Living in the Northeast where we get harsh winter and hot summers, I've always had to be on top of our vehicles. Especially when from November through March there really isn't much opportunity to even wash the car because of the weather, even though road salt turns every vehicle gray. Currently, my wife and I have a BMW X5 and a Ford Raptor which I applied Adams Ceramic coating to both of them 18-24 months ago. Both are still repelling water/dirt like the day I coated them, which is surprising surprising because the Raptor is always outside and the BMW is garage kept.
Anyway, this is what my process is to ceramic coat a car. Hopefully, it's of value to someone who may have never ventured down the detailing road. This will be the process I use immediately after taking delivery of my Model Y.
(Note: none of the links are affiliate links and clicking any of them doesn't benefit me in any way. Just providing a means to quickly look at products I use)
Wash Decontamination. Spray car using foam cannon with strip wash. Use microfiber cleaning sponge & bucket to then wash car down. Rinse car
* This step will remove any polish/wax that the dealer may have put on the car. I use Adams Strip wash
Chemical Decontamination. Spray Iron remover on car. With gloves on, use small microfiber towel to spread evenly on paint. Let it sit a few minutes, then rinse.
* This step will remove any iron from the factory and/or transporting vehicle to you. Especially if it ships via train. Warning: The iron remover smells REALLY bad. I use CarPro IronX or Adams Iron Remover
Hand Decontamination. Using lubricant spray and either a clay bar or synthetic pad, spray lubricant on car and run clay/pad across paint until there are no particles being picked up. You'll know when you feel them. Just use a lot of lubricant and do small sections at a time & do every surface including paint, glass and plastics. Rinse car well when done. If you have some dried up lubricant on car, quick wash it before rinsing.
* I've used Griot's Clay bar & Speed Shine in the past, but recently switched to Nanoskin AutoScrub sponge and Nanoskin Glide
Dry car. Sounds simple, but make sure the car is dry before next step. In the past I've used a leaf blower, but if you do MAKE SURE if it's one that also vacuums up leaves that there are no pieces left in it or you'll be sandblasting the car.
Polish car. For this step, you really do need a polisher. A great entry level polisher is the Griots G9 polisher $129. Couple that with Adams Polish and an Adams White pad and you will really notice the difference in the paint. If your paint has a lot of swirls/scratches in it, start with Adams Compound first, and then move to polish. The great part about Adams polishing products is the color of the polish is the same color pad you need to use.
Apply sealant. There are many prosumer sealants out there, and almost all will offer a 4-7 year ceramic protection on your car. When the Tesla comes in, I'll use Adams Graphene coating $90. Note: You want the BOTTLE of coating, not a spray! Big difference!! One bottle can do two cars. I'll likely also do the wheels with this as well. Follow the directions on the bottle of whichever sealant you use and be sure to remove the product in the timeframe it indicates. Just do small areas of the car at a time, wait for it to dry/flash and then remove it.
All together, if you had absolutely none of the products mentioned above, it would cost about $300-400 which includes buying a polisher. Considering you could do two cars for a few hundred $$$, it's a big savings. Even if you never used the polisher again.
EDIT: Ironically, after browsing obsessed garage, I came across Matt's video where he's detailing a new Tesla. Almost identical to what I just posted above. CHeck it out
Matt at Obsessed Garage's process.
Anyway, this is what my process is to ceramic coat a car. Hopefully, it's of value to someone who may have never ventured down the detailing road. This will be the process I use immediately after taking delivery of my Model Y.
(Note: none of the links are affiliate links and clicking any of them doesn't benefit me in any way. Just providing a means to quickly look at products I use)
Wash Decontamination. Spray car using foam cannon with strip wash. Use microfiber cleaning sponge & bucket to then wash car down. Rinse car
* This step will remove any polish/wax that the dealer may have put on the car. I use Adams Strip wash
Chemical Decontamination. Spray Iron remover on car. With gloves on, use small microfiber towel to spread evenly on paint. Let it sit a few minutes, then rinse.
* This step will remove any iron from the factory and/or transporting vehicle to you. Especially if it ships via train. Warning: The iron remover smells REALLY bad. I use CarPro IronX or Adams Iron Remover
Hand Decontamination. Using lubricant spray and either a clay bar or synthetic pad, spray lubricant on car and run clay/pad across paint until there are no particles being picked up. You'll know when you feel them. Just use a lot of lubricant and do small sections at a time & do every surface including paint, glass and plastics. Rinse car well when done. If you have some dried up lubricant on car, quick wash it before rinsing.
* I've used Griot's Clay bar & Speed Shine in the past, but recently switched to Nanoskin AutoScrub sponge and Nanoskin Glide
Dry car. Sounds simple, but make sure the car is dry before next step. In the past I've used a leaf blower, but if you do MAKE SURE if it's one that also vacuums up leaves that there are no pieces left in it or you'll be sandblasting the car.
Polish car. For this step, you really do need a polisher. A great entry level polisher is the Griots G9 polisher $129. Couple that with Adams Polish and an Adams White pad and you will really notice the difference in the paint. If your paint has a lot of swirls/scratches in it, start with Adams Compound first, and then move to polish. The great part about Adams polishing products is the color of the polish is the same color pad you need to use.
Apply sealant. There are many prosumer sealants out there, and almost all will offer a 4-7 year ceramic protection on your car. When the Tesla comes in, I'll use Adams Graphene coating $90. Note: You want the BOTTLE of coating, not a spray! Big difference!! One bottle can do two cars. I'll likely also do the wheels with this as well. Follow the directions on the bottle of whichever sealant you use and be sure to remove the product in the timeframe it indicates. Just do small areas of the car at a time, wait for it to dry/flash and then remove it.
All together, if you had absolutely none of the products mentioned above, it would cost about $300-400 which includes buying a polisher. Considering you could do two cars for a few hundred $$$, it's a big savings. Even if you never used the polisher again.
EDIT: Ironically, after browsing obsessed garage, I came across Matt's video where he's detailing a new Tesla. Almost identical to what I just posted above. CHeck it out
Matt at Obsessed Garage's process.
