Need help with New Vehicle

[BrBa]

I just recently bought a new 2023 Honda Ridgeline (I know... I wanted a Tacoma for years until I drove both) in Modern Metallic Silver with the HPD package, so it has bronze wheels and decals. I am considering front end paint protection film and/or DIY applied ceramic coating to keep it protected.



Ceramic Coating: There seems to be 50+ products out that are topped with another 50+ products and I need to narrow it down. I live in Florida and deal with love bug season. My truck lives outside as the garage is taken up by a project car. I sometimes do not wash my cars as often as they need to be so I am looking for protection while I am being lazy. I would also like my new trucks paint to look glossy/deep. I am willing to put in a substantial amount of prep time if it means I can go a couple of years with easy washes while maintaining a good looking vehicle. I have a Griots random orbital buffer (orange and white Lake Country pads) and experience with very basic paint correction (HD speed). What is everyone's go-to ceramic coating in this situation?

Interior: I have perforated black leather seats and every used vehicle I have looked at has horrible looking leather seats that are either too glossy, worn, or both. I understand that modern car seats are coated, so is leather conditioner useless at this point? What you recommend to keep them from scratching, tearing, looking worn out?

Exterior Trim: My truck has a lot of plastic trim around the bottom/bumpers that I want to keep looking nice. I have tried Finish Solution in the past which is great at making black trim look black for a month or so, but what can i use to keep the trim protected so that it does not fade?

Wheels: My wheels are painted with a matte bronze finish, I would like to keep them very easy to clean and protected as much as the paint. Can I use whatever ceramic trim I decide on for this or should I use a wheel specific coating? (What is the difference?)

Sorry for my newb questions, its just that the market has 200 options for every single thing I research and its overwhelming.

[Rsurfer]

I just recently bought a new 2023 Honda Ridgeline (I know... I wanted a Tacoma for years until I drove both) in Modern Metallic Silver with the HPD package, so it has bronze wheels and decals. I am considering front end paint protection film and/or DIY applied ceramic coating to keep it protected.

Congrats

Ceramic Coating: There seems to be 50+ products out that are topped with another 50+ products and I need to narrow it down. I live in Florida and deal with love bug season. My truck lives outside as the garage is taken up by a project car. I sometimes do not wash my cars as often as they need to be so I am looking for protection while I am being lazy. I would also like my new trucks paint to look glossy/deep. I am willing to put in a substantial amount of prep time if it means I can go a couple of years with easy washes while maintaining a good looking vehicle. I have a Griots random orbital buffer (orange and white Lake Country pads) and experience with very basic paint correction (HD speed). What is everyone's go-to ceramic coating in this situation?Car Pro's Cquartz 3.0

Interior: I have perforated black leather seats and every used vehicle I have looked at has horrible looking leather seats that are either too glossy, worn, or both. I understand that modern car seats are coated, so is leather conditioner useless at this point? What you recommend to keep them from scratching, tearing, looking worn out?[COLOR="#FF0000"]Use a leather coating (Car Pro's Leather coating) rather than a protectant./COLOR]

Exterior Trim: My truck has a lot of plastic trim around the bottom/bumpers that I want to keep looking nice. I have tried Finish Solution in the past which is great at making black trim look black for a month or so, but what can i use to keep the trim protected so that it does not fade? Dlux

Wheels: My wheels are painted with a matte bronze finish, I would like to keep them very easy to clean and protected as much as the paint. Can I use whatever ceramic trim I decide on for this or should I use a wheel specific coating? (What is the difference?)You could use your paint coating, but Dlux may be more durable.

Sorry for my newb questions, its just that the market has 200 options for every single thing I research and its overwhelming.

mmn

[PA DETAILER]

I would keep it simple and look at one of the easy-to-use spray coatings.

Search Results

Leather seats. I found BF Complete leather perfect.

BLACKFIRE Leather Complete

Exterior trim and wheels. USE THE SPRAY COATING. My wheels and trim are 4 years old and still look new.

Here is my 18 ZR2. Protected with TW Hybrid solutions spray coating, wet wax and Flex wax.



I really pity anyone today new to detailing! The options are overwhelming!

[dlc95]

I'd pick up some 3D ONE because it doesn't have any wax or sealant in it, like Speed does.

For exterior ceramic coating:
Optimum Paint Prep / Optimum Gloss Coat

For trim/plastics/wheels:
Optimum Opti-Seal, Hyper Seal, or Gloss Coat.

Interior leather:
Optimum Leather Protectant

Hard interior surfaces:
Optimum Opti-Seal

Interior fabric:
Optimum Carpet & Fabric Cleaner & Protectant.

These are not the most popular products on the forum, but for me they're a perfect fit. I've used their No Rinse (ONR) for years as my only way to clean a car. Even if I need to power wash it first, I always wash with their No Rinse. I also like to use their Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer, Car Wax, or Opti/Hyper Seal as a drying aide depending on my mood. They all seem to work great with on another, which makes out vehicles super easy to maintain.

I use these both for personal and professional uses.

[Flash Gordon]

You could've made 6 posts out of this

I'm not a big fan of ppf mainly due to the costs. It's not just the initial purchase. In 7-10 years (give or take) it will need to be replaced. Just removing the old usually runs 1k (give or take). When removing there's a chance that they/you will lift the paint (happens a lot).
Having said all that if you live close to the coast the front of your vehicle will get sandblasted when your driving (especially on the interstate), so I could justify getting it in your case. If you don't do alot of interstate driving maybe you could pass.

