Sponsored

Professional Ceramic Coating - Which Would You Choose?

Mikepol2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Threads
116
Messages
3,147
Reaction score
5,074
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1, 2019 Ram 1500
My detailer said that you would need to use a degreaser before ceramic coating. Something like this:https://www.chemicalguys.com/signature-series-orange-degreaser/signature-orange-degreaser.html

But do take this with a grain of salt because I’ve only been told this and haven’t actually done it myself (yet - I’m also thinking about coating the wheels to help with cleaning)
Yep barring better suggestions from the experts here, I'll just use a mild degreaser like Simple Green.
Sponsored

 

larr12

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2020
Threads
13
Messages
822
Reaction score
1,050
Location
USA
First Name
Alberto
Vehicle(s)
2020 Mustang PP1
Only reason I want to pull the wheels and ceramic coat them inside and out is for ease of cleaning, not for gloss. Therefore was thinking I won't need to paint correct or polish them, just prep the surface somehow to ensure the ceramic bonds. Like when you wipe a painted surface down with alcohol before applying a decal. Any suggestions on what to use for surface prep?

1617365057672.png
For cleaning the wheels I use P&S Brake Buster or Autofanatic Wheel Cleaner.

For ceramic coating the wheels this are 2 really good videos about it.

 
Last edited:

DFB5.0

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Threads
61
Messages
3,579
Reaction score
10,375
Location
Australia
Vehicle(s)
Mustang GT Fastback
Only reason I want to pull the wheels and ceramic coat them inside and out is for ease of cleaning, not for gloss. Therefore was thinking I won't need to paint correct or polish them, just prep the surface somehow to ensure the ceramic bonds. Like when you wipe a painted surface down with alcohol before applying a decal. Any suggestions on what to use for surface prep?

1617365057672.png
Considering your wheels will be new, you can probably get away without using a iron decontamination. Once washed and dried you can go straight to a prep spray.

I use CarPro Eraser for stuff like this, it can also be used as a glass cleaner making it a versatile product. It smells wonderful too.

jun75.jpg


Other prep sprays include -

Meguiar's M122 Surface Prep
Gyeon Q2M Prep
GTECHNIQ PW Panel Wipe (This stuff is aggressive so use with caution)
 

Bikeman315

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Threads
520
Messages
15,241
Reaction score
19,258
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
First Name
Ira
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT/CS, 2021 Volvo XC60
Considering your wheels will be new, you can probably get away without using a iron decontamination. Once washed and dried you can go straight to a prep spray.
If the car was shipped by rail I would still suggest iron deacon. It comes under the heading of “you might as well” and “it can’t hurt”.
 

Mikepol2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Threads
116
Messages
3,147
Reaction score
5,074
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1, 2019 Ram 1500
So my question about iron removers is, do you have to mask off all plastic on your car before spraying them on? I've seen suggestions that they can absorb into plastic and damage it. Wondering if I spray it on the hood of the Mach, for example, will it run down into the grill plastic and damage it?
 

Sponsored

larr12

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2020
Threads
13
Messages
822
Reaction score
1,050
Location
USA
First Name
Alberto
Vehicle(s)
2020 Mustang PP1
So my question about iron removers is, do you have to mask off all plastic on your car before spraying them on? I've seen suggestions that they can absorb into plastic and damage it. Wondering if I spray it on the hood of the Mach, for example, will it run down into the grill plastic and damage it?
I use Eagle one Black & Plasti-Coat wheel cleaner as iron remover. Ph neutral and safe on plastics.
 

Bikeman315

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Threads
520
Messages
15,241
Reaction score
19,258
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
First Name
Ira
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT/CS, 2021 Volvo XC60
So my question about iron removers is, do you have to mask off all plastic on your car before spraying them on? I've seen suggestions that they can absorb into plastic and damage it. Wondering if I spray it on the hood of the Mach, for example, will it run down into the grill plastic and damage it?
Not something I’ve heard but would recommend reading and following your products instructions.

https://gyeonquartz.com/product/iron/
 

Mikepol2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Threads
116
Messages
3,147
Reaction score
5,074
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1, 2019 Ram 1500
OK. Seems easy enough to do the iron removal as a just in case.

