Ceramic, Graphite, or Carnauba Wax

[DerrickfromNC1]

Recently installed all the glass and ready for the 1st soap & water to clean off all the shop dust. I will be doing one last final machine buff with a micro polish like the Chemicalguys “P4 Precision Paint Polish” b4 I treat the paint to a top quality sealant. However trying to decide which product to use next is confusing with all thats available.
I think I will go with a product from Chemicalguys.com. Some of their products are available from Autozone & everything they sell gets great reviews from professional detailers which makes the choice harder.
I’m kinda leaning towards a Ceramic coating that would last several years for a car that is kept in a garage and use a quick wipe on/off Ceramic detail spray b4 heading to the shows, & other local cruising events.
What are you doing to preserve and enhance your new paint?

Thanks!

[Bugged Again]

There really are some great products so I can understand how it may be difficult. Here’s my suggestion: Go with a hard base wax and then go back over it with a real carnauba. The base will give the longevity and the Carnauba will give it depth. The Carnauba will need to be reapplied about every 3 months depending on exposure to the elements.

I have used so many long lasting waxes and learned I don’t have a favorite anymore. Try various ones. I like Chemical Guys products too.

I have not used ceramic and I know people swear by it. I understand it can be a bear to remove if you need to do repair work.

Good luck and nice bug.

[74 Thing]

If you are looking at Ceramic Coatings go to autogeek.net and check some out there.

Check out GTechniq and 3D Products
https://www.autogeek.net/gtechniq-exo-csl-kit.html
https://www.youtube.com/@mikephillips3d/videos

There are also a lot of made in China Ceramic Coatings and there are loads of info here for all kinds:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ScottHD/videos

Mike Phillips who is now at 3D was at Meguiar's for a long time and at Autogeek for 10 years or so and just moved to 3D. They have some really nice products.

Definitely wash and decontaminate (eg clay and iron remover), then polish down to a final polish and check with various light sources to make sure the panel is how you want it. You need a lot of good microfiber towels and wash them and store them correctly and they will last a long time. You need to use a panel wipe product to remove any polish residue that is left. Then you apply the ceramic coating and depending on the type you may work a small area then wipe off within a small time frame then check with lights for high spots. You continue on with the whole car. Most ceramic coatings use some sort of topper now for a sacrificial layer.

There are long lasting carnuba's like Collinite, and many sealants out there as well.

You need to decide what you want and how your car will be stored and cared for as well as what your expectations are all determine what your strategy should be.

[Bugged Again]

After thinking a little more about current products I came up with some common products. These are readily available and can be found in most paint supply retailers or the nearby auto parts store.

I’ve personally used these on my boats, fine cars and my RV with outstanding year long results in the unforgiving Florida sun. Think UV protection and pounding acid rain.

There is no order regarding favorite. Collinite fleetwax 885, NuFinish, Presta, 3M, Meguiars, Chemical Guys, Mothers, Liquid Glass.

And remember when you look for Carnuba make sure it’s real and not a wax with some added.