Dat detailing thread, doe.

[Gberg2119]

The local place near me charges ~$700 for a correction and cquartz application.

I also see adams has a new graphene ceramic that's supposed to last longer? The ceramics always scared me because I don't want to seal in imperfections.

As a guy who has done a massive amount of research into coatings... I call massive on the Adam's Graphene. It's a good coating, sure, but the graphene oxides in them are a marketing buzz thing and really don't actually add much.

If you want a long lasting coating, go with Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light. Top it with EXOv4.

Just make sure that you correct the paint to your satisfaction before putting it on. You also MUST use Gtechniq Panel Wipe before applying the coating. It removes any excess residues, etc that might prevent the coating from bonding correctly. It will also show you the REAL finish of the surface... the pros tend to call Panel Wipe "truth serum" because it wipes away all fillers.

If you do it by the book, paint correction and coating DIY is nothing to be afraid of. I can offer you plenty of advice on how to do it correctly. Feel free to send me a message at any time or post here and we'll talk.

Should I go with something a little more forgiving since it'll be my first time compounding? I was never 100% satisfied with the results which is why I never attempted ceramic.

Also I do have a garage now but its only a single car so it's a tight fit to work on the car.

[RLWake]

I switched to the Lake Country SDO pads: https://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-s ... h-pds.html

Blue pad with Megs 105, Orange pad with Megs 205. Black pad for wax/sealant. Done.

What's your sealant of choice nowadays?

P&S Bead Maker is great, so is GTechniq C2v3, Optimum Opti-Seal, and more. Lots of good stuff out there.

[RLWake]

As a guy who has done a massive amount of research into coatings... I call massive on the Adam's Graphene. It's a good coating, sure, but the graphene oxides in them are a marketing buzz thing and really don't actually add much.

If you want a long lasting coating, go with Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light. Top it with EXOv4.

Just make sure that you correct the paint to your satisfaction before putting it on. You also MUST use Gtechniq Panel Wipe before applying the coating. It removes any excess residues, etc that might prevent the coating from bonding correctly. It will also show you the REAL finish of the surface... the pros tend to call Panel Wipe "truth serum" because it wipes away all fillers.

If you do it by the book, paint correction and coating DIY is nothing to be afraid of. I can offer you plenty of advice on how to do it correctly. Feel free to send me a message at any time or post here and we'll talk.

Should I go with something a little more forgiving since it'll be my first time compounding? I was never 100% satisfied with the results which is why I never attempted ceramic.

Also I do have a garage now but its only a single car so it's a tight fit to work on the car.

A more forgiving compound/pad combo or a more forgiving ceramic coating?

[Tar]

I should do a midlife paint correction and sealant of some sort. I'm kind of thinking about ceramic coating, but I've only been impressed with the professional application on my MK6. The retail CKquartz stuff lasted a few months without any reload applications.

CQuartz should be lasting you at least 2 years if you're doing it right.

I use Gtechniq coatings myself. Never had a problem with the longevity of those.

It was okay i guess, I haven't really been taking care of it after installation but it has been at least two years since I coated the car.

Either way, it may be ok for garage queens, but I am not sure that it is as robust as people make it out to be. The pro stuff was way better.

[RLWake]

CQuartz should be lasting you at least 2 years if you're doing it right.

I use Gtechniq coatings myself. Never had a problem with the longevity of those.

It was okay i guess, I haven't really been taking care of it after installation but it has been at least two years since I coated the car.

Either way, it may be ok for garage queens, but I am not sure that it is as robust as people make it out to be. The pro stuff was way better.

What pro stuff, exactly?

[ChrisoftheNorth]

CQuartz should be lasting you at least 2 years if you're doing it right.

I use Gtechniq coatings myself. Never had a problem with the longevity of those.

It was okay i guess, I haven't really been taking care of it after installation but it has been at least two years since I coated the car.

Either way, it may be ok for garage queens, but I am not sure that it is as robust as people make it out to be. The pro stuff was way better.

CQuartz lasted on my C5 for YEARS, but it spent its entire life in the garage.

I applied it to my truck that lived outside and it was gone within 6 months.

I don't care what anyone says, the consumer stuff just isn't that durable on a vehicle that lives in the elements. But on a garage queen, it's fantastic. I never had to wax my C5, it always looked awesome...a wipe down with reload when it started to look a bit dull, and it looked brand new again.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

It was okay i guess, I haven't really been taking care of it after installation but it has been at least two years since I coated the car.

