seattle_sun

The purpose of the Ceramic Pro is that you don't need to wax it. Don't clay the car unless you need it- which you don't if you just have had it applied. You should really ask your installer what they recommend in terms of maintenance and cleaning.

Also, you need to read up on how to use a waterless wash. You can really screw up that nice coating if you do it wrong.

NOSUB2T

again I disagree. This synthetic paste is better than a lot of the carnubas and liquids out there. I've been experimenting for a long time and my results were tremendous. The attachment works great. You don't need more power. It produces consistent safe results.

Do what you will but I've been working on my own high end cars for 25 years. My technique is born out of trials and lots of errors. It's pretty idiot proof.

seattle_sun

There's no way that attachment is going to do significant correction. However, using that to apply wax is doing nothing but making the process faster. That wax has no abrasive properties to polish the paint. You do need power if you need to correct the paint.

I'm not saying the paste wax is bad, but there are a LOT of good waxes/sealants out there.

addysdaddy

Made no comment on your choice of LSP - if you like the Meguiars I would recommend sticking with it. I've used many different LSPs from them and found them all good. In fact any of their "Ultimate" product line is generally very good, regardlesss of the product.

The dual action polisher on the end of drill, not so much. And frankly I've found applying most LSPs is just as easy by hand as it is by machine. The key is "less is more" so the thinner you can apply the "wax" the better. YMMV and again, if you're getting results that are pleasing to your eye, keep on keeping on.

Jenner

Looks very nice, great job. I had a black '97 993 TT and it was my first and last black car...never again for me!
That said I can certainly appreciate what it takes to get it looking that good with old school products:



(keep in mind the paint is 10 years old at the time these photos were taken and they were taken with what is now a 10 year old digital camera)

Wax is so time consuming and doesn't offer any protection against scratches or rocks (esp carnubas). Carnuba also wears off rather quickly in daily use but I found even synthetics (like Zanio) or sealants (like Klasse) that last ~6 months can't compete with the high tech ceramic nano coatings available today.

1st Ceramic Pro 9H (or similar nano coating product)
2nd Never have to worry about swirl marks again (esp on a black car) when washing or drying nor do you need to use a blower to dry.
2nd Regular washing and drying is so much faster due to the super hydrophobic properties
3rd Always looks wet/glowing after a quick wash/dry don't need to do anything else (ie detail spray)
4th Never need to waste you time waxing and removing wax nor money on wax products and tools
5th Cleaner with real paint protection along with more time free time!

addysdaddy

For me detailing my car is a hobby. I enjoy the process and love experimenting with various LSPs and other products. (I probably have three dozen different ones)

With that in mind, a coating is not something that interests me since it reduces the amount of time I spend working on the car. Once a month I look forward to the whole "wax on - wax off" process, find it very therapeutic & rewarding. Depending on which coating you chose, it can be a major pain to apply since most are extremely fussy about the whole process-especially when it comes to prepping (cleaning) the surface prior to applying the coating.

There are so many other products out there - especially some of the newer sealants that will last 6-12 mos. Collinite 845 (happens to be an old school product) just to name one is cheap and a real star on all colors. Will last 6-8 mos easy. Again, something for everyone.

Jenner

Similar to you I have a 7' bookshelf filled with car detailing products. I foolishly bought many of them in large sizes to thinking I was "saving" money hahaha. I bet most of them have gone "off" and are useless now they are so old. Before my daughter was born I had plenty of time to experiment and baby my toy cars. Now I just want the cleanest car with the least amount of time/effort spent.

I agree with you 100% if you are into detailing as a hobby or a way to spend time with your car then ceramic nano coatings are not for you. For me they are an incredible value in time and $.
As you put it perfectly "something for everyone."

NOSUB2T

Bro..., this is not for paint correction. Never said it was. This is a technique to help those of us who are maintaining a nice finish on our cars.

Thanks for for your input. I agree with you

seattle_sun

Regardless, it looks great

911boy

I thought the whole idea with Ceramic Pro is you don't need to wax or clay? Spray on car wash kind of goes against the grain here too doesnt it?

911boy

Me TOO! Also If you are still getting swirls etc then what is the point of Ceramic Pro etc? To each his own.
That car looks amazing. I just got the Chemical Guys "starter kit" orbital. Looking forward to trying it on my Sons car first!

R_Rated

If you wax or put detail spray over a ceramic coating it will add shine and ensure that the car is buff/shine thoroughly after a wash. It can't hurt. Plus it's a lot cheaper than therapy.

I also like knowing where [both] imperfections on my car are. Gives me confidence when I see something that happened at the dealer during service.... like this morning... Luckily they really stepped up.

Gary JR

Here's my method for Xpel + Ceramic Pro protected car.

1. Rinse and dry
2. Done - looks great, time for a cruise

pashaj

I don't think I necessarily "need" to clay or wax, I just want to rid the surface of any (superficial) imperfections and maybe add some depth.

The spray on wash is another topic. I was told by my detailer that weekly hand washes would be ideal to maintain it. I park in an indoor garage, close to the entrance of the street, so I accumulate a lot of dust among other things. I can't visit the car wash weekly, and I don't really have access to water and such, so I'm looking for an alternative to do myself in my parking spot. I don't mind using this system a couple times a week (shouldn't take more than 10 minutes), and top it off with a detailing spray a few times a week.

Jenner

Do you accumulate more dust than a cali duster or similar product can handle in a week?

With a Ceramic coating you should be able to use a duster to get the larger particles off and simply wipe it down with a microfiber and quick detail spray like Griots Speed Shine. Just make sure to change to a fresh side of the microfiber (and/or use multiple) for each body panel.

Shouldn't be able to swirl or scratch the nano coating with that and no need to do a full wash or waterless wash. I've used this method on several cars that see more than just airborne dust ie brake dust, exhaust soot and bug splats.

Just need something stronger than quick detail for the dried on bug guts. Also note my cars have XPEL Ultimate in the areas with high bug impacts or brake dust.