I only wash 2x per year

title says it all. I typically wash my car when getting the oil changed. Otherwise, it’s a truck so I don’t mind it being a little dusty/dirty.

What should I be doing to protect my paint and clear coat? After 5yrs the dirt appears to have done a decent job protecting but I’m considering myself lucky.

Anyone else hardly wash their truck but find their paint in decent condition? I’m considering doing a clay bar and wax but don’t know if really required.

Super white is kind of a low maintainence color, no?

Edit: side note, previously washed + waxed religiously on my other cars. Truck was first to not.

 

The white has the thinnest clear coat. It’s a single stage paint rather than a two stage.

I used to wash and wax mine every couple of months when it was new. Now I only wash it after offroad trips and then I only spray the mud off.

But yes waxing will protect the paint that’s the whole purpose of wax.

I like this stuff. Really easy process

 

I haven't yet because I don't have the time, but come spring I'll be applying a ceramic coating. $200 or less, plus additional supplies to correct the paint. I have a couple friends who have done this, and they can basically just power wash everything off.

 

I guess my question is - how much protection is really needed?

Because white is already pretty dull, I just want to ensure the clear coat is happy. 5 yrs in, having never waxed it, always parked outside, and only washed it 10 or so times, the paint feels and looks pretty good.

 

I doubt it feels as good as when new. UV light is UV light. Then add bird crap, acid rain, etc.

 

No doubt. Doesn’t feel new. But also wouldn’t have guessed as little care as I’ve done based on how water still beads and runs across the hood, albeit in rather large drops.

Plenty rough to the touch in the obvious places but not the sand paper I expect right before a wash.

I just wonder how much not touching it helps vs poor practice with the sponge/bucket, creating swirls, needing to polish, poor polishing, etc

 

That's a good point, using a single sponge and bucket probably introduces as much damage as anything else!

I guess it depends on what you want. I kinda have the "It's a truck!" mentality, and I've had mud splatter behind my wheels for weeks because I don't have any great resources for washing in the cold. With that said, a ceramic coating will be perfect for me, it's just labor intensive and I haven't set aside the time for it. Hell, I don't even own a polisher yet.

 

I’d do a clay and a good sealant, will keep the paint happy until the next time you think of it.

 

Op here is a picture of my work truck. It is a 05 toyota tundra in super white.

As you can see there is no shine, and those spots are actually stained onto the paint from improper care (before I inherited this beast, which I got it at 330k, its at 356k right now).
I could probably polish this out, but I haven’t tried as it’s more time than I have to mess with.

Now to compare, here is a picture of my 2014 tacoma in superwhite.

As you can see there is some dirt on it, it sat in the rain and then I drove through some mud. Paint is still very clean and reflective.

I usually try to wash my truck atleast every two weeks. I live surrounded by dirt though so it gets very dusty often. The way I protect my paint is with a paint sealant. I only apply it once a year, and it makes cleaning the truck 10x easier. 90% of the dirt comes off just by rinsing it off. Then any dirt that had time to get wet and then dry is usually harder to remove (just requires a quick wipe with the wash mit).

So here is how I keep it this nice.
First you will want to claybar your paint. Please watch a few youtube videos on how to do this properly, and from different people so you get good tips from how people do things. If you use a clay bar improperly you will end up adding a lot of microscratches in your paint, which isnt the end of the world but it isn’t a desired out. Now once you are done clay barring, your paint should feel smooth to the touch. This is when you want to apply your paint sealant. Jescar powerlock has treated me very well, it says it lasts 24 months but I reapply every year because that is when I notice it doesnt work as effectively. But the paint sealants are the way to go. Normal waxes just don’t last long enough.
Also another product that will help the power lock last longer is Ammo Hydrate ( https://www.ammonyc.com/shop/ammo-hydrate/ ). I use it as a drying aid, so I dry my truck with two 14” x 24” (the blue towels on the same site linked above) microfiber towels and that is it.

Also I see you mentioned scratching, and I will just say most scratching comes during the washing and drying. Any time you touch your paint you are at the risk of adding scratches, just the way it is. Let me know if you want me to clarify anything.

 

"What should I be doing to protect my paint and clear coat?"


Wash it more than twice a year

 

Yes! This is where I suspect my approach of less is more has paid off.

