2002 - 2005 Is a Ceramic Coating Wax Hocus Pocus?

[stevedaphotoman]

I was just walking through an auto parts store and was looking at all the waxes.. I have used Mothers Gold paste wax once a year and then I would use Griot's spray on wax and Turtle Ice spray on wax as needed through out the year.. Now with the ceramics coatings that are out there, do they work any better than the traditional waxes. I saw ceramics by Mothers, Maguire's Hybrid, Turtle, Griots etc. Seems like all the companies have a ceramic version.. What are people using and are they happy with the ceramics.. Or is old school better.. I will tell you though I think if i switch I will miss the smell of the Carnauba based wax.. I think it's aroma therapy.. That is one reason I don't use Turtle Wax Ice more often, it doesn't have the Carnauba wax smell..

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[Huskerpete]

I was just walking through an auto parts store and was looking at all the waxes.. I have used Mothers Gold paste wax once a year and then I would use Griot's spray on wax and Turtle Ice spray on wax as needed through out the year.. Now with the ceramics coatings that are out there, do they work any better than the traditional waxes. I saw ceramics by Mothers, Maguire's Hybrid, Turtle, Griots etc. Seems like all the companies have a ceramic version.. What are people using and are they happy with the ceramics.. Or is old school better.. I will tell you though I think if i switch I will miss the smell of the Carnauba based wax.. I think it's aroma therapy.. That is one reason I don't use Turtle Wax Ice more often, it doesn't have the Carnauba wax smell..

Steve, we have done 6 of my cars with Torque Detail Ceramic and I was very pleased with it. We used a clay bar on them first and then the Ceramic and they looked great. The Ceramic was much easier to apply and wipe off in my opinion than any other wax product that I have used in my life and I have a shelf full of just about all of the best ones on the market I could buy. I would suggest you go ahead and give it a try. Leave an open can of Carnuba on the roof so you still get a whiff of that wonderful smell while you are working! Good Luck!

 

[stevedaphotoman]

I would suggest you go ahead and give it a try. Leave an open can of Carnuba on the roof so you still get a whiff of that wonderful smell while you are working! Good Luck!

Huskerpete, Love the idea of the open can of wax for the aroma therapy! 😛 I am going to give the ceramics a try,, I will look up the Torque Detail Ceramic.. Is that a website only purchase? I never heard of Torque..

 

[j&d]

I've been using Wizards products for quite a few years and love all the products they offer. Their Shine Master liquid polish is not ceramic and not wax but really does a great job and lasts. I apply it with a polisher but also works well by hand. They also make a great detailer called Mist & Shine. I buy this by the gallon and it is the only thing I use to clean the cars. The rubber and vinyl protection also works great. They have a website in case you can't find it.

 

[Huskerpete]

Huskerpete, Love the idea ofd the open can of wax for the aroma therapy! 😛 I am going to give it a try,, I will look up the Torque Detail Ceramic.. Is that a website only purchase? I never heard of Torque..

Yes it is a website purchase only. A detail guy in Scottsdale turned me on to it. As far as places charging $500-$900 to do Ceramic coating, personally I think it is a bit of a scam.

 

[Gus Gutz]

I use Chemical Guys products because their detail garage is just a few miles from me. I put a coating of Hydro Charge on my car a year ago. Water beads and sheets off. It shines like you wouldn't believe. Before you do any correction to your paint, wash it, clay bar it, strip the old coating off and then polish out the swirls. Then use a ceramic coating of your choice. You cannot beat the shine or the protection.

 

[stevedaphotoman]

I use Chemical Guys products because their detail garage is just a few miles from me. I put a coating of Hydro Charge on my car a year ago. Water beads and sheets off. It shines like you wouldn't believe. Before you do any correction to your paint, wash it, clay bar it, strip the old coating off and then polish out the swirls. Then use a ceramic coating of your choice. You cannot beat the shine or the protection.

I don't have swirls but i do have wax on mine.. The body is pretty clean now.. Do you all suggest a clay bar 1st? will that strip off the wax? Does the wax have to be off the body before the ceramics goes on?

 

[FANZ]

I just started using Torque Polish recently after a good solid coat of Mothers Wax that is my favorite since the 70's with my boat and cars.
Now that I hear you guys talking about the clay bar and putting ceramic I may give that a try. I still have some swirls which drives me crazy even though you can see yourself like a mirror on my Torch Red paint. Thank you guys for sharing!
I am also in Phoenix Arizona so I need to make certain I do it in the garage n a cool early morning like 5 am(lol) since we are in the 100's now.

 

[Bond007]

I don't have swirls but i do have wax on mine.. The body is pretty clean now.. Do you all suggest a clay bar 1st? will that strip off the wax? Does the wax have to be off the body before the ceramics goes on?

Washing your car with Dawn dish detergent will remove the wax.

 

[RDH]

I was just walking through an auto parts store and was looking at all the waxes.. I have used Mothers Gold paste wax once a year and then I would use Griot's spray on wax and Turtle Ice spray on wax as needed through out the year.. Now with the ceramics coatings that are out there, do they work any better than the traditional waxes. I saw ceramics by Mothers, Maguire's Hybrid, Turtle, Griots etc. Seems like all the companies have a ceramic version.. What are people using and are they happy with the ceramics.. Or is old school better.. I will tell you though I think if i switch I will miss the smell of the Carnauba based wax.. I think it's aroma therapy.. That is one reason I don't use Turtle Wax Ice more often, it doesn't have the Carnauba wax smell..

