Well, Now What Product?

[propflux01]

I opened a thread on swirl remover products earlier, and have made my choice on the products I will use for that part. I was going to use my trusted collinite for the final wax.... then I started reading more here. Something tells me I shouldn’t have done that! Since I e come out of my cave I see many new silicone type sealants. I tried “the last coat” and while impressed on how easy it was to use, a month later, it was pretty much gone. So nix to that. So next I go into the review forum where Mike Phillips reviews these newer Spray-on SiO2 Ceramic Coatings.I read further and get intrigued on his review on this Wolfgang Uber CeramicSpray Coating. So now I know that review is a couple years old now. I am wondering, should I set aside my collinite and go for one of these new ceramic things? Honestly, after “the last coat” I’m kinda not that impressed, but his review of the Wolfgang gets me to thinking this might be better, or maybe a better product since then has come around. Anyone got advice on what would be best course of action, and best brands? Or should I just stick with the collinite? Thank you in advance for any advice.

[dgage]

Collinite 845 is still a solid choice and well-regarded. So is Finish Kare 1000P, which is a polymerized wax. Those will both give you a solid 6 months of protection, which is about what you’d get with most spray sealants though spray sealants are easier to apply and can cover trim, glass, etc. The Griot’s 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax is one of the more popular spray sealants due to price, protection, ease of use, and locally available. I’d probably recommend that to you if you wanted something simpler to apply. But every company makes a version of the SiO2 spray sealants but they are all generally 6 months of protection. The next step up from that would be Gyeon CanCoat Evo, which should offer a solid 12-18 months depending on environmental variables.

[PouncingPanzer]

As someone who recently jumped off the SiO2 bandwagon and went back to wax(Collinite specifically) feel free to send that wax my way lolol.

That said I admit it takes longer than, say, Jescar Ceramic Spray Wax or equivalent product. But I detail for pleasure and relaxation, when I am waxing the last thing I'm in is a hurry. My attitude will change when the little one arrives no doubt, speed will be the name of the game and who knows due to time constraints I may go back to spray SiO2.

I will also confirm that Jescar Ultra Lock Plus outlasts 845 by a couple months. So if you don't mind the "wax-on wax-off" process BUT want to go to SiO2, Ultra Lock Plus is my vote. I was blown away by the longevity through last winter. Easily lasted from Mid- October to Mid-March or so.

[TheSeeker]

Although I am pleased with Black Fire One Step, I too found the SiO2 sprays to be a disappointment even for a garage kept rarely driven car.

My process going forward is wash, clay bar, BF One Step via PC DA and LC pad, with Collinites 476 (via hand) as a last step protection.

[evo77]

Anyone got advice on what would be best course of action, and best brands? Or should I just stick with the collinite? Thank you in advance for any advice.

My advice is don't get caught up in this what is "best" mindset because there is no such thing. There is a bit of an objectivity aspect with car care products but ultimately the outcome is SUBJECTIVE. Why? Because there are so many variables that come into play that can affect user experience and final results. Not to mention how people *perceive* differently. This is the exact reason why if you look at any thread titled with "what is the best..." you will get dozens of different answers by different people.

Do you enjoy Collinite? Does it provide sufficient protection for your world? If the answer is YES, then why not continue to use it?

If the alternate answer is "because I want to see if there is something better out there" then my friend, you have opened up pandoras box. lol

Generally speaking, products with ceramic (sio2) offer longer durability then typical waxes and sealants. But that just means you'll have to reapply less often. If this isn't a priority, and reapplying new protection every 2-3 months with something like Collinite isn't a problem or inconvenience, then why change at all?

But if you end up being a car care nut and want to experiment and throw loads of money on a bunch of waxes that you don't need like the rest of us do have at it and enjoy!

[propflux01]

“If the alternate answer is "because I want to see if there is something better out there" then my friend, you have opened up pandoras box. lol”

That’s always my reasoning for pretty much everything. I’m getting older and it’s harder to detail than in the last. I do enjoy it, but by the time I’m done detailing, my body is done as well. Hence my search. The big question, stay with the collinite, or is there something easier that is better than the collinite. About 3-4 years back, I tried the last coat. Love the ease in which it applied, but the durability left a lot to be desired. I didn’t want to make the same mistake.

[evo77]

“If the alternate answer is "because I want to see if there is something better out there" then my friend, you have opened up pandoras box. lol”

That’s always my reasoning for pretty much everything. I’m getting older and it’s harder to detail than in the last. I do enjoy it, but by the time I’m done detailing, my body is done as well. Hence my search. The big question, stay with the collinite, or is there something easier that is better than the collinite. About 3-4 years back, I tried the last coat. Love the ease in which it applied, but the durability left a lot to be desired. I didn’t want to make the same mistake.

You know what is easiest? A car wash infused with sio2. This way you are applying fresh protection at EVERY wash and your paint will be protected indefinitely, assuming you wash your cars on a regular basis. No more secondary chore of pulling out the can of wax and doing the Daniel-son wax-on-wax-off dance.

This may be an unpopular opinion because of the brand but I speak based on experience. I have been testing for the past few months the Armor All Extreme Shield Ceramic Car Wash. This stuff is ridiculously cheap at Walmart, like 10-11 bucks or so but it WORKS so good. The beading and slickness is quite impressive for a wash on rinse-off product.

Hear me out...

I don't use this stuff as my primary soap (i use something else). I only use the AA ceramic wash after the car has been cleaned. With the vehicle still WET from the rinse, I take a separate dedicated wash mitt just for the AA ceramic wash and spray the mitt with ceramic wash (i put it in a spray bottle). The high concentration this way works better than mixing in a bucket of water. Wipe the mitt on a panel. You don't need to work it in or do anything extra, you just need to make contact with the paint. Then immediately rinse off with pressure washer or hose. Done. Paint protected and beading like crazy. You don't even have to do this at every wash. You could do this once a month. Pretty easy if you ask me.

There are plenty of other comparable ceramic spray-n-rinse products on the market you can choose from. But in my opinion, the contact application is better (applying with a mitt rather than spray and hose off) and the AA stuff is cheapest then everything else so there is really no need to spend more when it does the same job if not a little better.

[dgage]

“If the alternate answer is "because I want to see if there is something better out there" then my friend, you have opened up pandoras box. lol”

That’s always my reasoning for pretty much everything. I’m getting older and it’s harder to detail than in the last. I do enjoy it, but by the time I’m done detailing, my body is done as well. Hence my search. The big question, stay with the collinite, or is there something easier that is better than the collinite. About 3-4 years back, I tried the last coat. Love the ease in which it applied, but the durability left a lot to be desired. I didn’t want to make the same mistake.

Easier. Definitely. If you want longer protection that you only apply once a year, go with Gyeon CanCoat Evo, which is a quick wipe-on, wipe-off lite ceramic coating solution and should get you a solid 12 months of protection. If you want easier but apply 3-4 times a year, go with Griot’s 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax. The products in the SiO2 spray sealant category are more similar than they are different and there really is no best. I also do like Adam’s Advanced Graphene Spray as I treat it like Frank’s Red Hot and put that #### on everything (car, mower, trim, glass, mats, etc) but it is more expensive and not that much better.

[luckydawg]

I detail for pleasure and relaxation,

next time your in west central fl I have 3 that you can have plenty of relaxation time with

[luckydawg]

After you polish I would go with PA cosmic V2

Then in about a month and a half or so get you a 500 ml bottle of PA cosmic spritz and use it after every third wash or so

Kinda pricey but well worth it