Car Care Products

I know this may be a bit of a long shot, but can anyone chime in on goodies they have used whether good or bad. Car care is another black hole of controversy, and I value the opinion of quite a few people here.

It’s been a while since I’ve cared for anything other than a regular car wash, but I’m looking to try and maintain and improve the recently acquired ride.

Already have a cheap outdoor car cover to keep the marine layer at bay. Trying a buddies Bead Maker drying agent (looks better than without) for after wash care. Used Cerakoat wipes to restore the black on the mud guards (it worked really well).

I don’t really care how pricey or out there your opinions are, just looking for a good recommendations.

I do like to watch YT Project Farm channel for his input and he had a few reviews of car care products

 

I bought Griot's Garage stuff many years ago. Have the normal cleaning stuff, which I thought was excellent. Maybe 20 years ago, I wanted to sell off my Pontiac van and get something smaller. Did a very intense clean; but I was still left with crazy swirl marks from a time when my ex-wife & her mother took the van for a wash. Back then you typically ran through the wash and dried it yourself if you wanted. They forgot to bring a chamois, but hey, we have a bunch of paper towels. Ended up as you would expect.
I bought the Griot disc & a couple grits. It was a few hours work, but it was pristine.
As far as the everyday cleaning stuff; I had an E46 that I washed a lot less than recommended, but only used the Griot stuff. I had that car for 17 years. I put it on a local site in 2017 when I decided to get a GTI; 1st couple that turned up couldn't believe how nice the car looked. They had seen a dozen or more, all pretty rough, and paid me cash on the spot.

 

A couple months ago I treated my windshield with Aquapel (partly based on Project Farm's video) and the results have held up so far, though we haven't had much rain. In the past I've simply used synthetic or carnuba wax on the windshield which seem to be more hydrophobic (beads are tighter/faster) but did not seem to last as long.

I also like to apply something on the inside of the windshield as it helps to reduce fogging in the winter (less of a concern in warm climates I suppose).

For general body waxes or synthetics, I've mostly used Meguirs or Mother's. Tried Turtle Wax once but didn't like it (and I think I might have been slightly allergic to whatever was in it). No matter what you apply though, do a deep clean first. Wash it down, bug/tar/voodoo remover. Wash down again. Clay bar. Then apply your coating of choice and wash semi-frequently and reapply coatings as necessary. If you do it semi regularly, then you won't have to do the laborious deep clean as often. Try to wash before goop bakes on or it'll be tough to remove it afterwards.

For interiors, I've just used a can of scotch guard on the fabric.

 

It came with a paint protection film on the front bumper and 1/3 way up the hood that looks slightly worse for wear. Should I peel it off or try and bring it back to life? I realize that the black paint job will be toast in a few tears time most likely, and will vinyl wrap it at some point.

 

Best car care investment I've made is a Porter Cable 7424XP random orbital polisher and a decent assortment of foam pads. I use this for fixing minor blemishes, and applying both synthetic and natural waxes and sealants, but with the appropriate polishes and pads one could certainly do swirl removal or more intensive paint correction as well. I note your car is black like mine so will necessarily require some extra attention to keep it looking its best.

I like Menzerna polishes and Lake Country pads. For chemicals I use Klasse All-in-One as a general purpose cleaner and synthetic protectant twice a year (spring and fall), and in the summer I top over it with Pinnacle Souveran carnauba paste wax as often as needed. Klasse and Pinnacle has a small but loyal following, but honestly there are many really high quality car care chemicals out there that will serve you well.

 

I have the exact same model sitting in my garage from 2012. I also have a bottle of Klasse from that time, I have to look to see what version I have (just checked, it's the gray bottle sealant), or if it's even still good, lol.

I'm definitely interested in the ceramic/graphene craze that's all the rage these days.

 

Where are you buying your stuff? I haven't purchased anything new in a while but the shelves at Canadian Tire didn't really have a great selection.

 

First thing I’d do with a late model purchase would be to grab a paint meter and determine the quality and whether any panels have been resprayed. But you’re rocking the plastic fantastic and cheapo paint meters won’t work, so in that case I’d just take it to a detailler and get some opinions before launching into any paint correction or restoration.

I went back and forth between PPF and ceramic on my shitbox GTI and eventually landed on a professional paint correction followed by 5 coats of ceramic coating including the wheel faces and barrels. 7 years of street parking later it’s still beading up fine. It’s just my opinion but the less you touch paint the better. Washing and waxing on a regular basis is just introducing room for error and there’s only so much correction factory paint will stand.

 

100% agree

 

I really like a clean car but don't have enough time to dedicate to it as I would like. I have tried many things and currently have an efficient set up balancing time spent, ease of use and getting a high quality result.

