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Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: MikeDundee on 02 May 2020, 08:09:58

Title: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 02 May 2020, 08:09:58
Was looking at waxing the car, been a long time, looking at products on the market I see there is now ceramic polish lasts up to twelve months but it is very expensive compared to wax.

Has anyone tried the ceramic polish is it worth it and is it better than wax, does it last as long as they say on the tin.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 02 May 2020, 09:20:29
Try CarPlan Super Gloss No.1, in the purple bottle. About a tenner from EuroCarSharks.

Ive used it on Zeke and the vRS (after a bloody good detail) and its brilliant. Lasts for a good few months, great shine and he dirt just rinses off now.

And it's a piece of cake to apply... Spray, wipe, done.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 02 May 2020, 09:34:28
Likewise Autoglym Extreme Gloss protection, again easy to apply (after polishing), and protects for a few months. Without reading the blurb, such products clearly contain some form of ceramic type component in order to function as they do...

The ceramic coating seem to be the dogs danglies, and is widely used by various established Youtubers such as LegitStreetCars... But the prerequisite is that the car is spotless first, so washed, clayed, polished and waxed first.

Only way to find out is to try it, but expect a couple of days work first.  ;)
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 02 May 2020, 10:12:23
Thought as much, was going to clay bar the car in any case before applying any sort of wax, that's a 2/3 hrs job on its own, going for the wax in any case, Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax, should do the job.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 02 May 2020, 10:16:44
Shiny, shiny, shiny... 8)
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 02 May 2020, 10:19:27
Shiny, shiny, shiny... 8)

Super shiny, shiny
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 02 May 2020, 10:22:28
Collinite 476 is also one of my favourites, a proper old fashioned paste wax.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 02 May 2020, 11:22:34
.....
The ceramic coating seem to be the dogs danglies, and is widely used by various established Youtubers such as LegitStreetCars... But the prerequisite is that the car is spotless first, so washed, clayed, polished and waxed first.
......

I agree, great results when done properly.  :y

My car is ceramic coated (from new so paintwork good), with a certificated guarantee, whatever that means.  ::) ;D
Proper prep is essential, as Al said above, as the ceramic coat is the sacrificial layer between the elements thrown at it and the shiny paint. Any swirls or scratches will be locked in by the coating.

Does it stay cleaner for longer..... no, of course it doesn't.... it just appears to look cleaner for longer as it's still shiny under the road grime. Although in saying that, if it's dirty when it rains it does seem to wash the dirt off a bit due to the coating.  :y
Does it still pick up light scratches ...... of course it does .... it's a coating, not a glass film.
Is it easier to wash each time ...... yes and no ..... my car is Mythos Black so when clean it looks great, but drying properly is so important. As soon as it's rinsed off you need to dry it panel by panel to avoid watermarks. As mine is black it shows any water spot that has been allowed to dry naturally. This means that in warm weather you will dry the car all over, but then have to re-wet each panel at a time from a water spray bottle and microfibre towel it off.
Beading when it rains is impressive though.  :y

When clean, it does look like it has a layer of glass over the paint and looks great.  :y  Would I have it done again on another car .... hmm... that's a tough one ... possibly, but not at a dealership as they can't dedicate the professionalism of a dedicated detailer. It looks fantastic but I never minded polishing my car. My son used to do detailing as his job so I have all the gear in my garage still, so I could do it myself next time. Incidentally, I didn't pay to have mine coated. Figures were juggled to make it appear as if I had. Sales tactics for commission of extras.  ::)

Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 02 May 2020, 11:35:53
Collinite 476 is also one of my favourites, a proper old fashioned paste wax.

I use this as a finisher/beading top coat after polishing on the other cars. Been about for years but still very good.  :y  Not exactly cheap but the tub will last a lifetime.  :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: STEMO on 02 May 2020, 12:52:48
A car shampoo thread for the oldies.....ahhhhhh.  ;D
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 02 May 2020, 17:24:32
I believe STMO lets the 'illegals' wash his car for a couple of quid.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: STEMO on 02 May 2020, 17:51:29
I believe STMO lets the 'illegals' wash his car for a couple of quid.
It's the up and over in the garage for me. £2 for a quickie, or £3.89 if you want a wax and blow job dry.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 02 May 2020, 18:06:22
I believe STMO lets the 'illegals' wash his car for a couple of quid.
It's the up and over in the garage for me. £2 for a quickie, or £3.89 if you want a wax and blow job dry.

