New car in new year...

JoeA3

Hi guys
I've a new car arriving in the new year, probably around February time. Now for the last couple of cars I've taken it to a pro for a ceramic coating. And while that's all been fine and dandy, it is eye wateringly expensive and I'm not convinced it's worth spending that again tbh. As well as the expense, I think it takes away from some of the "fun" DIY element (Think Mrs. Doyle and the tea making machine!). I also enjoy the ongoing maintenance aspect and even though I was told - and even advised - not to apply any other products to the current car, I didn't always heed that advice. So I think ceramic coatings just aren't for me.

So this time, I plan on doing it all myself. I know all the basics, I have the 2 buckets and loads of kit accumulated over the years tbh, so I'm not sure if I really need much new gear.

So I think first of all I need new (or top ups of):
- tar remover
- fallout remover (carpro?)
- couple of decent wash mitts
- couple of decent drying towels
- a wax / sealant. Can anyone recommend a decent wax and/or sealant that can be easily applied at this time of year?

I was browsing Detailing Shed for all the above items earlier but the choice available is mind boggling!! If someone could recommend a few essentials, it would be appreciated.


And some more questions...

Is it possible to get replacement power washer attachments for a snow foam lance that I already have? I have a Nilfisk power washer but a snow foam lance I bought a few years ago has a Karcher fitment on it. Is it possible to buy new fitments without the lance?

And anyone know if its possible to get replacement wheel woolies? I bought the set of 3 a few years ago. Only really used one of them - the large one. And its a bit wrecked now. I don't need a new full set of 3 for 60 quid odd! Is it possible to buy them individually?

The car will be a metallic grey if that makes any difference...

Cheers lads
Joe.

Curran

Its one of the downsides of the coatings is not having the enjoyment of getting out and giving the car a days TLC. They're arent for some poeple, for this reason, but perhaps its worth considering getting some items coated - wheels and trim would be the main ones - they are a painful job to do every few months and its nice having them done and only to look after the paintwork with stripping back old protection and re-applying a fresh coat.

If you are planning on decontaminating and prep'ing the car yourself, minimum, you will need the following...
Tar Remvoer - CarPro TarX
Fallout / Iron Remover - CarPro IronX or Bilt Hamber Korrosol
Clay - Bilt Hamber Auto Clay
Wax / Sealant - choice is endless

Polish might be a consideration, as if they car mars the paint, you'll need it to remove these marks.
Wash mitt and drying towel should be on the list for a new car if your others have seen better days.


Others that might be required in your arsenal if you havent already got them...
Wheel Cleaner
Glass Cleaner
Trim Dressing

Regarding what to apply to the car...metallic grey is middle of the road, either wax or sealants will work well, whereas other colours are more suited to one or the other. Bilt Hamber Finis-Wax is a real looker on greys IMO; easy to work with and decent durability....but what you choose can be narrowed down by the factors that best suit you - durability, appearanace, easy of application / buffing, cost, beading, etc.

To answer other questions...
Yes, it is possible to buy just the connection for the lance, remove the old, apply new PTFE tape and screw on the new fitting
No, the Wheel Woolies are not sold separately, but they are available in a 2pk now, for a less than the 3pk

If you want to narrow down what you'd like from a wax / sealant, I can give a few recommendations.

JoeA3

Thanks Dave,

I hope to ask the dealers to just handover the car to me without them touching it (much) so hopefully it won't have any marks to correct. I do have a DA and polishes though if really needed (purchased from yourself last year).

I have loads of all the "basic" stuff - mitts, towels, glass cleaners, dressings, tar / fallout removers, etc... I really only need to replenish those, and thats easy done. Having browsed around today I think I know what to get there.

But in terms of waxes / sealants... I'm not sure what I want. As I said, I had the ceramic coating yet I couldn't resist always experimenting with other products even though there was no need (well, actually there was, as I found that the coating didn't do much to prevent swirls and bird crap marks, hence the purchase of the DA).

