Guys, hoping for a bit of direction here.
I am a car guy, sure… but I hate detailing. I do my part to keep the car clean, hand washing once every 2 weeks or so, but up until now, i’ve only used a simple spray on ‘quick wax.’
What I am looking for is an easy solution to better protect the car. I see all these ceramic sealants everywhere, and I was wondering if anyone has experience with one. Looking to keep it as simple as possible while also better protecting my clear.
I did our cars in Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light and EXO last year. Its been nothing short of awesome.
Its honestly very easy to apply, but the car has to be PERFECT before. Any swirls or defects will basically be sealed in forever after application.
Dan
Sounds like something I should have done right after taking delivery.
VW paint isn’t Subaru paint, so that’s a plus, just looking to get a good 10 years out of it while looking acceptable.
That would be best, but even a brand new car would probably need iron decontamination and at least a simple paint correction.
You could have it done, but prepare for about $1k + bill depending on the level of correction you need before application.
Why not just put a decent sealant on. I used Blackfire with great success before I switched to the ceramic.
Dan
I had someone paint correct and decontaminate my truck last year. After the whole Buffalo winter water still beads off… at least from the sides of the truck, lol. I’ve only been doing touch free washes since.
Don’t focus on the product; focus on the decontamination and paint correction. Then, whatever product they apply should last 6+ months regardless.
Definitely. Once thats done its pretty easy to apply whatever coating and maintain it.
If the car already looks good enough, and you just dont want it to get worse, just put a non ceramic sealant on it. You can even wax over them every month and then reseal every 6-9mo
and yea, a car wash with a brush is the worst thing you could ever do to paint.
Non ceramic sealant… i’ll look into that. thank you.
Car has 7k DD miles on it now, and it looks ‘perfect’ still. I do go to the coin wash, but I bring my own bucket/microfiber mit. I think we all know that brush is no bueno.
Coin wash is cool. You could always bring your own wash water / soap with you too. Just get a gamma lid for a 5 gal bucket. You can even bring warm water if its chilly out, heh.
Again, I liked Blackfire and would use it again…
Yeah, I do. Here in SoCal, near coastal areas washing the car at home is ‘frowned upon’ as the drainage goes straight to ocean on most streets, ours included. So I usually go later in the day with my own bucket/soap, etc.
Ok yea, i hadnt thought of that. In that case just do a “waterless wash” with an ounce of ONR in a gallon of water and a few MF towels. Unless its caked in mud.
Nice, I never thought of that. I actually enjoy the spray wash process, it’s rather cathartic when I can get around to it. Lately it’s been about once a month, augh.
So, back to the BlackFire, I think I may pull the trigger on it. Would a proper wash do the trick, or should I consider clay bar/correction before applying? Seems like a great option, and exactly what I was looking for.
well. I would definitely claybar first. If you’re happy with the paint now correction wont get you much (other than a lighter wallet).
My favoite claybar is the blue Claymagic. https://www.detailedimage.com/Clay-Magic-M3/Fine-Grade-Clay-Bar-P41/200-g-S1/
If you want to try and chemically remove the iron first you could try this https://www.detailedimage.com/Meguiars-M43/Wheel-Paint-Iron-Decon-D1801-P1794/128-oz-S1/
OR
https://www.detailedimage.com/CarPro-M53/TRIX-Tar-and-Iron-Remover-P624/600-ml-S1/ (which smells like lemon scented death)
Jescar powerlock plus seems to be another good sealant similar to the blackfire. And ive heard that Meguiar’s Synthetic X-Press Spray Wax D156 is great to use between, or as a drying aid.
Definitely pick up some ONR, you can use it for EVERYTHING depending on how you mix it.
Oh and get some Meguiars D101. It can be diluted like 4:1 for grease and 10:1 for light interior cleaning. https://www.detailedimage.com/Meguiars-M43/All-Purpose-Cleaner-D101-P378/128-oz-S1/
Grab a handful of spray bottles so you can have different mixes etc.
OH, and clean the paint with a 50/50 mix of IPA (isoproply alcohol) and distilled water before you seal to ensure you got any claybar / lube off .
Dan
Ugh, this is exactly why I hate detailing. LOL
JK, appreciated. I will look into it.
Lol. Do as much or as little as you want. Anything is better than nothing.
Also buy like 20 good MF towels. Lol
I’d just like to add here that the microfiber towels you use can make or break the detail. DO NOT use cheap ones! They can scratch. I inquired on a detailing forum and got a few answers. I got towels at towelpros.com . I picked up 2 bags of towels and 2 huge drying towels. You can wash them (just wash them by themselves). I spend around $100-$120. You can instantly tell the quality of them versus the ones you’ll buy at an auto part store.
excellent point, ty. I will look into these guys.
Relevant:
This makes me happy that my car has CQuartz on it. I have also been using Carpro Reload with great results.
I’m really becoming a big Ceramic Coating fan. I’m currently coating my new boat with MarineNano HD. Planning on doing the cars next.