Ceramic Application Prep Help

[Fistpoundin]

Going to coat the whip here soon with some ceramic procector stuffs, what is the best way to prep the surface for it. only have a few thousand miles. clay? some say no clay. just decon the paint? anything from someone that knows more than me would be nice.

 

[vosmith08]

Disclaimer: not a professional, just an enthusiast

From what I understand, both clay and iron remover should be done. Although they do overlap a bit on their goals, clay will remove things that aren't iron. And iron remover I think will do a better job removing specifically..... Iron lol.

If it were me, I would

1. Strip wash and rinse
2. Iron remover and rinse
3. Clay
4. Obsessively dry, including blowing out all crevices.
5. Coat

Assuming there isn't any polishing you want to do. Should be done before the coating.

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[Fistpoundin]

You guys are awesome, sage advice.


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[V_2]

Haven't gone the ceramic route (yet), but when applying sealant I follow this procedure:

1. Stip washing with something like dawn or CG clean slate soap
2. Not drying the car, park in shade, garage preferably, and claybar panel by panel making sure to keep the paint wet with spray lubricant. Wipe off remaining water/lubricant with a clean microfiber towel as you go.
2a. (only if needed) Bust out the random orbital and get your polish on
3. Strip wash again
4. Dry everything with clean microfiber towels. Go over *everything* - every nook and cranny.
5. Park back in the shade/garage, dry again since you invariably have missed some water somewhere.
6. Grab some lunch and/or an adult beverage. Let the car sit an hour or two to make sure it is completely dry.
7. Apply your product of choice according to manufacturer directions

You should expect to have used a full laundry load of microfiber towels by the time you are done.

 

[V_2]

Absolutely! Surface prep is 80% of the work. Best to go borderline overboard with cleaning considering how much money these coatings cost.

If sealant can do this, I'm jelly of you guys doing ceramic coatings.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161227/8a0522e5568fb9496a4af3b0807682bc.jpg

 

[Fistpoundin]

someone mentioned polishing, my car is new, but i might do another car thats been in the weather for a few years. can you guys elaborate on the need for polish? and if so, will the ceramic just go over that?

 

[V_2]

someone mentioned polishing, my car is new, but i might do another car thats been in the weather for a few years. can you guys elaborate on the need for polish? and if so, will the ceramic just go over that?

You shouldn't need to polish with low miles. Washing and claybar ought to be sufficient. Polishing just insures you are starting with a clean slate before application and removes any microscratches and swirls that would otherwise impede shine and depth.

The benefits of polishing will be more apparent over the years than now.

 

[Fistpoundin]

You shouldn't need to polish with low miles. Washing and claybar ought to be sufficient. Polishing just insures you are starting with a clean slate before application and removes any microscratches and swirls that would otherwise impede shine and depth.

The benefits of polishing will be more apparent over the years than now.

Solid. So the higher mileage car I’m doing polish if needed, then seal. I can essentially just seal right over the polish. Got it.


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[vosmith08]

You shouldn't need to polish with low miles. Washing and claybar ought to be sufficient. Polishing just insures you are starting with a clean slate before application and removes any microscratches and swirls that would otherwise impede shine and depth.

The benefits of polishing will be more apparent over the years than now.

Yeah I agree that polishing isn't necessary, especially if your car is brand new. I brought it up just in case. I have heard that sometimes "new" doesn't imply "perfect" and some people really have an eye for those little swirls and whatnot. If you're that type, you'll have to correct it before your coat, otherwise you'll just be preserving them.

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[V_2]

I would personally strip wash again after polishing to get any residual debris and oils off the paint if planning to apply a sealant or ceramic coating afterward.

 

[nickstewartroc]

Yeah I agree that polishing isn't necessary, especially if your car is brand new. I brought it up just in case. I have heard that sometimes "new" doesn't imply "perfect" and some people really have an eye for those little swirls and whatnot. If you're that type, you'll have to correct it before your coat, otherwise you'll just be preserving them.

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More times than not it's needed when "brand new" since the dealers will typically send it through the scratch-o-matic before handing it off to you not to mention any time inbetween getting the car on the lot and actually selling it. If you're going through the trouble of putting on a ceramic coating, why would you not take the extra step to polish and make the paint look as good as possible? Otherwise it will just magnify the neglected paint

 

[Fistpoundin]

great point! Thanks again everyone. makes me feel much better about things. ill get some whisky on ice for the weekend.

 

[SrsBsns]

Bumping an old thread.

I just bought a kit of ceramic coating that I'm planning on doing in the next month or so, when I have the time. My '15 has some swirls and I'd like to do paint correction (after the degreasing/clay process). I don't have a buffer... is it possible to effectively polish the car without one?

 

[rallytaff]

I've been using TorqueDetail products on my silver ST. I used clay bar to start, then the polish and then the sealer. It really works. Did a 100 mile trip on the freeway in the rain and dirt, got home and the car was CLEAN! Very impressed!