Suggestions for hood finish wearing down (vehicle, auto, best, Camry)

[joyeaux]

Seeking advice on how to restore/preserve the finish of a 2002 Camry. The car is beautiful inside & serves us well as our "backup" vehicle, though it's got 220,000 miles on it. When it dies, we'll probably be a one car household as retired folks.
That said, any suggestions to prevent the paint from further deterioration? It sits in the South Carolina sun all day & there's no changing that. We're looking for a bonding agent beyond just a wax compound. We obviously don't want to sink a chunk of change into a new paint job but just hold the line as best we can. A couple of hundred is the limit as far as cost.
Thanks in advance!

[trlhiker]

That depends on if just the clear coat is gone or if the paint is also peeling?

[joyeaux]

Originally Posted by trlhiker

That depends on if just the clear coat is gone or if the paint is also peeling?

No, not peeling .. yet. There's swirls where paint is wearing off. Suggestion?

[unit731]

The trick is to paste wax the entire life of the vehicle.

For an older vehicle.
Use Collinite Prewax cleaner 840
Then Collinite Auto Wax 476

Both require time and effort.

My 2002 vehicle - left outside - still looks brand new.

[somebodyfromnc]

Originally Posted by joyeaux

No, not peeling .. yet. There's swirls where paint is wearing off. Suggestion?

Like this?


Those are tiny scratches in the clearcoat that come from improper washing, they can be buffed out, but if the car isn't washed properly, they will come right back.

Running the car through a typical automated tunnel car wash will result in this because the brushes and clothes they use aren't clean. You see that filthy car that went into the wash ahead of you? Guess what, all the dirt is now on the brushes and being rubbed into your paint and you're paying $20-$30 for the privilege!

The touchless washes won't swirl, but they use harsh detergents that can and will strip any sort of wax or protection you have on the car, with the exception of some ceramic coatings, which stand up fairly well to the touchless washes.

You need to wash the car yourself, using the two bucket method, and making sure to keep your wash mitts and drying towels clean. Always thoroughly rinse the mitt before using it, and thoroughly clean out your buckets at the beginning and end of each wash. Another tip, wash and apply wax in straight line motions, if you do create any scratches they will be much harder to see that way than if you wash in a circular motion. If you have an electric leaf blower, use it to dry most of the car and use a towel just to wipe up any drips and get the glass. The less you have to touch the paint, the lower the chance of inducing a swirl mark.

I currently have all three of my vehicles ceramic coated, but for a 220,000 mile Camry, I probably wouldn't bother unless you have some sort of emotional attachment to the car and plan on keeping it forever.

Before coating, I used Collinite 845. That's probably the best bang for your buck as I could get six months between applications no problem.

[Electrician4you]

Go get the hood painted. 2-300 bucks

[joyeaux]

Thanks to all for the very specific info.