PT Cruiser-Wax?

Hi,
I have a 2004 PT Cruiser with Inferno Red paint and clear coat. it is about 30 months old.
Should I wax it?

Thanks,

Warm Regards,
Mogur2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.

 

yes

 

The most expensive paint available for vehicles will not stand up to long
term
exposure to ultraviolet no matter how much clearcoat you put on it. The
purpose of car wax is the same as sunscreen
that you put on your arms when you go into the sun.

Ted

 

Ever since my first clear coat car, a Chrysler Le'Baron sedan in 1986,
I've been washing with Turtle Wash & Wax. Got the idea from fiberglass
boat users.
This avoids scratching the clear coat applying a wax.
The only caution is to avoid getting it on the windows.
Works great, my '95 Concord still shines like new and gets a new wax job
every time I wash it.

 

I sure would. Waxing should be fine for new paint after six months or
so. I like Meguiar products, there are many other decent waxes out
there as well. Liquid (more like a lotion) waxes are easier on the
wrists to apply then the solids in the can.

Waxing should not be done in direct sunlight, and there may be
temperature restrictions as well.

 

On my PT I use "3-M ULTRA HIGH GLOSS" liquid wax. It provides the best
"wet-look" of all the products I've tried over the years. White paint is
not known for high gloss shine, but with this product it does shine
nicely. I use an 8" buffer and do the Cruiser every 5 months or so. I
like the extra UV protection being in Florida. www.Stone-PT.com

 

The objective fact is that UV protection must be formulated into the paint and clearcoat; it cannot be added. Some venders, such as FIAT left out UV protection when the last imported cars to North America, and those non-clearcoated vehicles quickly oxidized and the color faded.

Today's North American, Asian and European made vehicles are built with superior paints that don't benefit from any coatings. But a good non-aggressive wax type coating can make the water bead and the color look deeper. The best last for about two months, most last about two weeks, at best. These is so much hype out there about these products it is hard to believe. It is far more important to keep the paint clean of toxic chemicals and to avoid micro scratches caused by not using enough clean water during the cleaning task. A commercial car wash with a basic clean cycle about twice a month (depending upon local conditions), is a good step. Note that in salt use areas, water is usually recycled and you are essentially washing your car with brine during the winter months when salt is in heavy use. Life is a bitch and there are no magic solutions out there to protect your paint.

Richard

 

Any decent paint and clear coat sold for automotive use has UV protection in it. The paint mfgrs aren't stupid
they know the vehicle is going to be out in the sun. However the UV protection in clear coat and in paint
does not last long term as I've said. I can guarentee this, I had a vehicle painted about 15 years ago with
the most expensive auto paint and clear coat on the market at the time (Sikkens) it had UV protection
and all of that. Like an idiot I believed the sales literature that the paint never needed waxing. 15 years later
and the paint is fading in some areas. Sikkens no longer claims they don't need waxing in their sales
literature today.

UV will eventually destroy all the UV blockers any coating has. Your choice is to either have the
UV radiation destroy the clearcoat over time, or destroy the UV blockers in the car wax over time.
With car wax, by the time the wax's UV protection is no good anymore, the wax has worn off.

And as far as commercial car washes go, if you aren't willing to wash it in your driveway, you
don't deserve to keep the "shiny wet look" anyway.

The magic solution to protect paint is to frequently wash and wax it, by hand. As this is labor
intensive, most people don't want to do it.

Ted

The objective fact is that UV protection must be formulated into the paint and clearcoat; it cannot be added. Some venders, such as FIAT left out UV protection when the last imported cars to North America, and those non-clearcoated vehicles quickly oxidized and the color faded.

Today's North American, Asian and European made vehicles are built with superior paints that don't benefit from any coatings. But a good non-aggressive wax type coating can make the water bead and the color look deeper. The best last for about two months, most last about two weeks, at best. These is so much hype out there about these products it is hard to believe. It is far more important to keep the paint clean of toxic chemicals and to avoid micro scratches caused by not using enough clean water during the cleaning task. A commercial car wash with a basic clean cycle about twice a month (depending upon local conditions), is a good step. Note that in salt use areas, water is usually recycled and you are essentially washing your car with brine during the winter months when salt is in heavy use. Life is a bitch and there are no magic solutions out there to protect your paint.

Richard