DesperadoDan
New member
- Nov 12, 2021
- 2
- 0
Hey everyone,
First post but have been lurking for quite some time. I have been self detailing my rides since the beginning because I enjoy it. I have always enjoyed working with products and working to get that perfect mirror finish in aged daily drivers. recently I decided to spoil myself and purchase a brand new vehicle for the first time in my life and little did I know I am becoming nervous about maintaining it. Due to that and with winter coming up (if you can call it winter as I'm from the Bay Area) I decided to splurge on something that I have always wanted to have done: ceramic coating and PPF. A few days ago I picked up my brand new truck from the dealership and noticed a ton of buffer trails and halograms in the paint which I couldn't see during the overcast day of purchasing and delivering. Realizing I have never worked on brand new paint I decided to take it to a professional to have the whole truck paint corrected, ceramic coated with Ceramic Pro silver 9H, and full frontal PPF. I can be very OCD when it comes to things and unfortunately that is my own issues but even though there was some issues with contamination within the film the truck looks pretty darn good, just not sure it was worth what I paid but that I will decide in the long term. Now I have done quite a bit of research before and after getting the truck all fixed up but I still have some questions I hope you all can clarify for me.
1. My truck is going to be out in the elements 24/7, and I am nervous about waiting the full 2-3 weeks before washing it because it is a daily driver. I have used 3D waterless wash to remove some of the bugs and fallout that has come over time and I am still within the first week of curing process. Was that a mistake and should I just use distilled water from here on out or is the waterless wash alright to use to get the big stuff off?
2. Everyday we hit dew point and water just sits on my car. I have to be at work early (5 am) and by the time I take lunch the sun has already warmed the car up to get the moisture off. Not having access to a garage what should I do or will it not effect the coating itself?
2. I have read that some people like to use toppers or maintenance boosters from time to time to improve the gloss and clarity of the coating itself. My truck has already had a topper applied before I picked it up but I am looking at possibly purchasing a topper to improve the sheeting and hydrophobic properties of the coating and the longevity of the coating. I haven't used/tested many before and most of my experience is in waxes and sealants which I know shouldn't be used on ceramic coatings and PPF so I am looking for recommendations on something that is easy to use, hard to screw up, doesn't streak and doesn't require a bunch of buffing to remove the product. I was doing a lot of research about c2v3, cancoat, gliss, reload, etc and am just having a hard time figuring out what to purchase or if I should just purchase the ceramic pro care that my detailer didn't really recommend or attempt to push towards me during the pick up. It seems like I can only purchase that stuff from the ceramic pro website and no where else.
4. I have the standard car washing items such as 2 buckets and grit guards for proper washing, 2 TRC cyclone mits, tons of eagle edgeless 500's for waterless washing and quick detailing, griots PFM towels for drying, pf 22 foam cannon, 1900 psi electric pressure washer, so I believe I have most of the supplies to properly take care of my vehicle but is there any other recommendations for products that I will need or any different items I should look into?
5. My maintenance items are for soaps I have carpro reset, hydr02 foam, and a 2 year old half gallon of hyper wash that I can never seem to put a dent into, my quick detailer I purchased carpro elixir, my waterless wash I have carpro ech02 and 3D waterless wash, and I have read but I'm not sure but I also have mckees 10 minute paint sealant that people seem to add to ceramic coated cars. Is there anything else I should get for products that would be needed?
6. I like to wash my cars once a week but my wife hates that I spend so much time on our cars. That is the reason why when it comes to a topper I need something that is quick and easy to use and don't have the time to apply say Gliss once every 6-8 months. Once I am able to wash my truck my plan is to
-Presoak with carpro reset using the foam cannon
-spray clean with the pressure washer
-soak with hydr02 foam
-wash the truck using the 2bm
-dry the truck using my Milwaukee leaf blower and final dry with my pfm towel
-use elixir as a detail spray and help assist as the final drying aid for any left over spots
Is that overkill for once a week or is there a different method I should be doing? Is elixir strong enough to use as a weekly topper to maintain the longevity of my ceramic coat or is it strictly used as a quick detailer.
I believe that is all of the issues/questions I have for now. I never thought I would confuse myself to this point but I have. I want my ceramic coat and PPF to last as long as possible and retain the properties that I spent a ridiculous amount of money on despite not having a garage or a covered area to park under. I am willing to purchase products as needed and want to make sure the products that I would be using wont clog or ruin the ceramic coat or PPF.
