*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

Plastic or metal, ceramic coating is likely best. I'd go with Carpro DLUX, then use it on all the trim, plastics and other metal surfaces including wheels and even exhaust if you desire.

 

Recommended cleaning agent to clean 3rd gen front seats(shampoo etc)

 

Does anyone know to remove these annoying dealer stickers?

I’ve tried peeling them off by hand but it only removes very tiny pieces at a time. It would probably take me days with that process.

 

A hair drier is your friend here. Just heat it up and peel it off.

 

I removed mine with a hair dryer and goo gone and then cleaned it up with some rubbing alcohol.

 

Vacuum first, you want to remove as much dry material as possible.
https://www.theragcompany.com/optimum-carpet-and-fabric-clean-and-protect/
you will have to dilute this (follow the directions on the bottle). Spray and either agitate with a brush or use microfiber towels to clean. This will clean and also leave some protection so next cleaning should be easier.

 

Klasse AIO, chemical guys white light, turtle wax seal and shine...

 

Anyone know how to fix pilling on the headliner? I tried to scrub some coffee stains out and that soft ceiling just fuzzed right up.

 

What kind of brush are you using? Need a fairly soft bristle brush if going that route and be super gentle with it.

 

Without seeing pictures I am going to suggest a fabric defuzzer (Google it)

 

What's the best way to clean the fingerprints on the b-pillar stickers? Nothing has worked. I am to the point of considering removing the stickers.

 

How about something to clean light rust off of powder coated rock sliders ?

 

I use the NXT normally but just read about JetSeal by chemical guys. I like the idea of a yearly seal but am skeptical. Its not my daily driver if that changes anything.

 

If the vehicle lives inside most of the time you might get a year out of it. Most of the paint sealants like JS are more likely to be 6 months at best if left outside.

If you were local (I'm in NC/SC Charlotte area) I'd give you the rest of the bottle I have. It's probably 75% full.

 

Loaded question, but is Ceramic Pro worth it? If not, what alternatives should I consider? I’m looking at getting a professional detailer to apply it to multiple cars. Thanks in advance....

 

What was your impression of it? I have good results with NXT 3-4 times a year. But the truck is getting older and I want to delay clear coat fading while it still looks good.

 

Underwhelmed, hence the near full bottle. If I was going paint sealant again I'd go Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant was happy with it and it's looked great on other colors it was applied to. It's always been reviewed as one of the best, supposed to be very similar to Jescar/Menzerna Power Lock which is also well reviewed.

Though right now I'm all about Cquartz Lite. It looks great, beads amazing which means it also cleans up well. Plus unlike the previously mentioned paint sealants you can put it on every surface of the truck. Though not recommended for windshield as it may chatter the wipers. With paint sealants you've got to watch when you wipe it that it DOES NOT get on black trim.

 

I'm not in the market for pro coatings so I haven't fully researched the various ones available. One thing I have noticed is some detailers mentioning packages with multiple layers of Ceramic Pro. I've never seen a respected detailer using other brands ever talk about more than 2 layers. Honestly the second layer should be more or less considered to fill in any gaps that may have been missed while applying the first. Now some coatings come in layers that are different, like a base coat and a top coat where the base coat is the durable layer and the top layer provides slickness or better beading for example. Ceramic Pro also seems to hype hardness which is just utter marketing bullshit.

Pro coatings I've seen good things about are Modesta, Cquartz "pro" and "finest", IGL Kenzo, Jade.

I'm sure there are plenty others.

 

Thanks! Should I get a pro to do this or try it myself? Also, they sell like 5 year plans (I assume because they reapply annually). I just don’t want to get ripped off but probably will. I just don’t have time to do this myself.

 

Your last line says it all, if you don't have the time (and you've got the money) then go pro. This is one of those things I'd rather do myself as I enjoy the process. I also don't like the concept of multi year products. I've seen too many posts of people wanting to polish off a coating far before the time it should have lasted. So I'm a fan of the coating "lite" products like Cquartz Lite. Applying the coating is nothing special but the prep is where most of the work is. While you don't have to polish the paint to apply a coating it's highly recommended. Even if you weren't doing it to fix blemishes and swirls (faint scratches) it's a good idea because it's going to remove any remaining residuals that may interfere with the coating bonding. Pretty sure no pro is going to install a multi year coating without at least a pass with a polisher and all the prep steps that need to be done before the polisher touches the paint.

What's your expectations for a coating? Anything more than keeping the car a little bit cleaner than a wax/sealant will might be asking too much. Though coatings don't have to be reapplied as often. To get a multi year warranty with a coating you'll likely need return visits with the installer to qualify. In other words, they won't trust you to maintain it.