2018 GT350 - Exterior preservation ideas

[edunn14]

Hey everyone,

If you search my post history you'll see that I did end up buying a 2018 GT350 here in FL. I'm sitting at about 18,777 miles as of today's drive. I'm the 4th owner. The car spent some time in IL with the first owner and has been in FL ever since the 2nd owner.

I knew it wouldn't be perfect when I got it. After having it for 1.5 months and hand-washing it the best I can a few times, I've of course noticed some things that I want to get fixed ASAP (slight peeling of the stripe edges on the trunk, at least one tiny door ding, etc).

I'm currently keeping the car under a Sealskin car cover during the week. I have a daily that I drive to/from work during the week, although my commute is really only about 10 miles total each day. With pollen down here, the cover got REALLY dirty REALLY quick. I'm trying my best to keep the "car-side" as clean as possible but there is already some dirt on it just from taking it on/off.

I live in an apartment so there is really no storage option for now other than a car cover. I do plan on either getting PPF or Ceramic Coating at some point but there will need to be paint correction to add to that cost.

I carry a Meguiar's spray in the car and clean rags for touch-ups and wash it at a self-wash place every time I put the cover on so the cover goes on a clean car. Any other ideas to keep this thing as pristine as possible given the circumstances?

Photos attached as a thank you for reading this

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[matthewr87]

Nice car. Looks like you are doing the best you can under the circumstances. I would do the same except I swear by Collinite 476S old school wax instead of ceramic coating. Enjoy the GT350.

 

[jayhoogs]

As noted, I also agree that’s kind of the best you can do considering the situation and how it must be stored. If I were you, I’d be doing full ppf as soon as possible, it really makes everything so much easier. Also personally, I probably wouldn’t go the car cover route. I know a lot of people like to use it, and since it sits outdoors it’s nice to help keep it clean between use, but I would just cringe always sliding something on and off the paint, even if it is cleaned as best as possible every time, but that’s just me and I’m kind of ocd with that. I’ve found no matter how careful you are with washing and everything, the car always ends up with micro scratches which is what led me to just do full ppf on my new car even though it was expensive.

 

[wmoore26]

I'm your Huckleberry.

1. Paint correction is a must!
2. Don't use PPF. Ceramic coat is amazing after paint correction. Especially if your not able to keep up with the required maintenance for pristine quality. (The problem with PPF is it has to be removed by a professional) mo money.
3. Covercraft covers are amazing. If what you have is all you got, then just realize you may have to wash more often.
4. Don't use tire shine when you use a a car cover!
5. Quick ceramic/spray wax is great to keep the finish up.

This is all from a detailer, that throughly enjoys detailing cars.

 

[Trap]

I'm your Huckleberry.

1. Paint correction is a must!
2. Don't use PPF. Ceramic coat is amazing after paint correction. Especially if your not able to keep up with the required maintenance for pristine quality. (The problem with PPF is it has to be removed by a professional) mo money.
3. Covercraft covers are amazing. If what you have is all you got, then just realize you may have to wash more often.
4. Don't use tire shine when you use a a car cover!
5. Quick ceramic/spray wax is great to keep the finish up.

This is all from a detailer, that throughly enjoys detailing cars.

What he said. The Ceramic coating will offer a great sacrifice layer to the paint especially when putting a cover on and off all the time.

 

[jayhoogs]

I'm your Huckleberry.

1. Paint correction is a must!
2. Don't use PPF. Ceramic coat is amazing after paint correction. Especially if your not able to keep up with the required maintenance for pristine quality. (The problem with PPF is it has to be removed by a professional) mo money.
3. Covercraft covers are amazing. If what you have is all you got, then just realize you may have to wash more often.
4. Don't use tire shine when you use a a car cover!
5. Quick ceramic/spray wax is great to keep the finish up.

This is all from a detailer, that throughly enjoys detailing cars.

All depends on what you’re looking for. These are all great tips, while also being a cheaper option, mainly because ppf costs a lot more than ceramic coating. Make sure you look into the benefits of both before deciding what’s right for you. Ceramic coating will make maintenance easier and will protect the paint from the elements, but it won’t do anything for you as far as protecting against chips or scratches. It essentially will act as another layer of clear coat, while also providing the qualities of an extra durable wax coating. I just like the peace of mind of ppf and not having to worry so much when washing the car that it’s getting scratches, and for the protection it provides while driving. If you can spring for the ppf, that would 100% be my recommendation if you’re looking to keep the car looking as new as possible.

 

[wmoore26]

@jayhoogs You are not wrong sir. Price is a factor. I myself have finally got a garage and the toy to boot, and personaly prefer no coatings. I like polishing and waxing my my "*&@$" (girl) every chance I get.

