To coat or not to coat?

[RandyD]

Getting a brand new Honda CRV medium gray metallic (steel Gray) car in 2 weeks. I have a white car which I coated with Opti-gloss a bout 1 1/2 years ago which still looks great. I am concerned that the car will get swirls even if it is coated and I will then have to polish off coating in these spots to correct. Are my concerns unwarranted? I was not concerned about my other car because it is white. I guess I also like the fact that I can polish and wax or seal whenever I want and get a little more shine than the coating. Man I take this stuff too seriously!!!!!!!!!

[dcjredline]

Cars dont "get" swirls. People put swirls into the paint when they touch it using incorrect methods. If you correct the paint then coat it THEN use proper techniques you will limit induction of swirls and make the coating last as long as possible.

[TTQ B4U]

Getting a brand new Honda CRV medium gray metallic (steel Gray) car in 2 weeks. I have a white car which I coated with Opti-gloss a bout 1 1/2 years ago which still looks great. I am concerned that the car will get swirls even if it is coated and I will then have to polish off coating in these spots to correct. Are my concerns unwarranted? I was not concerned about my other car because it is white. I guess I also like the fact that I can polish and wax or seal whenever I want and get a little more shine than the coating. Man I take this stuff too seriously!!!!!!!!!

Honda's chip and scratch easily. I'd coat it. Anymore there's really zero reason not to as the cost of McKee's new coating is near nothing and provides enough in a bottle to do 5-7 CRV's. Care for car properly when washing, drying or whenever you touch the paint and you'll be fine. Our van is black and is abused by the wife and kids daily and was coated last Sept. and is still performing like new. Has some very minor marring in a few places and the hood probably could be done again due to it's bulls-eye target for road grime, etc but no doubt it's held up far far better than if I were to have simply waxed or sealed it. If you get the OCD Bug after washing, just spritz it with a little ECH20 and Reload. Makes for a perfect detail spray and adds a bit more protection too.

[Desertnate]

I've found coatings slow the accumulation of swirls. Because the surface tends to be smoother and grime doesn't stick, I find it much easier to wash and dry. If you want to spot correct, you will be polishing off the coating and will need to reply it to that area.

Personally, I don't know if I'd go longer than 18 months on a coating before polishing it off and starting over on my daily drivers. That's a long time to slowly build up water spots, swirls, and just normal embedded road grime.

[Bobby B.]

Protect your investment and apply a ceramic coating on your new vehicle. Autogeek offers plenty of great coatings that are easy to work with. Just make sure you properly prep the paint surface before applying the coating.

[chet31]

If you are fussy about your finish, don't coat. Your coating will get bird bombed, sapped, tarred, and swirled over time, but you really can't fix it. If you just want to coat it and forget it for two years, it will give you a nice shine with little maintenance. Just don't look at it with a swirl light or do a baggie test. I understand both points of view.

[TTQ B4U]

If you are fussy about your finish, don't coat. Your coating will get bird bombed, sapped, tarred, and swirled over time, but you really can't fix it.

I'm not sure I follow that logic. One would fix it the exact same way as they would if waxed. Light polish and a reapplication. Not a big deal. I spot-polish where needed without issue.

[Paul A.]

I have a few customers who are coated and I do the same thing as pdq mentioned. I find a rub, slight scratch or swirled area when they come in for a wash and address those areas. After correction it takes me like 5 mins to reapply the coating.

I also like to coat both my car and the wife's. Both vehicles seem to look better even when dirty and clean easier in my opinion.

[RippyD]

Reapplying coating doesn't work well if you don't live where it's warm and dry most of the time. Finding the right time to apply so it can cure can be a problem. You can always use a sealant over it, but in my limited experience they don't like to cure in colder temps. Cquartz UK is more tolerant of cool temp curing, as is Polish Angel. PA doesn't have anywhere near the durability of other coatings.

To keep my coatings working well (sheeting water) I have to clay them every few months, which introduces some marring, which can only be polished off. So it's really a mixed bag depending on where you live. I'm going to try Essense Plus over Cquartz this winter to see how it does at correcting marring on the coating.

[MattPersman]

Cquartz now. And if you have any spots to correct fix in spring then you could recoat the area.