I wash my own car. :-\

It must be nice to be wealthy. :-\
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 02 May 2020, 18:09:28
A car shampoo thread for the oldies.....ahhhhhh.  ;D

Until I joined this forum I'd never heard of rubbing clay onto your car.   :-\

WTF I thought!  ;D
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 02 May 2020, 18:41:31
Collinite 476 is also one of my favourites, a proper old fashioned paste wax.

I use this as a finisher/beading top coat after polishing on the other cars. Been about for years but still very good.  :y  Not exactly cheap but the tub will last a lifetime.  :y

Which one would that be then, have a couple?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=collinite+476s+super+double+coat+auto+wax&crid=2GHICOQICYGW9&sprefix=collinite+476%2Caps%2C146&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 02 May 2020, 18:42:05
A car shampoo thread for the oldies.....ahhhhhh.  ;D

Until I joined this forum I'd never heard of rubbing clay onto your car.   :-\

WTF I thought!  ;D

Yep.....bucket .......car shampoo........hose.......beer. :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 02 May 2020, 19:08:59
Collinite 476 is also one of my favourites, a proper old fashioned paste wax.

I use this as a finisher/beading top coat after polishing on the other cars. Been about for years but still very good.  :y  Not exactly cheap but the tub will last a lifetime.  :y

Which one would that be then, have a couple?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=collinite+476s+super+double+coat+auto+wax&crid=2GHICOQICYGW9&sprefix=collinite+476%2Caps%2C146&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13

Any of the old fashioned looking red and white tons, as lomg as its collinite 476 it's right. The bigger tin is better value.

Carplan much easier to apply mind, 476 has a very short time between "perfect buff off" and "neighbours will hear me practicing my swearing". :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: biggriffin on 02 May 2020, 19:10:40
Pah Clay bar... Just wash it a couple of times with Fairy liquid, that removes old polish, wax, grime etc,, then dry with new microfiber cloth, rinsed in filtered rain water, then polish.. :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: dave the builder on 02 May 2020, 19:17:37
Pah Clay bar... Just wash it a couple of times with Fairy liquid, that removes old polish, wax, grime etc,, then dry with new microfiber cloth, rinsed in filtered rain water, then polish.. :y
I do this  :)
washing up liquid ,rinse, dry off, mop or T-cut any scratches etc, rinse and dry again, then plenty of polish x 2

obviously not "fairy Liquid" ,i'm poor too tight  ;D
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: biggriffin on 02 May 2020, 19:28:27
Pah Clay bar... Just wash it a couple of times with Fairy liquid, that removes old polish, wax, grime etc,, then dry with new microfiber cloth, rinsed in filtered rain water, then polish.. :y
I do this  :)
washing up liquid ,rinse, dry off, mop or T-cut any scratches etc, rinse and dry again, then plenty of polish x 2

obviously not "fairy Liquid" ,i'm poor too tight  ;D


 Or take it to work, dose it with TFR, blast it off, Microfiber dry, then polish with minute wax spray polish.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 02 May 2020, 20:52:12
Collinite 476 is also one of my favourites, a proper old fashioned paste wax.

I use this as a finisher/beading top coat after polishing on the other cars. Been about for years but still very good.  :y  Not exactly cheap but the tub will last a lifetime.  :y

Which one would that be then, have a couple?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=collinite+476s+super+double+coat+auto+wax&crid=2GHICOQICYGW9&sprefix=collinite+476%2Caps%2C146&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13

Just been out to the garage and mine is 476S. It's in a gold tin (not plastic) and although I've had it for years it's barely touched the amount in there as I put it on with a round sponge applicator. It is not a polish as such but more of a coating to enhance the polish that that you've already put on there.  :y  Beading properties are pretty good after this has been applied.
As said before, my son used to do full on detailing and dent repair as his day job and it's bloody hard work. Paint prep, clay bar, working out high spots, low spots, removing swirls, and that's before you even get to the polishing stage. His results were fantastic though as he's a perfectionist.
Realistically though, the average person can't dedicate this amount of time for a super shiny car, so they wash it, dry it and are happy with that.  :y
As with all of them, the elbow work needs doing first to get the shine. If you have access to a proper variable speed machine polisher, a proper going over with Autoglym Super Resin followed by collinite is plenty good enough for most folks.  :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 02 May 2020, 21:46:38
Collinite is a pure wax. Polish is the abrasive part (as you quite rightly say, SRP is a winner). Once the paint is nice and shiny (and as free of swirls as you can be bothered to get it), then wax over the top to keep that shine locked in.

