V6Guy

I've always used Blitz wax on my Boxster, which has always been garaged. I've been very happy with Blitz, except for the need to watch out for black trim staining. Blitz goes on and off nice and it does a great job of bringing out the shine and depth of Artic Silver, which can be tough to do.

That said, when it comes to caring for the exterior, I am kind of lazy, but I do try to wash it periodically and wax when needed.

While I use wax on the garaged Boxster, my Cayenne, which I hope to be taking a November delivery on, will be an outdoor SUV, so I don't think the Blitz wax will cut it through a Boston winter, even though its a pretty durable wax.

So, this weekend, I spent WAAAAY to much time on message boards searching for a durable, longer-lasting paint protectant, one that will hopefully get me thru the winter without doing much of anything, including maybe not even washing it.

I've come to the conclusion that a good polymer sealant is probably the way to go, even though I've read that German paints are fairly soft, which makes polymers less effective.

I've narrowed my choices to these 3 manufacturers (in no particular order), which I believe are all pretty darn close in terms of durability and effectiveness: Zaino, Duragloss, and Blackfire.

Anyone have any thoughts on these 3 sealants ? And also on wax vs polymer for outdoor winter durability & effectiveness ?

Here's kind of a summary of what I found about each.

Each of them requires a process of cleaning and then applying different flavors within their their product line. That is, do the cleaning (mainly wash/clay/wash), then apply x, then apply y, then z, etc. So, this part is pretty much the same for each of them, though, one may be slightly easier to apply than another and may be take one less flavor than another, but I think they're pretty close based on what I read.

1) Zaino. Clearly has had the most followers (devoted zealots ?) for the longest period of time. I remember reading about Zaino 10 years ago. Their process seems the most complicated on the surface, but I think I figured out which of their products I would need to use. It appears that mulitple layering of their product adds more shine and maybe durability, but it doesn't seem like you need to go nuts with it for it to be effective. They are probably the priciest.

2) Duragloss. Probably has the smallest following with the least amount of fanfare of the three, but those that use it and have also used Zaino swear its just as good. A big plus is that its sold locally in CarQuest and Napa Autoparts stores and it's clearly the least expensive.

3) Blackstone - This one seems to be kind of an up-and-comer, with an increasing following the last couple of years. This one seems to be less dependent on weather conditions, which may be a plus, given the nature of Boston weather. The main selling point for me on this one is that they have a complete kit that seems to include everything needed without extra unneeded stuff. The kit also includes various microfibre towels needed for the work. Including the microfiber towels in the kit is a big plus for me. Buying the kit with everything is very convenient. The cost of the kit is $99. I don't know what the shipping charge would be.

At this point, I'm not sure which one I'm going to go for.

beentherebaby

I haven't seen any paint sealer that would last thru the Winter in Boston or likely anyone else unless the vehicle is stored inside and not driven. I'm not being a smart ***, just saying.

No HTwo O

RejeX is a great product.

V6Guy

I hear ya. I guess I'm mainly hoping that a sealant would last longer than wax.

Once winter sets in, its tough to get a day warm enough to do any exterior car care. Although I'm sure its doable. Maybe the Optimum No-Rise Wash product (I think that's what it's called) would work for me, although I've never used it.

Another option is maybe I would just run the Cayenne through a car wash if we have a decent day and then polish or wax or whatever in my garage after the car wash.

Or then again, maybe I won't do anything and just wait until early spring ! :-)

V6Guy

Thanks. I recall reading some stuff about it, mostly for wheel protection. It didn't seem to have much of a following for paint protection. Maybe I'll look into it some more. Have you personally used it ?

ltc

This should meet your requirements.
http://www.autogeek.net/collinite-in...r-wax-845.html

I use it on my daily drivers. Easy application, long lasting.
BTW, their metal polish is excellent as well

ltc

I use Rejex on all my wheels...works very well.

I buy it from RL sponsor Eric at Bumperplugs

yeldogt

I use Rejex everywhere. Great stuff.

V6Guy

Hey thanks Lewis ! I saw the Collinite name mentioned quite a bit when I was researching sealants, but I didn't pay much attention to it since it was a wax, which I assumed would lack durability.

I just looked into it a bit and found that it gets high marks for durability for the most part, which surprised me. I guess that just shows how much I know !

It's definitely on my list now.

Just curious. What do you do or use for your paint prep ? Thanks again.

Vino

Since you are just going to prep a car for winter, I would claybar then use your choice of sealant. I would buy some Meguires spray wax( my new favorite) and use it after each wash to use on top of the sealant.
For clay bars I would use Mothers, all the other off the shelf clay bars marred my paint and took a lot of polishing to correct.

WSH

Optimum Opti-Seal

No HTwo O

I do both, too.

No HTwo O

Yes, very much so, the past 4-5 years. I used to only use Zaino products. I find myself using the RejeX much more often now, and has a better cost. Even won a few PCA Concours with it!!

V6Guy

Hey. Thanks for the info. And congratulations of the PCA Concours wins !

So, if you received a new car right before winter and it would not be garaged during the winter, how would you prep it ? (I'm assuming RejeX is your final sealant ? Or is it ?)

Thanks !

No HTwo O

Whoa nelly! I'd never own a Porsche, that did not have a garage space.

But, yes, wash, clay, wash, polish, and final coat of Rejex. Would serve you well.

You should seek advice in the Concours Forum. Much smarter guys over there then me.