Polish and wax recs for 2020+ vehicles?

Thanks guys! Is diy ceramic coating really not rocket surgery?

 

I think the actual application is only slightly more involved than something like

$21 Collinite 845 Insulator Wax-Easy to Use Carnauba+Polymer Wax Sealant-High Gloss Shine+Durable Hydrophobic Beading & Long Lasting Paint Protection for Cars/Boats/Trucks/RVs & Motorcycles (16 fl oz)

Collinite 845. Technically the prep "should" be the same and like it or not polishing is the most effective step in prepping for application of any LSP (last step product ie: wax/sealant/coating). Check out Car Craft Auto on youtube, he's got one of the better detailing channels and blows everybody away when it comes to his review process and instruction. Search his videos for Carpro or Cquartz (the name Carpro uses as a part of all it's various coating names). Pretty sure he's got videos with Collinite in it too. https://www.youtube.com/c/CarCraftAutoDetailing/videos

The best tip I can give when it comes to coatings is something similar to glass cleaning. Use two towels for removal, a first towel that removes most of the product, the second towel to remove the remainder. As you move the first towel back and forth the coating will tend to pile up right at the spot where you start to move the towel in the other direction. The second towel mops it up better because you've got less coating on it to spread back on as you wipe away. If you're doing a really big vehicle or are using too much product (ALWAYS avoid that with any LSP) you may even need to ditch that first towel if too saturated.

 

Heck yeah, what Gorram said, 100%. Like painting, the end result hinges on the quality of the prep work. Polishing is the most important step. And like he said, TWO TOWELS. Remember, use nitrile gloves when applying ceramic. AND DO NOT KEEP THE TOWELS AFTERWARDS. THEY ALL GO IN THE TRASH. THEY ARE GOOD FOR NOTHING ELSE WHEN THEY HAVE DRIED CERAMIC ON THEM.

 

Y’all are awesome.

Possible bad news or a hiccup. Long story why I didn’t know this, but my wife told me the dealership did whatever scary version of ceramic coating they do, as a throw in because I’m friends with the GM. That being said…do I need to have someone strip it and start over? Can I put the hood stuff you recommended over it, or should I jump to wax?

 

strip it if you are going to do a ceramic. Whatever product you use needs to bond to the paint.

 

Ask the dealership to show you the product they used. Find out what it is and post it up. I seriously doubt they did a ceramic job. Maybe a sealant of some type, if even that. Ceramic jobs are labor-intensive. Because of that REAL ceramic jobs are expensive, and they don't just give them away. It's a racket, not even a sealant of any consequence.
Same thing for me. i told them to discount the truck by the amount of the sealant charge or I walk. They did. Later I called the shop and asked to identify what it was. I forget the name, but I called to get an MSDS sheet from the "manufacturer" so I could vet this charade. Turns out they were a dealer finance service and consulting company. And they make ceramic sealants? Sketchy. Never did get an MSDS sheet. Scam exposed.

 

I’m a big Griot’s fan. Great products!! Easy to use.

 

Agreed, they're not putting anything worth a damn on a vehicle if they don't have to at a dealership. They don't even wash paint with clean water for fuck sake.

To test, after a wash wipe a section of the hood and a random vertical panel with some 20-50% alcohol to water solution and then spray it with water, if it beads, something is there. If the water lays flat on that section there is likely nothing there.

 

I'm a big fan of Aero Cosmetic's Wash Wax All (

$29 Wet or Waterless Car Wash Wax 128 Fl. oz, UV Protection. Cleans, Protects, and Shines. Aircraft Quality Just Spray On and Wipe Dry Anywhere, Anytime, Home, Office, School, Garage, Parking Lots.

https://www.amazon.com/Aero-Cosmetics-Waterless-Aircraft-Guaranteed/dp/B003WM9RZW/). I first powerwash my car (at the local Brown Bear in the winter) to get the majority of the dirt off and then use this stuff in the garage at home. There's a kit with a spray bottle if you need it; I just buy the gallon refill jugs now and they last me about a year.

 

GM just responded. Ever hear of “First Place Finish - SiO2 Ceramic Coating”? Looks like a spray-on finish, fit for a minimum wage worker’s application.

 

That's ceramic coating alright! It's a spray-on type of coating, and many companies are coming out with these as they require less labor. Their protection is not as long-term as the rub-on variety of ceramic coatings. But then, not everyone is anal about their car's finish, so these serve that section of the market. CarPro has one, but it is intended to augment a permanent ceramic coating. So since you have a ceramic "coating" on there already nothing else will stick to it, so waxes and selaant are out. A waste of time.

