Ceramic Coating Recommendations

[DesperadoDan]

Hey everyone,

First post but have been lurking for quite some time. I have been self detailing my rides since the beginning because I enjoy it. I have always enjoyed working with products and working to get that perfect mirror finish in aged daily drivers. recently I decided to spoil myself and purchase a brand new vehicle for the first time in my life and little did I know I am becoming nervous about maintaining it. Due to that and with winter coming up (if you can call it winter as I'm from the Bay Area) I decided to splurge on something that I have always wanted to have done: ceramic coating and PPF. A few days ago I picked up my brand new truck from the dealership and noticed a ton of buffer trails and halograms in the paint which I couldn't see during the overcast day of purchasing and delivering. Realizing I have never worked on brand new paint I decided to take it to a professional to have the whole truck paint corrected, ceramic coated with Ceramic Pro silver 9H, and full frontal PPF. I can be very OCD when it comes to things and unfortunately that is my own issues but even though there was some issues with contamination within the film the truck looks pretty darn good, just not sure it was worth what I paid but that I will decide in the long term. Now I have done quite a bit of research before and after getting the truck all fixed up but I still have some questions I hope you all can clarify for me.

1. My truck is going to be out in the elements 24/7, and I am nervous about waiting the full 2-3 weeks before washing it because it is a daily driver. I have used 3D waterless wash to remove some of the bugs and fallout that has come over time and I am still within the first week of curing process. Was that a mistake and should I just use distilled water from here on out or is the waterless wash alright to use to get the big stuff off?

2. Everyday we hit dew point and water just sits on my car. I have to be at work early (5 am) and by the time I take lunch the sun has already warmed the car up to get the moisture off. Not having access to a garage what should I do or will it not effect the coating itself?

2. I have read that some people like to use toppers or maintenance boosters from time to time to improve the gloss and clarity of the coating itself. My truck has already had a topper applied before I picked it up but I am looking at possibly purchasing a topper to improve the sheeting and hydrophobic properties of the coating and the longevity of the coating. I haven't used/tested many before and most of my experience is in waxes and sealants which I know shouldn't be used on ceramic coatings and PPF so I am looking for recommendations on something that is easy to use, hard to screw up, doesn't streak and doesn't require a bunch of buffing to remove the product. I was doing a lot of research about c2v3, cancoat, gliss, reload, etc and am just having a hard time figuring out what to purchase or if I should just purchase the ceramic pro care that my detailer didn't really recommend or attempt to push towards me during the pick up. It seems like I can only purchase that stuff from the ceramic pro website and no where else.

4. I have the standard car washing items such as 2 buckets and grit guards for proper washing, 2 TRC cyclone mits, tons of eagle edgeless 500's for waterless washing and quick detailing, griots PFM towels for drying, pf 22 foam cannon, 1900 psi electric pressure washer, so I believe I have most of the supplies to properly take care of my vehicle but is there any other recommendations for products that I will need or any different items I should look into?

5. My maintenance items are for soaps I have carpro reset, hydr02 foam, and a 2 year old half gallon of hyper wash that I can never seem to put a dent into, my quick detailer I purchased carpro elixir, my waterless wash I have carpro ech02 and 3D waterless wash, and I have read but I'm not sure but I also have mckees 10 minute paint sealant that people seem to add to ceramic coated cars. Is there anything else I should get for products that would be needed?

6. I like to wash my cars once a week but my wife hates that I spend so much time on our cars. That is the reason why when it comes to a topper I need something that is quick and easy to use and don't have the time to apply say Gliss once every 6-8 months. Once I am able to wash my truck my plan is to

-Presoak with carpro reset using the foam cannon
-spray clean with the pressure washer
-soak with hydr02 foam
-wash the truck using the 2bm
-dry the truck using my Milwaukee leaf blower and final dry with my pfm towel
-use elixir as a detail spray and help assist as the final drying aid for any left over spots

Is that overkill for once a week or is there a different method I should be doing? Is elixir strong enough to use as a weekly topper to maintain the longevity of my ceramic coat or is it strictly used as a quick detailer.


I believe that is all of the issues/questions I have for now. I never thought I would confuse myself to this point but I have. I want my ceramic coat and PPF to last as long as possible and retain the properties that I spent a ridiculous amount of money on despite not having a garage or a covered area to park under. I am willing to purchase products as needed and want to make sure the products that I would be using wont clog or ruin the ceramic coat or PPF.

Thanks in advance

[evo77]

1. My truck is going to be out in the elements 24/7, and I am nervous about waiting the full 2-3 weeks before washing it because it is a daily driver. I have used 3D waterless wash to remove some of the bugs and fallout that has come over time and I am still within the first week of curing process. Was that a mistake and should I just use distilled water from here on out or is the waterless wash alright to use to get the big stuff off?

2. Everyday we hit dew point and water just sits on my car. I have to be at work early (5 am) and by the time I take lunch the sun has already warmed the car up to get the moisture off. Not having access to a garage what should I do or will it not effect the coating itself?

What does the curing process instructions tell you for your Ceramic Pro coating? Every coating is different. Its best to follow the manufacturers specific instructions. Taking a quick look at their website, one of the don'ts is to "wash or abrade the paint" during the curing process but it also talks about what to do if you get bird droppings.

