Detailing Product Recommendations

[CCC17]

Hi guys,

Loving my new mode 3 in red! Easily the best vehicle I’ve ever owned or driven.

I’m getting a full front and rocker panel PPF done in a few days and wanted to get some detailing recommendations as I’m not able to shell out for ceramic coating just yet but want to take care of the exposed paint etc.

Just purchased a bottle of ONR for washing the vehicle in the winter. What else will/should I invest in for basic detailing and maintenance for the exterior?

thanks guys!

 

[joebruin77]

Hi guys,

Loving my new mode 3 in red! Easily the best vehicle I’ve ever owned or driven.

I’m getting a full front and rocker panel PPF done in a few days and wanted to get some detailing recommendations as I’m not able to shell out for ceramic coating just yet but want to take care of the exposed paint etc.

Just purchased a bottle of ONR for washing the vehicle in the winter. What else will/should I invest in for basic detailing and maintenance for the exterior?

thanks guys!

Congrats on your new Model 3. Like you, I have PPF but no ceramic coating.

The most important basics are keeping your car both clean and protected. I wash mine once a week to clean it and apply a ceramic spray sealant once every 2-3 months to protect both the exposed paint and the PPF.

For the wash, 90%-95% of the time doing a rinseless wash with ONR will be just fine. Once in a while though, the car will be too dirty for a rinseless wash and you will need to do a traditional two-bucket wash with traditional car soap. For the rinseless wash, I recommend getting a spray bottle, fill it with ONR solution and use it to pretreat the dirtiest parts of the car. For really dirty areas, you may need to get some Optimum Power Clean and use that to pretreat. Optimum also makes a version of ONR with wax (the green version) if you want to add a bit more gloss and leave a bit of wax behind.

For both rinseless washes and traditional washes, I also recommend a drying aid. If you want to stay in the Optimum product line, Opotimum Spray Wax would work great. I also love Meguiars D156 Synthetic Spray Wax as a drying aid. Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Wet Wax is yet another option.

For your base protection, I definitely recommend a ceramic spray sealant. Optimum makes a great one called HyperSeal. It is actually in their professional Opticoat line, so you will find it on the Opticoat website, not Optimum. Other ceramic spray sealants I have used and recommend are The Last Coat 2.0, Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray, and Xtreme Solutions PolySeal. Turtle Wax also offers a ceramic spray sealant in their Hybrid Solutions line. And if you want a budget friendly option that will offer good protection, you can also use Turtle Wax Seal and Shine. This is a polymer sealant that, with the latest formula, has a bit of SiO2 in it, just not as much as the Hybrid Solutions version.

Whatever products you use, just make sure they are safe for PPF, especially the spray sealant.

Last but not least, invest in some top quality microfiber towels for the wash and sealant application, a good quality drying towel or two, and glass towels (regular microfiber towels will leave little specs of lint on glass).

Hope that helps and have fun!

 

[Candleflame]

Hi guys,

Loving my new mode 3 in red! Easily the best vehicle I’ve ever owned or driven.

I’m getting a full front and rocker panel PPF done in a few days and wanted to get some detailing recommendations as I’m not able to shell out for ceramic coating just yet but want to take care of the exposed paint etc.

Just purchased a bottle of ONR for washing the vehicle in the winter. What else will/should I invest in for basic detailing and maintenance for the exterior?

thanks guys!

if you are superultralazy get a spray sealant like 303 spray sealant.

If you want to do some basic detailing use turtle wax seal and shine on all exterior surfaces.

For interior use a vynil protector you can apply onto everything but the screen.
Make sure you put a screen protector on the screen.

 

[TBrownTX]

I may be old school, but I keep going back to Zaino after trying the "newest and best" product year over year.

Tim

 

[subieworx]

https://www.amazon.com/Gtechniq-Cry...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Watch some videos on how to apply that then do it. It will take some time, but it is best done on a brand new car. It will last a long time and work very well.

 

[Adam3]

I may be old school, but I keep going back to Zaino after trying the "newest and best" product year over year.

Tim

Isn't Zaino like 8 steps? Of course it will be shiny after that

 

[TBrownTX]

Isn't Zaino like 8 steps? Of course it will be shiny after that

12 if you really want it to look good.

Tim

 

[UncertainTimes]

If you are ultra lazy like me then get a spray on rinse off sealant like Sonax Spray and Seal. It seals everything and all you need to do is spray it on and rinse off.

 

[TypeRx]

Hehe, i loved Zaino back in the day. I probably layered like 50 coats of Z2 or Z5 on over time. Car looked great...of course.

