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But the new nano-ceramic coatings that you can apply yourself for anywhere from $30-$90 actually work superbly if you follow the directions exactly.
I used the least expensive/most work product (Boss nano 365 I think) and it gave my 2016 Lexus a phenomenal glass-like surface that beaded rain drops on a deeply shiny body for almost six months!
Way better than regular wax.. and my car is not garaged... in FL.
I haven't tried 'em all, but I will continue to explore the new stuff till something even better comes along.
I just use paste wax with good UV protectors on my cars, even my satin cars, and that works fine for me. However, they sit under sheets in the garage, so they never really see the sun, except when I drive one of them.
My one son has an 08 Dodge Ram pickup that literally looks better than the day it was brand new. He details it once a week or two, and he uses only Auto Geek products. One of the products he uses is their ceramic coating:
I think he applies it annually, his truck actually sees the sun here in Florida, and the paint is perfect. He swears by it. I think he said it is a little work to do it initially, but nothing horrible.
It's ALL a waste of money and time IF you don't claybar the car first. That, is what makes it shine for a long time.
Even new cars (especially), you should clay the car first thing in my opinion. You'd be surprised at how much rail dust in stuck in that clear coat from the shipping. The sticky residue left over from the wrapping of the car to ship, acts like a magnet for crud in about the first 1,000 miles. On both of my current and past VW's GTI's, I bought new, both white. First clay bar on each resulted in the clay bar itself looking like a yellow bar of soap afterwards. Sooo much junk in the paint from shipping, was totally amazed.
I clay/polish/wax my cars once every two years or so. I do it when they're new, and then do it again after a couple of years. It's a weekend job, no doubt about it, but the results are stunning every time and they last a long long time.
Nano, polymer, ultra-uber-turbo wax/paste/whatever. All pretty good stuff in general, but a waste of time if you don't clay bar the car before you do it.
Me, I use Mequires polish and wax after I clay with a 10' random buffer (a cheapo). They all look great!
1. Ceramic coatings can be done DIY for under $50.
2. They last a good 2 years. That's a long enough time to balance out the cost and time to apply. It makes car cleaning and maintenance easier.
3. It's not a miracle type product but it is paint protection.
Had a REALLY bad experience with Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer: while yes, it does make a hydrophobic coating, your microfiber "lint" will be permanently stuck to ANY auto glass through dozens of car washes.
I've never had this problem and have been using it for years.
Go to any car show and you'll see Mequiar's Quik Detailer being used by the gallon.
I hardly ever wash my Merkur, but it's constantly getting Quik Detailed. It looks perfect (for a 45K mile survivor) all the time.
As son as I figure out what PPF is I'll take it into consideration.
~$1500 for product and install should get all of the high risk areas covered. 3m also makes one and there is another called sun guard. Any new car of substantial cost should get one unless you lease or don’t plan to keep.
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