Plastic Protectant Sprays

[furious_blue_imp]

Two manufacturers have told me that typical plastic "protectant" sprays like Armor-All these bleach the color from their plastics and cause more harm than good.

The Givi rep at Daytona was adamant about it; he looked at me like I was peeing in his flower bed when I started spraying some Mother's on new side-bags they'd just installed. Then he said their products would look better and last longer if I just washed them.

I coated my last bike with the stuff right after I got it. I did everything down to the hoses and cables with the stuff. I did notice over the years that as soon as the spray coating wore off, the plastic, especially the roto-molded plastic like the case shells, looked faded. Other parts like rubber hoses looked ok though.

As a test, I've decided not to use the stuff on the CB or my new Mini Cooper. If it starts looking really awful without it, I'll start using it again.

Has anyone else heard that these chemicals are more harm than good?

you don't need chemicals to protect the look of your bike/accessories. they do more harm than good. Most plastic products now incorporate "anti UV elements," a few micron chem dressing worn out quickly. All reside on the quality of parts to keep look new

Wax is no longer applicable on top of clear coat on paint, especially 2 parts poly-urethane, but it still sells due to marketing

FWIW I bought a new car in 2000. It's never been waxed. It's never been garaged but has been kept outdoors under a cover. The paint looks as good as the day I took it home, minus the few inevitable minor scratches from parking.

FWIW I bought a new car in 2000. It's never been waxed. It's never been garaged but has been kept outdoors under a cover. The paint looks as good as the day I took it home, minus the few inevitable minor scratches from parking.
This is the third or fourth time I've heard that clear-coated cars don't need wax. The problem is: I've seen lots of newer cars with the clear coat gone and faded paint remaining. FL does have pretty brutal sun; maybe other areas aren't as hard on the finish. I'll keep waxing my bikes and cars regardless. I like the way they look when waxed, and the wax makes it a lot easier to wash off love-bugs and other crap.

I'm about to peel off my first attempt at using 3M Defender spray. After a few months it looks like crap. I still have a full can and about 1/3 can, so I'll try again and see if a heavier coat works better.

FWIW I bought a new car in 2000. It's never been waxed. It's never been garaged but has been kept outdoors under a cover. The paint looks as good as the day I took it home, minus the few inevitable minor scratches from parking.
This is the third or fourth time I've heard that clear-coated cars don't need wax. The problem is: I've seen lots of newer cars with the clear coat gone and faded paint remaining. FL does have pretty brutal sun; maybe other areas aren't as hard on the finish. I'll keep waxing my bikes and cars regardless. I like the way they look when waxed, and the wax makes it a lot easier to wash off love-bugs and other crap.

I'm about to peel off my first attempt at using 3M Defender spray. After a few months it looks like crap. I still have a full can and about 1/3 can, so I'll try again and see if a heavier coat works better. Car manufacters don't want car owners ruining finishes on new cars by improperly attempting to wax it themselves. Clear coated cars need to be properly washed and correctly given a clay bar treatment before even thinking of waxing or polishing it. Amateur owners simply don't know the proper steps and technique to wax a car correctly. Plus the dealer can charge for a professional detail by a trained tech.
[url=https://imageshack.com/i/4ju1o6j]

This is the third or fourth time I've heard that clear-coated cars don't need wax. The problem is: I've seen lots of newer cars with the clear coat gone and faded paint remaining. FL does have pretty brutal sun; maybe other areas aren't as hard on the finish. I'll keep waxing my bikes and cars regardless. I like the way they look when waxed, and the wax makes it a lot easier to wash off love-bugs and other crap. Car manufacters don't want car owners ruining finishes on new cars by improperly attempting to wax it themselves. Clear coated cars need to be properly washed and correctly given a clay bar treatment before even thinking of waxing or polishing it. Amateur owners simply don't know the proper steps and technique to wax a car correctly. Plus the dealer can charge for a professional detail by a trained tech.
[url=https://imageshack.com/i/4ju1o6j]
In the case of my car, I keep it under a cover when it's at home to protect it from sun damage. I'm sure that without doing that the finish would be crap by now, 13-14 years later. Interestingly, I decided to not wax it after hearing from others who seem to have a lot of experience, that while washing is needed, many cars finishes get damaged by what they called 'over cleaning', people who physically erode the finish away by cleaning, polishing and waxing too often.

[Deanohh_imp]

That's why I make sure my car always has a good protective coating of dirt.

[The Spaceman_imp]

Two manufacturers have told me that typical plastic "protectant" sprays like Armor-All these bleach the color from their plastics and cause more harm than good.

The Givi rep at Daytona was adamant about it; he looked at me like I was peeing in his flower bed when I started spraying some Mother's on new side-bags they'd just installed. Then he said their products would look better and last longer if I just washed them.

I coated my last bike with the stuff right after I got it. I did everything down to the hoses and cables with the stuff. I did notice over the years that as soon as the spray coating wore off, the plastic, especially the roto-molded plastic like the case shells, looked faded. Other parts like rubber hoses looked ok though.

