Originally Posted by markN1689:
"I also use p21s 100% carnuba. 2 coats every 2 months. Every 6 months it gets the full, paint cleanse,polish, glaze, and carnuba treatment.
I prefer it this way. Not only is detailing the car therapeutic (emphasis added by me, Russ) for me but its saving me a ton of money and keeping the car looking flawless all the time."

My initial comments were in response to a query about ceramic coating and I said: " I am personally someone who truly enjoys cleaning, polishing, clay baring, waxing their cars ... always have. And since I'm retired now, I definitely can always find the time so take that bit of background info into account. I watched a video and I really enjoyed his comments, both the good and the "bad" about ceramic coating. For me, I will not go that route. Instead I will PPF and window tint the car shortly after I get it and then do my own regular detailing work after that. Each have their pluses and minuses. I hope this helps."

Originally Posted by zzcett :
"I've been a dedicated zaino user for a long time now, but I think their process is overly complicated, so I'm open to something new for the rs3."

So, given all of these posts (plus a few others in the RS3 Delivery Times thread and not wanting to hijack it any further, I am starting this thread about detailing your A3/S3/RS3 car(s) or others for that matter. I have personally never used Zaino products but I have heard a lot of good things about them (including the long process comment above). Beside P21S, Meguier's, etc I have also used a product by CorrisionX called REJEX, which is applied, buffed and then left to cure overnight and out of the elements before waxing for a deep glossy shine (waxing is optional but helps IMO). And since I also find detailing my cars to be very therapeutic I usually clay bar my cars at least once per year (usually in the Spring) and give the vehicle the several hour treatment that I mentioned above 4-5x throughout the year.

So, I am curious as to what do y'all current use? Do you like the products you are using or are you considering / planning on trying something else soon and if so, why?

 

I forgot to add, if you are doing the ceramic coating what are your primary reasons? Overlook, lack of time to clean, no good detailing shops, moon in the wrong phase, whatever. Again, I'm just looking for us to share our common knowledge and experiences for the benefit of all. Thanks.

 

I started using Zaino when I got my TT in 2001. It was great when it was just a wash, a base wax, one of two top waxes, and a spray on finisher. Now they've added different base waxes, a couple different kinds of accelerators and a second finishing spray. I haven't really been motivated to take the time to learn the new additions and figure out what's best. That all said, I've been very happy with the Zaino results.

I'd also be interested in learning what kind of polishing/application methods people use. I've always done it by hand, but have been thinking some random orbital polisher might take things to the next level.

Thanks for starting the treat, Russ.

 

I'll bite. I was a big Zaino user back in the early 2000s, starting with my 2000 Ford Contour (that I pretty much modified to be like the SVT version) and then with my 2005 Subaru WRX STI. I had read the hype over Zaino and really loved the results, it gave both of my cars a deep, wet look and protected the paint. However, I was also misinformed and stupid and would often take my cars to car wash bays where I washed the car myself (and used the brush) or took them to automatic car washes (again, the horrible brushes).

This of course left swirl marks and scratches in my paint, and having darker color cars (light blue/greyish color on the Contour and World Rally Blue on the STI) the marks and scratches showed. I tried to use Zaino products that would remove these imperfections but it didn't do much, and I never used an orbital or rotary polisher so obviously I wasn't going to get great results. I sold the STI in 2009 due to a growing family and wanting to budget tighter and restructure our financial goals and I continued to use the Zaino products on the Mazda 6 that we had as our other car.

In 2014 I decided to get back into being a car enthusiast again and bought a 2015 Subaru STI. Thankfully I bought silver, which I think is probably the easiest to keep clean and hides swirl marks and scratches well. I had done research again and almost went with a ceramic coat / clear bra option but decided against it due to cost - which probably worked in my favor since I traded the car in for the S3 3 years later (and that would have been a sunk cost). This time I went with Meguiar's products because of how cheap they are, how readily available they are, and how well they perform. My Zaino products had either run out or were so old they weren't worth using, and it appeared to me Zaino hadn't done much in advancing their product line that it was an easy switch. Subaru paint is notorious for being cheap and thin, and even though I washed my car probably once a week and waxed/sealed it at least once a month rocks and whatever other road debris tore up the front of my car. At first I regretted not getting a ceramic coat and/or clear bra but I scuffed up the front right side of my bumper pulling into the garage and had to pay about $1,200 to get it fixed and I'm pretty sure that would have been a wasted ceramic coat/clear bra if I had gotten one. I had a ton of Meguiar's stuff, clay bars, different stage polishes, waxes, interior cleaners, leather conditioners, etc. and loved pretty much all of their products, especially their price.