I like what you’re saying about sealant. That goes on in similar fashion to wax? Given I haven’t waxed... ever it’s safe to say a normal wash + clay bar and I’m ok to apply?

How much should I expect to pay if I paid a pro to do so?

 

The sealant I mentioned is very easy to apply. Once the truck is clean and clay’d, pull it inside or somewhere in the shade. Use a soft applicator, and spread a small amount of the sealant on all the surfaces on the truck. Less is more here, you just want a small film. Once that is done, set a timer for 30 minutes and go have a few beers. Then you can go wipe/buff the sealant haze off and you are all done. You will be fine to apply it since you have not used a wax before, you dont have to worry about removing any old waxes.

As far as paying someone, it varys a lot depending on your area. It is something you can do your self, for the cost of watching some youtube videos and the cost of the products. One bottle of jescar powerlock will last you many applications.

 

One thing is that the paint will oxidize, which gives a nice matte dull finish. Imparts a little "je ne sais quoi" if you will.

 

Super White does not have a base coat/clear coat paint job, so there is no "clear coat" to protect. it is a single stage paint with an "enhancer" mixed into the paint and shot all at one time. it is called mid clear, but that too is false. you CANNOT spray clear coat mixed with base coat and call it clear coat.

now, with all that said there are several steps to keep your Super White truck or any paint job clean. first, use a good hydrophobic car wash and wash you truck and wheels top to bottom. while it is still cool to the touch and wet, apply a spray iron/fallout remover (I use Adam's Polishes) all over the truck and let is dwell for 3-5 mins. you will see the truck start to turn purple. what it is doing is removing the fallout and iron that is all over the truck. while it is dwelling, mix up another clean bucket of hydrophobic car wash and clean your mit/sponge out. after the 5 mins max dwell time rewash your truck top to bottom and rinse well. DO NOT let the fallout remover dry on the truck though! once you have it all rinsed off, dry your truck really well. use an air compressor if you have one and blow out the grille, bumpers and lights so you don't have water dripping while you do the next steps. once dry, use a clay bar and good quick detailer to knock off the rest of the fallout/iron that may be lingering around. this will make your paint smooth as glass. after you clay, use a good paint sealant. I never wax any of my vehicles. I don't own show cars, so sealant will last and hold up better than wax if you daily drive your truck.

in all honesty, you should wash your truck more than twice a year though. you don't have to seal it more than once a year if you use a quality sealant (I use Griot's Finishing Sealant). but I do seal all of our vehicles twice a year. Super White will last a long time if you take care of it. it is easy to maintain in all honesty.

 

Yep. You can see an example of this in my first post of this thread, that tundra has no shine to it anymore. It is very dull, and it is even stained from some nasty clay mud that was on it for an extended period of time.

Also another big thing that will destroy your toyota paint is bird droppings. It is extremely bad on toyota’s metallic paints. Bird poo will eat right through the clear coat if not washed off soon enough.

 

Murphinator, the Tundra will buff out with minimal effort. if you have a good variable speed orbital buffer (like the Griots one) with an orange cutting pad and a corrective compound you should be able to get it back to almost new condition. even though it is stained now.

 

I'm constantly battling bird poo. I've got a bird that keeps attacking my passenger side mirror when my truck is parked on my driveway. This bird manages somehow to spread poo all over the mirror and the side of my truck. It's a real "dirty bird."

 

I thought so too, I have the griots 6” polisher with a 5” backing plate. It does great work for the price I paid. I just have so many projects the work truck isnt really a priorty for me in terms of paint correction. I think the compound will take the stains out easy, as I have used a rag and I am able to rub them out but it’s a lot of work that way. Mostly did it just to see if they would come off.

Yep. This one a hole bird likes to sit all around on the bed of my truck and drop bombs all along the tail gate and bed sides. I park the truck in a different spot now and so far he has stopped his harassment.

 

I have the Griot's 6" and 3" polisher. Plus a generic high speed cheap buffer from Harbor Freight. I used to detail for a living before I got into doing Tint. so all of my tools are sitting in my garage ready to go if need be.

 

How do you like the 3”? I have been thinking about getting one for the areas that the 5” just cannot lay flat on. Seems like the 3” is a must have depending on the geometry of the panels.