I take care of two cars, each with a bit different attention to detail and usage.
- Wife's car- was purchased brand new and had full front/rear PPF applied with '4 yr' ceramic coat by DetailPro (Xpel products) immediately after purchase. So glad I hired that out, they did a great job. She leads a pampered life..
- My car/company car - I use this for everything and put on some serious miles taking my son to Hockey tournaments year round. Goal is just keep clean and stay clean with out needing a wash constantly.

Here are some of my favorite products that I have really been impressed with over time:

-Wash Brush
https://a.co/d/4HCsSoq
Both my vehicles are SUV's, having a wash brush on an arm is a huge time saver. This one has been great! I bought a longer much more expensive one and don't use it. This one is a good balance of size/cost and microfiber heads are high quality.

- Shampoo: P&S pearl soap
https://a.co/d/20u9Mcl
Super slick, foams up nice, rinses off easily and smells good!

- P&S Bug Off
https://a.co/d/gorfagg
If there are a lot of bug on the car I always use this and it really helps melt off the guts. I use right after I rinse car and just proceed with my shampoo wash.

-Griots 3 in 1 Ceramic Wax
https://a.co/d/75aAH4w
To avoid a step I always apply this as a rinse aid. When I dry the car I spray this on ever surface while I dry. Resulting protection/beading is same as if I applied as separate step and only use the drying towel. I do make sure I get a good final wipe so that surface is completely dry. This step/product is a game changer!!

- Gyeon Quarty Silk Dryer
https://a.co/d/5FcLKr8
This is the best drying towel I have ever had... All others are now on door jam, wheel duty!! Not cheap.. but so good. I have multiple of them.

Windshield/Glass - Soft99 Glaco Ultra
- https://a.co/d/4M3iroL
When all application instructions are followed this works great and lasts a long time. Not cheap but performs well and easy to apply, just many steps.

Tire - Carpro Darkside
https://a.co/d/j428Hx3
A long lasting tire treatment that provides a nice color and does not sling when applied lightly. I often don't use my windshield wipers during rain. Performs best when you pre the tire with scrub and tire cleaner.


Using these products my Wife's car turns heads and I can drive it through rain and nothing sticks on the car due to ceramic coat plus Griots 3 in 1. I can just blow it off with a leaf blower if dusty.

My daily driver only protection as been 3&1 Griots and regular(ish) washes. Beading is strong in rain and dust resistance is good... I actually need to wash them tonight!

 

I've had mine for quite a while too, it is well built and should last a lifetime. There are lots of various models on the market but the 7424 is kind of like the HD650 of polishers.

I have not explored the ceramic thing, ether as a DYI or professionally applied. I have the free time to spend on regular detailing and enjoy doing it. If I wanted low maintenance that is probably the direction I would go.

I get all my detailing needs online, mostly from https://www.eshine.ca/ . Be sure to order things like waxes and polishes in the summer so they don't freeze in delivery.

If you wash and wax correctly you should never need any paint correction, but having said that the more you wash the more often you will have to wax because you will strip it faster, so yeah, you don't want to get carried away.

 

Any recommendations for a tar remover?

 

https://www.eshine.ca/collections/stoner/products/stoner-tarminator-bug-tar-remover-10oz

 

Have you tried the latest gen sealants or SiO2 based products?

I was all KLASSE all the time for about 10 years, but their current offerings lack the ease of use of the latest products. Also many new brands/products available. KLASSE was the only sealant in town when it came out 20..30?+ years ago. The all in one is real nice, but leaves white residue on any black trim and collects in crevices. The KLASSE sealant was also difficult for me to remove with out a lot of work and re-work. Not a beginner product in my opinion.

I was shocked when I tired new products that provided same qualities of the all in one but no residue. Also latest sealent+SiO2 products can be applied to every surface, removed easily and can be used during the drying process. The durability of the new products exceeded what I experienced from KLASSE.

Like audio, always something to try which is part of the fun.

 

Agreed, the Klasse sealant is not really a beginner product. I have not used it for ages, I just use the AIO as it is easy to use and leaves a long enough lasting protection to get me through the winter. For deep wet shine I still prefer natural carnauba wax over any synthetic (check out the high end Swissvax products if you want to see the best of what a natural wax can do). This requires regular work though, because it does not last long, but the ritual is part of the experience. If you just want to apply it and forget it, yes there are many better products on the market nowadays.

 

Graphene:



It's not magic, but it does make the car shiny and a little easier to wash.

 

I enjoy the ritual of it. When my car was newer and shinier, twice a year I would do the full wash clay wax routine. Took me about 3 hrs. Nowadays, I'm not sure where I can find a 3hr timeslot, and my shoulder can't handle that repetitive motion anymore

I feel this is something like 90% good polish, and the wax/ceramic/graphene is the last little bit of pop. When I first bought my car I had it this shiny with regular carnuba wax but had it professionally polished first (though I wasn't even that happy with the polish, I could still see very light swirls close up with a light).