So long term durability isn't a massive concern as I don't mind regularly topping it up, etc. A bonus would be anything that helps prevent scratches and swirls but main desire would be something that gives a good deep shine, lots of beading, brings out the metallic flake etc.
For a wax, I've read good things about Colinite 845? How would that compare say to Autoglym HD wax (which I have half a tub of somewhere!). And am I correct in thinking then that a sealant goes on top of a wax?

As for wheels, is something like Poorboys Wheel sealant a good punt? The wheels are painted / powder coated, not diamond cut.

Have you a link to the replacement lance connectors? Is the one for a Nilfisk suitable for all Nilfisk washers? Mine's one of the fairly current models, bought it in Argos about 18 months ago... I think it came with a bottle and a bunch of connectors but those are probably crap compared to a proper foam lance. I need to dig out the proper lance that I bought 4-5 years ago, its in my Dad's shed and has a karcher fitment (for his washer) on it!

Joe.

GustavoFring

Joe, question I’d ask is what coating you’ve had previously?

This time with me it wound up at €750 to get it applied (factory swirls needed removing) but first time with exo and the finish is completely different to what I’ve had in the past. I’m assuming it’s a new R (pr1ck!) and if it is I’d look at the ceramic options again.

Now if you get lucky and it’s swirl free and the dealer hasn’t been at it then that’s great for DIY every weekend. If you’re the kind of person that gets caught for time the ceramic comes into its own.

JoeA3

GustavoFring wrote: »

Joe, question I’d ask is what coating you’ve had previously?

This time with me it wound up at €750 to get it applied (factory swirls needed removing) but first time with exo and the finish is completely different to what I’ve had in the past. I’m assuming it’s a new R (pr1ck!) and if it is I’d look at the ceramic options again.

Now if you get lucky and it’s swirl free and the dealer hasn’t been at it then that’s great for DIY every weekend. If you’re the kind of person that gets caught for time the ceramic comes into its own.

:pac:

It was a ceramic coating... I don't remember exactly which one or the finer details now tbh. I'm not really prepared to spend that kind of dough again, for a few reasons:

- I enjoy "detailing" in the main, without being obsessive about it. I don't mind spending a couple of hours every 2nd Saturday afternoon at it, so available time shouldn't be an issue especially in summer months.

- Main reason I got the coating was to help prevent swirls and bird **** marks. It failed on both counts and I ended up getting a DA myself to do some spot fixes (it looks great since!)

- despite getting that coating, I still couldn't resist applying other products on top of it from time to time -not the whole car usually (I don't think I've ever touched the roof other than normal washing). This was possibly a waste of time/effort and maybe even compromised the effectiveness of the coating, I'm not sure

- even if I did get the coating I'd still spend 2 hours at it every other weekend. I'd still need to refresh all the basic kit (mitts, towels, tar/iron removers, etc, so its not like I'd be saving any money on that score).. I kinda like experimenting with different waxes/sealants over time too.

Curran

JoeA3 wrote: »

So long term durability isn't a massive concern as I don't mind regularly topping it up, etc. A bonus would be anything that helps prevent scratches and swirls but main desire would be something that gives a good deep shine, lots of beading, brings out the metallic flake etc.
For a wax, I've read good things about Colinite 845? How would that compare say to Autoglym HD wax (which I have half a tub of somewhere!). And am I correct in thinking then that a sealant goes on top of a wax?

Sealant first, then wax on top, if you feel you want to do both. Not necessary to do so, but some people like to have the durability of the sealant underneath the wax which would enhance the gloss levels.

Collinite 845 is very decent; punches well above its weight in terms of value for money, performance, durability. A little hard to work with at times (to get out of the bottle), but a if left warm water for a bit before use, its a lot more user friendly.
Autoglym HD wax is a very under-rated one. If it were from another manufacturer it would likely be quite a bit more expensive, but given an AG product, they have to pitch it to their market. Would certainly use up that if you felt you didnt want to waste it.

