I'm about to pick up my used Octavia in Corrida red.

In the past I have always stripped old wax with a strong washing up liquid water mix, them clay bar, then autoglym super resin polish followed by bilt hamber double speed wax.

I'm guessing things have moved on since I last checked and I know red paint often oxidises in the sun.

As I live near the sea in Cornwall we also have salt and the elements to deal with.

Can anyone advise a long term paint care solution.

Thanks

 

Dependent on the age and condition of the paint you may want to consider a professional ceramic coating, if you dont want to follow that route look at “tac systems moonlight” which will easily outrun bh durability wise

I had a Corrida Red Fabia for 4 and half years and lived by the sea and never faded. I used regular Autoglym products but also Collinate and they held up really well and always looked good. Corrida red doesn’t fade like the old Vauxhall’s reds did in the past. 

Edited 29 June, 20196 yr by threadbear

It all depends on what level of finish you are after and how long you want to spend on it. Depending upon what is already on the car, I'm not sure a washing-up liquid will strip it, and it isn't great for seals etc. I'd start by using a shampoo with a stripping agent or a paint cleanser (I use Bilt Hamber paint cleanser but that's just personal preference). For a really good preparation a fallout remover and tar remover would be a good idea. Once completely clean you can assess the paint and see if it needs correcting. Some say it's better not to use clay unless you are going to correct the paint as it can cause micro-marring and make the finish worse rather than better. When you are happy with the finish, if you are looking for long-term protection but don't want a ceramic sealant I can recommend Soft 99 Fusso Dark for 6+ months of durability. It can be topped up with any wax during that time. If you want a readily available wax, you could go for Meguiar's Gold which you can get in Halfords. Won't last as long as the Fusso, but will be good for at least a month between applications.