Re-applying sealant

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mats

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Hi,

It's ~12 months ago that I had a local firm polish and applying paint sealant (a two component product called PPS) to one of my cars. Now I'm thinking about applying Menzernas PowerLock on this vehicle before winter. Should I thoroughly clean the car and apply PowerLock without polishing? Or should I polish first with 3800 (believe that is enough) and risk removing any residues of the original paint protection?
 
As the supposed life expectancy of PPS according to manufacturer is 18 months, and you're already at 12, you don't lose much if you polish it off, even if it's still intact. On the other side most if not all sealants will interfere with the application of a different sealant, because one of their main purposes are repelling anything, that would otherwise stick to the surface. So, I wouldn't even try to apply anything more serious than a regular spray wax or non-durable polymer sealant without polishing the paint first.

That said by applying PowerLock you probably won't gain much, because it has a shorter life expectancy than what's left off your previous sealant. Because of that if I were to (re)apply something, I'd rather go for either a full-blown ceramic coating (like CQuartz, MOHS, etc) or a lightweight ceramic coating, like Gyeon Can Coat or TAC Systems Moonlight instead. Of course if you decide to apply these, at least a light polish is essentially a must prior to doing that.
 
itsgn said:
That said by applying PowerLock you probably won't gain much, because it has a shorter life expectancy than what's left of your previous sealant.
Click to expand...

I would respectfully disagree. Not knowing anything about the conditions the vehicle was in or how it was cared for or maintained for the past 12 months (outside 24/7, garage queen?) makes that speculation at best.

If the goal is winter protection, proper prep - i.e. polishing off the old sealant - will give you the best results as it gives the new sealant a fresh surface to bond to. You will likely be surprised about how much embedded dirt you will remove with a light polish, even from a very well maintained vehicle.

PowerLock enjoys a solid reputation as a quality paint sealant. Some are even using PoweLock topped with a thin layer of Collinite 845 for enhanced looks and (perceived) durability. I don’t think you can go wrong with PowerLock as your choice for winter protection.
 
Thanks! Then a light polish and new sealant it is, either PowerLock or a new layer of PPS.
 
time is an important factor in when and what to apply, but so is the conditions. Was this car a garage queen? Driven 10k miles? what sort of climate etc. Ultimately I think after a year you really should clean, clay and polish before another sealant, especially if a different brand. To your own point you might not need anything extreme, just a light polish perhaps with only a few passes after clay may suffice.

I'd just never liked the thought of applying a good sealant like powerlock over any potential contaminants. I get this visual of them being "locked in" and wonder if it might do more harm then good even.
 
If the vehicle has seen daily driver use for the last twelve months, a light polish certianly won't hurt regardless of the LSP and how much is left.

Shortly after Mike Phillips posted the thread regarding the case against two-year coatings, I polished my car after wearing a coating for 18 months. The difference was far more than I imagined. Despite wearing a coating and being well maintained, a 18 months of life on the road had left a few light swirls and paint/coating looking cloudy. Lightly polishing away the grime and faint defects did amazing things for the paint and left a nice, clean surface for the new LSP to be applied.

As for the polish, the 3800 probably will remove whatever product the dealer applied, but if you are looking to spruce up the paint. However, if the paint is on the hard side you might need to use a *slightly* more aggressive product like 2500 or similar.
 
Ok! The Phaeton is now ready for winter. First I washed the car, and clayed it. Then I polished any larger defects with Menzerna 400 and CH Orange hex pad. Then I used 3800 with the CG White hex pad on the entire car. Then Powerlock. All polishing done with the 3401. Also the inside was thoroughly cleaned. Then I did a mistake I will never do again, I used a masking tape which left residue on all chrome trims. That took a couple of hours to fix, + re-applying sealant around the chrome trims. Puhh, this was a lot of work :-) But I'm satisfied with the result!

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Great work!

Nice clear and reflective finish!

/Tony
 
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