In the Sun or not in the Sun

[BWF07]

How many use the Ultimate Detail Spray in the sun? On the web site it indicates it can be used in direct sun light, but on the bottle it says not to use on a warm surface or in direct sun light. I mean if you go to a car show or even a simple cruise-in, you may need to knock some dust off during the day.

[twisty roads]

Re: In the Sun or not in the Sun

a friend of mine that owns a detailing business told me this trick a while ago when using detailing spray or spray wax in direct sunlight....lean over the body panel that you want to spray casting a shadow on that part of the body panel. Use 2 sprays, the first spray is designed to take the brunt of the "heat" of the body panel from the surface, and gently wipe. The 2nd spray on the same area is your final spray/wipedown to achieve the detailed look.

It may be better to use UWWA depending on how hot it is outside and how far you had to drive.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: In the Sun or not in the Sun

Bottom line: if the paint is actually painful to touch because it's so hot, don't do anything to it. Applying too much product onto a hot surface can cause it to flash dry (we've seen steam literally rising from the paint, and you just know that can't be a really good sign, right??) and cause streaking. You won't do any actual damage to the paint if you do this, but it may not look as pretty as you'd like. Of course, the color of the paint plays a huge role here - a white car doesn't get anywhere near as hot on a hot, sunny day as a black car does. If I recall correctly, several years ago we tested this very thing using a white car, a silver one, a red one and a black one sitting alongside each other in our parking lot. The black car showed surface temps some 40 degrees hotter (or maybe even more) than the white car.

Your best bet would be to wipe the car down as soon as you arrive at the event, and then perhaps a couple more times in the morning. If it's a judged event, you might want to stop with the wipe downs altogether after the judges have gone through and the afternoon sun is starting to pound down on the paint.