[CoffeeDude]

So, the big question would be: would you rather polish off etched watermarks on a coating or on the clear coat?

You win some, you loose some....to each their own....

So easy to etch into the clear coat?
Then how about the time before coatings were available?

[KrisMas]

I was just saying that, it'll take more to etch the clear coat if you have a decent coating on, as compared to normal wax/sealant.

Eg. like when/if you leave the car under an open space, exposed to rain/sun for a month WITHOUT any maintenance/wash. It *might* just etched the coating only (or just a little bit of the clear coat) whereas it wound have most probably gone through the wax/sealant and severely etched the clear coat.

There is ONLY ONE way to minimise water spotting/etching REGARDLESS if you have a coating on or just using normal wax/sealant - MAINTENANCE. Even before these coating were made available to the mass, MAINTENANCE was the key step here.

Hence..."You win some, you loose some....to each their own...."

COATING vs WAX/SEALANT - "you win some, you loose some"

With a decent quality coating, maintenance is easier as, basically, all you'd need is just normal washing. The protection provided by these coating would last far longer than normal wax/sealant. Slacking on the maintenance, you'd get water spot/etching on the coating only (or maybe a little bit of the clear coat) BUT you don't need to 'cut' much of the clear coat to remove them. Win=protection & maintenance, loose=initial price/cost.

Whereas with normal wax/sealant, they will protect against damages BUT they wear off COMPARATIVELY faster, easier to trap dirt, etc. and once they do, washing and drying would become more tedious and maintenance/topping up/re-apply would be required more frequently. Slacking on the maintenance, the protection *could* weaken & wear off and you'd get damaged ON THE CLEAR COAT. Win=initial price/cost, loose=protection/maintenance.

COATING or WAX/SEALANT - "to each their own"

A coating might not be an attractive option for the like of owners of 'normal' cars who can barely afford to renew the annual insurance/road tax, but for those who want to preserve/prolong the originality of the paintwork and avoid repaint (especially if it's a very expensive repaint), it might just be the better option.

For some, a coating would be a waste to put on a car that is garaged most of the time or rarely driven, but it could be a better choice for a more regularly driven exotic/expensive car......

Choices....options....opportunity costs....etc....etc....maybe you can think of something that could strike a balance between price/cost & maintenance/effort.

My personal suggestion, if you can afford it or have the opportunity AND confidence that you would be able to properly maintain it - GO FOR THE COATING ROUTE, it'll be worth the initial expenditure.

Just my own 2 sen worth of thoughts....hehehe.....

[jamespaul]

If the paint coating for cars in Malaysia is around 200-500 ringgit. it makes good sense to coat your paint.

however, most "well known", "proven", "super-repellent", "US tech", "japanese tech" and etc. costs 1k to 5k. some last 6 months, some a year and some 5 years.

its better to just subscribe to a reliable car wash shop you trust. and wash your car weekly or fortnightly (for the lazy ones).

coating, in my opinion, is definitely the best snake oil yet (for car paint protection)

[jonlsl]

If the paint coating for cars in Malaysia is around 200-500 ringgit. it makes good sense to coat your paint.

however, most "well known", "proven", "super-repellent", "US tech", "japanese tech" and etc. costs 1k to 5k. some last 6 months, some a year and some 5 years.

its better to just subscribe to a reliable car wash shop you trust. and wash your car weekly or fortnightly (for the lazy ones).

coating, in my opinion, is definitely the best snake oil yet (for car paint protection)

Like I said coating seems to make more sense cost wise for the DIY enthusiast as a big portion is saved from labor or skill cost.

Makes even more sense if we earn usd, aud, euro or pound. By then its damn cheap and worth doing. Basically blame it on the rim being piss weak.

[vr2turbo]

Like I said coating seems to make more sense cost wise for the DIY enthusiast as a big portion is saved from labor or skill cost.

Makes even more sense if we earn usd, aud, euro or pound. By then its damn cheap and worth doing. Basically blame it on the rim being piss weak.

Well, if they are DIY enthusiast probably they will just carry on the normal detailing if they don't coat. As far as I see it, most doing coating are the non enthusiast seeking an easy well out....

[jklow123]

If the paint coating for cars in Malaysia is around 200-500 ringgit. it makes good sense to coat your paint.

however, most "well known", "proven", "super-repellent", "US tech", "japanese tech" and etc. costs 1k to 5k. some last 6 months, some a year and some 5 years.

its better to just subscribe to a reliable car wash shop you trust. and wash your car weekly or fortnightly (for the lazy ones).

coating, in my opinion, is definitely the best snake oil yet (for car paint protection)

I cannot say you're wrong.
Coatings are similar to placenta treatments at any beauty salons. A "need" is created for it, and then hyped-up on the media by marketing puffery, and finally, as in direct-selling, creating loads of grandiose marketing stories. Great way to quickly increase monthly $$$ turnover. Its the current soup of the day.

I've played with loads of "coatings" (god..i hate that word. A coating of wax?? LOL) even before the 1st hyped-up brand reached our shores and Ive never been 100% confident in recommending any brand of coatings to my customers, and i dont talk about it unless they insist on it.

Even then, I'll give them a clear email before starting the job stating the pros and cons so that in future, no one can blast back at me sayng that i've cheated them.

[jklow123]

If the paint coating for cars in Malaysia is around 200-500 ringgit. it makes good sense to coat your paint.

however, most "well known", "proven", "super-repellent", "US tech", "japanese tech" and etc. costs 1k to 5k. some last 6 months, some a year and some 5 years.

its better to just subscribe to a reliable car wash shop you trust. and wash your car weekly or fortnightly (for the lazy ones).

coating, in my opinion, is definitely the best snake oil yet (for car paint protection)

Remember the time when the Pug 308T was launched and loads pf people were flocking in droves to own a piece of French turbocharged item thats so seductively priced? Sales were soaring those days.
Look at the sales of 308T now. Thats when the Internet hype and excitement are fizzling off......

Remember those good ol days when loads of enthusiasts rushed out to buy the most talked about engine oil additive called SLICK50 wth PTFE? And that premium sparkplug by SPLITFIRE?

As time goes by, the truth will be revealed, and the excitement quickly dies away.
Wow...but look at it now