*** Car Wash / Valet / Detailing Thread ***

What's everyones go to easy to apply ceramic spray. ?
I was looking at Infinitywax synergy lite spray.
I'm looking at protecting my new car when it arrives and was hoping for about 6 months protection
 
MrRockliffe said:
I’ve never come across a polishing compound that doesn’t have fillers - even ones which say they don’t.


I’d still try a good QD for the black trim but if you want to correct it, try something like Rupes Uno Advanced, as the fillers are designed to dry hard and act as a semi permanent filler


I use it on black quite a lot for that reason. Takes less effort to get a good appearance.
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Sorry I meant a different polishing method than using what I have to make sure the swirls are removed rather than filled?
 
dannyjo22 said:
Sorry I meant a different polishing method than using what I have to make sure the swirls are removed rather than filled?
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Ah I see. You just need to check progress with a good light, but try the Rupes Uno Advanced - I think you’ll be happy with how it performs for that kind of task.


It makes it easier to achieve the look you want, albeit not permanent.



I couldn’t really comment on your method in depth as I haven’t seen it to know where you can improve.
 
ScoobyDoo said:
I saw the video and was impressed but reading above it was mentioned that it only lasted for 2 to 4 weeks! Although the video says upto 6 months protection
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Just want to be realistic with it.


I’ve never had a couple of weeks out of Fusso Coat either, which is supposedly 12 months!!!!


I machine polished my Boxster and applied Fusso Coat to it before a trip to Switzerland. After a week of mixed weather (rain and sun in June last year), the car was completely flat with no beading.



Collinite lasts as long, if not a little longer.



The main thing about Beadcoat is that it’s SO easy to apply.


Fusso on the other hand can be a PITA. You really need the perfect amount or it can be horrible.
 
LuckyBenski said:
What's the point of it if it only lasts a week?
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I agree, hence why I don’t really use it now, unless I really fancy applying a wax.


My daily is ceramic coated which will last a couple of years at least.


It’s the winter grime which really hammers these coatings. It might stay fine on the bonnet but low down it’ll go flat really quickly


Edit: obviously depends on how much you drive your car etc.


The 6 month thing is for a garaged car driven in dry sunny weather only.


On a daily in the winter, if I apply one weekend it’ll be dead around the wheel arches by the next weekend.
 
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I think it's worth being clear what is meant by these coatings being 'dead' or 'flat' after a week - yes the car still gets dirty and won't bead when it's covered in traffic film but IME (Megs Hybrid / AG Polar Seal primarily) a quick wash and they're back to beading quite happily again - I can go through this process several times without needing to reapply the coating and it'll still bead up nicely.

Even when it does need to be reapplied, it's a 5 minute job with these sort of spray on sealants anyway, not like the good old days of spending 2 hours hand waxing and buffing the car :p
 
How can Fusso coat only last a couple of weeks? Unless you’re washing the car with acid it must be better than that, surely…

I’ve not actually used it, but even generic spray on sealants usually last longer than that!

I have an unopened Cancoat so I’m planning to put that on the car when the weather cools down a bit… using Fireball Piroutte every other week at the moment, I bought it on a whim and actually it seems pretty good. Very easy to apply and seems to be lasting reasonably well.

I was most disappointed with those Turtle Wax Graphene products, the liquid wax didn’t last 5 minutes and the spray Flex wax is weak and very difficult to remove.
 
LuckyBenski said:
Note to self, don't bother with ceramics/waxes!
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That shouldn’t be the takeaway. It should be that you want to work out what you want.


If you like the process of waxing a car, then you should do it. It’s very rewarding.


Ceramic sealants are also great. The good ones give a great appearance and help the wash process next time around. Beadcoat in particular is SO easy to apply. About 10 mins max for an entire car.




Robbo said:
How can Fusso coat only last a couple of weeks? Unless you’re washing the car with acid it must be better than that, surely…

I’ve not actually used it, but even generic spray on sealants usually last longer than that!

I have an unopened Cancoat so I’m planning to put that on the car when the weather cools down a bit… using Fireball Piroutte every other week at the moment, I bought it on a whim and actually it seems pretty good. Very easy to apply and seems to be lasting reasonably well.

I was most disappointed with those Turtle Wax Graphene products, the liquid wax didn’t last 5 minutes and the spray Flex wax is weak and very difficult to remove.
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It could well be my application, but just don’t find the new one to last more than a couple of washes in the winter around the lower parts of the car/rear.


A lot of the hype, and Forensic Detailing Channel reviews, are for the old version which had a different formulation.



By contrast, the ceramic coating I put on my old 135i is still there. CQUK isn’t hydrophobic but the paint is still smooth and it still washes incredibly easily. About 2 years later now.




Fusso has great filling capabilities too but I don’t find it as easy to apply as a ceramic sealant, so it just isn’t worth the time to me personally, though at the moment I continue to use it on the ID.7 as the end result looks great.


Next time I apply it I’ll do regular update videos on the washes. It’s much better in the summer because the road water doesn’t munch away at it.



I’ve been interested in Cancoat because of how easy it is to apply, and how long it apparently lasts. Some testing I’ve seen has shown it to last quite a bit longer than Fusso even though they’re rated for the same time, but even then in somewhat ideal conditions they struggle to achieve 12 months.
 
Kenai said:
I think it's worth being clear what is meant by these coatings being 'dead' or 'flat' after a week - yes the car still gets dirty and won't bead when it's covered in traffic film but IME (Megs Hybrid / AG Polar Seal primarily) a quick wash and they're back to beading quite happily again - I can go through this process several times without needing to reapply the coating and it'll still bead up nicely.

Even when it does need to be reapplied, it's a 5 minute job with these sort of spray on sealants anyway, not like the good old days of spending 2 hours hand waxing and buffing the car :p
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I agree, but when I talk about it being dead and flat, that’s after washing - the contamination inhibits the hydrophobic properties of waxes and sealants as you mention.


The Switzerland trip was pretty much worst case scenario as it was 2000 miles in a week with very varied weather. But it was completely dead on return other than a few select areas like the boot lid.


Edit:

I should clarify that when I say a couple of weeks, I do mean in typically conditions with a car that sits outside and does 250 miles a week.


It will last longer if you’re not driving it in poor weather and you garage it. But I don’t think that’s representative of most people.


If I said “yeah I get 3 months from it” without giving context, you bought it and got 2-4 weeks, you’d be disappointed.


If you bought it, having read 2 weeks, and then it lasted 2 months you’d be well happy.




Think about this: why would a company sell something for £30 which will do 30 applications, if it lasts 6 months plus.


That’s 15 years before you’d need to buy a new tin. Wouldn’t make for a great business model.
 
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Finally cleaned the car after Nürburgring, I had forgotten what colour the wheels were.....

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V_R said:
Finally cleaned the car after Nürburgring, I had forgotten what colour the wheels were.....
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What are those Rimmats?

Just looked them up - do they really work? The only benefit I could see is that I don't need to drive the car forwards to apply the tyre shine..
-edit, although I guess the cloth, etc. could touch the floor too. Does it really lift the bottom of the tyre clear of the ground?
 
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