Ceramic for new car

**raysaint** · 10-03-2023, 11:30 AM

Haven't been on in a while, but my detailing motivation is alive again (used to take care of my car better than now.)
However, my wife has a brand new Mazda CX-30 coming soon, Soul Red Metallic. I want to give it a coat of ceramic before winter. Seems like ceramic is the way to go these days (I'll save my paint sealer until spring.)
The dealer is going to clay bar the car before delivery.
Questions:
1) What steps/products should I do before ceramic; paint cleaner? mild polish? swirl remover? and what about iron remover (car is coming from Mexico.)
2) What is a good, but easy, ceramic for a first timer?
3) How to apply ceramic? the article on here is mainly about prep, not really about applicators, flash, all that stuff, which I'm unfamiliar with.
Look forward to your expertise, good to be back.

**Optimus Grime** · 10-03-2023, 12:36 PM

1. Don't let the dealership touch the car. If you've ever seen dealership detailing their clay barring while probably cause more damage to the paint making your job that much harder. Since it's new get a synthetic clay towel, I use the one from the Rag Company and use that.
2. Depends on the condition of the car. I've had jobs with the new car not having a scratch in sight and needing a prep polish all the way to covered in swirls with water spot etchings. You need to inspect the paint and determine what you'll need; a prep polish, a finishing polish to boost gloss and clean the paint, or a one step like 3D One or Sonar Perfect Finish for more serious defects. I doubt you would need to go beyond a one step polish.
3. Definitely use an iron remover. New doesn't mean uncontaminated.
4. If you're new to coating go with Gyeon Can Coat. It's a wipe on, wipe off coating. On a car that size you can coat it in half an hour if you take your sweet little time. Don't forget to use Gyeon prep before coating.

Skip to the 9 minute mark to sow how easy it is to apply.

**raysaint** · 10-09-2023, 08:08 AM

So I'm thinking a wash, then IronX, then clay towel, mild prep/polish, then ceramic. My concern is weather temp. for ceramic. Too cool may be an issue?
I may buy a car cover and use that after whatever steps I can get done in a day or before the sun comes around to my driveway.
I'd like to use a more significant ceramic, however, a simple one for this winter, and then strip it and do a stronger one in the spring. Or should I go for a strong one now?

**Optimus Grime** · 10-09-2023, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by raysaint

So I'm thinking a wash, then IronX, then clay towel, mild prep/polish, then ceramic. My concern is weather temp. for ceramic. Too cool may be an issue?
I may buy a car cover and use that after whatever steps I can get done in a day or before the sun comes around to my driveway.
I'd like to use a more significant ceramic, however, a simple one for this winter, and then strip it and do a stronger one in the spring. Or should I go for a strong one now?

Anything more serious and you’re getting into the glass bottle coatings and there’s no point in stripping that off after winter. If you’re going to go all in I’d go with either Gyeon Mohs or Crystal Serum Light. I find CSL to be easier to apply, even though, both are easy. Or you can go with CSL’s little brother, EXOv5, which is a fantastic two year coating. It’s about as easy as the glass bottle coatings go with great gloss and insane hydrophobic properties.

Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app

**Desertnate** · 10-09-2023, 03:05 PM

Soul Red is a spectacular color. You will have a great looking car!

Mazda paint isn’t very hard, so as long as the dealership doesn’t touch it like Optimus advised, a light polish should do just fine.

If you want to wait until next spring to apply a longer term coating, my advice would be to skip doing a coating completely. Even CanCoat will last a year if you care for it properly. I’d simply give the vehicle a really good wash and then apply a really durable sealant and then hold out until spring.

Last year we bought a new vehicle in mid-November. When we got it home I washed it and gave it a good application of Wolfgang SiO2 Paint Sealant since I already had some on hand. That carried me through Winter and I the Spring I did a full polish and coated it with Mohs EVO.

**raysaint** · 10-10-2023, 08:11 AM

I have a bottle of Klasse sealant from 4 years ago. Will that give me enough protection over the harsh winter?
And do I need their prep/cleaner, or is a ceramic prep/degreaser enough?
And apply the sealant by hand or random orbital?

**Desertnate** · 10-10-2023, 12:32 PM

Do you mean Klasse Sealant Glaze? If so, yes, it should work. I used that stuff all the time long ago. I could get 5~6 months out of a layer. Maybe a bit longer if I applied two layers.

As for the application, I always paired it with Klasse All in One. However, since you don't have it already I'd just wash the vehicle, do a quick wipe down with a panel prep product and then apply the sealant. I wouldn't spend money on something you don't intend to use again later unless it is absolutely needed. Going one winter without a perfect solution in place won't be a death blow to your new car. Do the best you can now and then do a proper detailing when you get the opportunity next spring.

**raysaint** · 10-13-2023, 02:39 PM

Ok, so my plan is: IronX, clay towel, panel prep (suggestions?), then the sealant (applied by hand and buffed).
I have a jug of Optimum No Rinse for the winter, if I can use it, or take a pail of soap to the DIY car wash and use their water rinse, and wipe dry; that's easier to do wheels too..

But, for all the black trim on the car, around wheel wells, etc. should I ceramic that now? It won't get correction like the paint in the spring. I have Duragloss Flat Black dressing, but is that enough protection, and will it apply in cold weather?

**raysaint** · 10-17-2023, 03:05 PM

I just also bought a bottle of Carpro Perl for all the black trim, and new microfibers. That should get me thru winter. And the wheels won't be on for long, I have Poorboys pink stuff to coat them until winter tires go on.

**Desertnate** · 10-17-2023, 03:19 PM

Do you plan on applying some form of trim coating or the paint coating to the trim in the spring, or will you just keep using Perl?

If you're using Perl going forward you should be just fine. If you'll switch to some form of trim coating in the spring, you'll want to clean the trim really well to make sure there aren't any remnants of the Perl to to interfere with the coating on the trim.