How often should I reapply?

[clg82]

Hello everyone quick question. I recently did the following things to my car three weeks ago and was wondering how often I need to reapply and what I need to reapply and when. The car is only driven on the weekends and is located in Southern California so it doesn't get much rain. It is in a garage the majority of its time. Here is the applications I did:

 

1)Wash with all purpose cleaner and car shampoo to remove prior waxes etc

2) Clay

3)porter cable with paint correcting polish and finishing polish

4)paint sealant

5)brilliant glaze

6)americana

Edited June 23, 2016 by clg82

[Kingsford]

Paint Sealant should last 3-6 months depending on weather (heat, rain, etc) and how often you wash.

 

BG and Americana will last a few weeks in the heat, basically these are products that make a vehicle look better and don't really protect as much. If you find yourself reapplying wax constantly you will start to get hazy paint from wax build up.

 

Clay and Polish as needed.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Kingsford

[AvsBest]

Given your situation you can probably get away with clay, sealant and polish once a year.

 

BG can be used everyday so up to you.

Americana every 2-3 months

[Dan@Adams]

Paint Sealant should last 3-6 months depending on weather (heat, rain, etc) and how often you wash.

 

BG and Americana will last a few weeks in the heat, basically these are products that make a vehicle look better and don't really protect as much. If you find yourself reapplying wax constantly you will start to get hazy paint from wax build up.

 

Clay and Polish as needed.

 

Paint Sealant should be closer to the 6 month range rather than 3 months.

 

Our new formula Americana should also last more than a few weeks as well, especially if garage kept like mentioned in the original post. 2-3 months as AvsBest mentions is a good estimate.

[Kingsford]

Paint Sealant should be closer to the 6 month range rather than 3 months.

 

Our new formula Americana should also last more than a few weeks as well, especially if garage kept like mentioned in the original post. 2-3 months as AvsBest mentions is a good estimate.

 

Sorry I always keep my answers vague in case someone in the future decides to search for something similar to this. I always low ball Paint Sealant because of winter months where salt is present in a lot of states. I apply my Paint Sealant 2 times a year (but 3 times on the lower half of panels).

 

Also must of skipped over the garage kept part. Waxes will definitely last much longer on a garage queen.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Kingsford

[clg82]

Thank you everyone for the responses....you suggest a full 2 bucket wash and dry prior too reapplying of the paint sealant and or Americana wax?  Also another question how often is everyone doing a "full paint correction" on their garage queens?  Is paint correction a one and done process or should that be done 2-3 times a year as well.

Edited June 23, 2016 by clg82

[AvsBest]

In the best of worlds with the best washing technique, you should only have to do paint correction once in the car lifetime. Having said that, I don't believe in unicorns so do it when it gets swirly. I do mine once a year and I could get away with every 2 years.

 

You can certainly only use the paint finishing product to bring the paint back to life while doing minor corrections in the process.

 

It comes down to inspecting your paint and checking if it bugs you or not. We all have different standards, some wait for rental car condition and some see 5 swirls and freak out.

 

Doesn't matter what method you use to wash the car before applying an LSP but it better be 100% clean and dry.

Edited June 23, 2016 by AvsBest

[clg82]

i appreciate the help AV...I have a white car....so any little spec of dust etc bugs me lol.....what is everyone using to help them see swirl marks in their paint aside from the sunshine and looking really close....I'd like something handheld that I can use in my garage to help me see things more "clearly"

[AvsBest]

There are some flashlight that are "specialized" in that field like the Rupes flashlight.

 

I have a $40 LED work light on stand found at your lowes or local hardware store. I found the halogen type doesn't work as good and creates crazy heat so LED is a must in my book.