Either way, it may be ok for garage queens, but I am not sure that it is as robust as people make it out to be. The pro stuff was way better.

What pro stuff, exactly?

The CQuartz you buy as a retail customer isn't the same quality as what professional installers can get. That pro stuff is allegedly a lot more durable, but also harder to apply correctly, which is why it's only sold to pros.

[RLWake]

It was okay i guess, I haven't really been taking care of it after installation but it has been at least two years since I coated the car.

Either way, it may be ok for garage queens, but I am not sure that it is as robust as people make it out to be. The pro stuff was way better.

I don't care what anyone says, the consumer stuff just isn't that durable on a vehicle that lives in the elements. But on a garage queen, it's fantastic.

I’m gonna respectfully disagree. I can’t speak for CQuartz since I don’t apply that for customers, but Gtechniq puts a 5 year warranty on Crystal Serum Light topped with EXO when it’s put on by a professional. That tells me that it’s all in the application and prep. CSL is consumer available, and I’ve used it many times to great success.

[Gberg2119]

Should I go with something a little more forgiving since it'll be my first time compounding? I was never 100% satisfied with the results which is why I never attempted ceramic.

Also I do have a garage now but its only a single car so it's a tight fit to work on the car.

A more forgiving compound/pad combo or a more forgiving ceramic coating?

A more forgiving coating/sealant since it'd be my first time using one. I'll go with the pads [user not found] recommended and do a clay > compound > polish > sealant.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I don't care what anyone says, the consumer stuff just isn't that durable on a vehicle that lives in the elements. But on a garage queen, it's fantastic.

I’m gonna respectfully disagree. I can’t speak for CQuartz since I don’t apply that for customers, but Gtechniq puts a 5 year warranty on Crystal Serum Light topped with EXO when it’s put on by a professional. That tells me that it’s all in the application and prep. CSL is consumer available, and I’ve used it many times to great success.

I only have experience with CQuartz, and was disappointed.

Sorry I didn't realize you're a pro...which now makes me ask...is there REALLY that much of a difference in application difficulty with different products? Your response makes me think no, but I'm just curious. Prep is prep (and no doubt the most important part of the job), but the actual application...is it that much different and/or difficult for a product that actually lasts?

I'll probably my contribution to this thread. I don't have any vehicles I remotely care enough about to ceramic coat, but a quality product that lasts, I could see doing our JL so it stays nice.

[RLWake]

A more forgiving compound/pad combo or a more forgiving ceramic coating?

A more forgiving coating/sealant since it'd be my first time using one. I'll go with the pads [user not found] recommended and do a compound > polish > sealant.

Easy sealant- Gtechniq C2v3 or P&S Bead Maker.

Easy coating- Gtechniq EXOv4

[RLWake]

I’m gonna respectfully disagree. I can’t speak for CQuartz since I don’t apply that for customers, but Gtechniq puts a 5 year warranty on Crystal Serum Light topped with EXO when it’s put on by a professional. That tells me that it’s all in the application and prep. CSL is consumer available, and I’ve used it many times to great success.

I only have experience with CQuartz, and was disappointed.

Sorry I didn't realize you're a pro...which now makes me ask...is there REALLY that much of a difference in application difficulty with different products? Your response makes me think no, but I'm just curious. Prep is prep (and no doubt the most important part of the job), but the actual application...is it that much different and/or difficult for a product that actually lasts?

I'll probably my contribution to this thread. I don't have any vehicles I remotely care enough about to ceramic coat, but a quality product that lasts, I could see doing our JL so it stays nice.

No worries.

Yes, product application difficulty varies by a LOT, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Prep is prep yes but following the instructions to the letter makes the difference between a coating lasting 5 years as advertised and a coating failing in patches after 6-9 months. If there is any kind of contamination or leftover product (polish, compound, wax, sealant, cleaner, anything) between the paint and the coating, the chemistry won’t work correctly. Ceramic coatings penetrate into the paint and form a chemical bond, while sealants and waxes don’t really do that.

As far as application of the coatings themselves, there’s a good reason why Crystal Serum Ultra bottles are not available to consumers. You really have to follow the instructions and if you miss a “high spot” of residue, you have to break out the sandpaper to get rid of it. CSL is more forgiving, and compound can fix any oopsies. C1 is pretty easy as well. EXO is easy as pi. There are HUGE tolerances in the application process of EXO that allow for “loose” following of the instructions.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I only have experience with CQuartz, and was disappointed.

