Exterior Upkeep When You Don't Have a Garage

CAUTION - OCD Alert!!

Its been a while since I've had three cars, and none of my third cars have ever cost what my TRD OR DCSB did. There have been a bunch of good threads recently on exterior maintenance touching on paint, tire, molding and headlight care. I thought it might be a good idea to consolidate the chat.

The Taco will be parked outside, and a car cover isn't an option, but when I retire, I'll have plenty of time to keep the Taco looking good. I enjoy detailing and maintaining my vehicles.

I guess UV protection will be the biggest challenge. Do the new ceramic coatings help with UV protection?

I've been using McKees 37 headlight protectant, along with Griot's Garage paint sealant, as well as Griot's tire gel (which holds up better than anything I've used previously). I wash my cars once a week usually - live in FL so no winter issues.

Assuming you are trying to keep your Taco looking as new as possible - realizing there are plenty of guys who "treat a truck like a truck" (which is cool) - what products/techniques can you share?

 

Thanks!

 

I'll recommend 303 aerospace protectant for the bed rails, any plastic.

I keep some stoners window cleaner in the truck to clean the glass and mirrors

I do a quick detailer spray and microfibers to hit any trouble areas bird poop, sap, etc.
You can make your own detailer spray with 3oz wolfgang uber waterless wash in a gallon of distilled water.

for uv protection many waxes and sealants already protect from UV. even carnuba protects from UV so thats not a unique feature of ceramic.

ceramic coatings do too and will offer an ease of cleaning, lots of other benefits and it will save you cleaning time.

If you have a DA polisher already and know how to polish your paint down to a smooth glossy finish DIY ceramic coating isn't that hard.

 

I built a garage.
Not actually a joke.

 

I can't wait to wash winter off my truck!

 

MGM, no garage, and no water source. The last company I worked for had several 8-10yr old MGM corollas that got used at every landfill/environmental job site, literally never got washed, and had almost no paint degradation, so I'm very comfortable with my cleaning regimen

I use optimum no rinse wash & wax 1-2x a month.
https://optimumcarcare.com/product/optimum-no-rinse-wash-wax1

If heading home from beach driving, off-roading, or a heavily salted road trip I'll stop by the local self-service car wash to use the pressure washer only... never the brush (too abrasive), or the supplied soap (water marks).

 

Never had a garage. Wax it 2-3 times a year with whatever I have. Wash it 1-2 times a month and take it to a car wash in the winter. Never had a paint issue.

 

I’ve always liked keeping my cars clean year round. If I had paint worth keeping clean that is. I’ve Always used meguiars or turtle wax products. Experimenting with different brands here and there. I’ve been using a turtle wax car wash that’s pretty good. Depending how much you mix with water it can completely strip old wax and grimy stuff off or just a gentle wash.

Since My wife and I have had new cars it’s been like non stop maintenance on them. Living in PA and having been a auto tech I’ve seen a lot of rusted out turds on the road. Preventative maintenance is a key imo.

Both of our cars are outside year round.(supra sleeps in the garage) So waxing has always been a routine ever 2-3 months. Ceramic coating has been great the last couple of months. Really does make the bi-weekly cleanings easier.

I think once I get my new Tacoma hopefully by the end of this week. I am going to take my time and claybar it before I ceramic coat it.

Not big on tire shine for the Tacoma usually just enough to keep it from looking dry. I used to use meguiars black trim protective gel. On exterior plastics. But again ceramic coating replaced that.

Interior usually gets vacuumed, stoner glass cleaner on windows. No Amor all or anything on interior panels besides a wipe down. Usually clean all the door jambs and anywhere water can sit.

But to sum it up Ill use the 2 bucket system
And different sponges and towels for different parts of the vehicle
Wheels/tires
Wash body
Rinse
Dry
Door jambs
Mirco fiber to body

sorry for the long read

 

Same here, both trucks have never seen the garage and look fine.

 

Ditto with all the vehicles I've owned since 2005. Mostly outdoors. I don't mind the pollen so much since there's nothing you can about it when parked outside. But when the geese are migrating (like now), I will notice the goose crap first thing in the morning. Washing several times a week is not uncommon.

 

I think the paint is fairly easy to maintain, and the headlight protectant seems to work pretty well. I guess the biggest concern are the rubber moldings?

