Salt killing protection

[rainmakerraw]

I've debated whether or not to post this for months, but if you don't ask...

Over the last couple of years since I got into detailing I've tried a lot(!) of sealants, waxes and LSPs. I've slowly come to the conclusion that beading is pretty but nothing beats sheeting in the real world, as dusty city rain means nothing but grief with dirty water spots otherwise. The only problem I seem to keep on having is salt. I know it's a universal well-known issue, but I honestly wonder whether I'm doing something wrong or the products I use have just been st. Even with really careful prep (foam, rinse, tar, rinse, fallout, rinse, TBW, rinse, clay, rinse, machine polish, TBW, rinse, IPA) products seem to die in a matter of a couple of weeks on the lower half of the car.

I've tried C2v3, BSD, Dodo Juice PH, BH DSW, and all manner of things. I've never seen C2v3 last more than a couple of weeks and it leaves so much stubborn water marking/streaking all over the car after rain that I just gave up on it. BSD is similar - far better water behaviour than C2v3 but still prone to some water marking and lots of dust attraction in summer. Last October I did a full prep, polish and wipe down and gave two coats of my newly purchased DSW, and that was about the best I've experienced so far. On like butter, super thin coats (x2), easy off. Dirt found it hard to stick even though I drive it hard and across country, and even after the winter and into January (so 3-4 hard months as a DD stored outside) it was only lightly dirty, mostly along the bottom halves of the doors. It still had the usual band of salt along the lower half though, where protection was basically dead as a doornail. The rest of the car was holding up OK, however.

I thought it might just be a case of products clogging, but even a good soak with PowerMaxed TFR followed by a decent TBW (pure shampoo) the protection looks dead and gone. I currently have an 'emergency' coat of C2v3 (for UV protection etc) topped with a very sparing application of BSD which, applied very thinly from a damp MF, doesn't seem to mark or stain as badly as it used to when I started using it yet still has epic water behaviour. It was too wet and cold to do a decent job of decontaminating and re-waxing outdoors atm (I'm arthritic), so a good TBW and coats of the aforementioned went on to help the paint until the weather's a little easier to work with and I can do it properly.

I have just bought a bottle of Sonax PNS to try for the big spring decon and seal, as it does get good reviews. I'm hoping for something that is easyish to work with, lasts a few months or more, but importantly can cope with salt, mud, grime and not fall down dead within a fortnight. Sonax claim PNS is very salt resistant so for £14 I figured it was worth a go. I do have loads of DSW left as a fall back, as well as a new bottle of Menzerna PowerLock I never got around to trying. Anyway, does anyone have any real world experience to help me out? I've spent weeks on Google, here, DW forums etc but of course it's the same old story: Hyped reviews of how every product going is better than every other product going, tempered with comments about how actually reviewed product X is crap because other hyped product Y is infinitely more durable etc etc.

I'm torn between a love of washing and waxing the car every month or so (ideally), and being physically unable to do it most of the time so having to rely on durability instead. I think that's why I loved DSW so much, but I'm still looking for the 'ideal' product. Here was the result of last October's winter prep:




All input welcome guys. Thanks!