Sorry I didn't realize you're a pro...which now makes me ask...is there REALLY that much of a difference in application difficulty with different products? Your response makes me think no, but I'm just curious. Prep is prep (and no doubt the most important part of the job), but the actual application...is it that much different and/or difficult for a product that actually lasts?

I'll probably my contribution to this thread. I don't have any vehicles I remotely care enough about to ceramic coat, but a quality product that lasts, I could see doing our JL so it stays nice.

No worries.

Yes, product application difficulty varies by a LOT, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Prep is prep yes but following the instructions to the letter makes the difference between a coating lasting 5 years as advertised and a coating failing in patches after 6-9 months. If there is any kind of contamination or leftover product (polish, compound, wax, sealant, cleaner, anything) between the paint and the coating, the chemistry won’t work correctly. Ceramic coatings penetrate into the paint and form a chemical bond, while sealants and waxes don’t really do that.

As far as application of the coatings themselves, there’s a good reason why Crystal Serum Ultra bottles are not available to consumers. You really have to follow the instructions and if you miss a “high spot” of residue, you have to break out the sandpaper to get rid of it. CSL is more forgiving, and compound can fix any oopsies. C1 is pretty easy as well. EXO is easy as pi. There are HUGE tolerances in the application process of EXO that allow for “loose” following of the instructions.

I followed the prep process to a T with both vehicles totally recognizing the chemical aspect. Maybe I messed the truck up but not the C5, but I did both within months of each other following the exact same process. I think CQuartz just sucks on vehicles left outside in the elements daily.

I'm retarded, but what exactly does a "high spot" look like? Just like an imperfection in the finish? Based on my experience (that I likely fucked up somehow), it just wasn't that difficult to apply if you followed the instructions closely.

[RLWake]

No worries.

Yes, product application difficulty varies by a LOT, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Prep is prep yes but following the instructions to the letter makes the difference between a coating lasting 5 years as advertised and a coating failing in patches after 6-9 months. If there is any kind of contamination or leftover product (polish, compound, wax, sealant, cleaner, anything) between the paint and the coating, the chemistry won’t work correctly. Ceramic coatings penetrate into the paint and form a chemical bond, while sealants and waxes don’t really do that.

As far as application of the coatings themselves, there’s a good reason why Crystal Serum Ultra bottles are not available to consumers. You really have to follow the instructions and if you miss a “high spot” of residue, you have to break out the sandpaper to get rid of it. CSL is more forgiving, and compound can fix any oopsies. C1 is pretty easy as well. EXO is easy as pi. There are HUGE tolerances in the application process of EXO that allow for “loose” following of the instructions.

I followed the prep process to a T with both vehicles totally recognizing the chemical aspect. Maybe I messed the truck up but not the C5, but I did both within months of each other following the exact same process. I think CQuartz just sucks on vehicles left outside in the elements daily.

I'm retarded, but what exactly does a "high spot" look like? Just like an imperfection in the finish? Based on my experience (that I likely fucked up somehow), it just wasn't that difficult to apply if you followed the instructions closely.

Maybe Cquartz does just suck. Idk. Not my area of expertise.

GREAT question! So you’ve got your coating applied on your section, right? You’ve waited the correct amount of time to wipe it off, and you go for it. If you miss a spot of residue, or your wipe-off towel pushes it around and leaves a little behind, that’s a high spot. It’s extra coating that doesn’t need to be there that then hardens into an imperfection. High spots are why you MUST have good lighting when doing a coating. If your lighting sucks, it’s super easy to miss one or two. For polishing, you want a direct reflection of a light source on the paint. You’re staring at the intense reflection looking for scratches, swirls, haze, etc. When putting on a coating, you want flat, diffused light. My recommendation is to brightly illuminate the wall behind you when you’re doing the coating. Makes spotting high spots easy peasy.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I followed the prep process to a T with both vehicles totally recognizing the chemical aspect. Maybe I messed the truck up but not the C5, but I did both within months of each other following the exact same process. I think CQuartz just sucks on vehicles left outside in the elements daily.

I'm retarded, but what exactly does a "high spot" look like? Just like an imperfection in the finish? Based on my experience (that I likely fucked up somehow), it just wasn't that difficult to apply if you followed the instructions closely.

Maybe Cquartz does just suck. Idk. Not my area of expertise.

