Review & How-To: Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating





Product: Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating
Project: 1951 Mercury Coupe

After machine compounding and polishing the paint on this custom show car to perfection my next goal was to take the already stellar results to an even higher level. What I want to do is create that glassy look where the paint truly looks like it has a fire glaze that bakes in the shine. To get this kind of look plus long lasting protection and easy maintenance I knew the right category of paint protection product would need to be a ceramic paint coating.

Besides the fact that the 1949 to 1951 Mercury body styles are prized for customizing among top car builders in the custom car hobby this particular 1951 Mercury also has a custom flame job painted by JoAnn Bortles of Crazy Horse Custom Painting.

To show off the crazy flame job the iconic body style famous on the show car circuit I chose Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating to create insane shine while also providing years of protection to the custom paint job. The other benefit to using a ceramic paint coating is the self-cleaning effect since the coating creates a hydro-phobic surface meaning water and other liquids are repelled from the surface. This makes cleaning faster and easier no matter what approach you use to clean your car including,

  1. Traditional car wash
  2. Rinseless wash
  3. Waterless wash
  4. Spray detailers
This is one of my favorite aspects about ceramic paint coatings and that's how much faster and easier it is to wash and dry a coated car. It is this characteristic that separates paint coatings from traditional car waxes and synthetic paint sealants besides the extended protection and striking visual appearance Uber Ceramic Paint Coating imparts to the finish.


Review
If you're looking for long lasting protection, we're talking years not months but you want something that's as easy to apply and remove as your favorite carnauba wax or synthetic paint sealant then you Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating.






This is the easiest ceramic paint coating you ca find when it comes to application and removal. It's so easy that even someone that has NEVER used a ceramic paint coating before can get the same insane high gloss results you'll see below.

There are two components to the Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating.

1. Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating.
2. Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep.



Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep
For anyone new to paint coatings but even to those that are familiar with paint coatings, one aspect that separates paint coatings from traditional car waxes and synthetic paint sealants is the prep work necessary in order to properly and successfully apply a paint coating.





Surgically clean surface
In order for the Uber Ceramic Paint Coating to form a proper bond to the surface the surface must be free from any form of contamination that would hinder the coating from bonding. There are a number of ways to ensure a completely clean surface but the best way and the method that won't cause micro-scratching at the same time is to use the Perfect Finish Paint Prep with plenty of clean, soft microfiber towels.

Perfect Finish Paint Prep is a spray-on panel cleaner that safely dissolves and loosens surface residues and impurities such as,

Polishing oils
These are lubricants used in most compounds and polishes and must be removed before applying a coating. Polishing oils are beneficial anytime you're removing paint defects like swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation but after the compounding and polishing steps the polishing oils must be removed before you can apply a paint coating. This isn't necessarily true if you're going to apply a traditional car wax or synthetic paint sealant and this is an application aspect that separates paint coatings from these other two categories of protectants for paint.

Fingerprints
Your skin emits body oils, acids, salts and perspiration so if at any time you have touched the paint on your car you have contaminated the paint and created a surface where a ceramic paint coating will not properly bond.

Silicone oils
Chemist use types of kinds of varies silicone oils or silicone containing ingredients when formulating car care products for a multitude of good reasons. Sometimes it's to improve the performance of the product and sometimes it's to improve the users experience with the product such as easier wipe-off and often times it's for both reasons. However silicone oils will hinder proper bonding of ceramic paint coatings and must be removed before the coating application

Fillers
Some products includes ingredients generically called fillers and their purpose it to fill in and mask microscopic and fine imperfections as a way of enabling a person to create a more perfect looking finish. While this is beneficial for some paint polishing procedures that include sealing the paint with a traditional car wax or some synthetic paint sealants fillers will hinder proper bonding between a ceramic paint coating and the paint and must be removed.

Glossing agents
Glossing agents is a generic term for ingredients chemist include in products like spray detailers, spray waxes and car wash soaps that leave paint looking shiny after application and removal. Glossing agents must be removed before using a paint coating.

Traditional car waxes and synthetic paint sealants
Many traditional car waxes use a natural wax called Carnauba and this waxy substance will hinder the ceramic paint coating from forming a proper bond to the paint. Synthetic paint sealants use a myriad of synthetic protection ingredients and due to the secrecy involved in the car appearance manufacturing world we'll never know the names of all the ingredients used by all the various manufactures but suffice to say... these too must be completely removed in order for the Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating to make a proper bond.


Practical application of Perfect Finish Paint Prep

New and like new cars
Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep is the best way to prep paint before applying the Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Paint Coating. For most cars in new or like new condition you would be able to simply wash the vehicle and the spray the Perfekt Finish Paint Prep onto a single panel and then remove it using a clean, soft microfiber towel.

Older cars
Older cars or cars with neglected paint should be polished first or for serious damage the paint should be compounded and polished to restore the finish to new condition before applying a paint coating.

Recently waxed cars
If you have recently applied a traditional car wax or a synthetic paint sealant then my recommendation would be to first hand or machine apply either a fine cut polish or a paint cleaner, (also called a pre-wax cleaner), to ensure all of the previously applied wax or sealant is 100% removed before using the Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep. The reason for this is some car waxes and/or synthetic paint sealants also form a strong bond to the paint and expecting a spray-on product to remove 100 percent of these product might be expecting too much.

Machine or hand applying a fine cut polish would be my preferred method of being absolutely sure all previously applied waxes or sealants are removed plus at the same time a quality fine cut polish like the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze will at the same time remove any fine swirls and scratches as well as any light water spots, surface contamination or oxidation. This single machine application of a fine cut polish will perfectly prepare the paint for the next step of removing the polishing oils using the Perfect Finish Paint Prep.


