What treatments are you going for in prep for winter proper? Snow, sleet, salt, grit…
My Exige V6 is about 4 months old and I would like to have its paintwork protected for winter.
I know there’s a fair amount in the archives but the technology and manufacturers promoting their wax / polishing products seem to change at a fair old rate so I was wondering if anyone had any input for what to use for a flat color on a relatively new car for winter protection? Was thinking washing and polishing? Any other tips gratefully received
Its parked in a drive so open to all elements and not a garage queen.
Happy to spend half a day doing this myself. Not interested in using polishing machines or anything as comprehensive as that as i don’t have access to those and would probably polish off the paint anyway!
Venture shield or similar is a must if you are interested in keeping the paintwork.
As for wax, I use Autoglym hard wax, about £30 for a pot. Seems good VFM. Best put it on to a scrupulously clean paintwork (may need to polish first).
The wheels: I put swiss wax on. (spelling??)
My advice would be to get a good detailer to do it with a coating like Gtechniq C1, this will give your paint real protection for about 2 years , had a few cars done with this and its been fantastic and worth every penny , not to be confused with the dealer rubbish stuff like Autoglym Lifeshine, Supaguard .
We used to use Swissvax Divine and it would last right the way through the winter, but at £3k a pot not economical enough for private use.
The best in my experience (owned a very successful detailing firm) for longevity of protection is Collinite. Gives enough shine but will beads like a bugger and very easy to top up.
Either one is good but the Collinite No. 845 - Insulator Wax is very easy to work with. Especially when topping up.
Get them here:
As with anything you are trying to bind the key is in the preparation. Get a good clay bar and use it before applying 2-3 layers of wax.
I have had most on my cars over the years including Swissvax Divine & Destiny , they are great for making your car shiny but i have had nothing that protects like C1 , it gives you a rock hard crystal coating that lasts , Talk to a proper detailer ,its worth the money.
I use Aunt fannies finest beeswax portion No 5 for the alloys cause of its high temp qualities. It’s too expensive for the bodywork though. For that I use Car Plan hard wax ‘Tennis Elbow’ edition. It only takes 12 hours to apply and a further 7 to buff to a nice shine.
Best of all you only need repeat applications every 3 weeks to keep your car looking as tip top and shiny as the last time you cleaned it.
Lifeshine is an acrylic sealant so yes very long lasting. Dealerships have been leveraging consumer ignorance on that for years and charging £100’s for a few £’s of product and some labour.
Just a word of caution here: If any of the products being extolled here contain silicone, the stuff’s a b’stard to remove if you need any paintwork doing.
The slightest bit remaining will make new paint sink to give that lovely ‘fish eye’ effect…