Thanks in advance
First post but have been lurking for quite some time. I have been self detailing my rides since the beginning because I enjoy it. I have always enjoyed working with products and working to get that perfect mirror finish in aged daily drivers. recently I decided to spoil myself and purchase a brand new vehicle for the first time in my life and little did I know I am becoming nervous about maintaining it. Due to that and with winter coming up (if you can call it winter as I'm from the Bay Area) I decided to splurge on something that I have always wanted to have done: ceramic coating and PPF. A few days ago I picked up my brand new truck from the dealership and noticed a ton of buffer trails and halograms in the paint which I couldn't see during the overcast day of purchasing and delivering. Realizing I have never worked on brand new paint I decided to take it to a professional to have the whole truck paint corrected, ceramic coated with Ceramic Pro silver 9H, and full frontal PPF. I can be very OCD when it comes to things and unfortunately that is my own issues but even though there was some issues with contamination within the film the truck looks pretty darn good, just not sure it was worth what I paid but that I will decide in the long term. Now I have done quite a bit of research before and after getting the truck all fixed up but I still have some questions I hope you all can clarify for me.
1. My truck is going to be out in the elements 24/7, and I am nervous about waiting the full 2-3 weeks before washing it because it is a daily driver. I have used 3D waterless wash to remove some of the bugs and fallout that has come over time and I am still within the first week of curing process. Was that a mistake and should I just use distilled water from here on out or is the waterless wash alright to use to get the big stuff off?
2. Everyday we hit dew point and water just sits on my car. I have to be at work early (5 am) and by the time I take lunch the sun has already warmed the car up to get the moisture off. Not having access to a garage what should I do or will it not effect the coating itself?
2. I have read that some people like to use toppers or maintenance boosters from time to time to improve the gloss and clarity of the coating itself. My truck has already had a topper applied before I picked it up but I am looking at possibly purchasing a topper to improve the sheeting and hydrophobic properties of the coating and the longevity of the coating. I haven't used/tested many before and most of my experience is in waxes and sealants which I know shouldn't be used on ceramic coatings and PPF so I am looking for recommendations on something that is easy to use, hard to screw up, doesn't streak and doesn't require a bunch of buffing to remove the product. I was doing a lot of research about c2v3, cancoat, gliss, reload, etc and am just having a hard time figuring out what to purchase or if I should just purchase the ceramic pro care that my detailer didn't really recommend or attempt to push towards me during the pick up. It seems like I can only purchase that stuff from the ceramic pro website and no where else.
4. I have the standard car washing items such as 2 buckets and grit guards for proper washing, 2 TRC cyclone mits, tons of eagle edgeless 500's for waterless washing and quick detailing, griots PFM towels for drying, pf 22 foam cannon, 1900 psi electric pressure washer, so I believe I have most of the supplies to properly take care of my vehicle but is there any other recommendations for products that I will need or any different items I should look into?
5. My maintenance items are for soaps I have carpro reset, hydr02 foam, and a 2 year old half gallon of hyper wash that I can never seem to put a dent into, my quick detailer I purchased carpro elixir, my waterless wash I have carpro ech02 and 3D waterless wash, and I have read but I'm not sure but I also have mckees 10 minute paint sealant that people seem to add to ceramic coated cars. Is there anything else I should get for products that would be needed?
6. I like to wash my cars once a week but my wife hates that I spend so much time on our cars. That is the reason why when it comes to a topper I need something that is quick and easy to use and don't have the time to apply say Gliss once every 6-8 months. Once I am able to wash my truck my plan is to
-Presoak with carpro reset using the foam cannon
-spray clean with the pressure washer
-soak with hydr02 foam
-wash the truck using the 2bm
-dry the truck using my Milwaukee leaf blower and final dry with my pfm towel
-use elixir as a detail spray and help assist as the final drying aid for any left over spots
Is that overkill for once a week or is there a different method I should be doing? Is elixir strong enough to use as a weekly topper to maintain the longevity of my ceramic coat or is it strictly used as a quick detailer.
I believe that is all of the issues/questions I have for now. I never thought I would confuse myself to this point but I have. I want my ceramic coat and PPF to last as long as possible and retain the properties that I spent a ridiculous amount of money on despite not having a garage or a covered area to park under. I am willing to purchase products as needed and want to make sure the products that I would be using wont clog or ruin the ceramic coat or PPF.
Thanks in advance
