How to Protect the Body of Your Car

By  //  January 21, 2023

A car that drives on the road inevitably loses its original appearance over time.

The shine becomes less, the body is covered with scratches and chips, and in neglected cases and rust. It is almost impossible to totally exclude the harmful consequences of paint and varnish, but the owner is able to minimize them.

Protection with a transparent film

The most widespread variant of car protection. Paint protection film should become a “second skin” of your car and should take upon itself the majority of external influences preventing car body repair. Lately the most widespread are vinyl and polyurethane films.

This film will not only provide reliable protection from mechanical damage but also prevents the paint from burning and does not need special care. It can be applied at most car service centers. 

Body Wax and Polish

A polishing wax forms the thinnest polymer layer on a car’s paintwork, protecting it from precipitation, the tiniest dust particles, and dirt. The wax imparts the shine of a new car.

You can purchase such a wax at any car workshop. The wax polish may contain epoxy resin, Teflon compounds, and even nanoparticles.

That composition retains its properties for several washes. Nano coating makes the surface of the car perfectly smooth so that the foreign particles just slide off, not sticking to the body. It is the most affordable and short-lived option for keeping your vehicle in one piece.

With the proper level of skill, you can wax it yourself: the main thing is not to overheat the varnish with a sanding wheel when spreading it. It also has a long service life.

Liquid Ceramic or Liquid Glass

Two similar ways to protect the body, but each has nuances. Ceramic is a harder coating than glass, so it lasts longer if you don’t get carried away with frequent washings. But it was a lot more expensive.

Liquid glass is not as hard as ceramic, but the pluses include its hydrophobicity – a property that makes droplets run off the car themselves, and dirt sticks less.

But due to the lower hardness, you will have to renew the coating three times more often than with ceramics at the car repair service center.

Important: neither ceramics nor glass will protect from chips and heavy scratches.

Liquid rubber

This is a budget option for those who want to protect their car from minor damages or just strengthen problem areas. When sprayed it leaves a protective layer that will avoid scratches and make your car look really rubbery to the touch.

It is applied easily, and removed easily, but looks amateur.

Protect the body with your own hands

Manufacturers of car cosmetics have not left without attention and those who prefer to take care of the body of their car on their own. Now there is a vast selection of different cosmetics in all price segments. Starting from shampoos and ending with polishes, waxes, and even ceramic compositions for self-treatment.

The price of any means for self-treatment of the car body will be significantly lower than the cost of similar services in a specialized center, but the result of treatment depends only on you and your skills.

What remedy to choose

Despite the large range of means and methods, a universal solution to protect the body has not yet been invented. Every option carries tradeoffs.

If you want to get maximum protection from scratches, chips, and “parking” scuffs, and additional improvement of car appearance is not a priority, then the film is your choice.

If you want to look “like the cover”, avoid fading, and forget about polishing the body for a long time, look at ceramics. 

Conclusion

Even if you are a very careful driver, the chances to find a scratch or a chip on your car on the highway are great. Alas, it is impossible to completely protect the car body paintwork from damage and burnout.

But it is possible to reduce the possible damage and do car scanning and diagnostics regularly.