GREAT question! So you’ve got your coating applied on your section, right? You’ve waited the correct amount of time to wipe it off, and you go for it. If you miss a spot of residue, or your wipe-off towel pushes it around and leaves a little behind, that’s a high spot. It’s extra coating that doesn’t need to be there that then hardens into an imperfection. High spots are why you MUST have good lighting when doing a coating. If your lighting sucks, it’s super easy to miss one or two. For polishing, you want a direct reflection of a light source on the paint. You’re staring at the intense reflection looking for scratches, swirls, haze, etc. When putting on a coating, you want flat, diffused light. My recommendation is to brightly illuminate the wall behind you when you’re doing the coating. Makes spotting high spots easy peasy.

:thankyou:

And now...I get it. I had a tiny spot on the edge of the side mirror on my C5 that looked like residue that wouldn't come off. I clearly missed wiping that tiny section, and I suspected that's what it was, now I know.

So when a coating is more "difficult" to apply, does that mean the high spots are harder to wipe off so it needs to be applied more smoothly? Or is the window during which they can be wiped off easily shorter? I know you said you'd need to bust out some mechanical force to correct high spots, but is that because you missed wiping them when it was easier or is it just never easier...thus needing closer attention to detail and experience?

Sorry to riddle you with questions, I've just always wondered about the difference between retail and professional coatings. I tend to consider myself an advanced DIYer, and whenever I asked these sorts of questions on other boards the responses were just "let a pro do it" or "pro is just better" or "don't even attempt pro as DIY". OK fine, but WHY?

Yes, I was that annoying "why" kid.

[RLWake]

Maybe Cquartz does just suck. Idk. Not my area of expertise.

GREAT question! So you’ve got your coating applied on your section, right? You’ve waited the correct amount of time to wipe it off, and you go for it. If you miss a spot of residue, or your wipe-off towel pushes it around and leaves a little behind, that’s a high spot. It’s extra coating that doesn’t need to be there that then hardens into an imperfection. High spots are why you MUST have good lighting when doing a coating. If your lighting sucks, it’s super easy to miss one or two. For polishing, you want a direct reflection of a light source on the paint. You’re staring at the intense reflection looking for scratches, swirls, haze, etc. When putting on a coating, you want flat, diffused light. My recommendation is to brightly illuminate the wall behind you when you’re doing the coating. Makes spotting high spots easy peasy.

:thankyou:

And now...I get it. I had a tiny spot on the edge of the side mirror on my C5 that looked like residue that wouldn't come off. I clearly missed wiping that tiny section, and I suspected that's what it was, now I know.

So when a coating is more "difficult" to apply, does that mean the high spots are harder to wipe off so it needs to be applied more smoothly? Or is the window during which they can be wiped off easily shorter? I know you said you'd need to bust out some mechanical force to correct high spots, but is that because you missed wiping them when it was easier or is it just never easier...thus needing closer attention to detail and experience?

Sorry to riddle you with questions, I've just always wondered about the difference between retail and professional coatings. I tend to consider myself an advanced DIYer, and whenever I asked these sorts of questions on other boards the responses were just "let a pro do it" or "pro is just better" or "don't even attempt pro as DIY". OK fine, but WHY?

Yes, I was that annoying "why" kid.

So lets go with Crystal Serum Ultra, which is pro-only as an example. It’s harder to wipe off. You need to use more elbow grease, wipe off towelswith plenty of “bite” (short-pile terry or pearl weave), and you need to use 3 different wipe off towels at a time. First wipe gets the majority of it, second touches up any remaining high spots, third makes absolutely damn sure there’s no residue left. Ultra also needs to be wiped off in a more precise time window. If you wait a little too long, it’s gonna start fighting you and get “grabby.” Next, if you DO miss a spot with ultra, you have very little time to fix it. An hour if you’re lucky. With something like Gtechniq C1, if you see a high spot the next day out in the sun, you can get it off by re-cleaning the surface and reapplying C1 over the problem area. The new product will reactivate the old product and let it wipe off fine. If you fuck up with Ultra, you need to compound it off if it’s early or wet sand it off if you didn’t find it for a day or two. Ultra will also COMPLETELY ruin your wipeoff towels. All 3 of your wipeoff towels (perhaps x2 for larger vehicles) have to go in the trash after. With C1, you’re probably only throwing away one towel.

So, consumer grade coating oopsies can be corrected by the consumer. Pro grade coating oopsies can only be corrected by the pro usually.

Additionally, when you’re paying for an expensive coating like that, you want the warranty with it, which is why it’s worth getting a pro to do it.

On top of all that, a bottle of crystal serum ultra is double the price of a bottle of crystal serum light.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

:thankyou:

And now...I get it. I had a tiny spot on the edge of the side mirror on my C5 that looked like residue that wouldn't come off. I clearly missed wiping that tiny section, and I suspected that's what it was, now I know.

