I wonder if protectaclear over the aforementioned video finish would preserve it.
It absolutely will, just a wipe with acetone or denatured alcohol and then coat. Will keep the finish for at least a year or two.
I‘m still waiting for someone to try Tesla recommended Citrisurf 2310 applied with a blue non-scratch ScotchBrite pad.
I have done this, but not using a blue pad. Yes it works.
I didn’t use anything but paper towels and cloth rags. Did great without anything more abrasive, at least for my truck. Cleaned up like polishing tarnished silverware.
Best advice I’ve read yet! It’s an easy process but makes the most sense for stainless. Just gotta find a way to keep it wet for 30 mins per CitiSurf instructions. Probably won’t bother during Texas summers.
I didn’t really know what I was doing at first and it was partly in the sun. Did start to dry pretty fast and I only waited maybe 10 minutes before I started rinsing. Some of the “dried” citrisuf was still on and had turned white and pasty but went over it with a towel and it disappeared, reappeared less after each rinsing and dying/polishing cycle. Took maybe 3-4 times in the really sunny sections but it all looks the same and way better once finished. My only question now is should I do this often (like a regular car detailing) or not.
I agree, the patina makes it look warmer and more timeless, less like a fussy, "pretty boy" truck, or a cold, clinical look, more like a real-world practical tool. I'll wait to see how heavy patina looks, it probably varies by the area it is used and parked in, what kind of industrial pollutants, natural pollen/vegetation lands on it, and what kind of soap is used when it's washed.
Ugh, that's overkill, unless you have paint splatters... and even then a plastic putty knife will probably do it faster. Regular alcohol or isopropyl will be fine. No need to add a toxic gas to the mix.
I think Windex has ammonia in it. If so, the ammonia will remove (some? most? all?) of the passivation layer that results from using BKF. That passivation layer is key to stainless steel's resistance to corrosion.
The problem with using water to rinse off the BKF, is that it will run down on (and potentially stain) the black plastic. You can't prevent this by masking it off. You can prevent this with one strip of masking tape on each fender if you are doing the windex method.