476bis quite solvent heavy though, which will remove some of the fillers that SRP leaves behind. If you're after a truly concours finish (which is far too much effort for me), then a pure polish such as Menzerna's range is ideal. I then use a pre-wax prep such as StrippedEase before slapping the wax or sealant on. :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 02 May 2020, 22:06:44
......
If you're after a truly concours finish (which is far too much effort for me), then a pure polish such as Menzerna's range is ideal......

 :y
We use Achilles Prep to de-swirl and as a filler prep, then Menzerna polish, followed by top coat or an additional polish and then top coat, being Collinite in our case.  :y
Mike will wish he'd never asked.  ;D 
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 02 May 2020, 22:19:54
We legitimately have one of those big plastic outdoor boxes full of detailing kit. About 4ft long and 2ft square... MrsGK makes me look like an amateur.

She won a trophy at a Merc concours a couple of years ago, to give you an idea...!
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 02 May 2020, 22:28:53
.......
She won a trophy at a Merc concours a couple of years ago, to give you an idea...!

Good work.  :y

I have the occasional mad few hours at it but generally life doesn't leave me enough free time ..... or inclination.  ;D
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Entwood on 02 May 2020, 22:29:58
We legitimately have one of those big plastic outdoor boxes full of detailing kit. About 4ft long and 2ft square... MrsGK makes me look like an amateur.

She won a trophy at a Merc concours a couple of years ago, to give you an idea...!


So how does she fancy doing an audi allroad then ..... it needs a good seeing to !!
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 03 May 2020, 00:29:13
I think we could do with a detailing explanation thread. What to do and in which order to do it, with recommended products etc.
I find it all a bit confusing tbh.
So if one of you experienced / expert types has time on your hands to do it, it would be appreciated.
Im currently, slowly touching up chips on the paintwork and a couple of small areas of lacquer which have been burnt off by acidic bird shite. After that there will be the scratches and swirls to take care off. Then the nice shiny glossy finish I want to achieve.
Not really completely sure how to get there though tbh.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 03 May 2020, 06:41:46
......
If you're after a truly concours finish (which is far too much effort for me), then a pure polish such as Menzerna's range is ideal......

 :y
We use Achilles Prep to de-swirl and as a filler prep, then Menzerna polish, followed by top coat or an additional polish and then top coat, being Collinite in our case.  :y
Mike will wish he'd never asked.  ;D

Yeah thanks for all the feedback, I have quite a lot of car cleaning crap, some doubled up, having just sorted the new shed out and sorting car stuff and tools. So my plan is to clay bar as usual, that's where I usually leave it, just a quick polish then, but I am going to apply, Meguiars ultimate liquid wax, and I do have a variable speed polisher, just bought it week or so ago, as for waxing thereafter applying the Meguiars, still required as an option I assume, have a tin of Sonax extreme wax in the shed never been used, had it for quite a few years, so would use that rather than spend more money, need to start using all that car cleaning stuff I have in the shed, loads of it, too much!!
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 03 May 2020, 08:50:30
I've got The Tigra Of Cool to do a full detail on, its currently under 3 inches of leaves and bird droppings. I'll take photos and do a writeup of detailing if people want.

No point doing the MV6 until it's painted, and the ex plod is already clean...
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 03 May 2020, 09:23:56
I've got The Tigra Of Cool to do a full detail on, its currently under 3 inches of leaves and bird droppings. I'll take photos and do a writeup of detailing if people want.

No point doing the MV6 until it's painted, and the ex plod is already clean...

