Detailing Product Recommendations

[freeAgent]

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:

I believe Chicago Auto Pros also show F11 Topcoat and Beadmaker failing extremely quickly in this recent video:

Right around the 24 minute mark, they talk about how they basically think the F11 Topcoat is an awful product that potentially rises to the level of a scam.

 

[iSpine]

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.

have you ever used Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer? Produces insane beading and sheeting to rival a ceramic coating. I do a base with Ammo reflex or meguiars ultimate fast finish and top with sonax BSD. Also diluted some as a drying aid to top it up a bit after maintenance washes. I also follow Brian from Apex and watch Larry from Ammo for education.

 

[joebruin77]

I have not personally tried Sonax BSD, but have heard that it is one of the most hydrophobic products on the market with incredible water beading. Many people love it. For me personally, there are two reasons I have not purchased Sonax BSD. First, reviewers commented that it can feel a bit grabby and tacky when you are applying it. I personally prefer products that feel smooth and slick. Second, I emailed Sonax to find out if BSD is safe for PPF and the answer I got back from them was unclear. I only use products that I can verify are safe for PPF. TBH, it has been quite a while since I emailed them that question about PPF, so maybe things have changed since then. Does anyone know if BSD is safe for PPF?

Yes, Larry with AMMONYC is awesome and so informative.

 

[iSpine]

I have not personally tried Sonax BSD, but have heard that it is one of the most hydrophobic products on the market with incredible water beading. Many people love it. For me personally, there are two reasons I have not purchased Sonax BSD. First, reviewers commented that it can feel a bit grabby and tacky when you are applying it. I personally prefer products that feel smooth and slick. Second, I emailed Sonax to find out if BSD is safe for PPF and the answer I got back from them was unclear. I only use products that I can verify are safe for PPF. TBH, it has been quite a while since I emailed them that question about PPF, so maybe things have changed since then. Does anyone know if BSD is safe for PPF?

Yes, Larry with AMMONYC is awesome and so informative.

yikes I certainly hope it’s safe cause I’ve been using it on my xpel. No issues so far haha.

 

[iSpine]

The Detailer who prepped my car before PPF seemed to think all Sonax products would be fine.

I just emailed Xpel and will report back.

BSD is definitely a bit grabby and not super slick but I love the beading and sheeting.

 

[joebruin77]

I did a quick search for the Safety Data Sheet for Sonax BSD and found a link for it:

http://www.servicebest.com/downloadable/1837894_EN.pdf

According to the SDS, Sonax BSD contains aliphatic hydrocarbons. I am not a chemist and could be wrong, but naphtha may consist of aliphatic hydrocarbons. According to the Xpel website, you should avoid using products that have a 5% or higher concentration of naphtha.

Again, I am not a chemist. Perhaps if there are any chemists reading this, they can chime in. Good thing you emailed Xpel. I would hold off on using BSD on PPF until you confirm with them that is safe. You could also try emailing Sonax customer service and ask them the same question.

 

[Dilpickle]

What do you guys use for drying, maybe drop a link. The towels I use leave lint and little marks of water whenever I dry???

 

[joebruin77]

What do you guys use for drying, maybe drop a link. The towels I use leave lint and little marks of water whenever I dry???

I would use a lint free waffle weave drying towel such as:

DRY ME A RIVER KOREAN WAFFLE WEAVE TOWEL

along with a drying aid. One of the best drying aids on the market is:

AMMO Hydrate Paint Moisturizer - AMMO AUTO CARE INC.

If you want a drying aid that is a bit less expensive, you can use Meguiars Quick Wax, Meguiars D156, or Turtle Wax Ice Spray Wax.

if you have a ceramic coating, I would use a ceramic infused topper as a drying aid such as:

TOPPER™ – TOP COAT LUBRICANT & PROTECTANT | Xtreme Solutions

Hope that helps.

 

[iSpine]

FOLLOW UP ON SONAX BRILLIANT SHINE DETAILER

xpel wrote me back and stated not to use products that contain NAPTHA, NAPTHALENE, or any PETROLEUM DISTILLATES.

so I wont' be using BSD on the PPF any longer because it does contain naptha which is also in their Polymer Net Shield.
Sonax Spray and Seal does not have these chemicals so that should be fine per xpel.

 

[iSpine]

Also was looking into things closer and Ammo Hydrate does appear to have petroleum distillates in it so also a no go for the xpel.

 

[freeAgent]

Also was looking into things closer and Ammo Hydrate does appear to have petroleum distillates in it so also a no go for the xpel.

It looks like the 303 graphene spray also has distillates in it, but the Turtle Wax graphene spray does not (the PASTE does).

 

[joebruin77]

I was told either by Xpel or by the manufacturer of the product that these products are safe for PPF:

Meguiars D156 Xpress Spray Wax
Meguiars D115 - Wash and Wax
Meguiars Ultimate Quickwax
Turtle Wax Seal and Shine
The Last Coat 2.0
Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray
Xtreme Solutions PolySeal
Xtreme Solutions Topper

 

[Hybrid_GHOST]

What do you guys use for drying, maybe drop a link. The towels I use leave lint and little marks of water whenever I dry???

Electric blower for the bulk of the water.. EGO 56v like pan the organizer lol.. then light drag a waffle weave towel on the areas that are still a little wet

 

[iSpine]

I asked Larry about Hydrate and he says it’s ok for PPF.

I’ve been looking into turtle wax seal and shine and their new graphene spray.

 

[JeanCybertruck]

Put a good sealant like Jescar power lock + with Collinite 845 or Fusso Soft99 King of gloss 1 year sealant with Meguiars premium carnauba wax, Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 + any premium carnauba wax. Use P&S Beadmaker, Turtle wax seal n shine spray wax, or Meguiars Hybrid ceramic spray wax as drying aid.

 

[JasontheBeaver]

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.

Detailing products companies purposefully confuse the marketplace to make it difficult to compare apples to apples. A vast majority of the time it's all marketing gimmicks between products.
Here's a quick how-to video I shot to help my clients understand how simple washing their cars should be after getting a ceramic coating. The principles apply to any car, coated or not.