DO NOT CLAY THIS CAR!!!! <-- super key point & I had to get that out.
I've been detailing my own cars for 20 years and been through every one of the fads, talked to chemists, etc and here's the scoop:
(1.) Are you willing to do it yourself & put in 1 hour per week of your own time?
If so, then you don't need a ceramic coating as you can easily put on a functionally equivalent polymer coating yourself.
The key is:
* be consistent: if you miss a week or two no problem, if you miss 3+ in a row you'll start getting to a place where things are harder to keep marr free
* learn The Garry Dean Method
* Buy a decent set of "rinseless wash" tools
* Fill the bucket with water, ideally de-ionized water (prevents spots) you can buy from the grocery store in the bulk water section
* Mix in a cap or two of rinseless, stick the hydroshot hose in, use the watering setting to wet down the car
* Working one section at a time top to bottom, dip a clean mitt into the solution and using just enough pressure to hold the mitt to the car wipe a single line from rear to front, then overlap down until you get to the bottom half, flip the mitt, wipe to the bottom. that mitt is dirty and won't be used to wash again. Proceed in this fashion, using all your mitts, until you've wiped down the car. Next dry the car with the towels in the same fashion. The theory is, the top is WAY cleaner than the bottom so work top down. with that principle in mind there are various ways to work the car.
* Wash the towels & mitts with tide free & clear (no perfumes, dyes, softeners) in COLD WATER, dry NO HEAT NO SHEET and never with anything other than other microfiber.
* every 2-3 months, after you've dried, put on the Seal-n-shine, just follow the directions
A black car will show light marring, no way around it, but if you wash gently & consistently it'll always look great without too many spider webs. Eventually you'll want to polish it, maybe yearly, and this is also easy. if you use, say, Rupes white pads & polish there's near zero risk with an RO polisher and it shouldn't take any paint off as white has almost no cut. Even a noob can pick up a polisher and do the whole car fairly fast & easy. Claying should only ever be done just before you polish. DO NOT EVER CLAY UNLESS YOU'RE ABOUT TO POLISH!
(2.) If no to #1, will you pay to have it professionally detailed?
Then do that with someone you trust and have them put on the polymer protectant every 3 months
(3.) If no to #2, then
Have it coated or PPF'd, but this is ridiculously expensive and seems to run into some type of installer issue about 30% of the time.
I've been detailing my own cars for 20 years and been through every one of the fads, talked to chemists, etc and here's the scoop:
(1.) Are you willing to do it yourself & put in 1 hour per week of your own time?
If so, then you don't need a ceramic coating as you can easily put on a functionally equivalent polymer coating yourself.
The key is:
* be consistent: if you miss a week or two no problem, if you miss 3+ in a row you'll start getting to a place where things are harder to keep marr free
* learn The Garry Dean Method
* Buy a decent set of "rinseless wash" tools
- Hydroshot
- 5 Gallon Bucket
- 5-10 Chenille mitts
- Rinseless wash: either McKees N914 or P&S Absolute
- Cheap but good Polymer protectant like Turtle Wax Seal-n-Shine
- Good drying towel like The Rag Co Twistress
* Fill the bucket with water, ideally de-ionized water (prevents spots) you can buy from the grocery store in the bulk water section
* Mix in a cap or two of rinseless, stick the hydroshot hose in, use the watering setting to wet down the car
* Working one section at a time top to bottom, dip a clean mitt into the solution and using just enough pressure to hold the mitt to the car wipe a single line from rear to front, then overlap down until you get to the bottom half, flip the mitt, wipe to the bottom. that mitt is dirty and won't be used to wash again. Proceed in this fashion, using all your mitts, until you've wiped down the car. Next dry the car with the towels in the same fashion. The theory is, the top is WAY cleaner than the bottom so work top down. with that principle in mind there are various ways to work the car.
* Wash the towels & mitts with tide free & clear (no perfumes, dyes, softeners) in COLD WATER, dry NO HEAT NO SHEET and never with anything other than other microfiber.
* every 2-3 months, after you've dried, put on the Seal-n-shine, just follow the directions
A black car will show light marring, no way around it, but if you wash gently & consistently it'll always look great without too many spider webs. Eventually you'll want to polish it, maybe yearly, and this is also easy. if you use, say, Rupes white pads & polish there's near zero risk with an RO polisher and it shouldn't take any paint off as white has almost no cut. Even a noob can pick up a polisher and do the whole car fairly fast & easy. Claying should only ever be done just before you polish. DO NOT EVER CLAY UNLESS YOU'RE ABOUT TO POLISH!
(2.) If no to #1, will you pay to have it professionally detailed?
Then do that with someone you trust and have them put on the polymer protectant every 3 months
(3.) If no to #2, then
Have it coated or PPF'd, but this is ridiculously expensive and seems to run into some type of installer issue about 30% of the time.
Statistics: Posted by grussgott — Thu Jan 04, 2024 4:05 am — Replies 10 — Views 603