3. I have read that some people like to use toppers or maintenance boosters from time to time to improve the gloss and clarity of the coating itself. My truck has already had a topper applied before I picked it up but I am looking at possibly purchasing a topper to improve the sheeting and hydrophobic properties of the coating and the longevity of the coating. I haven't used/tested many before and most of my experience is in waxes and sealants which I know shouldn't be used on ceramic coatings and PPF so I am looking for recommendations on something that is easy to use, hard to screw up, doesn't streak and doesn't require a bunch of buffing to remove the product. I was doing a lot of research about c2v3, cancoat, gliss, reload, etc and am just having a hard time figuring out what to purchase or if I should just purchase the ceramic pro care that my detailer didn't really recommend or attempt to push towards me during the pick up. It seems like I can only purchase that stuff from the ceramic pro website and no where else.

Again, follow the manufacturers specific instructions. What topper or quick detailer do they say to use? Do they have their own version? I have always been a proponent of the "synergy" of using products from the same brand as they are often developed to work in unison and usually perform better this way. This doesn't mean you can't use other products but when you start topping a coating with something from another brand, then it may negatively affect its performance. Its also harder to determine how a coating is performing when you top it with stuff rather than leave it alone for its designed life duration.

4. I have the standard car washing items such as 2 buckets and grit guards for proper washing, 2 TRC cyclone mits, tons of eagle edgeless 500's for waterless washing and quick detailing, griots PFM towels for drying, pf 22 foam cannon, 1900 psi electric pressure washer, so I believe I have most of the supplies to properly take care of my vehicle but is there any other recommendations for products that I will need or any different items I should look into?

Looks like you got this covered.

5. My maintenance items are for soaps I have carpro reset, hydr02 foam, and a 2 year old half gallon of hyper wash that I can never seem to put a dent into, my quick detailer I purchased carpro elixir, my waterless wash I have carpro ech02 and 3D waterless wash, and I have read but I'm not sure but I also have mckees 10 minute paint sealant that people seem to add to ceramic coated cars. Is there anything else I should get for products that would be needed?

Carpro reset and Hyper Wash are great soaps. Be sure you use them at their recommended dilution rations. Too much soap in a bucket using the ole' glug-glug method could alter the coatings behavior due to soap residue still left behind not fully rinsed off.

Again, be careful of quick detailers from other brands. For waterless/rinseless washes using something that leaves NOTHING behind is what I would recommend. Mckees37 N914 or Micro Detailer MD Ceramic Wash Xpress. These are pure cleaners without gloss agents, waxes, polymers etc.

[DesperadoDan]

Thanks for the assistance I appreciate it. I don’t think it’s bird droppings that I am getting but I am getting a lot of pollen and yellow dots from something. It must be some sort of fallout but I am not sure. I have read their recommendations on their website but the products that I have ordered will actually arrive AFTER the curing time so I kind of need to use something during the mean time to remove the fallout and pollen before it sticks and works itself into the ceramic coating. Is there something I can use to remove the pollen and fallout during the curing process? The morning dew looks to be creating small water spots on my ceramic coated ppf as well.

[theory816]

My recommendation, Adams Graphene Ceramic Spray - lasted 99 washes.

If you are really anal about keeping your car swirl free and clean, it's best to get a beater during the winter and drive that in the nasty weather conditions. Nothing really damages your car like the elements. The more you have to wash, the more scratches you will instill.

[Coatingsarecrack]

I would try to abstain from washing, waterless or otherwise. Let the coating cure.

Elixer weekly is overkill, once, twice a month is fine. With that amount of use a different topper isn’t needed.

For how long these bottles last I don’t mind paying for expensive toppers as the bottles will last me 2-3 years.

In the bay area my choice would be PA high gloss every three months and presto detailer every couple weeks to keep protected and nice and shiny.

A 500ml bottle of both will run you $160 but again will last you 2-3 years. Protection of these products are top notch but I recommend for Cali as I feel nothing else holds a candle in the looks department.

Some will come here and tell you PA is overpriced and not worth it but i’ve tried alot of other expensive and cheap toppers and the PA cosmic has been the best.

Once out High Gloss, Gold Zirkon and Presto will be ordered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Desertnate]

Elixer weekly is overkill, once, twice a month is fine. With that amount of use a different topper isn’t needed.

Great advice is the post, but I thought I'd add to this comment.

CarPro may call Elixr a QD spray, but after going through a bottle I'm not sure I agree. It didn't seem to have much cleaning ability, and it isn't particularly easy to use like I'd expect from a QD spray. I surely isn't something I'd use to spot-clean bird droppings or fingerprints/smudges between a wash.

For a quick clean-ups or routine post-wash wipe down, I'd use ECH2O diluted to the QD ratio. Elixr will work as a topper as described aready. I applied it to an unprotected area on my wife's car (long story) and noticed it provided visible protection for over four weeks. Rather surprising for a quick detailer.

Also beware of applying Elixr in temps at/below 50F. I found it to be rather smeary and it doesn't dry very well in colder temps.