You can do two things: Ride that coating until it no longer beads or sheds water, then mechanically polish it off and start from scratch as outlined above, OR, keep maintaining it after every couple of washes with another spray-on type of ceramic coating. Because it is ceramic it WILL need to be removed mechanically, meaning with a random-orbit polishing machine, if that is the route you choose. May want to research what polishes are designed to remove a ceramic coating, if indeed there are such polishes. A regular polish MAY remove it, but better to research it and do it right. You won't wash it completely off with Dawn or Eraser just by washing it. And THROW AWAY those polishing pads when you are done, because they are done: you can't rejuvenate them. Don't try to do the whole truck with just one pad either. Post up some pics!

 

Well, jeeze...considering the horrible reports about my particular paint/clear coat thinness, I'm apprehensive. Not asking you to make decisions for me, but what would you do? I'm tempted to just put collinite or maybe just keep up the spray? They say the current stuff lasts 5 years, but I'm skeptical considering all the rain and subsequent washing that goes on around these parts.

 

I'd do my wife's car with CarPro so as to develop a baseline of what a well-applied rub-on ceramic coating looks like. Compare its water-beading ability with the one on your truck. When the one on your truck no longer beads like your wife's, then I'd spray on a spray-on and compare again. If it doesn't measure up against your wife's then take it off mechanically and start over with CarPro. Or move on with your life, accept what you have now and plan on buying a different color Taco next. Order one, and MAKE SURE you tell them no coatings, no sealants. Drive it directly from the dealership to XPel, have whatever surfaces you desire paint protected with their film, then ceramic coat it over the film. I'm pretty sure nothing is going to stick to it, Collinite or otherwise, because that's why you install a ceramic coat...because nothing sticks to it! That's why a ceramic-coated vehicle stays cleaner longer.

 

Funny that I can't get that last part through my thick skull. It does bead and shine up nicely, but it seems strange not to have some sort of maintanence duties beyond washing with soap and drying...experimenting on my wife's car is a good idea because she too had the same coating put on her car (2021 rav4, also white - our lot looks like a fleet). Fingers crossed they fixed the 040 super white problem. I haven't seen anyone complain about it on here, post 2018 makes.

 

Her's has it too? Okay, rethink. Do one of your vehicles that isn't already ceramic coated.

 

My 2 year old is going to pissed when I take her big wheels away...looks like I need to do some further research because I've only got the two.

 

Yes, but your wife will be jealous of your 2 year old's ride.

 

I think you're overstating the attributes of a ceramic coating. Most consumer grade ceramic coatings should polish off with ease and without the need to go super aggressive. Also Cquartz UK for example comes in a 30ml bottle which should be enough to go around a Taco twice. Nearly all of that 30ml is solvent keeping the sio2 suspended from the air and crystalizing. So there is damn near an unmeasurable thickness added to the top of the paint when you're done applying. So should be damn near nothing in the pad to warrant throwing it away, that is the first I've seen that mentioned.

Having said that we're not talking about removing something like Cquartz UK, we're talking about something that is probably more similar Carpro Reload (or any of the sprays in the detailing section of Autozone) a simple spray on sio2 "coating". @RTweet that is why I mentioned in post 28 of this thread about wiping off a section of paint to see if it's still beading. The reason for the light alcohol solution is so it would wipe away and soap residue, road grime or other that is masking the hydrophobic nature of the coating. Dish soap for example is a soap that doesn't rinse away well at all so it leaves a film on the paint that will do exactly what I'm talking about. The alcohol should cut that away to reveal if the spray sealant is still there.

Also if it is there like tony said, you're probably better off using a sio2 type spray every so often. To keep it in the Carpro selection look into their Hydro2, it's something you LIGHTLY spritz onto the paint while it's still wet after a wash. You then use the pressure washer or a spray nozzle on the hose to rinse it off which activates it. In the short run it will be almost as good as a full ceramic coating but you'll get nowhere near the longevity. It's more expensive in the long run but stupid simple and fast.

 

I just purchased some of this product. I like it and use it the same. Mostly to detail off the water spots that are left after wash and dry. Water is pretty difficult to remove completely from the camper shell.

 

Hey, I really appreciate the effortful explanation that gives me hope that I'm not stuck with something subpar, without drastic measures. I'll buy the Hydro2 today. Does this mean I might as well return the buffer I just purchased or are there other ways I might need it for my truck? Thanks again. If you were closer, I'd buy you a 6 pack for your advice.