As far as coatings go cquartz UK 3.0 or Optimum gloss coat are very easy to apply and should get you 2-3 years down the road.

I will have to make another reply to the other 18 questions that you have I'm about to starve to death over here. Time to wrestle up something to eat other then corn chips

[dcjredline]

Gtechniq

[Flash Gordon]

Interior: Yes, its coated leather. I recommend just keeping it clean. Dressings attract dirt.

Exterior trim: when you finish coating your paint coat the trim. You don't need solution finish (great product btw) on a new vehicle

Wheels: You say you have a project car? I assume that means you are mechanically inclined. Best way to do the wheels are to remove (always use jackstands), clean then coat.
You'll see coating manufacturers offer a wheel coating but I doubt seriously it's any different then their paint coating.
You may need 2 bottles to do all of this. If you have extra coat your shower tile. Makes cleaning much easier.

[The Guz]

I just recently bought a new 2023 Honda Ridgeline (I know... I wanted a Tacoma for years until I drove both) in Modern Metallic Silver with the HPD package, so it has bronze wheels and decals.

Congrats.

I am considering front end paint protection film and/or DIY applied ceramic coating to keep it protected.

I have not used it so I can not comment on how good it is. It is also new to the market. I am sure it is good and that they did their homework. If you want to give it a try then go for it. It sometimes takes a few coatings to figure out what checks the boxes.

Ceramic Coating: There seems to be 50+ products out that are topped with another 50+ products and I need to narrow it down. I live in Florida and deal with love bug season. My truck lives outside as the garage is taken up by a project car. I sometimes do not wash my cars as often as they need to be so I am looking for protection while I am being lazy. I would also like my new trucks paint to look glossy/deep. I am willing to put in a substantial amount of prep time if it means I can go a couple of years with easy washes while maintaining a good looking vehicle. I have a Griots random orbital buffer (orange and white Lake Country pads) and experience with very basic paint correction (HD speed). What is everyone's go-to ceramic coating in this situation?

There are many good coatings these days. With proper maintenance they perform just fine. You also have to ask yourself if you are looking for a multi-year option or a coating lite that will get you 18-24 months. I have used many coatings and I will share some that have worked well and would make good options.

Coating Lite:

Cquartz Lite
Gyeon CanCoat Evo
Diamond ProTech Diamond Body - This is fairly new but the most hydrophobic of them all.

Coatings:

Cquartz UK 3.0
Gyeon Mohs Evo
Adams Graphene Advanced
DP GR4 Graphene Coating- Autogeek house brand.
Poorboys Ceramic Coating - Very slick for a few months
Diamond ProTech Diamond Body 36 - This is fairly new. It is hydrophobic and slick. I have been testing these coatings recently.

I

Interior: I have perforated black leather seats and every used vehicle I have looked at has horrible looking leather seats that are either too glossy, worn, or both. I understand that modern car seats are coated, so is leather conditioner useless at this point? What you recommend to keep them from scratching, tearing, looking worn out?

Frequently keeping them clean and protected will keep them looking nice for a long time. Look into Colourlock Leather Shield as your car is new. If you keep it longer than 3 years then you can incorporate leather protector. The other option is to use a leather coating such as Cquartz Leather 2.0.

Your seats will get wrinkles as that is normal wear and tear.

Exterior Trim: My truck has a lot of plastic trim around the bottom/bumpers that I want to keep looking nice. I have tried Finish Solution in the past which is great at making black trim look black for a month or so, but what can i use to keep the trim protected so that it does not fade?

Solution finish is great for restoring trim. It does not offer protective qualities so it needs to be sealed on top. They now offer over the top which can be used as a stand alone on new trim. Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant is another forum favorite.

If you go the coating route just keep in mind that it will lock out the ability to restore the trim with solution finish. A coating also needs to be kept up on trim and recommend a yearly application to keep it looking good. Some of the coatings I mentioned up above can be used for trim.

For a dedicated trim coating, I used to use CarPro DLUX for a long time on trim and it is a good product. Poorboys ceramic trim coating is just better and longer lasting.

Wheels: My wheels are painted with a matte bronze finish, I would like to keep them very easy to clean and protected as much as the paint. Can I use whatever ceramic trim I decide on for this or should I use a wheel specific coating? (What is the difference?)

Any coating will work so you could use the same coating you use for your paint. You will need a larger bottle if you use the same paint coating. They will not become glossy but they will have a richer appearance.

CarPro DLUX is a good option. I would recommend a double coat to increase its overall performance and durability.

In short if you go with the DIY Detail you can use my discount code MIKEGDIY to save 10%. I believe their coating is 60 ml's which is plenty to do what you need on the entire exterior.

Good luck and post photos once you are done.

[Coatingsarecrack]

I would probably use Gyeon Mohs Evo on a new car. If you want glossier Pure Evo. No need to top but if you like to add slickness and applying something to your car you can….. I do.

Trim I would ceramic coat. I like Cerakote trim coating but Dlux a lot here like Dlux. CanCoat also is nice if you wanna apply yearly. I’ve gotten 2 years out of Cerakote and still looks good but this was on weathered trim.

I’ve used Gyeon LeatherShield coating and it is nice. I like to use their LeatherCoat or Pinnacle Black Label Leather&Vinyl coating on my own leathers.

Wheels: Dlux if you buy it or as said use what you have for paint

The PBL is my favorite but it is also expensive.


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