Then this past May my stock STI had engine failure at 33,500 miles and after having to fight with Subaru to warranty the engine (I had to provide 40 pages of maintenance records showing that I had performed oil changes every 3,000 miles, most of them being at one of their dealerships) I was left a little bitter and starting looking at replacement cars. After test driving the S3 I fell and love (and my wife did too) and we started looking one that fit everything we wanted - namely being white as that's what I wanted on my previous Subaru but couldn't find one that had the options I wanted. Anyway, it was shortly before that that Meguiar's products had less availability on Amazon (which is where I buy the majority of my stuff) and Chemical Guys had a lot of stuff on Amazon, especially on Subscribe and Save (which means 15% off Amazon prices and then I get an extra 5% back with my Amazon card) so I've started making the switch.

I would say half of my products are now Chemical Guys, namely the car wash soap, wash mitts, drying towel, tire gel, and quick detailing spray. I'm still using Meguiar's professional level glass cleaner and wheel cleaner (and probably will continue to do so since they are dirt cheap and last forever since you dilute them yourself) and professional level polishers and rubber/vinyl cleaner but everything else will likely get switched to Chemical Guys if it hasn't already. I still don't know what I will do for my wax/sealant - I've been using and love Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax, it's very easy to apply, remove, and lasts quite a while but if Chemical Guys has a similar product I may eventually switch.

I still don't use an orbital or rotary, and may never do so, and I know I have some minor swirls/spider webbing in my paint but the white hides it so well. I will also say the paint on this car is so much better than on the Subaru - I think I might have two nicks from rocks or road debris in the 3 months that I've had it and I've got Dr. ColorChip to address those. I didn't get ceramic coat or a clear bra on the S3 either, due to my previous experiences and due to costs, and it is in my honest opinion that if you take good care of your car with regular washing (two bucket method, taking care not to scratch the paint, etc.) and waxing/sealing no one else - or at least 99% of the people who would see your car - would ever know the difference.

 

I used to be **** retentive / OCD when it came to maintaining my vehicle. I've managed to get a little better over time, although the fact I'm taking delivery of my RS3 in a few weeks and not selling my STi just to drive my dog around is a little ridiculous in itself. Below is a Imgur photo when I did a one step paint correction and full interior/exterior detail prior to selling my R32 (I miss that vehicle and I believe mine was one of the cleanest in the country when I sold it about 2.5 years ago). All in all it was approximately 12-14 hours work total on this particular detail. Before I started my current job, I was in the process of starting my own detailing business and its something I plan on resurrecting when the time is right. I include my process and some of my go-to products, much of which haven't changed. My recommendation is go to Autogeek and join their forums if you have questions or contact Phil @ Detailer's Domain.

https://imgur.com/a/PL1is

 

My car 2017 S3 is at the detailers right now getting full front XPEL and ceramic on the non-XPEL parts. The main reason I did it is because of time. Like most of you, I seriously enjoy doing a good detail on my car, but with a busy work and family life I haven't been able to commit much time to it. Add to this the fact that my car has to sit outside at work (in the rainy Seattle weather), and the cost of the ceramic starts to make sense when you consider time you save.

I have had a couple of buddies with various cars get the ceramic treatment, and you can't imagine how easy it is to take care of it. Even just a rinse from a pressure washer takes away most of the dirt. A 30 minute 2 bucket wash makes the car look brand new.

