Paint Protection. Should I get it or just use a GOOD Polish

[UTE042_NZ]

I had a ceramic coating professionally applied for $700 when I bought my ute new, in 2017. I wash it once a month or so with just a water and a microfibre noodle mit, chamois and microfibre cloth to finish. Every 3 months or so with the wash mix (supplied with the ceramic coating). Small spots and bird sh1t between times with a polymer infused spray (bottle supplied with ceramic coating) and throw-away cloth. I have bought one each of the wash mix and polymer spray but haven't had to open them yet (water restrictions here, haven't been allowed to wash the beast this year). Am in my 60s and I prefer to spend 2 - 3 hours giving a good clean inside and out (with leather treatment for interior) than a whole day washing, waxing and polishing the paint.

2.5 years on, zero scratches and still getting comments about how it looks brand new and straight out of the showroom.

Colour-correction work required before applying a ceramic coating on used vehicles is often where the expense comes from. But preparation is important and you get what you pay for. My ceramic coating came with a lifetime guarantee (with conditions).

 

[Voodoo_SV6]

It's important to understand what each type of product does and then decide.

Polish works by cuttng a layer off the top of your paint to reveal a new fresher layer underneath. (Ideal for neglected paint surfaces, but not good if the paint is thin)
Wax fills the gaps in paint and puts a layer over the top but wont cut away at the paint. (Ideal for good quality paint).
Sealant does what it says, seals over the top of whatever is there. It wont remove paint, it won't clean the paint, it just seals. (Ideal for paint in very good condition and creates a hardened finish).
Clay Bar removes soft contamients on/in the painted surface..

Make sure the final products you use contain a UV layer to stop the paint fading.

Me personally, I use a clay bar once a year and Meguiars NXT Sealant every three months. I used to spend days refinishing my paint surfaces, but find I can do the clay bar and sealant in around 90 minutes after a car wash. and all of my cars have great finishes from the 55 year old paint on my EH to my daily Black VF.

 

[UTE042_NZ]

Paint protection is a con. Nothing but a profit making tool.

read the fine print and all you’re paying for is a paint repair program. You wouldn’t know if they put the ‘chemical’ on or not.

don’t waste your money.

I call bullshit. An opinion expressed in ignorance is not fact.

 

[VFSV6FORME]

Don’t forget that you need to clean the paint up properly before you wax it. The first step in those 2- and 3-step products is usually for cleaning the paint

No doubt it will need to be cleaned before you use the wax so what do you use. Do you get the 1>2 to clean the paint then used a Bowdens Own Carnauba wax

 

[panhead]

Hand polishing will not remove swirls.

Cheap liquid polish has fillers which doesn’t remove the swirls but actually fills them to give the appearance they are gone when they are not, then after a few washes the fillers wash out and the swirls can be seen again.

A machine polish is the only way to effectively remove swirls and correct the paint or the clear coat surface.

If you can’t do a machine polish yourself then paying a professional is money well spent and you should be prepared to pay up to $800 for a car in poor condition.

Put a light across the car to check for swirls and black cars will always show them worse then any other colour.

After washing a clay bar is needed to remove contaminants and it is your first job before you do anything else.

Once the polish is done then you need a protective coating.

Contrary to what many people believe, ceramic coats need maintenance to survive and they will not stop swirling or etching from sap and bird poo, they just act as a strong barrier to minimise the effects which is good for daily driven cars but isn't anywhere need as good as the marketing blurb wants you to believe.

If there is a problem then removing ceramic coats isn't easy, it needs a machine, takes a lot of time and is therefore expensive to get off where a wax is easily stripped away.

If it’s not a daily then a good wax will do the job and it will give a black car a very deep luscious finish.

A hard to semi-hard wax with a high percentage of carnauba is as hard as diamond and will more than protect the surface.

A good machine polish is Menzerna and it comes in many grades depending on how bad the surface is.

For a wax I use DoDo Juice Supernatural but there are many good brands out there.

Higher end products are usually not that much more expensive than the cheaper stuff and remember, you get what you pay for.

If it's a garage queen then spend the money and pamper her.

I stopped using ceramic coats on all my cars years ago and went back to carnauba wax, if you want that show car finish a good wax will give it where a ceramic coat won't.


https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/shop-by-category/protection/wax.html?product_brand=56


https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/shop-by-category/protection/wax.html?product_brand=76


https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/shop-by-category/polishing/polish-compounds.html?product_brand=64





.

 

[losh1971]

Decisions, decisions so many to chooses from. I might try the Supercheap "Bowdens Own" Carnauba Body wax, Yes I know its out of a bottle that possible have less wax and might have to do it twice and since this is the case I will buy 2 bottles + get a few of that round applicator. Yes once you drop it on the Floor you throw it away.

You won't need two bottles one has waxed my ute twice now and I still have 1/2 a bottle. I apply lazy wax every 6-8 weeks after a full wax and this helps keep the thickness layer up without the full effort of applying a thicker wax. This way you can thick wax every six months. I agree with @Forg you need wax to seal the paint after a buff as paint is porous and the wax fills in the pores and helps to make it more durable and it also helps keep contaminants out.

 

[VFSV6FORME]

To much contradiction on the info from Youtube and the internet itself where some are bagging each other on what product they use. Some say you must Clay bar it first before using the Bowdens Own Carnauba wax.

 

[panhead]

To much contradiction on the info from Youtube and the internet itself where some are bagging each other on what product they use. Some say you must Clay bar it first before using the Bowdens Own Carnauba wax.

A clay bar is a very basic must do, why would you want to seal in contaminants?

Bugger YouTube, if you don't understand the process then go to a pro and ask them to show you what they are working on and how they go about it.

It'll make for a good day out.




.

 

[panhead]

Some waxes can be layered to give even more protection and a deeper look, cheap ones like liquid can't be layered and to do so is a waste of product and time.

The manufacturer will say if their product can be layered.



.

 

[VFSV6FORME]

A clay bar is a very basic must do, why would you want to seal in contaminants?

Bugger YouTube, if you don't understand the process then go to a pro and ask them to show you what they are working on and how they go about it.

It'll make for a good day out.




.

Seems to me all you guys know all about this stuff. Maybe after the stoke I have been wipe out on what to do so if I sent you to supercheap and gave you $100 or even more what would you buy for BLACK Capice.
"EG" 1/ 2/ 3 /4