So when a coating is more "difficult" to apply, does that mean the high spots are harder to wipe off so it needs to be applied more smoothly? Or is the window during which they can be wiped off easily shorter? I know you said you'd need to bust out some mechanical force to correct high spots, but is that because you missed wiping them when it was easier or is it just never easier...thus needing closer attention to detail and experience?

Sorry to riddle you with questions, I've just always wondered about the difference between retail and professional coatings. I tend to consider myself an advanced DIYer, and whenever I asked these sorts of questions on other boards the responses were just "let a pro do it" or "pro is just better" or "don't even attempt pro as DIY". OK fine, but WHY?

Yes, I was that annoying "why" kid.

So lets go with Crystal Serum Ultra, which is pro-only as an example. It’s harder to wipe off. You need to use more elbow grease, wipe off towelswith plenty of “bite” (short-pile terry or pearl weave), and you need to use 3 different wipe off towels at a time. First wipe gets the majority of it, second touches up any remaining high spots, third makes absolutely damn sure there’s no residue left. Ultra also needs to be wiped off in a more precise time window. If you wait a little too long, it’s gonna start fighting you and get “grabby.” Next, if you DO miss a spot with ultra, you have very little time to fix it. An hour if you’re lucky. With something like Gtechniq C1, if you see a high spot the next day out in the sun, you can get it off by re-cleaning the surface and reapplying C1 over the problem area. The new product will reactivate the old product and let it wipe off fine. If you fuck up with Ultra, you need to compound it off if it’s early or wet sand it off if you didn’t find it for a day or two. Ultra will also COMPLETELY ruin your wipeoff towels. All 3 of your wipeoff towels (perhaps x2 for larger vehicles) have to go in the trash after. With C1, you’re probably only throwing away one towel.

So, consumer grade coating oopsies can be corrected by the consumer. Pro grade coating oopsies can only be corrected by the pro usually.

Additionally, when you’re paying for an expensive coating like that, you want the warranty with it, which is why it’s worth getting a pro to do it.

On top of all that, a bottle of crystal serum ultra is double the price of a bottle of crystal serum light.

Thanks again!

[Tar]

No worries.

Yes, product application difficulty varies by a LOT, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Prep is prep yes but following the instructions to the letter makes the difference between a coating lasting 5 years as advertised and a coating failing in patches after 6-9 months. If there is any kind of contamination or leftover product (polish, compound, wax, sealant, cleaner, anything) between the paint and the coating, the chemistry won’t work correctly. Ceramic coatings penetrate into the paint and form a chemical bond, while sealants and waxes don’t really do that.

As far as application of the coatings themselves, there’s a good reason why Crystal Serum Ultra bottles are not available to consumers. You really have to follow the instructions and if you miss a “high spot” of residue, you have to break out the sandpaper to get rid of it. CSL is more forgiving, and compound can fix any oopsies. C1 is pretty easy as well. EXO is easy as pi. There are HUGE tolerances in the application process of EXO that allow for “loose” following of the instructions.

I followed the prep process to a T with both vehicles totally recognizing the chemical aspect. Maybe I messed the truck up but not the C5, but I did both within months of each other following the exact same process. I think CQuartz just sucks on vehicles left outside in the elements daily.

I'm retarded, but what exactly does a "high spot" look like? Just like an imperfection in the finish? Based on my experience (that I likely fucked up somehow), it just wasn't that difficult to apply if you followed the instructions closely.

I followed the correct procedure. Retail CK isn't that good. It is not like I have patches of product missing, there is no product left IMO.

Weather elements and DD duties/washes dissolve it, hence my original point that I need to find a better product. I may just wax it on a warmer day doe,

[RLWake]

I followed the prep process to a T with both vehicles totally recognizing the chemical aspect. Maybe I messed the truck up but not the C5, but I did both within months of each other following the exact same process. I think CQuartz just sucks on vehicles left outside in the elements daily.

I'm retarded, but what exactly does a "high spot" look like? Just like an imperfection in the finish? Based on my experience (that I likely fucked up somehow), it just wasn't that difficult to apply if you followed the instructions closely.

I followed the correct procedure. Retail CK isn't that good. It is not like I have patches of product missing, there is no product left IMO.

Weather elements and DD duties/washes dissolve it, hence my original point that I need to find a better product. I may just wax it on a warmer day doe,

Yeah there’s nothing wrong with going with a wax or a sealant. Coatings can be stressful honestly and it’s fun to have a regular car care task like waxing. What’s your wax of choice?