 

I, like Russbert am retired now and even prior to retirement have always enjoyed buffing my cars. I use PRO Car Beauty products PROWAX.COM I am a bit **** about car detailing...a wash at least once a week....polish and wax 4 times a year and clay bar if necessary. I have looked at ceramic coatings for my alloy rims only, as cleaning my S3 19' alloys are a pita but have not as of this date had it done. My understanding of ceramic coatings is that they require a 24 hour cure time after being applied to a properly detailed finish and do have the advantage of ease of cleaning thereafter. But, I have some questions on caring for this finish. I assume the finish is also prone to fallout and other contaminant buildup on the ceramic coated finish and will require removal, how is this done? Also if you have stone chips to fill, does this coating inhibit bonding of touch up paint as I assume it has to be removed, as you would with a wax finish. Also if a minor fender fender has to be paint blended into other body panels can this be done or would the whole panel have to be wet sanded and painted. If this has to be done then some paint finishes such as Ara Blue crystal and pearl finishes may be difficult to apply without being noticed as a repair job due to their reflective nature as light hits the paint surface.

 

According to my detail guy, any detailer who knows what they are doing will not do a ceramic coating until you get all the imperfections out of the paint. So in an ideal situation you should do the ceramic on a newer car so it is protected. Once you have the ceramic coat on there just think of it as really long lasting wax, so it definitely inhibits bonding. The analogy my detailer used was like Teflon on a non stick cooking pan. Things are supposed to just slide off. And indeed if you feel a ceramic coated car, it feels much more slippery than a regular car, even one that has been recently waxed.

As for caring for it, you just need to wash it gently using a PH balanced soap (without any wax additives) and finish with a nice quick detailing spray while drying. While I was dropping off my car they were washing a car that had just finished curing (my detailer uses some UV lights to make sure the curing is done correctly) and with just a rinse and soap the car was already looking brand new. In combination with the quick detailing spray while drying, the depth of the paint was amazing.

 

I am also in the group that enjoys detailing my cars. I have used a ton of different products over the years. Really depends on if I am using a wheel or by hand. But I am a huge fan of the ceramic coating. The Hydrophobic quality is great. It's a nice barrier to protect the paint from the elements. My Process for the RS3 will be this.. Pressure wash the car. Then Use Iron X https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-iron-x-cleaner.html to clean any of the iron in the paint. Then I will 2 bucket wash the car with a foam cannon and 2 buckets to wash. Then I will rinse and Clay. I use the Nano Skin Autoscrub towel. Great way to clay the car https://www.autogeek.net/nanoskin-clay-towel.html . I use there Clay lub to keep the towel and paint lubricated. Next I will dry the entire car with air. Next is polish and correction. I use my wheel with Car Pro Essence PLUS: Non Abrasive Gloss Agent
https://www.carpro-us.com/compounds-...ss-agent-16oz/. Then I will Ceramic coat the car.

When I am just hand waxing I used to love Zaino products. But didn't like how long they lasted. Felt like they just didn't last very long. Now I really like Klasse products. Very easy to use with great protection. I use the All in one and Sealant . https://www.autogeek.net/klasseallinone.html. For any car show I might end up doing with one of my other cars I also love the gloss that Wolfgang products. I like there waxes but they are pricey.

 

just put you favorite podcast on and zone out.. its not that bad.. wear latex gloves when applying product on the car.

I use Meguires Gold Class car wash and shampoo. Top to bottom. Only the cleanest, dedicated microfiber towels used.
Tires, brakes, wheels (inside and out), exhaust tips (inside and out), wheel wells (front) are cleaned every week.

6 month detail: (usually takes me the entire weekend)
Step 1: P21s Paintwork cleanser. Usually 2 coats or until paint surface is fully cleansed
Step 2: Chemical Guys P40 Finishing Polish. (Usually 1 coat)
Step 3: Chemical Guys EZ Creame Glaze (Usually 1 coat)
Step 4: P21s 100% Carnuba wax (2 coats)

2 month detail: (can be done in a day)
Step 1: P21s Paintwork cleanser. Usually 2 coats or until paint surface is fully cleansed
Step 2: P21s 100% Carnuba wax (2 coats)