OP -- ONR is a great start. But you need some protection on there. I personally would apply Opti Gloss Coat after a light polish...assuming your car's paint is in great shape. If you don't want a semi-permanent ceramic coat, there are some great recommendations in here already. I like Optimum products so Optimum Car Wax is a great place to start. You can use it as a drying aid as well. You can also get ONR wash & wax, which has some of the same polymer wax in it. But I think you should get a proper base coat protection on there (sealant, hybrid or polymer wax, or ceramic coat). For the tires, I like Optimum's tire product. It is water based and darkens without making things too shiny or slinging (as long as it is applied properly). For the interior, I like Nextzett Cockpit Premium for the dash and door panels and diluted ONR in a spray bottle to clean the seats and steering wheel. After getting them clean, you can use Optimum Protectant Plus for the seats. Use all of these products sparingly...a little goes a long way!

 

[CCC17]

Definitely appreciate everyone’s help! So much information lol So without going to crazy and having a huge amount of products what kind of steps is the standard for detailing?

Rinse large debris off car
ONR with multiple microfibres and drying towels
Base coat? (Looking for something easier to apply)
Sealant?

not sure what the proper steps are and what kind of products to look for.

 

[CCC17]

Thanks for the information! The only part of detailing I’m finding a little confusing is the difference between base protection and drying aids and what steps they are in the process. I’ve always just done the basic wash my car and apply wax, clearly I’m living in the stone age. I’m not sure how easy it is to apply ceramic coatings yourself but I think I’d be better off going a more user friendly route for now and maybe invest in professional ceramic in the future.

 

[TBrownTX]

My Zaino routine... Apply Z-CS over Z-2 base. Apply Z-CS according to directions to the whole car. After applying Z-CS to the whole car. Immediately apply Z-6.

Takes a 1/2 day but he coating lasts MONTHS even in the Texas sun and heat.

I enjoy cleaning my car and don't mind giving the car a clay bar and re-coat in the spring and fall. I also don't bother with PPF, as we don't have a lot of road debris in Texas (unlike up north with the salt/sand in the winter).

I spent many years showing cars, agonizing over finishes and blemishes, etc.

The Tesla is not a show car, it's a daily driver. I typically trade cars every 5 years or so, at which point I get a nice, rock-chip free front bumper to start over with.

Tim

 

[joebruin77]

Thanks for the information! The only part of detailing I’m finding a little confusing is the difference between base protection and drying aids and what steps they are in the process. I’ve always just done the basic wash my car and apply wax, clearly I’m living in the stone age. I’m not sure how easy it is to apply ceramic coatings yourself but I think I’d be better off going a more user friendly route for now and maybe invest in professional ceramic in the future.

Sealants, whether polymer or ceramic, usually serve as your main, base protection. It is best to apply your sealant to clean, bare, unprotected paint. So you would want to use a wash medium that leaves nothing behind. For example, it would be better to use ONR instead of ONR with wax prior to applying the sealant, as the wax in the ONR with wax could interfere with the sealant bonding to the paint.

A drying aid’s primary purpose is to provide lubrication so that you do not scratch or mar the paint as you dry. People often overlook that improper drying induces a lot of scratches and swirls, even though the paint has been washed. If you are applying a spray sealant to bare paint, you can use the spray sealant itself as your drying aid. After the car is dry, I would apply another coat of the same spray sealant to the dry paint.

I agree that a spray sealant is a good first step to take. Although ceramic coatings can be done by consumers, they are not forgiving. If you mess up a coating application, you may need to do a paint correction to remove it.

 

[Candleflame]

Thanks for the information! The only part of detailing I’m finding a little confusing is the difference between base protection and drying aids and what steps they are in the process. I’ve always just done the basic wash my car and apply wax, clearly I’m living in the stone age. I’m not sure how easy it is to apply ceramic coatings yourself but I think I’d be better off going a more user friendly route for now and maybe invest in professional ceramic in the future.

Wax is actually completely outdated. The only advantage they have is that they give a bit more of a wet look which looks great for showroom details, but sealant etc are now 95% of the way there.
Maybe have a look at Pantheorganizer on youtube and look at his sealant vs coating vs wax vs spray video.

 

[joebruin77]

Wax is actually completely outdated. The only advantage they have is that they give a bit more of a wet look which looks great for showroom details, but sealant etc are now 95% of the way there.
Maybe have a look at Pantheorganizer on youtube and look at his sealant vs coating vs wax vs spray video.

Carnauba waxes do give paint a glow and pop that most sealants do not give. However, carnauba waxes are not nearly as durable as polymer sealants and decay more rapidly when exposed to higher temperatures. So if you live in a warm climate, carnauba wax would not work unless you apply it often. Plus some carnauba waxes can stain black trim, especially if applied too heavy.