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I followed the prep process to a T with both vehicles totally recognizing the chemical aspect. Maybe I messed the truck up but not the C5, but I did both within months of each other following the exact same process. I think CQuartz just sucks on vehicles left outside in the elements daily.

I'm retarded, but what exactly does a "high spot" look like? Just like an imperfection in the finish? Based on my experience (that I likely fucked up somehow), it just wasn't that difficult to apply if you followed the instructions closely.

I followed the correct procedure. Retail CK isn't that good. It is not like I have patches of product missing, there is no product left IMO.

Weather elements and DD duties/washes dissolve it, hence my original point that I need to find a better product. I may just wax it on a warmer day doe,

That was the conclusion I came to as well. It's easier to just wax the vehicle on a regular basis instead of going through all the hassle to put on a shitty coating.

I'm still intrigued by trying another higher quality coating because of how awesome it was on my C5, but it's a lot of effort for just an experiment.

[Tar]

I followed the correct procedure. Retail CK isn't that good. It is not like I have patches of product missing, there is no product left IMO.

Weather elements and DD duties/washes dissolve it, hence my original point that I need to find a better product. I may just wax it on a warmer day doe,

That was the conclusion I came to as well. It's easier to just wax the vehicle on a regular basis instead of going through all the hassle to put on a shitty coating.

I'm still intrigued by trying another higher quality coating because of how awesome it was on my C5, but it's a lot of effort for just an experiment.

I might do it one more time, assuming there is a non-garbage version out there. Detailers have better stuff, but I have a $20k 4yr old car with rusty rotors, curb rashed and bent wheels, and a cracked windshield that runs a single line from the mirror to the hood. I can't justify spending half a G-NOTE on making the paint sparkle. I'd rather save the cash for new pads and rotors when these things start grinding and sweaking at me.

[Gberg2119]

A more forgiving coating/sealant since it'd be my first time using one. I'll go with the pads [user not found] recommended and do a compound > polish > sealant.

Easy sealant- Gtechniq C2v3 or P&S Bead Maker.

Easy coating- Gtechniq EXOv4

I'm assuming spray ons aren't as effective as ones that go on with a DA? Is the meguiars sealant #21 any good?

https://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-21-sy ... t-2-0.html

[RLWake]

Easy sealant- Gtechniq C2v3 or P&S Bead Maker.

Easy coating- Gtechniq EXOv4

I'm assuming spray ons aren't as effective as ones that go on with a DA? Is the meguiars sealant #21 any good?

https://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-21-sy ... t-2-0.html

I use both Bead Maker and C2V3 on customer’s cars regularly. Put it on a 2020 CX-5 on Saturday. Just because they’re sprays doesn’t mean they aren’t good. Those two are easily leaders amongst all sealants.

Not sure about Meg’s 21

[RLWake]

That was the conclusion I came to as well. It's easier to just wax the vehicle on a regular basis instead of going through all the hassle to put on a shitty coating.

I'm still intrigued by trying another higher quality coating because of how awesome it was on my C5, but it's a lot of effort for just an experiment.

I might do it one more time, assuming there is a non-garbage version out there. Detailers have better stuff, but I have a $20k 4yr old car with rusty rotors, curb rashed and bent wheels, and a cracked windshield that runs a single line from the mirror to the hood. I can't justify spending half a G-NOTE on making the paint sparkle. I'd rather save the cash for new pads and rotors when these things start grinding and sweaking at me.

You can do an all-in-one polish that will work well for something like a daily. On like a garage queen you’re scrutinizing closely, it’s probably not what you want but it’s great for making a daily look good with little effort. Rupes UNO Protect + Rupes Yellow Wool pad does the trick pretty well.

[Tar]

I might do it one more time, assuming there is a non-garbage version out there. Detailers have better stuff, but I have a $20k 4yr old car with rusty rotors, curb rashed and bent wheels, and a cracked windshield that runs a single line from the mirror to the hood. I can't justify spending half a G-NOTE on making the paint sparkle. I'd rather save the cash for new pads and rotors when these things start grinding and sweaking at me.

You can do an all-in-one polish that will work well for something like a daily. On like a garage queen you’re scrutinizing closely, it’s probably not what you want but it’s great for making a daily look good with little effort. Rupes UNO Protect + Rupes Yellow Wool pad does the trick pretty well.

In a month we will have some good weather, and I'll grab some and give it a try. Thanks Richard!