That that would be really helpful, when can you post the writeup, assume your not to busy at the moment!!
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 03 May 2020, 11:44:35
I've got The Tigra Of Cool to do a full detail on, its currently under 3 inches of leaves and bird droppings. I'll take photos and do a writeup of detailing if people want.

No point doing the MV6 until it's painted, and the ex plod is already clean...

That that would be really helpful, when can you post the writeup, assume your not to busy at the moment!!

On rest days at the moment, I'll see what I can do!
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 03 May 2020, 11:44:48
.....and I do have a variable speed polisher.......

As you have a machine polisher I'll give you a tip to sparkle up your headlights.

Open the bonnet, mask the paintwork around the headlight, spray water on the headlight, rub wet and dry over the whole headlight and keep the headlight wet while doing so. Stand back and think "Oh my goodness, what have I done".  ;D  Wipe the headlight, it will look all misty.
Pick up your machine polisher, attach one of the small heads (assuming you have a proper polisher with interchangeable heads, not just a buffer), drop 3 or 4 drops of Super Resin Polish or similar on to your polishing head, smear it on to your headlight in circular motions (machine polisher off at this stage to avoid the polish spraying out over your clothes  ::) ), turn on polisher at low speed and increase the speed whilst polishing. Give this a couple of goes and buff off to a shine.
DO NOT stay in one place too long with the polisher or you will create too much heat. The whole process takes about ten minutes per headlight. I did mine occasionally like this and they were as good as new when I sold it seventeen years later and I also do a family members Mercedes headlights, as they are prone to dulling just the same. You don't need any fancy kit, this method makes them sparkle like new.  :y


Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: dave the builder on 03 May 2020, 12:38:11
.....and I do have a variable speed polisher.......

As you have a machine polisher I'll give you a tip to sparkle up your headlights.

Open the bonnet, mask the paintwork around the headlight, spray water on the headlight, rub wet and dry over the whole headlight and keep the headlight wet while doing so. Stand back and think "Oh my goodness, what have I done".  ;D  Wipe the headlight, it will look all misty.
Pick up your machine polisher, attach one of the small heads (assuming you have a proper polisher with interchangeable heads, not just a buffer), drop 3 or 4 drops of Super Resin Polish or similar on to your polishing head, smear it on to your headlight in circular motions (machine polisher off at this stage to avoid the polish spraying out over your clothes  ::) ), turn on polisher at low speed and increase the speed whilst polishing. Give this a couple of goes and buff off to a shine.
DO NOT stay in one place too long with the polisher or you will create too much heat. The whole process takes about ten minutes per headlight. I did mine occasionally like this and they were as good as new when I sold it seventeen years later and I also do a family members Mercedes headlights, as they are prone to dulling just the same. You don't need any fancy kit, this method makes them sparkle like new.  :y

I think you need to say very fine wet and dry  :)
personally, I use 3M 800 grit,then 1500 grit W&D  and keep wet with a squirty bottle of water and washing up liquid
then rinse, mop and polish
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 03 May 2020, 12:50:32
......
I think you need to say very fine wet and dry  :)
personally, I use 3M 800 grit,then 1500 grit W&D  and keep wet with a squirty bottle of water....

Quite right.  :y  Always difficult to know just how much detail to add without insulting someone's intelligence, but you are correct to explain that it's fine wet and dry so that anyway afraid to ask doesn't use paper that's too course.  :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 03 May 2020, 13:09:45
.....and I do have a variable speed polisher.......

As you have a machine polisher I'll give you a tip to sparkle up your headlights.

Open the bonnet, mask the paintwork around the headlight, spray water on the headlight, rub wet and dry over the whole headlight and keep the headlight wet while doing so. Stand back and think "Oh my goodness, what have I done".  ;D  Wipe the headlight, it will look all misty.
Pick up your machine polisher, attach one of the small heads (assuming you have a proper polisher with interchangeable heads, not just a buffer), drop 3 or 4 drops of Super Resin Polish or similar on to your polishing head, smear it on to your headlight in circular motions (machine polisher off at this stage to avoid the polish spraying out over your clothes  ::) ), turn on polisher at low speed and increase the speed whilst polishing. Give this a couple of goes and buff off to a shine.
DO NOT stay in one place too long with the polisher or you will create too much heat. The whole process takes about ten minutes per headlight. I did mine occasionally like this and they were as good as new when I sold it seventeen years later and I also do a family members Mercedes headlights, as they are prone to dulling just the same. You don't need any fancy kit, this method makes them sparkle like new.  :y

I already done the headlights last week, did not come up as good as what I expected, looked good at the time, but think I might need to do them again, masked them, 4 stage sand and polish etc., final coating on and all that.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 03 May 2020, 13:13:36
Done last Sunday pic below...….

