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I did some research on c eramic coating because i had plans to have it done. I wanted to see which product would be best suited until I came across this article don't remember where it is now but it was a professional detailing company that specializes in collectors cars. they stated that they do not use ceramic coating and here is the reasoning. a lot of people that get the coating are under the assumption that once they have the coating they don't have to worry about the paint anymore and that is not the case. the coating has some protection but scratches still occur but the bigger problem is that the coatings are permanent and in order to remove it you have to sand down the coating. on collectors cars that are high dollars they dont use them instead prefer to wax them instead and detail them as needed.
Ceramic coatings are best for cars that are actually driven. I would think collectors cars generally sit in garages and only come out for shows. Given the limited exposure to the outside I’d agree a collector would be better off with a high shine wax.
I did some research on c eramic coating because i had plans to have it done. I wanted to see which product would be best suited until I came across this article don't remember where it is now but it was a professional detailing company that specializes in collectors cars. they stated that they do not use ceramic coating and here is the reasoning. a lot of people that get the coating are under the assumption that once they have the coating they don't have to worry about the paint anymore and that is not the case. the coating has some protection but scratches still occur but the bigger problem is that the coatings are permanent and in order to remove it you have to sand down the coating. on collectors cars that are high dollars they dont use them instead prefer to wax them instead and detail them as needed.
Yes for any collector high value car in that category I would not ceramic coat to maintain original paint and look and finish. Yes to remove coating, it needs to be polished off. The coating does degrade over time. It's not permanent in the traditional sense of the word. For every day drivers, it's not a concern imo. I wouldn't own the car for that long anyway 😉
Most people have the goal of making the car look as good as it can for as long as we own it.
But yes, this is a consideration for anyone looking to get it treated!
Two detail item notes: I powder coated my wheels in a bronze/black (with Daytona Gray Pearl) on my 2018 RS5. I now use Adams Ceramic Spray Coating on the wheels, with fantastic results. The kit is reasonably priced:
Or just buy the "spray on" all-purpose cleaner, and save for your wheels. I've noticed that it gives the matte powder coat finish a gloss, and a very smooth finish, with very little effort. Can do all 4 wheels in less than 10 minutes. Then, after driving 3-4 times, the appearance is still there. You have to run your finger across the wheels spoke surfaces to tell that brake dust has accumulated. It's not visible. This would help in a step during your water-less wash.
On the body of the car itself, I am using Aero Cosmetics "Wash/Wax All" product. Kit is very well priced considering the refills: (5 star reviews)
This goes on easy....use it on the microfiber towel, then after cleaning, buff out with another clean towel. One note-was cleaning 32 exterior home windows today, and using Windex Commercial, and it turned out ok, but required a buffing after cleaning, so ended up doing each window twice. As an experiment, I used the Aero product on half of a window, then Windex on the other half. Both required the 2 step wash/buff process, but the feeling of a clean towel across the glass surface was significantly different. The Windex side seemed bumpy and the towel didn't flow across the clean surface, as opposed to the Aero side, where the towel glided, almost as if a protective coating had been applied.
I did my own paint correction followed by 2 coats of CarPro Cquartz Lite and 1 coat of Reload (because I already had it and that's what CarPro recommends). I do regular maintenance with Hydro2 spray-on (amazing stuff, truly).
As echoed above... all normal. I view ceramic coating (opti-coat pro plus in my case) primarily as a long-term wax alternative, not really a shortcut on washing - I suspect it may make washing slightly easier, but not remove the requirement. . My routine is go to through the touchless to get most of the dirt off and bring it home an use a two-bucket no-rinse method (ONR). Our water is extremely hard here, so don't even "trust" blasting if off at home, and softened water at the touchless and the panel-by-panel method for no-rinse addresses that. Unfortunately, looks like I did get some grit in one of my drying towels and have some slight holograms on the passenger side now, grrr... Which is just to show that ceramic coatings have minimal protective abilities and can still scratch even when being careful (but mine does exhibit some small self-healing, notably apparent etching from bird bombs or water spots do appear to "bake out" after time under a hot sun), no way I'd go through anything but a touchless automatic wash. What would be a relatively low cost paint correction on a non-coated car to address something like small like that is compounded as the fix would essentially require one to burn through the ceramic coating.
You can correct ceramic coats just like you can correct clear coats.
Well, it was warm enough to wash my cars so I took a shot today. First time using the pressure washer and a foam cannon and then hand wash with microfiber mits from car guys.
Water spots gone! Haven’t had an issue with etching - luckily!!
Looks great, however, you shouldn't be washing it in the sun. You'll get water spots 100% of the time.
Having a moment of appreciation for the ceramic coating.
Car was moderately dusty and dirty but not filthy. When it's in this in between state, and I'm not feeling like doing a full on half day session, I splash bug spray on areas that have splatters or small bird droppings, rim cleaner and let it sit for a minute or two. Following that a thorough rinse to knock off any crud. Following that foam cannon and light rinse. Foam cannon again and heavy rinse. Leaf blower for the win. Not a hot minute and not a long hour. I take flash light for good measure to check for any last minute spots that haven't come off, but usually nothing sticks. Love that it can still look stellar without touching the paint.
12-22-2019, 12:55 PM