 

[MAGS1]

Agree with Jay, full PPF is your best protection for a car that is always outdoors. Ceramic coat over top of it for easier maintenance. It will also better handle the car cover, any micro scratches will self heal in the sun & heat.

 

[Champale]

I kept 2 different Boss 302s under covers at my old condo (with covered parking). No PPF or ceramic but I would clean the car in its parking spot every time I put the cover on (so I wouldn't have dust on it from driving back from car wash). I used my California duster thing then Meguiars spray detailer and microfibers. Would wax the car maybe twice/year. Did it this way for 5 years and the cars looked superb - when I finally sold my black Boss Laguan Seca to an OCD car friend, he could not believe how good the paint looked. I used 2 covers at a time - the tan fabric one from American Muscle covered by the factory nylon Boss 302 cover. The top cover caught all the dust and then the other cover remained pretty clean at all times. They were both machine washable so would wash them periodically.

In saying that, it I was going to do it again, I would PPF as much of the car as I could afford and then still use the method I described. I was VERY hesistant to use car covers but my experience with them was 100% positive.

 

[jayhoogs]

@jayhoogs You are not wrong sir. Price is a factor. I myself have finally got a garage and the toy to boot, and personaly prefer no coatings. I like polishing and waxing my my "*&@$" (girl) every chance I get.

True, that’s the other side of it that I know a lot of people really enjoy. If you’re really into detailing and the satisfaction of putting time and work into making the car look great with your own methods and polishing/waxing then no “permanent” coatings are good. I do personally enjoy detailing, but being that this is my daily driver year round and used for commuting on not amazing roads, I unfortunately just don’t have the time to do that at this point in my life.

 

[edunn14]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I'm being quoted around $8900 for a full PPF so I may just go with ceramic coating after paint correction for the time being. I don't have many rocky roads where I am and front rock guards from Jaeger brothers to protect from rocks are on the list of priority mods to make. I tend to not make a habit of tailgating semis and construction equipment as well.

 

[Tomster]

Any car you leave outside will take a beating. Nevermind the paint, all the aluminum and steel will begin to oxidize. Aside from the paint, you can spray the exposed aluminum and steel with an anticorrosive. On my outdoor vehicles, I use fluid film. Its a spray on that stops all corrosion.

Other than that, there isn't much you can do. If you are going to have a car that lives outside, wash it and wax it regularly. I wouldn't spend a bunch of money doing much of anything else. Maybe some ceramic, but you are fighting the elements. The elements usually win over time.

No disrespect, but the thought of a GT350 sitting outside in an apartment parking lot makes me cringe.

 

[TonyNJ]

Hey everyone,

If you search my post history you'll see that I did end up buying a 2018 GT350 here in FL. I'm sitting at about 18,777 miles as of today's drive. I'm the 4th owner. The car spent some time in IL with the first owner and has been in FL ever since the 2nd owner.

I knew it wouldn't be perfect when I got it. After having it for 1.5 months and hand-washing it the best I can a few times, I've of course noticed some things that I want to get fixed ASAP (slight peeling of the stripe edges on the trunk, at least one tiny door ding, etc).

I'm currently keeping the car under a Sealskin car cover during the week. I have a daily that I drive to/from work during the week, although my commute is really only about 10 miles total each day. With pollen down here, the cover got REALLY dirty REALLY quick. I'm trying my best to keep the "car-side" as clean as possible but there is already some dirt on it just from taking it on/off.

I live in an apartment so there is really no storage option for now other than a car cover. I do plan on either getting PPF or Ceramic Coating at some point but there will need to be paint correction to add to that cost.

I carry a Meguiar's spray in the car and clean rags for touch-ups and wash it at a self-wash place every time I put the cover on so the cover goes on a clean car. Any other ideas to keep this thing as pristine as possible given the circumstances?

Photos attached as a thank you for reading this

Don't get carried away with paint correction. Just get PPF on it. It will hide most of the issues. You'll also preserve it and be able to spray it off without worry about trashing the paint. As for the stripes being tattered a bit, replace, then PPF over, or just take them off and enjoy.

 

[Tomster]

Don't get carried away with paint correction. Just get PPF on it. It will hide most of the issues. You'll also preserve it and be able to spray it off without worry about trashing the paint. As for the stripes being tattered a bit, replace, then PPF over, or just take them off and enjoy.

Unless PPF has come a long way since I had it put on all my cars (circa 2017-2020), I wouldn't use it on a car that is outside all the time. It doesn't protect paint against UV and the UV itself accelerates the degradation of the PPF.

Not only that, it is very expensive.

 

[Hennessey"R"]

After I had mine paint corrected and ceramic coated, they told me to not use the car cover anymore! I also got PPF but not the whole car. Some places will do PPF for track like the nose, hood, roof, side skirt and rear kick panels! They let me choose which areas to PPF and customize some to pieces too!

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