Given what you have mentioned, if you wanted to try something new, based on your needs, I'll stick with my recommendation of Bilt Hamber Finis-Wax; looks superb, is durable and if the surface is prep'd well, the beading is savage from it.

JoeA3 wrote: »

As for wheels, is something like Poorboys Wheel sealant a good punt? The wheels are painted / powder coated, not diamond cut.

Poorboy's Wheel Sealant would certainly be better than nothing, but not a massive performer in terms of durability. You'd be looking at about re-doing them once a month during the good months.
KKD RevolveX would be a ceramic coating that is very user friendly; as it doesnt need to be buffed off. Its self levels, and as a result the user cant get the curing time before buffing wrong. Still needs a good prep, and a few hours post application where it cant get wet.

JoeA3 wrote: »

Have you a link to the replacement lance connectors? Is the one for a Nilfisk suitable for all Nilfisk washers? Mine's one of the fairly current models, bought it in Argos about 18 months ago... I think it came with a bottle and a bunch of connectors but those are probably crap compared to a proper foam lance. I need to dig out the proper lance that I bought 4-5 years ago, its in my Dad's shed and has a karcher fitment (for his washer) on it!

Dont keep them in stock online; we usually have one or two spare for anyone who requests ones. I'd need to double check if we have one there, but can one for you in about 2 days. There is only 2 Nilfisks connections in recent years; a twist fitting that has two lugs either side, and their quick release fitting (unlikely its that)

JoeA3

Thanks Dave,
I’ll have a think about all that!

I tell you what would put me off the KKD wheel sealant is the curing time. That would be a big test of my patience, not to mention I don’t really have a convenient cover / shed. Well I could work around I suppose it but it’d be some hassle. So especially at this time of year I’d be more inclined to go for the products that go on and buff off quickly. Even if they have to be re-done regularly...

Yeah my nilfisk has those connectors with a lug either side and you push and twist them on. I’ve just found the lance in my Dad’s shed and I removed (with some persuasion!) the karcher fitment so I think it’ll do fine with a new nilfisk attachment. The lance is branded “PA”, think I bought it in detailingshed about 4 yrs ago.

JoeA3

That bilet Hammer wax does look good too, gets good reviews. Thanks for that recommendation!

vectra

Just saw this thread now.
Dave has explained pretty much everything above.

Except for the fact that if you were getting bird dropping etch on your paint, this says to me that you are a lazy Git

I had cquk on my Passat,
Like you I got bored with it, but had zero bird drop etch.
I often left it on there for 3 days, But realistically I would throw a damp bundle of tissue on it to wet it and gently wipe it off.
Just one of those things I do,

Going back to it,
if you got the etching with ceramic you will be plagued with any sealant/wax.

As I said, I had cquk on mine. If I was to go again I would have put Cquartz ( Original ??? ) on as apparently it is glossier.

I will say this though.
100% ceramic coat your wheels.
I would go so far as to say use Dlux as you can coat the black trim with this as well.
Absolutely worth it.

JoeA3

vectra wrote: »

Except for the fact that if you were getting bird dropping etch on your paint, this says to me that you are a lazy Git

It only really happened once... One warm summer weekend where I left the car on the driveway for the weekend while I was off on the beer someplace. And while I was gone, 2 big splats of sh1te baked onto the bonnet in direct hot sunshine. I don't believe for a second that any coating would have prevented the etching it caused. Fortunately 5 minutes with the DA did fix it!

@Vectra, so you didn't bother with a coating on the new Mondeo I take it? What stuff have you used on that car?

vectra

JoeA3 wrote: »

It only really happened once... One warm summer weekend where I left the car on the driveway for the weekend while I was off on the beer someplace. And while I was gone, 2 big splats of sh1te baked onto the bonnet in direct hot sunshine. I don't believe for a second that any coating would have prevented the etching it caused. Fortunately 5 minutes with the DA did fix it!

