Muenster, Germany - Taking delivery of a new car from the dealer is a great feeling. The shiny new paintwork brings a gleam to the eye of a proud owner yet after only a few kilometres on the road, dirt and dead insects on the windscreen literally take the shine off the new purchase. A trip to the local carwash is a viable quick fix but like human skin, the paintwork of a car soon fades and before long it will start to look dull.
The cosmetics industry invests enormous sums in trying to reverse the ageing process and this is mirrored by the tireless efforts of carmakers and paint manufacturers. They regularly come up with new coatings and compounds to ensure cars stay looking new.
Of course, even they cannot work miracles and for many owners the best way to ensure that paintwork shines to the maximum is by reaching for the bucket, sponge and chamois leather.
"When it comes to making paint shine the most important layers are the four on top, the so-called clear lacquers," said Michael Golek who works for chemical company BASF Coatings in the German city of Muenster.
These layers are particularly sensitive and even harsh brushes in an automated car wash or rubbing the bodywork against a bush at the edge of the car park can leave scratches behind.
To boost scratch-resistance, the makers have come up with paint coatings with a built-in protection mechanism. Mercedes-Benz for instance uses nano-finishes which contain microscopically small ceramic particles. These harden in the paintshop oven, forming a cross-linked network.
A new clear coat from BASF called iGloss works along similar lines and builds up a protective lattice structure using glass-like silicon particles. The new coating is more resilient to scratching than previous compounds and features segments for so-called elastic recovery, the ability of a coating to return to the same shape or form once a stress or load is removed.
The Volkswagen approach is simpler and does not have to be applied in the factory from new. VW offers a clear protective foil which has been pre-cut to shape and can be applied to the body parts of almost all the models in the range. It is suitable for exposed areas such as rear bumpers, front apron sections and door handles.
The protective skin is hardly visible to the naked eye and also provides resistance against stone chippings and minor parking space scrapes. If damaged the foil can simply be removed and replaced.
Nissan and Infiniti go a step further. They have developed a clear lacquer which repairs itself. The elastic resin not only protects the paint under the clear coat, but also slowly repairs scratches in the clear surface - gradually returning to its original unscratched state with the aid of warm water during the next car wash.
For those anxious to keep up automotive appearances, it is no use relying on the carmakers alone, said Golek. "If you don't want to see your paintwork end up looking tired and old you have to take steps."
Regular cleaning is the only way to keep the sheen and ensure that paintwork stands up to to the rigours of everyday use. A layer of dirt or dust is not the only indicator either. "Once the beads of rain no longer run off the paintwork it is time to get out the wax," said Stefan Schlesinger of the German Autobilclub von Deutschland AvD in Frankfurt.
He recommends old-fashioned elbow grease which means applying the liquid wax coating by hand before allowing it to dry for a few minutes and polishing with a soft cloth. To ensure the wax coating does the job it is worth waiting a few months before the next trip to the car wash for the full programme. The standard wash usually suffices and in that way the wax applied should offer protection for between four and six months.