 

You're not wrong. But ceramic/graphene coatings don't burn off like wax, and they also don't give the paint that dead plastic look that wax does.

To me, a graphene coating over a very good surface seems like the closest thing you can get, with modern paint, to the gloss of an old-school polished lacquer paint job.

 

A pro-detailer member of a local car/driving forum here in India is very clear that proper preparation of the paintwork is essential before any ceramic coating. If it doesn't shine before it is coated, it won't shine properly afterwards. That beautiful Honda must have been very well prepared before it was coated! Gorgeous!

My scratched and dented VW Polo is long past such considerations. A hard wax that does some filling would probably cover imperfections as long as it lasts. Hrd waxes take a lot of effort. but for getting some shine with zero effort, I am very impressed by Optimum Car Wax. It sprays on, and a misting is enough. You can even use it when the car is still a little wet.

 

Dont really have any loyalty to brands but some of this stuff is evolving rapidly like new formulas every month. i got 5 cars to maintain by myself and i gotta keep it efficient or i would spend more time on upkeep than playing around. This entails cleaning the car up really good initially, then coating it with a ceramic, then there's upkeep which SHOULD BE way easier than an untreated car. IMO this is the true purpose of ceramic coatings .. for looks and to make your cleaning life easier NOT harder.

I personally did it myself, the full 3 step polish and rotary jewel, prep and ceramic coat which took a long time. You could pay someone to do the prep / hard labor, do the coating yourself (newest formulas are designed to be easy and cure fast) *IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN GARAGE*, and then upkeep is either take it to your detail for a monthly or DIY. i'm cheap plus i wanted to learn so i DIY.

I'm not going to go into the details of coatings or even list them, but with coatings they have an upkeep. You could be wasting $1000, by doing it wrong or not doing anything. Coatings are ultra hydrophobic and build up minerals/waterspots very fast, they mightneed to be decontaminated and acid washed once in a while with COMPATIBLE chemicals to maintain their properties, in return they shine, slip, and reject (anti static) dust and dirt. This is could mean more work and more money than a traditional wax (Collinite) job. A "5year coating" could last like a $30 budget coating if you dont do it right. Do your research.

Upkeep materials that work IME:

some nice leaf blower...i have an EGO. Dries car off much faster or can use it for pre wash. this tool saves a LOT of time. Air drying can build up minerals faster on ceramic (i use rinseless and di water to prevent). Allows you to get away with manageable size drying mf towels



DIYDETAIL Rinseless wash or Armour Detail Supply/ADS Hero Rinseless wash - i prefer rinseless, i can wash the car inside my garage or parking structures. wont harm the coating. works very well on any treated car. doesnt waterspot and lubricates to prevent scratches; it's like washing your car with literal detailer. hybrid polymer surfactant better than ONR stuff IMO. these are newest generation formulas as of this post date. Rinseless is very efficient chemical and promotes a 10-15 minute wash/upkeep routine. i only whip out the hose and pressure washer and foam canon once every 3-4 months if even that. buckets almost obsolete now. if your car is muddy, take it to the $1 car wash then finish it after with rinseless.

Some people pressure wash with rinseless. rinseless also used in the interior, leather, glass, wheels, and around the house is just nice. 1 chemical for so many purposes. 10 gallons of di water will last me about a month of car washing.

HDX deck sprayer - $20, uses the same nozzles and gaskets as high end IK, pretty high quality, plastics meant to handle serious chemicals. This is how you dispense the rinseless

DIYD Ceramic Gloss topper - cures fast, lasts pretty long, easy to use. A lot of other stuff i used has a couple hour curetime or didnt last as long. everything has a compromise. There's so many products in this category.

Adams Tire dressing Graphene or Carpro Darkside - these are both regarded as GOAT.

Koch chemie guf - really nice on black floor mats and door sills

Griots BOSS cannon for PW. i have multiple brands for different chemicals. this like a BIFL one. it's overkill.

Griots Foaming wash for PW - gentle, lubricating, wont kill coating. Griots chemicals are usually 'weaker/minimum harshness' and designed in the context of garage queens and show cars. This is what keeps your coating alive forever. due to self cleaning properties of ceramic, you shouldn't need anything strong anyway. I personally foam prerinse on a dry car. Then refoam to wash.

Gyeon Wet Coat for PW. it's a magic trick for specific purpose like bead maker type. if i wash outside then im using this to prevent waterspots and dry faster or use the blower. Not particularly loyal to a brand, but this works good enough.

Iron decontamination - griots heavy duty wheel cleaner, shinesupply smooth move, DiyD iron remover + synthetic clay towel