Winter Protection

dashoonage

I picked up a new non metallic red octavia vrs 4 weeks ago. my plan was to get a new car detail done in it however i just spent the budget and then some on a trip to ufc 205 in nyc :P


So I'm looking to give it some protection for the winter myself.

Could you recommend

1)wax
2) sealer
3) some bloody tar remover! already!
4) wheel protect

I wont have a machine or anything so all would be applied by hand.

Any advice is welcome. Was over on detailing shed but ive no idea what to get :P

Curran

There are so many options, that it can get very confusing.

I wouldnt concern myself with a wax during the winter, if its protection you want...especially if you dont see yourself applying another coat or two mid way through the winter. You'll be looking at a sealant. There is no real need for both, unless you really want your car looking its best, and lets face it, the majority of us loose a bit of interest in the really stand out shine during the winter and are happy knowing its clean and protected.

You could venture down a ceramic coating, but if you havent much experience in detailing, it does take a lot of prep work and application conditions have to be strictly followed....but you get up to 2 years protection from them.
What I would recommend is something like CarPro Reload - simple to use, as its just a matter of mist onto a panel and buff in until clear. Its gives a fantastic shine, is durable, and gives somewhat, the surface properties that a ceramic coating would offer (so will stay cleaner longer, and be easier to wash). The beauty is, if you feel you want to boost protection or the appearance, its 10 minutes work after you've done a wash.

For tar removal, CarPro TarX, and it might be worth doing the de-iron/fallout removal too, yes, even if its a brand new car. CarPro IronX or Bilt Hamber Korrosol.

Wheel protection can be a bit of a sticky one. The best protection you'll get is from again, a ceramic coating, but the same applies in terms of prep and application. There are some very good performing waxes, which dont require such a stringent prep/application and are quite durable...ODK Waxes Momentum or 50Cal Track Wax would be ones worth looking at. However, the work that needs to be done to wheels, taking them off, cleaning, application, etc, its a job you want to do once and not have to worry about it for months; and the ceramic coatings shine through here!

dashoonage

Great post Curran! just what i was looking for the car pro reload seems to be exactly what in looking for!

I've been using a micro fibre towel to dry the car after washing, i assume the same can be used for the reload?

the wheels are starting to sound like a lot of work :P actually can tarx be used on wheels as well ?

Curran

You could use the microfiber towel...but you'll find it wont dry so well after using it, due to the product being in the fibers. Actually, on that note, you can actually use Reload on damp panels too; so mist it onto the panel before drying, and you do two jobs in one. Just the offset, is that the drying towel will loose its performance. Handy to have a 2nd plush microfiber buffing cloth, to get any slight streaks that are left behind.

Yes, TarX can be used on most finishes of wheels, but if they arent standard alloys, as it is the case with most similar products, best tested on an inconspicuous area first, to confirm there would be no unwanted results!

dashoonage

perfect...having a couple of cloths is no issue just wanted to make sure i had the right one :P

ordered up anyways. Have some time off next week so will spend some time on it!

*Kol*

I washed the car today after applying reload a week or two ago. It made it very easy to wash the car. I used Carpro Reset which is the recommended shampoo.