Use reset to wash and that's all you really need

Essence to prep
Cquartz to coat
Dlux for trim if you want
Reset to maintenance wash
Snow soap to wash heavily
Essence plus to tackle and marring a year from now or whenever

You could find the same products nearly under Gyeon name too if you like there name better.

Synergy is important keeps things simple.

Carpro just has a great line up pretty much all bases covered.

Might not be the newest and best coating. Still might be the best who knows. But it's proven and really not hard to apply.


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[RippyD]

Cquartz now. And if you have any spots to correct fix in spring then you could recoat the area.

Use reset to wash and that's all you really need

Essence to prep
Cquartz to coat
Dlux for trim if you want
Reset to maintenance wash
Snow soap to wash heavily
Essence plus to tackle and marring a year from now or whenever

Not a bad way to go. Bucket wash requiring a rinse doesn't work well in cold weather. Rinseless using N-914 or Ech2O is better when it's < 45 degress outside (assuming you have a garage). Ability to do a heavy wash in the winter is a problem for some of us, as is keeping the coating working well. Will have to try Snow Soap to see if it can minimize the clay requirement on a coating. Kind of doubting it will remove embedded road grime...

[BudgetPlan1]

Ever since coating our cars, they stay cleaner (requiring less washing) and seem to be a little more resistant to my somewhat lax wash methods; best thing I ever did for our cars as far as keeping them looking good (and 2 outta 3 of our cars are black). The right coating protects from environmental conditions like bird bombs, water spots (etching) and such. I coated a work truck with Gyeon Mohs last February, haven't washed it since. Noticed a bird bomb square on the hood last month, left it on there for a week or so (parked outside all the time, baked in sun, torrential rain) and it cleaned right off without leaving a mark.

[Kamakaz1961]

It's funny this topic came up. I have a nice customer who just bought 2 new Range Rovers and was asking about coating or sealant and wax. I asked how she was going to take care of her new ride. She said she would be taking her ride to the best hand car wash place in Newport Beach, CA. Hello Swirls and I don't care if you have a coating or sealant or wax. Doesn't matter.

I let her know that a coating might not be what she is looking for. Too hard to maintain a coating if not taken care of properly. Re-applying a coating is more cumbersome than a simple sealant and wax. That is my opinion. I know people will disagree with me and so be it. Sealant would be a better way to go as it is easier to correct.

I have tried both and I went back to sealant and wax. The sealant and wax is easier to correct IMO. Until she changes her maintenance technique (no Hand Car wash in Newport Beach) but to do it herself (she won't too busy) the easier to correct method is the way to go.

The good thing is that she is letting me do a show car detail on both of their new Range Rovers and another car which I don't know what it is yet. My guess a Bentley. Show car detailing is not my business. This is my HOBBY.

If someone on this forum that lives near the Newport Beach area would like a great customer to maintain the customers rides (NO CAR WASH) would possible get you some extra $$ for you. You can Private message me. Additionally, I don't want to show car detail 3 cars...maybe hers because I know her well. Her husband not so much.

Either way WHATEVER technique is preferred, you would have a great customer. If the maintenance costs are reasonable my guess you would get more customers. Additionally, I would refer the business to you too.

But I digress, I prefer Sealant and wax over coatings from my experience with all of these products. Again, that is me and I know others will disagree....

[Paul A.]

I completely understand your points, CJ, and you'll not get any criticism from me because I basically agree.

I said in another current "coating" post here that I have a few customers who have a coating from me. BUT...I maintain them also. I "sell" coatings much like you do in that they are not for every customer. The one's who have me do their appearance maintenance are prime candidates and the one's who don't can select a wax or a sealant. I attempt to explain all the differences and let them make the decision.

[RippyD]

I let her know that a coating might not be what she is looking for. Too hard to maintain a coating if not taken care of properly. Re-applying a coating is more cumbersome than a simple sealant and wax. That is my opinion. I know people will disagree with me and so be it. Sealant would be a better way to go as it is easier to correct.

You make some excellent points, particularly this one. Some sealants sheet water for 6-9 months. Maybe not as well as a coating, but well enough. Five minutes to reapply a sealant to a panel. Many don't have much cure time and don't care about colder temps.

Coatings are great. Just haven't decided yet if they have enough advantage given where I live. I am interested in looking into the self-healing coating Richey mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Probably a next year thing for me - too many other products to use up.