Ceramic Coat what to do?

[arthur1920]

Just had my vintage car repainted.
Painter wouldn't wet sand it so that's what I have been doing.

Wet sanded.
Menzerna 1500 on a light cut foam pad
Menserna 4000 on microfiber.
Is it ready to ceramic coat now, after a wipe down with something?


Having done all that I think I should use the opportunity to apply a ceramic coat product. Car is a weekend driver. My goal is reduced maintenance, and paint protection from sap, birds, insects.

Paint is top of the line Martin Seynor 3 coats and then "3 1/2 coats of the best clear", according to painter.

This will be my first try at ceramic coating. So, What is the best ceramic in terms of ease of putting it on right and durability? And what do I need to clean the paint before installation? W and G remover? IPA? Lacquer thinner? Or special product that matches the ceramic brand?

I have been reading the forum extensively-there's a LOT-and now I am thoroughly confused.

Also, I wonder, 2 or 3 yrs down the line how do I reapply the ceramic? Can I just wash the car and put another coat on? I would not like to have to compound and buff the car again to do that.

Also, could someone explain what is meant by a decontamination wash? How is that different from regular washing with a car shampoo?

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Hi welcome to AutoGeekOnline!

I would finish out with 4000 on a foam polishing pad rather than a microfiber. 90% foam will always finish better than microfiber. After that a good wipe down is necessary.

There are many great paint coatings on the market now. You cant go wrong with your choice.

As for re-applying later on down the road polishing at minimum will be needed before re application.

A decon wash is using a soap that is designed for that purpose rather than just a normal soap. One that comes to mind is CarPro IronX Snow soap.

[Coatingsarecrack]

I did my first with Cquartz UK 3.0. Great stuff, been in for a year and still going strong.

How long has it been since paint? Should let it cure for 2 to 3 months before applying anything


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[arthur1920]

thank you for your help

[arthur1920]

I did my first with Cquartz UK 3.0. Great stuff, been in for a year and still going strong.

How long has it been since paint? Should let it cure for 2 to 3 months before applying anything


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Paint was done by end of November. Painter said ok to do immediately, wax, compound, whatever.

That said, doesn't paint correction expose "new" paint? That is previously unexposed to atmosphere?

[arthur1920]

there was a comparison test of ceramic coatings on the web and they said "AK" was the best. Anyone agree with that?

TIA

[The Guz]

Mike gave you some good advice. There are many coatings available on the market. Most of the reputable brands have established coatings. If you are not ready to try a full blown coating you can start with a coating lite product such as Cquartz Lite or Gyeon CanCoat.

I will expand a little more on the decon wash process. This includes the use of an iron remover, a tar remover if needed and a wash such as CarPro Reset. It will keep the coating as contaminant free as possible.

[Coatingsarecrack]

Paint was done by end of November. Painter said ok to do immediately, wax, compound, whatever.

That said, doesn't paint correction expose "new" paint? That is previously unexposed to atmosphere?

From what i’ve read is paint needs time to off gas. Coating would in a sense seal the paint. I would guess if it was done in November it’s done all the off gassing needed. Removing a microscopic layer shouldn’t change any of that but i’m no painter.


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[Mike Phillips]

Just had my vintage car repainted.
Painter wouldn't wet sand it so that's what I have been doing.

Wet sanded.
Menzerna 1500 on a light cut foam pad
Menserna 4000 on microfiber.
Is it ready to ceramic coat now, after a wipe down with something?


Having done all that I think I should use the opportunity to apply a ceramic coat product. Car is a weekend driver. My goal is reduced maintenance, and paint protection from sap, birds, insects.

Paint is top of the line Martin Seynor 3 coats and then "3 1/2 coats of the best clear", according to painter.

Congratulations on the new paint job on the VINTAGE car. So now I'm curious.... what is the car?

Picture?


Also - did you get out 100% of the sanding marks using a light cut foam pad?

This will be my first try at ceramic coating. So, What is the best ceramic in terms of ease of putting it on right and durability?

For ease of application - right now I'd say the new Wolfgang Uber Spray Si02 Coating. I have a longevity test going on here but it will be at least 6 months before we'll see anything substantial for degradation. But it's sure easy to use.


Real World Ceramic Coating Test by Mike Phillips





For a conventional ceramic coating, that is the tiny glass bottle, foam block and microfiber suede patch of cloth - then as long as you pick an reputable established brand you can't go wrong. They all do what they advertise.

The REAL KEY to getting anything, a coating, wax or synthetic paint sealant to LAST a LONG time comes down to.......................... how you touch the paint. Read through these two articles...


How long will a ceramic coating last on my car?

How to safely wash a ceramic coated car by Mike Phillips - Traditional Hose & Bucket Approach

And what do I need to clean the paint before installation? W and G remover? IPA? Lacquer thinner? Or special product that matches the ceramic brand?

I tend to be a "Systems Guy", you can read what I mean about that here,

Synergistic Chemical Compatibility by Mike Phillips

So once you choose a brand of coating, see if that brand also has a panel wipe and go with it.

Remember - you need to wait 30 days before wiping fresh paint with a solvent. It's simply not a good practice. I think I share why in the first portion of this article,


How to Mix IPA for Inspecting Correction Results

Gosh - hard to believe I wrote the above article 10 years ago....

I have been reading the forum extensively-there's a LOT-and now I am thoroughly confused.

But keep in mind, having too many choices is a good problem to have - I remember when we only had a few choices, (like when it comes to polishers), and then people complained.

Also, I wonder, 2 or 3 yrs down the line how do I reapply the ceramic? Can I just wash the car and put another coat on? I would not like to have to compound and buff the car again to do that.

The only way to 100% insure 100% of the previously applied coating has been removed is to machine polish the paint. You probably or shouldn't have to COMPOUND the paint but polish for sure. But keep in mind, after 2-3 years you're going to NEED and WANT to machine polish, get everything OFF the paint and get down to a fresh base. Plus you'll have created some level of swirls and scratches by then so polishing will return a true show car finish to your vintage car.

Also, could someone explain what is meant by a decontamination wash? How is that different from regular washing with a car shampoo?

Here's one way to chemically decontaminate a car or a decontamination wash.

SONAX Fallout Remover - How to chemically decontaminate paint before restoring a show car finish by Mike Phillips


This is just an old 2-door Oldsmobile....








It's different than a normal wash in that ti removes iron contamination and in the case of the SONAX product, it removes a wide spectrum of pollution and contamination. It's not just focused on iron.

[Mike Phillips]

Also,


For the reasons I shared here, look for the dirty white buffing pads and read the text around them...

Review: Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax






I'm actually not a "believer" in trying to get years out of a coating, at least not on a daily driver.

The case against multi-year ceramic paint coatings - Road Grime = Surface Staining Daily Drivers by Mike Phillips



Something to think about.


Plus - NOTHING looks as good as a freshly polished and coated car.