Paint protection
Submitted: Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 09:35
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Member - joc45 (WA)
Further to my last posting, before departing on my Telegraph Track trip, I enquired on this
forum about paint protection, as I was going to be driving through lots of overgrown tracks, and received a heap of good advice.
I chose a product called Auto Skin, which cost me about $55 for a litre. It appears to be similar to PVA woodworking glue. I applied it with a sponge roller and gave the sides of the wagon about 3 coats - by the time I had finished one coat, it was dry enough to start again and re-apply the next one. It eventually dried clear with a stippled finish, though in rain, it went a bit milky. It dried to a pretty tough coating, and was only moved by a hail storm in a few isolated
places.
On return, a quick spray with the hose to soften the skin, and I was able to pull the skin off in large sheets, leaving the paint as new underneath, totally unscathed. From previous experience with paint damage after driving through these conditions, I was most impressed with the product, and the money spent was nothing compared with the re-work I would have had to do to the paintwork. I can certainly recommend it (no financial or other interest in the product at all)
cheers,
Gerry
Reply By: Member - Mick O (VIC) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:12
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:12
It's great stuff alright Gerry. I couldn't get the Auto-skin this year so used a comparable product and only managed to get one coat on before hitting the rough stuff. It still did an amazing job at protecting the duco.
Mick
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339626
Reply By: Member - Andrew (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:21
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:21
Just make sure you get rid of ALL of the product joc, as it bakes on after some time and is virtually impossible to get off. I believe they recommend that you don't leave it on for any longer than 3 months in any case(that use to be the recommendation, not sure now)
Andrew
AnswerID:
339630
Follow Up By: Member - joc45 (WA) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:58
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:58
Hi Andrew,
Yes, the mfr recommends not leaving it on for more than about 6 weeks. Not sure I'd want to leave it longer, as after 3 weeks of dust and mud, the skin didn't look all that pretty! But it certainly was effective!
Gerry
FollowupID:
607173
Follow Up By: Member - Andrew (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 11:19
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 11:19
I had some on the roof which was missed and yes it was near on impossible to remove. This was after a trip of 5 weeks away, in a hot environment, which probably accelerated the evaporation of some ingredients, and the heat that a roof receives.
Some of the area that i was travelling (one trip inparticular) required traversing tracks overgrown, hence the roof protection.
Andrew
FollowupID:
607177
Reply By: Member - Stephen L (SA) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:33
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:33
Hi Gerry
Sounds a great product. From what I am led to believe, is it true that they do not advise to use on the bonnet. I gave read in the
forum a long time back, someone having all the trouble in the world getting it of his bonnet. The heat from the motor baked it on. I did not hear how he got on.
Cheers
Stephen
AnswerID:
339633
Follow Up By: Member - joc45 (WA) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:56
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 10:56
Hi Stephen,
As
well as doing the sides, I did about 300mm in onto the bonnet, and similar at the top of the windscreen as I expected branches to scratch that area as
well. In the end, I had no problems removing the skin from the bonnet, but I only had the product on for a bit over 3 weeks. They recommend not leaving it on for more than about 6 weeks.
What they do recommend is putting a bit extra on the edges, so that there is a clear line so that it pulls away cleanly at the edges. This worked
well in practice. Where very thin bits did stay behind, a bit of extra
water and a fingernail got it off pretty easily.
But the bulk of the skin came away cleanly like peeling gladwrap.
Gerry
FollowupID:
607172
Reply By: Peter McG (Member, Melbourne) - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 13:48
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 13:48
You can get that really hard to shift bit off with a rag and metho. Softens it up and doesn't leave a trace. I've used it for the last 2 years. Great product and a litre does 2 cars.
Peter
AnswerID:
339669
Reply By: Member - Royce- Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 18:30
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 18:30
I've gone the other way about things. Let the truck get lots of scratches and dings to show where you have been, and add to them whenever you go somewhere interesting.
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 21:46
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 at 21:46
My sentiments exactly Royce, although this skin does sound like a good product. We tried to get something to protect the paint work of the very
well maintained F250 before we took our maiden voyage in it - wanting to tackle the
Holland Track. We abandoned the idea of doing the track in full after getting quite a few scratches. Otherwise unless it leaks, let the vehicle show off the scratches and dents with pride.
Motherhen
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