[Aloha Joe]

My car is a daily driver and I've always taken care of my cars the old fashioned way. 2 bucket car wash, clay bar & polish any imperfections, then carnuba wax. I also wash my car on a weekly basis and don't mind doing the full treatment (listed above) on a quarterly basis or when necessary. My car is also parked in a sheltered garage day and night.

So here's my question. On my new M2, is ceramic coating going to give me a much improved look versus what I've always done?

I'm more interested in looks, versus reduced maintenance. Mahalo for your answers in advance.

[BSMF87]

You don't need a ceramic coating, a polish with a sealant and wax on top looks perfect.

This guy explains advantage and disadvantages well.

[lax01]

Not a really unbiased opinion...hah

So what do you mean ceramic coating? Like Opticoat?

Or like some synthetic wax like Menzerna FMJ (or whatever it is now)?

[Aloha Joe]

Originally Posted by lax01

Not a really unbiased opinion...hah

So what do you mean ceramic coating? Like Opticoat?

Or like some synthetic wax like Menzerna FMJ (or whatever it is now)?

Yes, like Opticoat or CQuartz.

[Bruce_SC]

On a daily, I would go for a Coating. It will hold up much better long term than a wax. I still like waxes for classics and cars that are sitting in a collection, but even some of those owners are now seeing the benefits of coatings.

Bruce

[Deso]

I plan to do a ceramic coating (Nanolex SI3D) and then add a paint sealant and/or wax on top for depth.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by Aloha Joe

My car is a daily driver and I've always taken care of my cars the old fashioned way. 2 bucket car wash, clay bar & polish any imperfections, then carnuba wax. I also wash my car on a weekly basis and don't mind doing the full treatment (listed above) on a quarterly basis or when necessary. My car is also parked in a sheltered garage day and night.

So here's my question. On my new M2, is ceramic coating going to give me a much improved look versus what I've always done?

I'm more interested in looks, versus reduced maintenance. Mahalo for your answers in advance.

Do the ceramic! I was skeptical of the benefits until I did mine. You obviously are not afraid to roll your sleeves up and get after it with the detailing so don't feel like you have to spend big bucks having the shop do it. if you can wash and wax your car, you can apply ceramic coat.

I did 3 coats of Gyeon MOHS and also coated the wheels with Gyeon Rim. I daily drive my car and did the first wash this past weekend, exactly 1 month after applying the ceramic coat. Here was my process:

1) Wet wheels and apply P21S wheel cleaner, let sit for 5 minutes while I set up my pressure washer.
2) Gyeon Foam applied with pressure washer. Let sit for 5 minutes while I clean my foam cannon.
3) Rinse with pressure washer
4) Dry with water blade, leaf blower, then towel.

Total time to this point = Just under 1 hour.

OK, so at this point I could have stopped. Complete wash and dry, including wheels in an hour! But, I wanted to see for myself just how well the ceramic was doing at repelling dirt and debris so even though I had just dried my car, I went ahead and I did a traditional 2 bucket wash using Gyeon Bathe+. Yes, my neighbors think I'm nuts!

The results speak for themselves. Here's my rinse bucket (not the wash bucket!) AFTER I was done with the 2 bucket wash. I was blown away! This coating actually works and is a massive time saver on the weekly maintenance washes. I'm a believer now.

[lax01]

Now I'm curious if I should get some DIY ceramic and try applying it...anybody have experience with the Opti-Coat Gloss? Or any other experience with DIY coatings?

[Bruce_SC]

Originally Posted by Deso

I plan to do a ceramic coating (Nanolex SI3D) and then add a paint sealant and/or wax on top for depth.

You can do that, but you will mute the coating properties until the wax wears off or is removed.

Bruce

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by lax01

Now I'm curious if I should get some DIY ceramic and try applying it...anybody have experience with the Opti-Coat Gloss? Or any other experience with DIY coatings?

I can only speak to my experience with Gyeon MOHS. if you are not visually impaired, can move your hands in a circular direction, can read basic instructions, and have an attention span longer than 30 seconds, you can do it yourself! It really was about the easiest thing to do. Really no harder than waxing your car. Wipe it on (it goes on kinds oily and shiny), count to 30, wipe it off. That's it!