Again I'll be driving it straight from the dealer 5 miles away to my garage, pulling the wheels, and ceramic coating the car and wheels, so currently it looks like:

1) Apply iron remover to the car and wheels

2) Rinse off and wash with 2 buckets

3) Not going to do paint correction since it's new, I'll live with whatever swirl marks the dealership puts into the silver paint when they prep for delivery. Or maybe I should just tell them not to wash it? @Vettel-ish mentioned he doesn't think clay bar would be needed but did think it should be polished. I'm still struggling with the benefit of polishing the car since it's new and a lot of work, plus I've never done it before and don't want to booger something up. No polish on the wheels. Seems to me that if you're doing iron removal and surface prep so the ceramic sticks, the only benefit to polishing would be to make a shiny car even shinier? And is the extra shine enough to warrant the extra work?

4) Eraser / 50/50 alcohol / some other surface prep

5) CarPro CQuartz ceramic

6) CarPro Reload final coat

Opinions or thoughts?
 
Last edited:

Bikeman315

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Threads
520
Messages
15,241
Reaction score
19,258
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
First Name
Ira
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT/CS, 2021 Volvo XC60
OK. Seems easy enough to do the iron removal as a just in case.

Again I'll be driving it straight from the dealer 5 miles away to my garage, pulling the wheels, and ceramic coating the car and wheels, so currently it looks like:

1) Apply iron remover to the car and wheels

2) Rinse off and wash with 2 buckets

3) Not going to do paint correction since it's new, I'll live with whatever swirl marks the dealership puts into the silver paint when they prep for delivery. Or maybe I should just tell them not to wash it? @Vettel-ish mentioned he doesn't think clay bar would be needed but did think it should be polished. I'm still struggling with the benefit of polishing the car since it's new and a lot of work, plus I've never done it before and don't want to booger something up. No polish on the wheels. Seems to me that if you're doing iron removal and surface prep so the ceramic sticks, the only benefit to polishing would be to make a shiny car even shinier? And is the extra shine enough to warrant the extra work?

4) Eraser / 50/50 alcohol / some other surface prep

5) CarPro CQuartz ceramic

6) CarPro Reload final coat

Opinions or thoughts?
Mike, I'm sorry but this is going to come off as being harsh but......it's for your own good.

You are asking us if doing a job half assed is good enough and the answer will always be no. If you are going to be spending the time and expense of detailing and coating your new baby then just do it right. A pro will and has told you that prep is 75% of a good job, maybe more. And that's the part you want to skimp on.

Just because your car is new doesn't mean the paint is in good enough shape to coat. The fact that you said, I'll live with whatever swirl marks the dealership puts into the silver paint when they prep for delivery" says it all. If this is really the way you feel, just forget it. Go buy some good ceramic spray and call it a day. You will get the shine without the cost and effort.

But if you really want to do it right be prepared to but in the work. That means a full 100% prep including polishing. You want your brand new paint 100% before adding any coatings. This is why I let a pro do it. I wasn't willing to put in the effort or time. So I paid someone to do it. And it was worth every penny.

So decide, full in or half assed. It's up to you. I will tell you this from experience. Do the latter and you will love it to start and regret it later. Do the former and you will bust your butt and have zero regrets.
 

Mikepol2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Threads
116
Messages
3,147
Reaction score
5,074
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1, 2019 Ram 1500
Mike, I'm sorry but this is going to come off as being harsh but......it's for your own good.

You are asking us if doing a job half assed is good enough and the answer will always be no. If you are going to be spending the time and expense of detailing and coating your new baby then just do it right. A pro will and has told you that prep is 75% of a good job, maybe more. And that's the part you want to skimp on.

Just because your car is new doesn't mean the paint is in good enough shape to coat. The fact that you said, I'll live with whatever swirl marks the dealership puts into the silver paint when they prep for delivery" says it all. If this is really the way you feel, just forget it. Go buy some good ceramic spray and call it a day. You will get the shine without the cost and effort.