My experience

Perfect Finish Paint Prep

Bubble Gum Scent
First I love the bubble gum scent of the Perfect Finish Paint Prep. Other options for preparing the paint tend to have harsh solvent smell or flat out stink. So I give this product two thumbs up for the scent. It's not to strong but just enough bubble gum scent to make the prepping step a pleasant experience.

Plenty of working time
Some products flash to quickly reducing the time you have to fully clean the surface. These products also tend to offer less lubricity so wipe-off is more difficult and the risk for micro-scratching or micro-marring increases. Some products dry to slowly and this means more wiping to remove the product and the residues it loosens plus make this step take longer.

Perfect Finish Paint Prep is right in the middle. You have plenty of time to spread the product out over the surface and then flip your microfiber towel to a dry side or grab a fresh, dry microfiber towel to make your final buff to remove surface residues.

Here's a tip....
Have plenty of clean, dry microfiber towels on hand and make it a best practice to switch to a clean, dry microfiber towel often to prevent any risk of cross-contamination.


Summary
Just like getting a new paint job where the most important contributing factor the end results, (a great looking finish), the prep work is vital when applying a ceramic paint coating. You want a product that's easy to work with and safe for the paint. You need a product that works to do the job efficiently.

Perfect Finish Paint Prep meets the above criteria and my expectations for a safe, effective and fast method of preparing the paint for a ceramic paint coating.



Uber Ceramic Paint Coating

No noticeable scent
This is actually a good thing. First of all a good chemist would not try to scent a coating as the ingredients that create smell would and would interfere with all the other responsibilities of the coating. Even better is there's now foul scent and this is usually an indicator of a high quality product as it means all the ingredients are highly refined to remove any v.o.c. through the formula, thus no noticeable odor.



Plenty of working time
Some coatings dry or flash very quickly, what this means to the user is you need a high level of skill, you can only tackle a small section at a time and you move quickly. Nothing wrong with these three issues but it does take some of the fun out of car care when you have to be so focused on doing everything right in order to avoid a mistake.

Uber Ceramic Paint Coating has a medium flash rate, that is it doesn't dry too quickly and it doesn't dry too slowly. The working time to spread this product out evenly and uniformly over the surface is just right so that you can truly tackle a complete panel at a time. In my example the panels that make up a 1951 Mercury are quite large, equal to the body panels that would make up a large suv or truck. I had no problems applying to an entire panel at one time and then waiting about one minute before giving the panel a final wipe to remove any high spots (excess product not worked in).

Note: When I coated the roof I divided it into to sections, the driver's side and the passenger side and that's because it doesn't make sense to try to walk around the car over and over again to apply and remove when you can just divide it in half and tackle one side at a time.


For the wipe off I used my favorite microfiber towels for removing car waxes and synthetic sealants and that's super soft deluxe green microfiber towels with rolled edges. I like these because they are super soft and thus super gentle to highly polished paint finishes which is what I tend to work on.

Folding these towels 4-ways gave me 4 sides to wipe with and using slow, gentle wiping motions wiping any excess coating or high spots off was easy.


After applying the coating to the car panel by panel I gave the car a second, final wipe switching to clean, fresh super soft deluxe green microfiber towels. The end results were exactly what I hoped for and that's a super glassy finish that resembles the fire glazed finish on fine china.


How To - Perfect Finish Paint Prep

1. Mist the Perfect Finish Paint Prep to a section of a panel at a time.

2. Using a clean, microfiber towel, spread the Perfect Finish Paint Prep over the section to be cleaned and then immediately flip your microfiber towel to a clean dry side or switch to a new, fresh microfiber towel to wipe off any residues.

3. Move on to a new section of the panel and repeat the process or move to a new panel and repeat.

Tip... use the buddy system
If you really want to speed up the process and ensure an absolutely clean surface use the buddy system. The buddy system is where you have a buddy follow your path of travel and repeat the process. By wiping the vehicle down twice you dramatically increase the odds that the entire surface of the vehicle is 100 percent clean and free from any contaminants and foreign residues.




How to - Uber Ceramic Paint Coating

Important: Wear chemical resistant gloves.

1. Remove the storage cap from the syringe and replace it the fine point application tip.

2. Apply a strip of paint coating to the face of the coating applicator pad. For a brand new dry applicator pad I like to add 3 fine strips to help lubricate the surface to make wiping the foam applicator of a section of paint smoother and easier.

3. Apply the Uber Ceramic Paint Coating over a section of a panel using a back and forth and side to side motion for uniform coverage. A little bit goes a long way and as you work the applicator over the surface much of the coating will disappear so pay attention where you've worked as there's no need to go over and over a section of paint just because you don't see a physical film on the surface. (that's a habit you learn from applying car waxes and synthetic paint sealants).

After working the coating over a section of the panel apply a fine strip of coating to the applicator or directly to the paint and repeat to a new section of the panel. Continue this pattern until you have equally coated the entire panel.

4. Use a clean, soft microfiber towel to give the panel you just coated a final wipe. For this you want to use the light around you and move your body in such a way as to enable you to see the surface of the paint to ensure there are now high spots of residue remaining on the paint. You are now done coating this panel.

5. Repeat to the rest of the panels of the car.

Glass, Chrome, Hard smooth plastic
You can also use Uber Ceramic Paint Coating to glass, chrome and smooth hard plastic surfaces. These surfaces must be properly cleaned before application of the coating and then follow the same practice for applying and removing for paint.

This custom 1951 Mercury has a LOT of chrome in excellent condition so like the paint we prepped the chrome and the glass and coated these surfaces as well.


Quick Start Application Guide Included