@Vectra, so you didn't bother with a coating on the new Mondeo I take it? What stuff have you used on that car?

So only the coating was etched?
Can you imagine if it had only been waxed

Anyhow,
No coating this time. I thought I missed cleaning it as you feel yourself.

Fortunately I wont a bottle of ceramic coating

Migliore Strata Coating



https://www.migliorewax.com/product-page/strata-coating

and a big huge bag of mixed MF clothes in a comp. over on detailing world.

So Plans are taking a change now,
Do I regret not coating the car?
absolutley ,, I suddenly got reminded how good the ceramic was at keeping the paint clean compared to waxes.
And also the ease of washing it with the ceramic.

Currently I have 2 coats of Soft99 Fusso on it. While it looks fantastic when clean, It does get dirty easy.

I am going to get a bottle of RevolveX as well to do the wheels when the weather clears up.

I still strongly advise a ceramic coat.
Nothing stopping you waxing on top of it.

JoeA3

I dunno Vectra...

You’re like me - you change your car’s regularly. Every 2-3 years. You do low ish miles too right? Whether it’s coated or not you regularly keep on top of keeping it 100% spotless. This is why I struggle to see the benefit of spending the cost of the metallic paint all over again on a once off coating that has dubious (imo) long term benefits.

The coating doesn’t prevent it getting dirty! Helps clean it quicker maybe but it’s not a dirt repellent imo!

I only got into this ceramic coating thing with the last 2 car’s. My previous car’s only got fairly primitive (for their time) wash and wax jobs. And they were always mostly pristine. So I’m thinking there really comes a point here where there’s a lot of placebo effect going on and the benefits gained for the enormous cost of a pro coating is questionable.

vectra

Would you not do it yourself Joe?

JoeA3

vectra wrote: »

Would you not do it yourself Joe?

I’d consider it for the wheels anyway, I do see how it could help a lot there with brake dust. But my patience is only so thick and the prep / 6-hours curing time would probably be beyond my patience limit, certainly for the paint work. But I might do the wheels.

Neilw

I would just ask them not to prep the outside of the car, take it straight home and do a full detail myself.

A once over with the DA and a finishing polish should be all that's needed.

Oh, halfords have HD wax on special, I think it was 45 euro's. It's an excellent wax, durable and easy to work with.

I tried a ceramic coating on my wheels but it didn't work, I thought it was because I applied it wrong but I tried twice after that and gave up then.

vectra

Neilw wrote: »

I would just ask them not to prep the outside of the car, take it straight home and do a full detail myself.

A once over with the DA and a finishing polish should be all that's needed.

Oh, halfords have HD wax on special, I think it was 45 euro's. It's an excellent wax, durable and easy to work with.

I tried a ceramic coating on my wheels but it didn't work, I thought it was because I applied it wrong but I tried twice after that and gave up then.

What ceramic did you try on your wheels?

I used Carpro Dlux and found it fantastic.

Neilw

vectra wrote: »

What ceramic did you try on your wheels?

I used Carpro Dlux and found it fantastic.

Carpro Dlux :P

Tried twice to apply to wheels but it must have been the wrong phase of the moon to be applying it.
Having said that, I used it on plastics on my other car without any trouble.

JoeA3

Neil when you say it didn’t work, what exactly didn’t work? No noticeable difference after applying it you mean?

Neilw

JoeA3 wrote: »

Neil when you say it didn’t work, what exactly didn’t work? No noticeable difference after applying it you mean?

Yes, little to no beading after application. No difference in cleaning the wheels either, it was like there was no protection on them.

I had another car that had the wheels coated with gtechniq and they were a doddle to clean and beading was crazy on them.

I'm not sold on the ceramic fad, I'm sticking to tried and tested wax from here on.