(https://i.postimg.cc/4N9xwPkR/IMG-2767-1.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: YZ250 on 03 May 2020, 13:16:05
Done last Sunday pic below...….
....

Nice one.  :y
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 03 May 2020, 13:41:59
Results partly depend on what you are starting with ;)

Also, I don't think that 40 grit is wet and dry :D
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 03 May 2020, 13:58:18
Results partly depend on what you are starting with ;)

Also, I don't think that 40 grit is wet and dry :D

Use the four small sanding pads that came with the turtle was kit, then today found the Megiuars lens cleaning kit, hiding in the boot all the time, thought I had thrown it, hence why bought another one, need to go to specsavers!!!
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 03 May 2020, 14:02:52
It's the cabin fever kicking in  ;)
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 03 May 2020, 14:03:38
In theory, UV-protective sealant on the lights after the polish is what you need to do to stop them clouding again.

I bought a cheapy Chinese kit off eBay with such a product included, it seems to work. It could however have been a sachet of condiment for all I know...
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 03 May 2020, 14:07:44
Or Batflu  ::)
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: biggriffin on 03 May 2020, 15:32:28
I used, 800, then 1500, then 2000, with lashings of water, then a polish with g3, finished with super resin polish..

If you haven't got G3, Autosol metal polish works well.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: STEMO on 03 May 2020, 17:35:47
I used, 800, then 1500, then 2000, with lashings of water, then a polish with g3, finished with super resin polish..

If you haven't got G3, Autosol metal polish works well.
Or Brasso.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 03 May 2020, 18:41:23
I used, 800, then 1500, then 2000, with lashings of water, then a polish with g3, finished with super resin polish..

If you haven't got G3, Autosol metal polish works well.

I did this with mine today. Although I used 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500 then G3 and then super resin polish. A bit disappointed with the results tbh. They are better than they were, but not as good as I hoped.
I did remove the headlights from the car to do it though, so cleaned up all the paintwork behind there while I was at it.
Fark nose why, because its unlikely that anyone will ever see it again, but it looked quite nice just before I covered it up by refitting the lights.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: MikeDundee on 03 May 2020, 18:58:48
In theory, UV-protective sealant on the lights after the polish is what you need to do to stop them clouding again.

I bought a cheapy Chinese kit off eBay with such a product included, it seems to work. It could however have been a sachet of condiment for all I know...

If the sachet liquid was a brown colour it was probably fish sauce - LOL!!!!
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: Nick W on 07 May 2020, 10:49:33
I used, 800, then 1500, then 2000, with lashings of water, then a polish with g3, finished with super resin polish..

If you haven't got G3, Autosol metal polish works well.


that's how I do them, but start with 1000grit. 10 minutes per lamp, on the car, good for at least four years. I think baked on dirt is the main problem as the N/S lamp is always worst, so keeping them clean is important.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: VXL V6 on 07 May 2020, 12:37:40
I used, 800, then 1500, then 2000, with lashings of water, then a polish with g3, finished with super resin polish..

If you haven't got G3, Autosol metal polish works well.


that's how I do them, but start with 1000grit. 10 minutes per lamp, on the car, good for at least four years. I think baked on dirt is the main problem as the N/S lamp is always worst, so keeping them clean is important.

Definitely not in my experience, once you've sanded them down you'd be lucky to see 18 months before they are yellowing again as you've sanded some of the UV protection out of the lense. I have had success with Xpel protection film though, have two cars with this on and the headlights have stayed crystal clear for over two years. One film does now have a blister in it after a motorway speed pebble hit it but otherwise good. You can at least peel the film off and replace in the future.
Title: Re: Car Polish - Wax or Ceramic?
Post by: STEMO on 07 May 2020, 12:39:27
Car polish? There's a fickin war on, yer know.