But if you really want to do it right be prepared to but in the work. That means a full 100% prep including polishing. You want your brand new paint 100% before adding any coatings. This is why I let a pro do it. I wasn't willing to put in the effort or time. So I paid someone to do it. And it was worth every penny.

So decide, full in or half assed. It's up to you. I will tell you this from experience. Do the latter and you will love it to start and regret it later. Do the former and you will bust your butt and have zero regrets.
Good stuff Ira. I’m just very analytical and trying to learn the cost-vs-benefit of all the steps, and am not clear exactly on what the polishing step actually does. But if experienced folks like you are this passionate about its importance, that’s good enough for me to do it. Thanks!
 

Sponsored

Bikeman315

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Threads
520
Messages
15,241
Reaction score
19,258
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
First Name
Ira
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT/CS, 2021 Volvo XC60
Good stuff Ira. I’m just very analytical and trying to learn the cost-vs-benefit of all the steps, and am not clear exactly on what the polishing step actually does. But if experienced folks like you are this passionate about its importance, that’s good enough for me to do it. Thanks!
Thank you for not taking my comments the wrong way. I've seen enough people try and shortcut the process and realize afterwards they made a big mistake. I just do not want to see you going down this path. Coatings tend to amplify the imperfections in the paint. What you do not see now you may well see if it is not prepped properly. To truly understand your paint you need to get it under some strong lighting. Then will see what needs to be done. I was amazed to see the defects in my brand new Oxford White paint. It didn't take too much correcting but had the part been skipped I would have been a very unhappy camper.

I'm an old fart who was brought up to believe doing something right the first time is far better than having to do it twice. I wish you good luck regardless of the path you decide to take.
 

Mikepol2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Threads
116
Messages
3,147
Reaction score
5,074
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1, 2019 Ram 1500
Thank you for not taking my comments the wrong way. I've seen enough people try and shortcut the process and realize afterwards they made a big mistake. I just do not want to see you going down this path. Coatings tend to amplify the imperfections in the paint. What you do not see now you may well see if it is not prepped properly. To truly understand your paint you need to get it under some strong lighting. Then will see what needs to be done. I was amazed to see the defects in my brand new Oxford White paint. It didn't take too much correcting but had the part been skipped I would have been a very unhappy camper.

I'm an old fart who was brought up to believe doing something right the first time is far better than having to do it twice. I wish you good luck regardless of the path you decide to take.
Old fart here too - don’t mind doing the work! My back might but I don’t LOL. Thanks again.
 

Mikepol2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Threads
116
Messages
3,147
Reaction score
5,074
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2021 Mach 1, 2019 Ram 1500
To reinforce @Bikeman315 and @Vettel-ish recommendations to polish even a new car before ceramic, check out these before and after polishing pics of a brand new Hellcat. I thought polishing was just for removing swirl marks but looks like it actually makes reflections sharper.

20160722-DSC_5608-2.jpg


20160722-DSC_5609-2.jpg
 

kilobravo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Threads
74
Messages
7,959
Reaction score
7,158
Location
Corpus Christi, TX
Website
kilobravo.com
First Name
KB
Vehicle(s)
'16 CT6, '18 SD, '20 GT 500
Mike: There is no question that if paint correction is done properly, it will virtually always result in a smoother surface and thus, provide a clearer reflection.

I understand that many people are more than happy with the condition of their paint on a new vehicle and for them, perhaps correction isn't necessary. I'm far too obsessive to coat a car without polishing it first though. :-)
 
OP
OP
friedmud

friedmud

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2021
Threads
7
Messages
295
Reaction score
376
Location
Idaho
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT
I can say that my Mustang had TONS of swirls on it from the dealership. Harder to see on the grey (or your silver) - but on the black part on the back it looked like they had taken a Brillo pad to it. This is one of the reasons I had a pro do it: it needed a 1-step paint correction and polish. He got all the swirl out.

Gotta remember that some 17 year old kid with a bucket is out there washing cars at the dealership (or, maybe they have a automatic car wash - shudder).

But I know that yours won’t have spent much time at the dealership - so it should be in better shape.
Sponsored

 
 




Top