SVT-DADDY
World's heaviest S550
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I've had great luck with ceramic coatings on all my vehicles so I thought I would post my process for those interested in DIYing this sort of thing.
The condition of your paint
The first thing you need to consider is the condition of your paint and the need for paint correction. If your paint is dull,scratched, swirled, or very heavily contaminated you should really start with paint correction. The reason behind this is you are basically locking in the condition of your paint for the life of the coating. Paint correction isn't rocket science either, but I think many of us would prefer to leave it to the pros.
For the majority of us that have newer cars with good paint. A clay bar and hand polish would work wonders by itself and is a good starting point for a coating.
Products
Wax,sealant, or ceramic coating
People can be very passionate about their choice of paint protection. For me all 3 are good choices depending on your goals. It really comes down to longevity. In my experience wax is good for around 3 months, sealant about 6 months, and ceramic coating 2 plus years (haven't found the end yet). As far as difficulty of application I would still argue the need for clay bar and polish for any of the 3. So really steps 1-5 are basically the same. The actual application of a ceramic coating is easier than wax, and maybe a little harder that sealant.
Pro vs. DIY ceramic
Pro products are marketed as having more and longer protection and greater gloss than the DIY versions. Because of the enhanced protection the application can become a little more difficult. Specifically getting the dry time correct. All I can say is this, I did my Mustang with the steps and products below. My father in law had his Callaway Corvette done professionally with Opticoat for $1000. He had his Hellcat done with Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra for even more money. Now I can't speak to the protection these other products offer but if we parked all 3 cars next to each other you would never be able to pick out mine as DIY.
Brand
It seems like everyone and their brother has a ceramic coating out now. I use CarPro Cquartz and have had good like with it but there are plenty of great companies.
Here is exactly what I used, but pretty much all the good coating companies have similar products.
Coating https://www.amazon.com/CarPro-Ceram...F8&qid=1527094196&sr=8-8&keywords=cquartz+kit for $100 you get the iron X, applicator, micro fiber, and reload. The reload is nice to use while drying every so often to get a little extra pop. I don't re use the MF towels after I use them for coating because ceramic crystals form that can scratch. As a matter of fact I fold the towel into quarters and use a fresh square every time.
Eraser https://www.amazon.com/CarPro-Erase...&qid=1527094834&sr=8-1&keywords=car+pro+eraseYou can also use IPA mixed with distilled water to save a few bucks
Clay https://www.amazon.com/YGDZ-Quality...4894&sr=1-8&keywords=clay+bars+auto+detailing you can really use any good automotive clay or even a mitt. Just don't get anything too harsh
Polish https://www.amazon.com/3M-Imperial-...109&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=3m+hand+glaze&psc=1
Something like this works well although there are many out there.
Here are the steps:
Be sure the car is parked in the shade for the entire process. Ambient temps between 60 and 80 degrees work best.
1. Wash the car really well using CarPro Iron X.
2. Clay bar the vehicle using either a clay mitt or traditional bar. Be sure to use the appropriate lube.
3. Hand polish using a light polish containing no wax
4. Wash the car again. This is the one time I like to use something like dawn to be sure the car is completely free of grease and oils.
5. Go panel by panel using Carpro Eraser to be completely sure there aren't any waxes or oils left on the paint. Eraser a panel, then you coat it. For example; eraser your whole front fender, then coat it in 2 sections.
6. Now you're ready for the actual coating. Be sure to wear gloves. You don't want greasy paw prints on the car. I split the hood into 4 sections and did the rest of the car 1/2 panel at a time. The key is getting the dry time correct. If you try to take it off too soon you'll see that it's a little sticky. If you wait too long it's hard to get off. I found between 1-2 minutes worked well for me. If it's easy to get off your doing it right. The only danger here is to leave it on really long and get a high spot. A high spot is a dark area in your paint that won't come off without buffing. Keep cure time under 3 minutes and you'll have no worries.
You can do a second coat if you would like but I'd use your extra product on things like lights, wheels, and windshield.
Be sure to keep the car dry for 24 hours. You'll notice that when the car is fully cured the finish will pop even more. At this point you can hit the car with reload lightly if you wish.
It sounds like a lot but it only took me about 1/2 day and it was a 4 beer job. If I cut out the beer I probably could have shaved an hour off.
Do you need to use iron X if your going to clay the car? Probably not but its nice to do the wheels and such that you might not get with the bar.
For maintenance just wash using the 2 (3 for me) bucket method using your favorite PH balanced soap. I prefer CarPro Reset, personally. Coated cars are also perfect candidates for waterless, and rinseless washes. Every month or so I hit the car with reload while drying, again not really needed but I like the extra pop. I also have a magic elixir that I've been using with really good luck. Mostly because I can't leave well enough alone.
