Autumn Paint Protection Hacks Before the Cold Hits

Don't even think about waxing a car that feels like sandpaper. After a summer of driving, your paint is covered in iron filings from brakes and red dust that's wedged itself in the pores. Use a decent iron decontaminator (I reckon Bowden's Own Wheely Clean actually works great on paint too) to bleed out those metallic bits before you do anything else. I learned this the hard way when I tried to polish a black Commodore without decontaminating, it felt like I was rubbing rocks into the finish. Never again.

If you're lazy like me, chuck on a spray sealant like Gtechniq C2V3. It takes ten minutes and lasts months. If you live near the coast, you need something thicker to stop the salt spray from pitting the metal. A proper ceramic spray is my go-to these days because it handles the leftover UV we still get in March much better than a traditional carnauba wax, which honestly just melts off in our 30 degree 'autumn' days.

The sun absolutely trashes window seals and door rubbers over summer. If they're looking grey and chalky, hit them with some Aerospace 303 or a dedicated trim restorer. It stops them from cracking when the first frost hits. A customer once brought in a beautiful GTS with seals so dry they snapped when he opened the door on a cold morning. Five minutes of work would've saved him a massive headache and a few hundred bucks in parts.

If you've been anywhere near a beach or the outback this summer, your wheel arches are holding a kilo of salt or red mud. Get the pressure washer in there and give it a proper birthday. It's the hidden stuff that rots your car from the inside out. I usually grab a dedicated underbody tool, but a bent hose nozzle does the trick too. Just make sure you're seeing clear water before you stop.