Ceramic on sandblasted rocker panels?

[DouginDenver]

Every DIY video and article about ceramic coating shows application to perfect paint, but that is not always realistic. My car I am detailing while the virus has me home bound is a dark blue 2015 BMW 650i convertible with 38,000 miles. The paint corrects to near perfection except the first 8 inches or so of the rocker panels. I live in a dry area and they are blasted with a bazillion tiny pits that only a respray could fully correct. They still look dark blue from normal viewing distance but all the pits give kind of a whitish appearance up close. I'm sure any detailer knows what I'm talking about. My question is whether to go ahead and wipe those areas with Crystal Serum Light or skip them. Will the Crystal Serum turn white in the pits and make it look worse, or will it give a wetting appearance and make it look better? Thanks.

[Mike Phillips]

Every DIY video and article about ceramic coating shows application to perfect paint, but that is not always realistic.

Correct.

Those videos, and we've made them are for a perfect world scenario where it is assumed everyone wants and expects a show car finish.

My car I am detailing while the virus has me home bound is a dark blue 2015 BMW 650i convertible with 38,000 miles. The paint corrects to near perfection except the first 8 inches or so of the rocker panels.

I live in a dry area and they are blasted with a bazillion tiny pits that only a respray could fully correct. They still look dark blue from normal viewing distance but all the pits give kind of a whitish appearance up close.

I'm sure any detailer knows what I'm talking about.

Completely know what you're talking about.

My question is whether to go ahead and wipe those areas with Crystal Serum Light or skip them.

Will the Crystal Serum turn white in the pits and make it look worse, or will it give a wetting appearance and make it look better?

Thanks.

Coat the heck out of them. The coating won't care that they are tiny pits. Just clean as best as you can and then coat.


If you haven't already, don't polish these areas, just wash really well and use a panel wipe to strip. If you polish - you might not be able to get all the polish residue that will "lodge" into the pits out. Make sense?

If you have already polished these areas, then re-wash with a detergent soap like Dawn and use a brush to scrub these areas and use the water, soap and brush bristles to agitate any polish residues out of the pits - as best as is possible and then panel wipe and coat.

[DouginDenver]

Thanks. I will rewash those areas as you suggested. Polishing did nothing except make me feel better for trying.

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks. I will rewash those areas as you suggested. Polishing did nothing except make me feel better for trying.

You done did right.

Polishing always gets the surface down to a

Clean Base

It removes traffic film or road film, previously applied waxes, sealants and coatings, and also any resides that may have built-up from the glossing and shine ingredients in car washes and spray detailers.

I always machine polish any surface I'm going to seal, (seal = wax, sealant or coating), so I can trust the surface is restored down to a clean base.