Enough with the finance and politics, and don’t get me started on the media…Spring is (sort of) here. It’s been 70 degrees for the past 2 days. I now have less than 1 foot of snow on the deck. Must be spring.
And spring is the perfect time to wash all the crud off of our vehicles and get ready for pollen season.
Products
Before we dive in, let’s talk about the products.
- Ceramic coating. This says it all.
2. Wax – Car wax has come a long way. It’s easy to apply and buffs off effortlessly. And while not as durable as ceramic, wax provides an amazing shine and protects well. Read more here. Last year I applied wax, no ceramics involved, with fantastic results.
3. Spray on Products – Whether it’s called a spray wax or a spray ceramic, the results are similar. We spray on after a wash and buff off. It provides some shine and protection. I use them both and haven’t seen much difference between the 2. They both work quite well.
Ceramics
I have mixed feelings about ceramic car coatings.
My wife bought a used BMW 3 series convertible and it came with an indestructible ceramic coating. The car had about 5 thousand miles on it when she bought it. It now has about 25,000. It’s a 2013. The ceramic is over 10 years old and it still performs better than anything I’ve seen.
Dirt does not stick to the car. Even brake dust doesn’t build up. It’s amazing. But I just can’t see myself spending a thousand dollars or more for a professional ceramic coating.
On my previous car, I tried a do-it-yourself brand. It worked pretty well, but it was a lot of work. And spray waxes and spray ceramics are so good now that I’m not sure it’s worth the effort.
Ceramic v. Wax
These are 2 very different products. And we typically choose one v. the other and not both.
Wax has been around forever and has improved over the years. The wax I put on my first car came in a small round tin can, it was hard as a rock and it took super-human strength to buff off. But, it was worth it for the shine and protection…even with my 3-tone paint job.
Today’s wax goes on easy, and buffs off with almost no effort. If we get some on the trim or the windows, that’s OK too. It buffs off. Try doing that with 1980s paste wax.
Wax provides excellent shine and protection, but wax is soft. It doesn’t last forever.
Ceramic is much harder. When wax hardens, we can easily scrape it off with our fingernail. Not so with ceramic. I dripped some ceramic on a window while applying and it took a razor and some huffing and puffing to get it off.
The point is ceramic creates a harder and less porous surface layer than wax.
So once we’ve put in the effort (and cost) of creating that hard surface layer, why would we cover it with a more porous wax layer. Makes no sense. Once we go ceramic, kiss the wax goodbye.
But, that said, today’s wax performs quite well. Read more here. Last year I put Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax on my vehicle and the results were amazing. I use the snow test. This winter it snowed constantly. When brushing snow off my car, I just give it a little push and it slides right off on its own. That’s pretty cool.
What’s New?
In this post, I said that I would not likely do my own ceramic again. It’s a lot of effort.
But, I was intrigued recently when I saw a new ceramic product from Chemical Guys.
I was excited about the easy application so I decided to give it a shot.
Not So Easy
I watched a few YouTube videos and while application seems easy, they recommend doing a lot of preparation. Basically, if the surface isn’t cleaned properly, the ceramic won’t adhere well.
So, off I went. Here are the steps.
- Strip wash – most car washes leave wax or any type of sealant alone and only remove the dirt. This is why we wash with a car wash and not dish detergent or floor wash. A strip wash has nothing to do with young ladies in bikini tops and short shorts. It’s a wash that removes waxes and sealants so we can start fresh. It’s just as easy as a regular wash and well worth it when starting fresh.
- Iron remover – brake pads and roadside filth has iron in it. This gets trapped in our paint and can ruin the surface. Iron remover sprays on and the iron spots turn purple. We then rinse it off. I found very little purple and ended the experience with a sore trigger finger from spraying the whole car. May not be worth the cost or effort. The jury is still out.
- Clay Lube – I clay my car once a year to remove contaminants. It’s pretty amazing. Run some clay, or even easier, a clay pad, over the surface after applying lots of lubricant, and it becomes smooth to the touch. This is a must. The jury is out on the $10.99 for Clay Lube. I’ve used water in the past and it seems to work fine.
- Wipe Out – this takes off anything that the strip wash missed. I think doing both is overkill. Pick one.
- Polish + Sealant – I polished the whole hood and buffed out any scratches elsewhere – Not sure if it’s required, but probably makes sense to clean up defects before adding a semi-permanent ceramic on top.
- Ceramic – Watch the YouTube videos. It goes on easy and buffs off effortlessly, but it’s a process. Small areas, back and forth, let dry, don’t try too large of an area or 2 areas at once as the product could harden. It’s not difficult but block off enough time to do it carefully.
Full Day
It ended up being a full-day event. It took me about 5 hours in the driveway.
I chose an overcast day in the 50s. This is important as we don’t want the ceramic to dry out too quickly.
Results
The pics don’t do it justice. It looks great and the water runs off like nobody’s business. Hopefully the dirt will do the same.
I put ceramic on the windows and the wheels. And the lights. Every surface.
So far, I’m pleased. I’ll update as we go.
Wrap Up
I like spending the afternoon detailing my car. And I like trying new products. So for me, it was worthwhile. But it is a lot of effort.
Especially given the fantastic results we can get from a wax with a quick spray wax or spray ceramic after each wash.
The test will be whether this lasts longer and whether it keeps the dirt off.
I made a note about windows – whether it’s spray wax or ceramic coatings, I like to do the windows. Keeps them clean and the wipers glide over the surface soundlessly. No more squeak, squeak.
Clean on!