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[Netman]

I have a magnetic metallic car that I’d like to do a thorough cleaning job on. The guy I bought the car from says he did a diy ceramic coat of some type, doesn’t remember the name. Paint is in good condition, but does have a few scuffs etc. Is there any does/don‘ts associated with doing a mild paint correction on a coated car? Not sure of the steps I should take, never had anything to do with anything ceramic coated in the past. Thanks.

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[DFB5.0]

I have a magnetic metallic car that I’d like to do a thorough cleaning job on. The guy I bought the car from says he did a diy ceramic coat of some type, doesn’t remember the name. Paint is in good condition, but does have a few scuffs etc. Is there any does/don‘ts associated with doing a mild paint correction on a coated car? Not sure of the steps I should take, never had anything to do with anything ceramic coated in the past. Thanks.

In most cases, using a polish on a ceramic coating will remove or severely diminish the coating.

Carpro actually make a non-abrasive polish for ceramic coatings, filling and rejuvenating an aged coating to bring it back to life for a little longer.

CARPRO Essence PLUS: Non-Abrasive Gloss Agent 250ml (8oz) - Skys The Limit Car Care (carpro-us.com)

But.......................many people interpret a "ceramic coating" in different ways. Full-blown ceramic coatings are supplied in small glass bottles and applied meticulously to the car section by section. Some people see "ceramic infused" or "ceramic spray" and assume they have just applied a ceramic coating. So, you may or may not have a "ceramic coating" but a fast applied spray sealant with some Si02 in it.

A couple of things consider -

-Find out what the brand and product he used, this will determine if "saving" the coating will be worthwhile or not.

-If it ends up being a ceramic "spray", then just polish it with any light finishing polish and reapply a chosen protection product.

-If it was a proper coating, then use the above polish from Carpro, especially if the coating is still performing well (water beading/sheeting ect).

Good luck.

 

[MAGS1]

Agree with D, the Carpro Essence would be a good first step. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to go to a standard polish if the imperfections are bothering you (they usually bother me so I would just polish out the whole car and re-coat it ). In theory, you could just polish out the one panel and just re-coat that panel. However, the downside to that is they may not look exactly the same as different coatings do have different effects on gloss, some are a little thicker or thinner, some bead and some sheet water and the different panels may start to break down at different times.

 

[2016S550]

Finally bought an electric pressure washer to get my foam gun going again. Adams Americana with some Dream Maker on top. After the Americana is gone I may try the Collinite 845 or possibly the Adams Graphene Ceramic Coating. I used their older Ceramic Coating a couple years ago and it was very user friendly, obviously not as durable as a Professional Grade. Oddly I had a Grabber Lime S550 but this Eruption Green gets a lot more interest. The color looks so different depending on the sun.

 

[Netman]

Thanks for the reply. I’m in Canada and there is a Carpro distributor here, but the label is different. Would this be the same product?

 

[MAGS1]

Thanks for the reply. I’m in Canada and there is a Carpro distributor here, but the label is different. Would this be the same product?

This is the one here in the US.

https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-ess...MI36TS68XC_AIVfsmUCR38xwhkEAQYAiABEgK3MvD_BwE

 

[Jackismydog]

Thanks for the reply. I’m in Canada and there is a Carpro distributor here, but the label is different. Would this be the same product?

Yes Bill this is the good product. You can also use Carzilla:

 

[Netman]

I’m guessing they had to relabel the product so it has both English and French on it.

 

[DFB5.0]

Just be aware that there are two versions of Essence -

Essence is an all-in-one type of polish, containing abrasives and a Si02 sealant. This product can also be used as a primer polish for ceramic coatings.

Essence+ (Plus) is the non-abrasive version, working to fill and hide imperfections while also applying an extra layer of sealant to prolong the life of the coating.

 

[Netman]

I do see that. I want the plus version, correct? If the guy I bought the car from doesn’t remember what he used, will using the Essence Plus cause any harm to what may be on the car now? Say for example just a spray or the infused that you mentioned above? What is the best way to decontaminate the surface when not sure what’s on the paint, can I use a clay bar or should I use something different? I’m old, all this new fandangled stuff is confusing lol.

 

[WolfMxbee]

Just Got My New CoyoteShop Badges and Morimoto Headlights Installed

 

[Coyote 2121]

Just Got My New CoyoteShop Badges and Morimoto Headlights Installed

I do like the look of those Coyote badges.
I've got the GT350 style on my grill and trunk deck lid.
Really high quality items.
The lime green looks great with your color too.

 

[DFB5.0]

I do see that. I want the plus version, correct? If the guy I bought the car from doesn’t remember what he used, will using the Essence Plus cause any harm to what may be on the car now? Say for example just a spray or the infused that you mentioned above? What is the best way to decontaminate the surface when not sure what’s on the paint, can I use a clay bar or should I use something different? I’m old, all this new fandangled stuff is confusing lol.

Yes, you want the Plus version.

Because it has no abrasives in it, Plus simply adds a layer of protection, in the process filling in any minor imperfection. Because of that, you should not have any issues with any remaining coating or sealant.

I would not be using a clay bar if you are intent on maintaining the existing protection. You can however use a chemical decontamination. In this case, you would use a more alkaline or acidic soap, followed by an iron remover. This would be the steps -

1 - Rinse the car

2 - Wash the car with a decon soap. I like OG Decon Soap, but seeing as we are mentioning Carpro here, look at Lift (alkaline) or Descale (acidic). I actually really like Descale as it can help remove any water spots in the process, and don't be too afraid of the "acidic" part, it's been designed for ceramic coating maintenance in mind.

3 - While the car is still wet, spray the whole car with an iron remover. Again, Carpro IronX would be a great choice. Allow to dwell for a few minutes, as long as possible really, waiting for the product to react with imbedded iron, turning purple or red in the process. You are looking for this................

4 - Rinse thoroughly to remove the residue. I actually like to re-foam the car to remove any remaining iron remover residue before another rinse.

5 - Dry the vehicle.

6 - Polish with Essence Plus.

I go over the decon process in the below thread. I was preparing for a minor paint correction, so an abrasive polish, just follow through with the info you need though. I also clayed the car after the iron remover, but only because I intended to properly polish the car, never clay unless you absolutely need to or are following with a polish.

(1) Holiday Project - Mustang Polishing and Waxing | 2015+ S550 Mustang Forum (GT, EcoBoost, GT350, GT500, Bullitt, Mach 1) - Mustang6G.com

 

[Netman]

Which Carpro pad should I use with the Essence Plus? are there slightly more abrasive pads if there is a minor scuff that the plus doesn’t fill?

Thanks for all your help, it’s nice to have guys like you that are willing and able to help the newbies out. I looked at the detail thread you added above, your car is perfection..

 

[MAGS1]

Which Carpro pad should I use with the Essence Plus? are there slightly more abrasive pads if there is a minor scuff that the plus doesn’t fill?

Thanks for all your help, it’s nice to have guys like you that are willing and able to help the newbies out. I looked at the detail thread you added above, your car is perfection..

Start with a finishing pad (least aggressive) and work your way up from there. Lake Country makes really good pads

https://lakecountrymfg.com/products/ccs-sdo-pads/

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