MoeMistry

Good day folks!!!

Rennlist has been the place where I have hung my hat for years and it’s a community dear to my heart

I’ve dedicated my life since 1993 to the craft of detailing and related facets. I got the passion when my parents purchased a 1993 Honda Accord LX and my father and I went to Kragen’s Auto and picked up some Meguiar’s #7 Show Car Glaze to make green metallic paint shine…I was 16

I was fortunate to hone my craft and learn from some of the best of the best…it even took me to working on the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Best in Show







This is an exciting time in our industry with so many great tools, products, and many DIY opportunities which simply weren’t available a few decades ago

This thread is to help DIYers, and Professionals, make sense of the more common aspects of detailing

This is your opportunity to get honest and straight-forward advice on almost any topic, and to talk shop and share knowledge

To kick things off, here’s a fun video we made of the wash routine… “GP” style

Enjoy and let me know what you think!!!

You Tube

RobT 394

Moe, your contributions over the years have been nothing short of excellent. Long time looker on this forum and have learned a few tricks from reading your comments. Thank you!

When using ceramic coating, it seems the first layer goes on with a bit of a drag on the applicator which seems normal as the product is filling in. The second layer goes on quite smoothly and takes a lot less product. So my question is, does the second coat do much good or are we just wasting product? Or is the trick to use very little product on the second coat and you are mainly ensuring complete coverage that might have been missed on the first?

MoeMistry

Thanks for the kind words and happy to hear my advice has come in handy

you ask an excellent question

first, each coating will have its own unique method of application and it’s best to know those parameters

assuming surface is prepped properly and clean, and working indoors, your observation of the first coat absorbing most of the coating is true…it’s filling the pores like you mentioned

the second coat will definitely be easier and it DOES provide additional protection and durability while assuring even coverage of first coat

at our shop, we usually wait about 45-60 minutes between coats depending on Mother Nature

one very important visual cue to look for is if 1st layer is repelling the 2nd layer…you’ll know when it happens if you see the 2nd coat separate or bead as you’re applying

if this happens, then 2nd coat will simply be removed and won’t provide much advantage, if any

if repelling is happening, it means the first layer has cured, there’s some sort of contamination, among other reasons

use proper lighting and LOTS of clean mf towels to make sure you avoid high spots and remove the coating properly to not leave any haze

hope that helps

what coating are you using and how do you like it?

RobT 394

Thanks for the reply. Makes sense and confirms my suspiction.

As for the coatings. Since I am not a professional the choices are limited to what is available on line. For the most recent projects I used Kamikaze. Super easy to apply and level and most importantly the smell is not bad. It is not as slick to the touch as some other products but I have plenty of tools to use as overcoat spray to get that feel once it fully cures. Jury still out on longevity. I have used Carpro Cquartz on a number of cars and a RV. It was hard to beat. Also applied easily and it lasted for 2-3 years on a daily driver. For me it is critical to have a product that has a decent window for leveling, meaning it does not harden in minutes and also does not require a respirator. I tried one of those products and after one application it went in the trash!

SDcarguy

Hi Moe,

Thank you for everything that you’ve done and do for this community.

May I ask for your recommendations on ceramic coating maintenance. I have cQuartz Finest over Stek PPF and have been trying to educate myself on overall care and products. I just ordered Carpro Release to try after my weekly Reset wash (based on your other posts) but it seems like there are varying products for each wash or every few months. Would love to hear your advice for best practices.

Thanks again

Bxstr

Moe - I remember reading your posts from 10+ years ago. Also, last year you really helped me with removing touchup paint from my calipers. Cannot thank you enough for the advice you provide to the community and the knowledge you share.

MoeMistry

It’s been a privilege to serve all of you and I enjoy it very much…here’s to another 10+ years

YSL

Moe - I'm new to this forum and appreciate you providing your guidance. The question I have is whether a full PPF is worth it. I've done a lot of reading and searching the web and the answers are it depends. In my situation, I have locked in an allocation for a 2024 Turbo S that will be built in July and should arrive between August and September of this year. It will be a Jet Black Metallic exterior color. My plan was to do a full PPF and ceramic coat before I take delivery. The car will not be a daily and will be driven primarily in good weather. I expect to put between 2K - 4K miles a year at most on it. Given the aformentioned, is full PPF and ceramic worth it? I would appreciate your thoughts.

Matt(inMA)

I'll respond as a non-professional. I recently ordered and took delivery of a new Aston Martin Vantage. Similar to the 992 Turbo S it has w-i-d-e hips. And like the 911 it is delivered with a bit of PPF from the factory to protect those hips but those never turn out to be adequate in my experiences. I also considered the cost of the PPF and ceramic relative to the cost of the Vantage (which is similar to the Turbo) and it was no brainer for me. With performance cars like ours with very sticky tires it's in my opinion a must if you want to maintain the wonderful looks of the car. And black shows everything!

MoeMistry

The world of PPF/Ceramic can be very confusing at times and information overload IMHO

The simplest question I ask my clients is “if you were to come out of a restaurant/coffee shop/store and noticed a dent/paint scrape on said panel, would you have a bad day?”

If answer is yes, then that panel should be protected with PPF

Everyone’s threshold for pain is different and above question will make it clearer as to full/partial PPF protection

Does that help?

YSL

Thank you and this is very helpful. Your car is beautiful and love the color.

YSL

Moe - appreciate your thoughts and yes I would have a bad day. I have a love/hate relationship with the color black. I love it when it's clean but its such a pain to keep it clean which I'm hoping PPF and ceramic coating will help with. Thanks again.

Bxstr

Moe - a very small amount of damage (2 chips and 2 scratches) occurred to my PPF on my rocker panel. Went through PPF and now dirt is getting in the edges. It is original paint and I've had PPF removed off this panel in the past with no issue.

1) would you replace PPF due to such small amount of damage? Am I being crazy?
2) I've always heard and repeated that PPF being removed on original paint would mean paint won't pull. Have you seen original paint pull up? That is my only apprehension to replacing is the possibility of taking a very small issue and making it a big one (repaint). As we know, Porsche people don't like repaints.
3) do you recommend DIY and take your time, or do you think a reputable shop will take their time too and just let them do it?

Thanks!

TBK911

Moe, my car was recently ceramic coated and I've heard about using a finishing or touch up product after washes. Can you recommend one or two? And how often to use? Every wash? I try not to wash my car too much, especially if it's not very dirty.

MoeMistry

1. Great question and it’s frankly an individual choice. Some owners would think that’s small and ppf did the job and want to get some more life out of it

Knowing how meticulously you care for your Porsche, I think over time, those areas would bother you

If you were my client, I’d recommend a replacement

2. Yes, I’ve seen original paint pull, but NOT on a Porsche. Ferrari 360/430 rockers and bumpers were notorious for paint lifting

but if done properly, going slow/using steam/and pulling at correct angle, the risk can be mitigated and a successful removal achieved

3. when the risk of doing the removal will mean a repaint, it comes down to your comfort level. It’s not to say a professional won’t lift paint removing ppf, but his/her muscle memory is far better because of the experience they have as their core competency

finding the right installer is the key though. You want to “feel” their confidence and the good ones will put your mind at ease