Ceramic vs. Wax - Can We Cut To The Chase?

[TMQ]

acuRAS82---

Just wondering---what did you use to correct the Q5?

Maybe...it's more work but maybe if you could finish out the polish with an ultra fine polish on soft pad? That probably will create the light bending look w/o going to a coating. Just thinking out loud here...

In my early days---went nuts on my Lexus, compounded, fine polish and ultra fine polished the car! Took me 2 days. And the dang car has very soft paint. To this day----it looks like glass!

And of course went with a coating a year later. Still looks like a mirror!

Tom

[acuRAS82]

acuRAS82---

Just wondering---what did you use to correct the Q5?

Maybe...it's more work but maybe if you could finish out the polish with an ultra fine polish on soft pad? That probably will create the light bending look w/o going to a coating. Just thinking out loud here...

In my early days---went nuts on my Lexus, compounded, fine polish and ultra fine polished the car! Took me 2 days. And the dang car has very soft paint. To this day----it looks like glass!

And of course went with a coating a year later. Still looks like a mirror!

Tom

I’ve gone overboard too doing swirl remover with orange LC and then ultra fine with white or softer. It looks great but I prefer the extra 5% that an LSP adds, the look that some sort of shield is on the car. I wasn’t saying it needs to be a coating specifically, but any LSP in my opinion adds the cherry on the cake that I like and cherish. I don’t doubt my OCD paint correction process... I just like that extra.

[98CayenneTA]

Imo a quality ceramic is better in every way, shape and form over a wax/sealant.
I don't even use waxes anymore period. Everything gets coated.

Deeper, wetter, richer, glossier, smoother.

Cquartz Uk 3.0
Single stage paint
- Menzerna 400
- Menzerna 2400
- Carpro Essence
1974 Nova

[acuRAS82]

Imo a quality ceramic is better in every way, shape and form over a wax/sealant.
I don't even use waxes anymore period. Everything gets coated.

Deeper, wetter, richer, glossier, smoother.

Cquartz Uk 3.0
Single stage paint
- Menzerna 400
- Menzerna 2400
- Carpro Essence
1974 Nova

What’s your visual preference, the pure paint right after Menz polishing or the final result with Essence/CQ UK?

[98CayenneTA]

What’s your visual preference, the pure paint right after Menz polishing or the final result with Essence/CQ UK?

The final result.
I LOVE the look of coatings

[WillSports3]

It's always about the reflection of light essentially. Wax on its own is essentially a very very thin film of oil that sits on the paint. Sealant is a very very thin layer of polymer. A coating is a very very thin layer of siloxane resin.

What I find for best result is always a coating with a high quality SiO2 wax on top. It gives you that glassy look (due to a higher reflectivity angle) but also wet at the same time. (Depends on the angle you look at the car and the angle the panel is).

[acuRAS82]

The final result.
I LOVE the look of coatings

It's always about the reflection of light essentially. Wax on its own is essentially a very very thin film of oil that sits on the paint. Sealant is a very very thin layer of polymer. A coating is a very very thin layer of siloxane resin.

What I find for best result is always a coating with a high quality SiO2 wax on top. It gives you that glassy look (due to a higher reflectivity angle) but also wet at the same time. (Depends on the angle you look at the car and the angle the panel is).

Yeah, this was all I was trying to say earlier. No matter how well the polishing job comes out, I prefer the look (not just the protection, self-cleaning, etc) of my final LSP. No matter what that is at the time, it’s rare (maybe only a few times when I used pretty bland sealants) that I like the final look less than the fresh polished look. And that’s knocking a fresh polish at all... the fresh polishing job is 90% what makes the final look as well.

[SpaceAce]

^^Per Bob, some people like the clarity of freshly polished cars. I typically can’t wait to bend the light differently with an LSP. Doesn’t change the surface quality, but can change the way light reflects and refracts. Nuances, but ones I can typically see under certain times of day or lighting or angles.

I think you’re onto something here.. I recently compounded and polished my Audi, then used Meguiars ultimate liquid wax, topped with Collinite 845. The glow I see in the reflections is amazing, especially at sunset. The car just looks amazing with that Carnauba LSP.

[DUBL0WS6]

Some products create a sharp glassy look and others produce a softer diffused look. Really depends on the color and the look you prefer.