As far as the black plastic, I've been using the Griot's tire gel. One application is good for at least three months. I do wipe it off after a few minutes to leave a semi-gloss almost matte finish.

https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/long-lasting+tire+dressing+16+ounces.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn

 

I don't wash mine once for the first two years of ownership, then I get hit by a deer and let the body shop clean and wax it for me.

 

Washing your car once a week is a bit excessive which will lead to more marring of the paint. I'd get a quick detailer and a duster if it's just dust accumulating on your cars.

 

The best option is to have it professionally detailed, paint correction, then ceramic sealant with a 2-3 warranty. It will cost a little to do that, but it is worth it in the long run if you keep it outside. Nothing you buy at Wal Mart, AutoZone, etc. will give you the protection you are looking for. It will help some, but not like a true professional ceramic coating will.

I come from the muscle car, detailing, showing, blah blah blah world and a close friend just got certified in the SB3 ceramic coatings.

SB3 coatings are for professional use, and available only to certified installers.

• Installers are handpicked, trained, and tested to demonstrate a proven commitment to excellence, honesty, & integrity.

• SB3 remains on the cutting edge of the industry, representing the latest advancements in coating technology.

• Select SB3 paint coatings are warrantied by a 3rd party company, & also registered with Carfax.

• SB3 Coatings are a clear liquid that when cured, become a hardened structure on your vehicle's finish.

• Coating durability ranges in years, not weeks or months like waxes or sealants.

• Deep-rich gloss, amazing hydrophobic properties, and slickness.

• Self-cleaning properties help repel dirt & water, resulting in less time & effort to wash/dry

 

ONR with two bucket method. As already mentioned, wax or sealant to protect paint headlights. Dont forget to use a HeatShield or something similar on the windscreen.

 

HUGE +1 to this. I can't speak highly enough of this stuff. Any vinyl, plastic, etc. should be coated in this at least once per month. I put it on all the black trim around windows, roof, etc. It's great for tires too. Will absolutely prevent fading. I don't have any good ideas for paint, but there must be some nice products that contain anti-uv stuff. That would be what I would look for. Anyone/ company saying that clay or something prevents fading is probably not 100% true unless there is some anti-UV chemical in it. That is the aspect of the sun that causes fading.

 

I can't recommend the DoDo Juice line of products enough - their Supernatural wax is bulletproof. You can get 30ML samples of it from AutoGeek for $30. It'll do 3 cars, probably 1 truck or maybe 2. The shine is amazing and the wax holds up so well. What I like best about it is the dirt almost just blows off the car as you drive it. If it lands on the paint, you drive away and the dust will just get blown off the surface. When you wash the car - the dirt rolls off - you don't really even need to agitate. If you use touchless washes, this is extremely helpful.

I ordered a fresh container for my new truck so I'll be claying and waxing right away.

For wheels - I highly recommend Poor Boys Wheel Sealant - also holds up very well 6-12 months easily. Brake dust just rolls off when washing.

This is the NANO but the regular supernatural is just as good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGkEmOV-U0U

 

I have been using Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze for a good while since the sealant is supposed to last up to a year , much longer than a wax, and honestly I don’t think I’d ever go back to a wax. I usually reapply every 4 months though on my vehicles but haven’t had the time to with all the rain lately. Haven’t washed the truck in 6 months and the water still beads off as if I had just applied it. I use it on every part of the truck except for the windows. I tried it on the windows once and that was a mistake. Took ages to take off.

And that 303 Aerospace stuff is awesome. I use it for all my interior trim pieces.

 

Mine is almost always in the garage, never spent a night outside or in the rain or snow. Wax a couple times a year.

I’m aware that you don’t want to build a garage, but even a carport will protect better than most anything. UV, rain, snow, salt will degrade a vehicle within the first few years. Especially a third vehicle, park it inside and your daily drivers outside.

Also, just saw you’re in the South so don’t have to worry about snow and ice on outside DD vehicles.

 

Some of you guys are really anal about the paint on your trucks....

It's a tool made to haul things and sometimes gets dinged up in the process. Enjoy and use it for what it is instead of obsessing about how it looks.

Unless you're one of those guys who get's all of his enjoyment out of making it look pretty. Nothing wrong with that I guess, at least you're doing it to the right truck.