Liquid glass
Nu Finish
Black Magic wet shine
AMMO (skin Defense, reboot and Reflex)
Meguiar's Deep Crystal Carnauba wax
Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax
and of course Turtle wax with some more I probably forgot.

This site is great and members more knowledgeable and helpful than many others. Again, I do not care if you use Zaino. Just sharing an opinion and remain open minded. But there is just so much money you can dump into detailing.

 

If you are using Zaino Z5 "polish", (which is an all in one according to their website), over the top of Zaino all in one, then you're using redundant products. No reason to use stack AIO products.

Edit: I guess its not technically an AIO buy their descriptionof it makes it sound like that. its a maybe a gloss enhancer with some fillers? Z5 is not a polish though, as it has no abrasives. Their use of the word polish is very confusing, especially when they say to use a polish over an AIO

 

AIO has abrasives and is a (for lack of a better term) a "cleaner wax". They also say it is useless to apply multiple coats of AIO as the second coat will remove the first.
The Z-5 has no abrasives to my knowledge and is made to be layered. Yes, I agree with you that the word polish can be confusing. I used the term that Zaino used (from their website):
Z-5 PRO SHOW CAR POLISH.

 

Looks like Z-5 is most like a glaze.....it's job is to hide swirls and scratches by filling them. They recommend 'layering' until it hides the defects to the level you want them hidden. It would be nice to see Zaino properly label their products....they throw the word polish around too loosely.

 

Yup

 

I am on Long Island. If any member near me would like to detail our trucks and try different products I would be up for that. For now we have to wait for spring.

 

I get to Ronkonkoma every once in a while for work.....will reach out to you when I do

 

Curious if anyone has tried Collinite Super Double Coat Auto Wax?? Is it durable?

I use Collinite Heavy Duty Fleetwax Paste 885 (a marine wax) on my boat and the wax seem to last in a salt water environment. Made for gelcoat and tempted to try it on the car / truck.

I was just wondering.

 

Guys have used Collinite 845 on their trucks for years. There's easier products to apply and remove, but 845 does last a while. I use Adam's H20 guard and gloss after I wash, topped with ceramic boost. During the winter I'll use something si02 infused to maintain it (ceramic waterless, or CS3).