I drive 30k a year. What do I need to protect my car

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hegel

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Hello all. I recently bought a new car and due to my high mileage driving I average 30k a year... just this weekend i'll be driving 600 miles to and from western washington. I want my car to stay looking great. I paid to have a detailer seal my car and I kindof feel like i got ripped off because less than 2 weeks later it got water on it from a sprinkler and ended up with water spots paint sealant was supposed to prevent that I thought.

Is there anything I can buy to protect my car from the elements on a longer term basis? I plan on washing the car once every 2 weeks. in that 2 weeks the car will get pelted with countless bugs and occasionally hay from big rigs coming the other direction. It also will be subjected to infuriating big rig drivers who don't cover their load and have rocks and other debris fly out.

I have

Harbor freight da with black and orange pads
M105 and M205 product
GG 1 step sealant (not sure i like it though)
liquid glass polish (i had this on my truck which doesn't get driven and looked like it etched easier)

thanks,
Steve
 
I'd recommend a Scotchgard Paint Protection film for the front of your car. So you can prevent dead bugs etching stains in your paint. If you don't go that route then make sure you spray your car down with soap and water at the "do it yourself" carwash, while you're on your 600 mile trip. It's your choice to use the brush at the coin op, just remember that the brush could be dirty and it will scratch your paint.
 
Sounds like you need a front end wrap and lots of Poor Boys Bug Squash. Basically with that much traveling the front end would take most of the abuse. I would also invest in some glass sealant.
 
You probably did not get ripped off. Not too many sealants/waxes/coatings out there that are going to do much about water spots caused by dried water drops from a sprinkler.
 
XPel film for the forward facing panels. Coat the rest with something like OptiCoat Pro or CQFinest. Don't park near sprinklers. Carry a waterless wash in the trunk with a few MF's and use as needed for big bugs & bird bombs.
 
I would use a paint sealant for sure.
Keep layering the sealant till the paint feels smooth.
washing your car on a regular basis will help also.
 
Front bumper wrap of vinyl was the best investment I made on my car.
It cost a lot to put on but after 1 week of driving on highway, I started to notice nicks and scratches in the front from road.

I've had the vinyl for 1.3yrs now and it is still flawless.
 
I was thinking of clear plasti dip with their topcoat. That gives it like a clear bra but 8mil thickness kinda thing
 
hard to beat wg 3.0 paint sealant (after washing, claying, and polishing)
 
awesome. thanks all. I have to wait till next friday to order anything but yeah looks like the ticket. I'll have to look into the xpel wrap thing. the place locally quoted me around $700 for a clear bra on it. bit too much money for me right now.
 
also,

is there a topic where all the abbreviated words are located? kind of like a legend for the forum? most I'm ok with but some things i just can't figure out.
 
That many miles? How long do you expect to keep your car?
For protection, you definitely want a tangible layer of protection. Clear bra is definitely a strong suit. Coatings and such are also okay. But if your driving that many miles in that time, I'd assume you are doing faster speeds on the highway so 85+ mph. Clear bra is your best bet. And oil. Be prepared for oil changes.
 
asianisafish said:
That many miles? How long do you expect to keep your car?
For protection, you definitely want a tangible layer of protection. Clear bra is definitely a strong suit. Coatings and such are also okay. But if your driving that many miles in that time, I'd assume you are doing faster speeds on the highway so 85+ mph. Clear bra is your best bet. And oil. Be prepared for oil changes.
Click to expand...

yep. work is 55 miles from home so 110+ a day not counting after work and weekend running around. I plan on keeping the car till at least 200k miles. has anyone checked out the 3m spray on clear bra? that's a bit less expensive and i'm a very diy person anyway. freeway speeds commuting vary between 55 and 65 depending on traffic. i already have 6k on the car since may 22nd and about 5 rock chips so i'm gonna have to get some paint chip paint.

thanks,
Steve
 
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