[lax01]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

I can only speak to my experience with Gyeon MOHS. if you are not visually impaired, can move your hands in a circular direction, can read basic instructions, and have an attention span longer than 30 seconds, you can do it yourself! It really was about the easiest thing to do. Really no harder than waxing your car. Wipe it on (it goes on kinds oily and shiny), count to 30, wipe it off. That's it!

Nice...any reason you went with Gyeon over the other brands?

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by lax01

Nice...any reason you went with Gyeon over the other brands?

Like a lot of people who are new to ceramic coatings, I got totally overwhelmed with information, conflicting information, opinions, etc. Gyeon had a couple things going for it that helped me make up my mind:

1) Lots of manufacturer and DIY'er reviews, tutorials, and info online, especially on Youtube.

2) Price. About $100 to do the car.

3) Seemed like a good balance between a super hard, yet flexible coating that gives professional level results but does not require professional level skill to apply.

4) Gyeon has a full line of products that support each other. From the prep spray, to the coating, to wash, detail, and maintenance products. They all are designed to work together so there was no worry about "messing up" my coating. I tend to be a brand-loyal kind of buyer and I like that I could arm myself with the entire Gyeon line and know it's all engineered to work seamlessly together.

At the end of the day I realized that I was just going to have to commit and pick one. Is Optimum better than Gyeon? Is any other brand better than Gyeon? Maybe. Possibly. I'm sure some will guarantee that the one they chose is the best. But I found I was wasting a lot of time online trying to find the perfect one and I needed to just pick one and go for it. I'm 100% happy with my choice and glad I did it!

[lax01]

Nice...thanks for the write-up. Yeah, as I dig into everything on the internet, there's like a million products out there.

Anyway, thanks again

[Rock Sweden]

I applied Dr. Beasley's Nano-Resin to my car yesterday. It was easy to apply but I used more product than the directions said to as it was super hard to see on white paint. I can't attest to it's greatness or longevity yet. I haven't even taken the car out of the garage.
I picked Dr Beasley's because it was designed for DIYers and Detailer's Domain suggested it for 1st timers. I plan to add either their plasmaCoat or Advance:Gloss on top of it.

[geogerf]

Originally Posted by lax01

Nice...thanks for the write-up. Yeah, as I dig into everything on the internet, there's like a million products out there.

Anyway, thanks again

lax what did you end up doing? just curious since we're in the same city and therefore exposed to the same type of weather (aka smog haha).

[lax01]

Originally Posted by geogerf

lax what did you end up doing? just curious since we're in the same city and therefore exposed to the same type of weather (aka smog haha).

hah...nothing yet...barely driven the car. Needed to do more research and find a place where I can DIY

I have an underground garage so my car gets dusty and I just use a California Duster...it works pretty well

[lax01]

Originally Posted by geogerf

lax what did you end up doing? just curious since we're in the same city and therefore exposed to the same type of weather (aka smog haha).

I just bought some GTechniq CSL: http://www.detailedimage.com/GTechni...1128/30-ml-S1/

Reasonably price...DIY looks easy (assuming you prep right)...

DI is even doing 15% off...I figured there was pretty much zero downside. Apparently if you jack up the install, you need to wet-sand. That does not sound fun but application looks relatively easy. Do 2x2 or 3x3 area of the panel. Apply, wipe off, and buff. Not sure how you can really screw that up...

[jav_au]

Frm memory the light version of Crystal serum (the one for diy) does not need wet sanding to remove. just compounding. the full version of Crystal serum which is reserved for licensed installers requires wet sanding to remove if application is screwed up. Crystal serum with an exo layer on top will be going onto my BSM when it arrives in late october. this treatment is referred to Crystal serum black. the flagship treatment.

[Bruce_SC]

Originally Posted by lax01

hah...nothing yet...barely driven the car. Needed to do more research and find a place where I can DIY

I have an underground garage so my car gets dusty and I just use a California Duster...it works pretty well

Please NO with the Duster!!.

[lax01]

Originally Posted by Bruce_SC

Please NO with the Duster!!.

Whys that?

[cornercase]

Regarding Waxes, has anyone given thought to recommendations made by The Wirecutter: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/how...ar-like-a-pro/?

- Nu Finish Liquid Car Polish,
- Nu Finish Soft Paste Car Polish, and
- Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0.

[Bruce_SC]

Originally Posted by lax01

Whys that?

Unless these things are used completely correct and kept clean, they will scratch the paint.