joedaddy1

iTrader: (1)

Hello. I'm an "if Walmart doesn't carry it, i don't use it" level kinda guy. Need some schooling on all these new car wash tech that popped up in the last 5-10 years.

Main question: What is best $20 a year option to keep your car shiny? Is it ceramic spray, or is it liquid wax?

How long do ceramic sprays last?
I thought these were good for 6-months to 1-year for an avg car. I read a review by someone online, and it said ceramic sprays are glorified quik detailers with a short <1-month life. The color, consistency, and feel were very similar to Meg quik detailer. My cars are usually at the maximum wax life as they sit in the garage most of the time.

For longevity, is it safe to say it goes in this order (longest lasting to shortest)?:
Ceramic coat -> Ceramic spray -> liquid wax -> spray wax ? I know there are multiple variations and factors, but overall, is this the order of goodness?

I was a "wash, clay, double-coat wax" kinda guy, but I used Cerakote ceramic spray for the first time yesterday since I ran out of wax.
I was impressed with the Cerakote, I'm sure all OTC ceramic sprays work similarly. The shine was good, i think a little better than my normal wax (Meg NXT v2).
Where I was most impressed was in the trunk area. In my cars, the trunk / license plate area feels like rough painted plastic from age. The paint gets dull, and even after claying, it's never as smooth and shiny as rest of the car. Cerakote got this spot slick and shiny. Just for this reason, I will continue to use this at ~$15 a bottle (enough for 4-5 cars in my view).

jrmckinley

I just did a ceramic spray on our QX80 and I am blown away. Bought it from a local detail shop for about $30 - the guy told me to also buy a $20 iron remover so I did that as well. Steps:
- Wash car, dry (I just went to my car wash)
- Spray iron remover all over car, let sit 3-5 minutes. This removes a lot of harmful things on the paint and allows the ceramic spray to adhere better
- Rinse off the iron remover, dry
- Apply ceramic - used 2 different microfiber towels (1 to apply, 1 to polish off)
- I also did this on exterior glass

Whole process took me about 1 hr 15 minutes. What I'm noticing:
- Just drove the truck 700 miles - hardly any bugs ended up sticking to the paint or windshield. Being in FL, this is pretty remarkable this time of year.
- The truck gets parked outside all day and night. It used to look dirty after about 2 days post wash - the humidity in the mornings makes the car wet and then dust, dirt, etc. stuck to the truck. It looks WAY cleaner now, even after 5-7 days post wash and my 700 mile trip.
- Took it through car wash today and the amount of water to wipe off of the truck was down substantially.

I am incredibly impressed. The guy said the product I used would last 6-9 months so I will plan to do it in October. I'm not sure I will do anything else (wax, etc) after seeing these results.

E46CT

Go Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions, it'll last a year or more. i even did kitchen counter tops with it. its super super slick. like super... slick.

prep vehicle properly w/ chemical and mechanical decon
coat with something durable. doesn't matter what it's called or what category.
maintain often.

more below

BillCannon

I’ve fallen in love with Griots ceramics spray on wax. I use that 2x per year. I periodically use Griots ceramic speed shine after washing or when I just have light dust. The speed shine gives it a boost in protection. I’m not sure it would last 6 months without it but it’s also easy to use.

autotech13

I use the same stuff as you, Griot's is great and the 3in1 wax lasts one year.

Freds430

I use to use wax but no more. Tried several but settled on Adam's Graphene Advanced Ceramic spray. Appears like WD-40. Put it on wait two minutes and wipe off. Consensus is last two years. I apply every six months because so easy. Takes 20 minutes to do a vehicle. Paint must be corrected or good shape because it is not a polish. Watch YouTube reviews on all of them. Again consensus among the reviewers is the best for durability and gloss. About. $42 a bottle that will do at least ten vehicles

Barncobob

Im sold on Tech 582 ceramic detailer,,,,dealer installed Simoniz glasscoat on car before delivery Jan/24 even though I said nothing on paint.. I didnt pay for it but it was amazingly shiney...since then I have usedTech 582 and its easy on,wipe right off. The slickness of the paint amazing..i have a hard time fitting my indoor carcover w/o it sliding off..doesnt take much to do entire car...super fast and really shiney.

gripau1

3D Bead It Up - very high gloss and super slick. I use is as a drying aid, everytime I do a rinseless wash. It probably last about 3-4 months but I usually wash my car every week or every second week so can't really verify the longevity.