I have used F11 on all my vehicles and they shine like there's no tomorrow, put mine on my Bird two years ago and still to this day can just brush off the dust and grime and still shines like a diamond

 

[stevedaphotoman]

Washing your car with Dawn dish detergent will remove the wax.

Great idea Mr. Bond.

 

[j&d]

If you want to know if you need a clay-bar treatment or not just first wash and dry the car. Then slide a plastic sandwich bag over you hand and gently glide your fingertips on the paint. If you feel bumps like sand particles that means you need to clay bar the car. The bag actually makes your fingertips more sensitive to the alien particles imbedded in the paint. If the surface feels smooth with the bag on your hand just go ahead and use the wax or product of your choice.

 

[j&d]

Never use bath towels on your paint, only quality, clean micro-fiber towels.

 

[Gus Gutz]

Great idea Mr. Bond.

My Bond is correct, but I would use an isopropyl alcohol solution to remove old costings. I sure would clay bar it. My paint is as smooth as new glass from the cost bar. I realize they are a lot of old school techniques but the new processes and sealants are so much better. Nothing beats a good clay bar.

Here is a good video

 

[Sharps40]

When I bought my 03 last month it was prepped with the paint correction and ceramic sealer. This amounted to two days of work by the detailer.

Best Benefit: The paint prep removed all the swirls. You can get this done yourself at home for much less cost.

Thoughts: Shined like a diamond till it got dirty, now when you wash it, it looks like well cared for 17 year old paint that miraculously has no swirls. A month later water still beads up and runs off the best surfaces, e.g. the side panels. The slightly faded hood/trunk, not so much. The less sun abused panels still shine best, e.g. the side panels. The hood and trunk, not so much, they just look like they did before the treatment, very good 17 year old paint. Stuff that sticks to the car doesn't just rinse off and I can't really tell if it comes off easier than a traditionally cared for paint job. At least not so much easier that I'd spring for additional professional ceramic sealant work.

My Conclusion: I suppose time will tell if it doesn't water spot. Overall, the Ceramic treatment seems OK, but I wouldn't pay to have it done again, so am glad it was free. I like the lack of swirl marks but at $450+ for ceramic jobs, I'll stick to occasional conventional cleaning and waxing.

 

[RDH]

F11 work wonders on my 03, triple Black she is and that was two years ago. The car may get 4000, miles a year and stay in the garage from December to maybe March but always April. I live in the snow belt of Ohio. I do take a trip to Jersey sometime twice a year and then the driving around here as well. The heads were damaged a little after I bought it and then when they were fix, shaved and had a Borla Exhaust put on it, and now when I put my foot into her she screams like a race car, love it, and I get 25 MPG

 

[stevedaphotoman]

When I bought my 03 last month it was prepped with the paint correction and ceramic sealer. This amounted to two days of work by the detailer My Conclusion: I suppose time will tell if it doesn't water spot. Overall, the Ceramic treatment seems OK, but I wouldn't pay to have it done again, so am glad it was free. I like the lack of swirl marks but at $450+ for ceramic jobs, I'll stick to occasional conventional cleaning and waxing.

Thanks for the thorough reply Sharps40.. I think I will give it a shot my self in a couple weeks.. Mine is a garage queen and sees very little rain if any..

 

[RDH]

I use F11 and works great, mine is a garage queen only in the winter, it will see rain if I travel and there's
nothing I can do so just drive the hell out of it

 

[Sharps40]

Thanks for the thorough reply Sharps40.. I think I will give it a shot my self in a couple weeks.. Mine is a garage queen and sees very little rain if any..

Mine is a daily driver.

F11 work wonders on my 03, triple Black she is and that was two years ago. The car may get 4000, miles a year and stay in the garage from December to maybe March but always April. I live in the snow belt of Ohio. I do take a trip to Jersey sometime twice a year and then the driving around here as well. The heads were damaged a little after I bought it and then when they were fix, shaved and had a Borla Exhaust put on it, and now when I put my foot into her she screams like a race car, love it, and I get 25 MPG

I think the car is pretty well put together in stock form. Very comfortable distance cruiser. Good looks and manners. But, my days of obnoxious mufflers and power tweakers are long past. I suspect I'll leave it in stock trim.

 

[TopDownMadness]

Detailers, or perhaps Pro-Turtle Waxers, did I miss the ceramic spray revolution? Seems these sprays last months and are a wax replacement? I came across a post in another forum where they were going nutty over the stuff. Me, an old-skool waxer, was surprised to be left out still applying carnauba by hand. Has anyone become a convert over here? I see the secret sauce is silicone. They even use "sil" in brands like "Hydrosilex". They tout the chemical - "SiO2". Not sure silicone oxide is even a thing?

Not a paint expert with modern cars, but in the days of yore, silicone embedded into your paint was a bad thing. Not sure about SiO2 flavors being an issue as big consumer players like Turtle Wax and Mothers have the juice. Here's a Top-10 link if interested. Like to see feedback - ceramic squirt - myth or fact?

https://carcarereviews.net/?utm_sou...FwNuE_w6hHyuUUMBcAexNyTMuDG40l1hoCT_8QAvD_BwE