ceramic coating

[dirtwarrior]

I had my car hand washed and machine waxed. It looked wonderful. The shine lasted maybe 3 weeks.
I want to try ceramic coating. It just cost to much at a shop. I order micro fiber towels and a good clay bar. What else do I need for a DIY job? I detailed cars about 30 or 40 years ago. I know it will take some time.

Sponsored

 

[m3incorp]

A good DA polisher, pads and a swirl remover polish to remove any swirl marks. Try one of the easier to work with but highly recommended spray ceramics and you may be surprised with how good some are.

I had my car hand washed and machine waxed. It looked wonderful. The shine lasted maybe 3 weeks.
I want to try ceramic coating. It just cost to much at a shop. I order micro fiber towels and a good clay bar. What else do I need for a DIY job? I detailed cars about 30 or 40 years ago. I know it will take some time.

 

[ZM5.0]

A good DA polisher, pads and a swirl remover polish to remove any swirl marks. Try one of the easier to work with but highly recommended spray ceramics and you may be surprised with how good some are.

P&S Bead maker works great

 

[dirtwarrior]

Thanks guys you guys are gems.

 

[kilobravo]

Joe: Applying a ceramic coating isn't rocket science but, it is very unforgiving if you fail to remove all the product during buffing. Excess coating will become hard as a rock and very difficult to remove.

Secondly, while you can certainly apply a coating to an unpolished car, you will not see the shine and luster as you should. Consequently, the best plan is to polish the entire vehicle with a DA polisher and a compound like Sonax Final Finish or Meguiar's M205. (Use M105 for any scratches or marks in the paint.)

- If possible, practice on a less important vehicle first.

- If you can't practice on another vehicle, or, you can't polish the car properly, I strongly suggest you go with a spray on ceramic which is not the same thing but still helpful, just not as critical.

Here are some tips for genuine ceramic:

- Ensure you have good lighting and under cover only, not in the sun.

- Only do a small (15"x15" approximate) section at a time.

- Change the applicator or suede patch frequently, as in one side per patch.

- EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Ensure that you remove ALL THE PRODUCT when buffing. (Use a set of MF towels, remove with one, final polish with the other and buff at least six inches outside your coated area to ensure you have all product removed.

- Throw your buffing towels away after each side.

- Finally, watch as many videos on topic as you can.

Hope that helps.

 

[dirtwarrior]

OK polish is that paint sealant? I have to random orbital buffer and assortment of pads.
I have also ordered something called iron remover for cars it was recommended to use.
Do I use iron remover before or after I clay?

 

[lizardrko]

-Hand Wash with good washing techniques using a strip soap to help remove any existing wax (Adams Strip Wash)
-While car is still wet, Iron remover (Carpro IronX or Adams Iron Remover)
-claybar with clay lube (clay after iron remover to help prevent any extra marring of the paint)
- quality microfiber drying towels (rag company makes good ones)
-DA polisher with the necessary pads depending on how much paint correction you need (I have the Griotts Garage G9 DA polisher)
-compound/polish of your choice, there are lots of all in one products for light to moderate swirls such as Turtle Wax One and Done or 3D One.
-IPA spray to remove polish residue (Carpro Eraser)
-ceramic coating of your choice (Carpro Cquartz UK 3.0 is a great consumer grade ceramic coating)
-plenty of microfiber rags to buff off coating (rag company also has good ones. Be prepared to dispose of these rags after you wipe off the excess coating)
-Topper product of your choice to help with water spotting/extra protection (UK 3.0 pairs nicely with Carpro Gliss which is applied like a coating or Carpro recommends Carpro Reload as well which is a spray sealant like product)

 

[dirtwarrior]

great info lizard

 

[20ducks]

You need lighting and not just bright lights. 6500k . I hate to say this but you may be getting into something over your head. Add up all the clay bar, correct compounds, polishes, IPA, time, buffer, proper pads, mf towels etc. Plus you will not have any guarantee the results will be what you want them to be. You may want to compare a pro detailers cost versus your cost analysis before jumping into this. Don't take this the wrong way, you may get lucky and your car comes out looking like a diamond, then again...

 

[TnWHTMARE]

Yep, what 20ducks said. At the very least do lots and lots of research through videos from professionals and seasoned hobbyists. Mike @ Autogeek.net forums has lots of good info and videos.

The best “shine” you can get will come from a properly corrected clear coat. If you put a sealant, wax or coating on your finish and it makes it look more shiny, then they are masking a damaged clear coat. Those products are designed ideally to protect the surface and be used on top of a corrected surface.

This stuff can be fun but also expensive and frustrating if you get it wrong. If your willing to learn and invest the time in it, it will be rewarding.

 

[dirtwarrior]

great info guys

 

[Blade007]

I found that using something like geyon primer, even if by hand and let it sit for 24 hours then apply the ceramic works best. This helps with a little correction but it gives the paint a luster and provides a layer that the ceramic can bond to. I used geyon pure first and while it looked good. Last year I used geyon primer then carpro 3.0 UK and it looked amazing. A year later my car still shines when filthy.
Try it, you will love it.

 

[Evolvd]

I like washing my own car...but time is money. Any joe with a hose and a bucket can wash a car but it takes a craftsman to make it shine like a diamond. So if you don’t wanna pay up for good work I hope you’re ready to put in lots of time.

I don’t mind paying for good work. It’s not the materials that makes detailing expensive so look at it this way, a $200 detail will get you exactly that. Thankfully I’ve made some connections in my local area and found a young entrepreneur who is a master at his craft. He’s detailed nearly every supercar you can imagine and many of the cars he’s touched have won Best of Show awards. He’s always booked 6 weeks in advance and I’ll never go to anyone else.

 

[Blade007]

Below is my son's fusion. We went around this once with geyon primer by hand and 24 hours later carpro 3.0
Definitely worth it to do this step

 

[dirtwarrior]

It looks great and DIY friendly.
Would I use a paint sealant before using the 3.0?

Sponsored