As a test, I've decided not to use the stuff on the CB or my new Mini Cooper. If it starts looking really awful without it, I'll start using it again.

Has anyone else heard that these chemicals are more harm than good?

you don't need chemicals to protect the look of your bike/accessories. they do more harm than good. Most plastic products now incorporate "anti UV elements," a few micron chem dressing worn out quickly. All reside on the quality of parts to keep look new

Wax is no longer applicable on top of clear coat on paint, especially 2 parts poly-urethane, but it still sells due to marketing

FWIW I bought a new car in 2000. It's never been waxed. It's never been garaged but has been kept outdoors under a cover. The paint looks as good as the day I took it home, minus the few inevitable minor scratches from parking.

FWIW I bought a new car in 2000. It's never been waxed. It's never been garaged but has been kept outdoors under a cover. The paint looks as good as the day I took it home, minus the few inevitable minor scratches from parking.
This is the third or fourth time I've heard that clear-coated cars don't need wax. The problem is: I've seen lots of newer cars with the clear coat gone and faded paint remaining. FL does have pretty brutal sun; maybe other areas aren't as hard on the finish. I'll keep waxing my bikes and cars regardless. I like the way they look when waxed, and the wax makes it a lot easier to wash off love-bugs and other crap.

I'm about to peel off my first attempt at using 3M Defender spray. After a few months it looks like crap. I still have a full can and about 1/3 can, so I'll try again and see if a heavier coat works better.

FWIW I bought a new car in 2000. It's never been waxed. It's never been garaged but has been kept outdoors under a cover. The paint looks as good as the day I took it home, minus the few inevitable minor scratches from parking.
This is the third or fourth time I've heard that clear-coated cars don't need wax. The problem is: I've seen lots of newer cars with the clear coat gone and faded paint remaining. FL does have pretty brutal sun; maybe other areas aren't as hard on the finish. I'll keep waxing my bikes and cars regardless. I like the way they look when waxed, and the wax makes it a lot easier to wash off love-bugs and other crap.

I'm about to peel off my first attempt at using 3M Defender spray. After a few months it looks like crap. I still have a full can and about 1/3 can, so I'll try again and see if a heavier coat works better. Car manufacters don't want car owners ruining finishes on new cars by improperly attempting to wax it themselves. Clear coated cars need to be properly washed and correctly given a clay bar treatment before even thinking of waxing or polishing it. Amateur owners simply don't know the proper steps and technique to wax a car correctly. Plus the dealer can charge for a professional detail by a trained tech.

If you're talking about some yay-hoo with a sidegrinder slamming away at his paint finish, you're probably right. But anybody with a gram of common sense can put a layer of modern wax (like carnuba) on a clean car safely and effectively. It won't damage a darn thing, and it leaves a protective layer that resists UV, bugs, road grime, etc. I put 80,000 miles on my last Mini over 5+ years, and got top dollar for it at trade time in part because the paint looked so good. I waxed it regularly; about once a month. The photo is the car in NC last summer, after 5 days on the highway and various campsites. It doesn't look "ruined" to me!

Google "Do clear-coated cars need wax?" and you'll find article after article advising that clear-coat painted cars should be waxed regularly.

[url=http://www.thecarguy.com/articles/waxtips.htm]http://www.thecarguy.com/articles/waxtips.htm
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how...r-15829917
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-...ax-job.htm

[the Ferret]

Oh good, another thing I can add to the " things not to be discussed list " lol

I don't wax anything, my brother waxes everything. In the end I'm ok with how I do it, he feels good about the way he does it.

Wax on..wax off grasshopper.

[The Spaceman_imp]

Oh good, another thing I can add to the " things not to be discussed list " lol

I don't wax anything, my brother waxes everything. In the end I'm ok with how I do it, he feels good about the way he does it.

Wax on..wax off grasshopper.

Yeah, this is definitely a good one for the list.

Rather than start a flame-war with 736 over car wax, I'll say: "to each their own" and drop it here. Both sides of the issue are on the table for everyone to see.

[736cc_imp]

Actually, I am not against car enthusiasts waxing their vehicles, because done right, its a good thing, and I can relate to the personal satisfaction of owning and driving a car (or motorcycle) that's clean as a whistle, always draws complements plus retains a higher resale value.
And at the same time, todays typical car owners (particularly very hi-end vehicles) would never even consider spending a few hours laboring over polishing and waxing their vehicles; they can get instant gratification and know its a good value to delegate that type of work to an expert. They also don't change oil any more or fix/tune-up cars in their driveway. Service industries are booming from the general lack of do-it-yourself mindset. Folks today are less inclined to do this work and usually don't have time or inclination to drag out the hose and bucket. Which is ok w/ me, because I'm a professional car and motorcycle detailer.
Here's my company car, 1976 Ford Gran Torino station wagon.
[url=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/46/82t9.jpg/]

Uploaded with [url=http://imageshack.us]ImageShack.us