tmc2k1

iTrader: (4)

Ever since I bought my car it has been garage kept. I am getting an apartment later this summer and it will have to sit outside all the time. I am worried about the sun damaging the paint and fading. What can I do to minimize the damage? I live in Florida too so the summer sun can be quite harsh.

Thanks!

mitahuoch

possibly get a car cover...

tmc2k1

iTrader: (4)

Is there anything I could do to prevent this besides a car cover? I'd feel kind of silly to put a car cover on a V6

mitahuoch

well... i would say get a garage from the apartments that youre moving to, or if you wanted, theres a wax out there that can help protect your car from taking a beating from the sun. not sure what the name of it is. I know what Floridas weather is like, its torture.

mitahuoch

so I did some looking, and it was Mothers synwax that I was thinking of. its about $12 a bottle.

ttranssam

iTrader: (10)

yea, when i lived with my ex, we rented an appartment and leaving my white car outside DID make my paint look duller, like a cream color, waxing to get the color back sucked *******. i started to park under the shade and it made a huge differencs...big f**king difference. if you cant rent a garage then invest in a good cover...

tmc2k1

iTrader: (4)

I will definitely pick up some of that synwax. Is it inevitable that my paint is going to turn to **** being in the sun all the time now? My hood on my dad's SUV is burned through the clearcoat and I believe its from sitting in the sun all day. He also doesn't take good car of it as its just the beater car.

If I wash regularly and wax often(every 3-4 months) will I be ok? I take really good care of my car and the paint and I just don't want to ruin it.

shaun

any good sealant will have uv blockers in it.
you can try zaino,blackfire wet diamond,optimum and so on

Gipraw

iTrader: (10)

give it a good detail, then put a good sealant on it, and redo the sealant every couple of months .. Don't let bird crap or anything else sit on the paint, and it will be fine.

tmc2k1

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the input guys! I would have no problem putting a car cover on if my car was a WS6/SS or something. Like I said, it would just be silly for a V6 IMO.


Anybody recommend something besides the Mothers Synwax? Or is that my best bet? Should I get the Paste version or the liquid version?

My friend and I have been going back and forth on a set of apartments. We are moving in together (Cheaper as we are just moving for university.) One apartment has covered parking and the other one doesn't. The one without covered parking is cheaper by a good portion, but I would rather pay the extra just to have covered parking. He has a POS car so he doesn't really care to pay the extra amount for the other apartments. Hopefully I win!


Thanks guys!!

allbaugh_04

iTrader: (6)

I always just found an apartment building that would let me rent just a garage or had a friend rent it for me and I would pay him.

If you got a good coat of wax on there, I wouldn't worry too much.

N2OMIKE

iTrader: (3)

Wel its your car who cares if it is a V6 or not you like your car cover it or like others have said rent a garage.
My White bird sits out side in FL all the time now in a carport and it has the original paint still.

omarrakeen

iTrader: (2)

bfft same issue here i moved to an apartment for my university and my car sits under the sun all the time and they rent the garage more than the car costs! lol ill start using that wax!

ZigZagZ

Car covers can be abrasive in windy conditions. They can also be tempting to thieves. The worst part is dealing with a wet car cover when you're in a hurry to go someplace (rains alot in FLA).

Perhaps you can find a shady parking space on the north side of a building, where your car won't be exposed to constant UV light. Red is a color that can fade easily when drenched in constant sunlight.

I'd wax that car every 60 days, (not much fun in the humidity of FLA), but will pay dividends in the long run.

Good luck.

hlaalu

iTrader: (3)

Some advice from a guy who lives on the surface of the sun during the summer, keep her waxed like what was said.

Also, use UV protected products for your interior plastics.

A good idea is to UV protect all the black plastics on the outside of the car.

Wash the car as often as possible, keeping dirt and crap (and literally crap from a bird) won't give anything a chance to melt into the paint.

AronZ28

iTrader: (2)

Good advice here.

Also tint your windows if you haven't done that. It'll keep your leather from drying out or your cloth from fading. I'd also put one of those sunshade things in the dash as well, the dash on these cars tends to crack.

Brangeta

You'd feel silly putting a car cover on a V6?

...

...

Why?

Circa307

iTrader: (11)

ya why?? the average joe blow doesnt know the difference between a v6 and v8 fbody. even if they do screw them.

i feel for you man i live at an apt for a couple years when i used to own my vette and i car covered the hell out of it. i mostly did it for the interior and seals tho. dont worry tho it will make you apreciate a garage that much more when you finally get one.

tuffluck

iTrader: (4)

the sun won't damage your paint, it's made to withstand that kind of heat. particles floating around outside like dust, cats, other people, doors of other cars, hail, birds, sprinkler systems, etc. are the real damage to parking your car outside. it would take years for the sun to actually erode your paint, if that's even possible.

car covers are tricky. if your car is dirty or even has the slightest bit of dirt on it (which is almost inevitable if you are parking it outside), putting a cover on your car will probably scratch the paint. please note even the nicest cover itself may not scratch the paint, but rubbing it over dirt and other particles sitting on your car will cause those particles to scratch your paint. it's the same as taking a perfect microfiber drying towel and rubbing it across your dirty paint while dry...you're going to scratch the paint. it's really not worth it. i think you'll be fine leaving it how it is.

in my years of parking out in the open, the biggest things to watch out for are actually apartment sprinkler systems. a lot of them have some chemical compounds in them (probably fertilizers for the grass) and will actually stain your clear coat. i have lived in at least half a dozen complexes that have had this problem. park somewhere with a sidewalk in front of it or where there are no sprinklers. don't park under a tree, even if there is shade. pure, unadultered sunlight is better than parking in the shade under a tree where a bird might **** on your car. bird's **** is acidic and will partially eat through your clear coat almost every time.

sscamaroburn02

iTrader: (14)

some good wax ever 2 months or so should be just fine. i'm down here in houston so I feel your pain even though mine is garage kept it used to sit outside