Good Luck
The condition of your paint
The first thing you need to consider is the condition of your paint and the need for paint correction. If your paint is dull,scratched, swirled, or very heavily contaminated you should really start with paint correction. The reason behind this is you are basically locking in the condition of your paint for the life of the coating. Paint correction isn't rocket science either, but I think many of us would prefer to leave it to the pros.
For the majority of us that have newer cars with good paint. A clay bar and hand polish would work wonders by itself and is a good starting point for a coating.
Products
Wax,sealant, or ceramic coating
People can be very passionate about their choice of paint protection. For me all 3 are good choices depending on your goals. It really comes down to longevity. In my experience wax is good for around 3 months, sealant about 6 months, and ceramic coating 2 plus years (haven't found the end yet). As far as difficulty of application I would still argue the need for clay bar and polish for any of the 3. So really steps 1-5 are basically the same. The actual application of a ceramic coating is easier than wax, and maybe a little harder that sealant.
Pro vs. DIY ceramic
Pro products are marketed as having more and longer protection and greater gloss than the DIY versions. Because of the enhanced protection the application can become a little more difficult. Specifically getting the dry time correct. All I can say is this, I did my Mustang with the steps and products below. My father in law had his Callaway Corvette done professionally with Opticoat for $1000. He had his Hellcat done with Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra for even more money. Now I can't speak to the protection these other products offer but if we parked all 3 cars next to each other you would never be able to pick out mine as DIY.
Brand
It seems like everyone and their brother has a ceramic coating out now. I use CarPro Cquartz and have had good like with it but there are plenty of great companies.
Here is exactly what I used, but pretty much all the good coating companies have similar products.
Coating https://www.amazon.com/CarPro-Ceram...F8&qid=1527094196&sr=8-8&keywords=cquartz+kit for $100 you get the iron X, applicator, micro fiber, and reload. The reload is nice to use while drying every so often to get a little extra pop. I don't re use the MF towels after I use them for coating because ceramic crystals form that can scratch. As a matter of fact I fold the towel into quarters and use a fresh square every time.
Eraser https://www.amazon.com/CarPro-Erase...&qid=1527094834&sr=8-1&keywords=car+pro+eraseYou can also use IPA mixed with distilled water to save a few bucks
Clay https://www.amazon.com/YGDZ-Quality...4894&sr=1-8&keywords=clay+bars+auto+detailing you can really use any good automotive clay or even a mitt. Just don't get anything too harsh
Polish https://www.amazon.com/3M-Imperial-...109&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=3m+hand+glaze&psc=1
Something like this works well although there are many out there.
Here are the steps:
Be sure the car is parked in the shade for the entire process. Ambient temps between 60 and 80 degrees work best.
1. Wash the car really well using CarPro Iron X.
2. Clay bar the vehicle using either a clay mitt or traditional bar. Be sure to use the appropriate lube.
3. Hand polish using a light polish containing no wax
4. Wash the car again. This is the one time I like to use something like dawn to be sure the car is completely free of grease and oils.
5. Go panel by panel using Carpro Eraser to be completely sure there aren't any waxes or oils left on the paint. Eraser a panel, then you coat it. For example; eraser your whole front fender, then coat it in 2 sections.
6. Now you're ready for the actual coating. Be sure to wear gloves. You don't want greasy paw prints on the car. I split the hood into 4 sections and did the rest of the car 1/2 panel at a time. The key is getting the dry time correct. If you try to take it off too soon you'll see that it's a little sticky. If you wait too long it's hard to get off. I found between 1-2 minutes worked well for me. If it's easy to get off your doing it right. The only danger here is to leave it on really long and get a high spot. A high spot is a dark area in your paint that won't come off without buffing. Keep cure time under 3 minutes and you'll have no worries.
You can do a second coat if you would like but I'd use your extra product on things like lights, wheels, and windshield.
Be sure to keep the car dry for 24 hours. You'll notice that when the car is fully cured the finish will pop even more. At this point you can hit the car with reload lightly if you wish.
It sounds like a lot but it only took me about 1/2 day and it was a 4 beer job. If I cut out the beer I probably could have shaved an hour off.
Do you need to use iron X if your going to clay the car? Probably not but its nice to do the wheels and such that you might not get with the bar.
For maintenance just wash using the 2 (3 for me) bucket method using your favorite PH balanced soap. I prefer CarPro Reset, personally. Coated cars are also perfect candidates for waterless, and rinseless washes. Every month or so I hit the car with reload while drying, again not really needed but I like the extra pop. I also have a magic elixir that I've been using with really good luck. Mostly because I can't leave well enough alone.
Good Luck
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