Car Detailing in Ecuador

One of my favorite hobbies is car detailing, and this thread is to share information on car care products in Ecuador. Tips are also welcome.

Alright, for people who know a little about car detailing, then you’ll know two of the most popular brands are Mothers and Meguiars. And the great news is that both of these brands are available locally and could be purchased at stores like Autozone.

Lower quality products like Armor All, Turtle Wax, Simoniz are also sold and these are found everywhere including supermarkets.

The focus of this post will be on protecting a car’s paint in the mountains. 

In the Sierra, we have two natural factors that are particularly harmful. The main hazard is intense direct UV sunlight. Remember, we’re up almost 3,000 meters above sea-level so UV light is especially harmful at this level for humans and cars.

Also, we sometimes have hail storms and these too can damage the paint. Then there are other factors like bird-poop which can be acidic and if left on the paint too long can cause damage.

How to protect car paint in the Sierra?

The obvious answer is indoor parking. This is the single most important thing. If you don’t have access to indoor parking then a carport is a possible solution. What’s also important is to put a quality wax on your car.

Preferably a synthetic one, so forget about Carnauba wax, because synthetic withstands intense UV light better than a natural wax (Carnauba). Some of the premium car waxes can stay-on several months if you properly wash your car with neutral PH shampoo which won’t take off the wax.

Don’t underestimate the value of a good wax because it gives a car paint a thin coat of protection that you otherwise don't have. I prefer using a good wax to something that is semi-permanent like nano paint protection which costs about $500+ in Ecuador and stays 4-5 years. I won’t delve into this as there is numerous online information with the pros and cons of nano protection and car wax.       

Ok, next post will cover how to remove internal and external contaminants.