That said, there is tremendous variability within each category. For example, Collinite 845 is one of the best carnauba waxes on the market. It contains real carnauba wax combined with synthetic polymers. So it has the warm look of carnauba wax and lasts quite a bit longer compared to other, more pure carnauba waxes. Collinite 845 can outlast some spray polymer sealants.

You also want to take into consideration the method / ease of application. Ceramic spray sealants, such as Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Sealant, are very easy to apply. You just spray it on and then wipe it off. You don't have to wait for it to haze, cure, or use a lot of pressure to buff it off. Then again, some people really enjoy the satisfaction of applying a wax such as Collinite 845, seeing it haze up, and then buffing it off. It depends on your preference.

PolySeal by Xtreme Solutions is another example of a ceramic sealant that also has synthetic and carnauba waxes in it. So you get the look of wax without the hazing and hard buffing. This is one of my personal favorites.

My recommendation would be to buy a couple smaller bottles of 2 or 3 different products and try them out. Let your own experience help you make your decision.

 

[freeAgent]

Wax is actually completely outdated. The only advantage they have is that they give a bit more of a wet look which looks great for showroom details, but sealant etc are now 95% of the way there.
Maybe have a look at Pantheorganizer on youtube and look at his sealant vs coating vs wax vs spray video.

If you watch Pan the Organizer enough you'll notice that he almost never pans (hah!) a product. While I find his videos among the best produced and most enjoyable detailing videos, I also get a sense that I'm watching Pan the Advertiser. It could also just be that most products do a decent job and he is obviously very enthusiastic about detailing and finds something he likes about all of them.

 

[joebruin77]

If you watch Pan the Organizer enough you'll notice that he almost never pans (hah!) a product. While I find his videos among the best produced and most enjoyable detailing videos, I also get a sense that I'm watching Pan the Advertiser. It could also just be that most products do a decent job and he is obviously very enthusiastic about detailing and finds something he likes about all of them.

I totally agree with you. Although I enjoy Pan's videos and they are informative and instructive, I find it frustrating that he never has anything negative to say about any of the products that he showcases. This is one of the reasons I prefer the videos by Brian with Apex Detail - he seems to give much more honest reviews. For example, when the first verson of The Last Coat sealant came out, Pan gave it a rave review. However, Brian said that although the second version of The Last Coat is good, the first version was awful. In fact, Pan was the only reviewer who gave the first version a good review. So I have come to trust Brian's opinions and recommendations more than Pan's.

 

[Candleflame]

If you watch Pan the Organizer enough you'll notice that he almost never pans (hah!) a product. While I find his videos among the best produced and most enjoyable detailing videos, I also get a sense that I'm watching Pan the Advertiser. It could also just be that most products do a decent job and he is obviously very enthusiastic about detailing and finds something he likes about all of them.

thats because the products are all good these days. he never tests crap products.

What is he gonna say when he tests 3 sealants and applies the nastiest solvents to it but they all hold up?

 

[Adam3]

Pan the Advertiser is a great description

 

[joebruin77]

thats because the products are all good these days. he never tests crap products.

What is he gonna say when he tests 3 sealants and applies the nastiest solvents to it but they all hold up?

When I first got into detailing, I did watch some of Pan's videos and they were instructive and helpful in terms of techniques and "how to's". But after having seen videos from other youtube detailers, there is definitely a difference in Pan's product reviews that I do not care for. Specifically, because he never says anything negative about the products he showcases, you can't help but wonder if he is getting paid to advertise the products. I feel like I am watching a slick infomercial instead of an honest review. Plus, he has given some glowing positve reviews for products that many other reviewers panned (no pun intended).

Here are examples of other youtube detailers that, as a consumer, I found more informative and honest. As a result, I trust them more than Pan:

Brian from Apex Detail - He will give honest reviews. He has said outright "this is a horrible product" such as his review for Topcoat F11 and he also says honest, mildly critical statements like "not the highest jump in gloss I have seen on the channel, but decent".

Car Craft Auto Detailing - This detailer from Australia gives honest reviews. For example, here is an honest review of Beadmaker he did in which he identified some real problems with it (very poor durability and interfered with the hydrophobic properties of some ceramic coatings). BTW, Pan, in contrast, said nothing but glowing things about Beadmaker and even ranked it as one of his top 3 sealants of the year:

Jimbo - Although he may not be as slick and eloquent as Pan, he does give honest, critical reviews. In your post, you mentioned Pan testing 3 sealants and how they all hold up. Here is an example of a video by Jimbo in which he tests 5 sealants. He clearly has some critical things to say about some of the sealants tested. You would never hear such criticisms from Pan: