We don't all have budget for protective wraps & ceramic coating

[Rothgarr]

So what's the next best thing?

I saw a thread about waterless wash -- I'm not afraid to wash a car, and I don't understand how waterless wash works without scratching the heck out of the finish.

I also don't want to spend hours applying a traditional wax and then buffing it to a shine.

I keep seeing ads before youtube videos for stuff like "TopCoat F11" and other products.

I guess I'm looking for something that's easy to apply and has a great shine. I don't mind reapplying every month or two if I have to.

 

[Bill Foster]

So what's the next best thing?

I saw a thread about waterless wash -- I'm not afraid to wash a car, and I don't understand how waterless wash works without scratching the heck out of the finish.

I also don't want to spend hours applying a traditional wax and then buffing it to a shine.

I keep seeing ads before youtube videos for stuff like "TopCoat F11" and other products.

I guess I'm looking for something that's easy to apply and has a great shine. I don't mind reapplying every month or two if I have to.

Theres a good place to start.

Topcoat F11 is a waste of money.

I prefer optimum products because they have been in business a long time and the pro detailers I know use them.

But to get started,
Optimum wash and wax
Microfiber sponge
Microfiber cloths to dry (the rag company is a great place to get them)

Opti-Seal is a great if you want to spend a bit more. Adds shine and protects it

 

[Rothgarr]

That just boggles my mind as it goes against everything I've learned in my 35 years of washing my own cars. Wiping a dry, dirty car with a wet sponge? And drying it with a cloth? (I like to use compressed air).

Maybe I'll test it on one of my old cars first.

 

[Bill Foster]

That just boggles my mind as it goes against everything I've learned in my 35 years of washing my own cars. Wiping a dry, dirty car with a wet sponge? And drying it with a cloth? (I like to use compressed air).

Maybe I'll test it on one of my old cars first.

Trust me, I was the same. But yea, it really works.

Ive used it for 7 or 8 years now.

One bucket, watch the videos, and use quality microfiber cloths and you will stay scratch free.

 

[Glamisduner]

That just boggles my mind as it goes against everything I've learned in my 35 years of washing my own cars. Wiping a dry, dirty car with a wet sponge? And drying it with a cloth? (I like to use compressed air).

Maybe I'll test it on one of my old cars first.

Pan the

That just boggles my mind as it goes against everything I've learned in my 35 years of washing my own cars. Wiping a dry, dirty car with a wet sponge? And drying it with a cloth? (I like to use compressed air).

Maybe I'll test it on one of my old cars first.

This guy explains it well.

But yea, blasting with a pressure washer first is still better. I use ONR in a 16:1 concentration in a spray-bottle, and a microfiber for touch ups between pressure washing. I also dump a capful into my foam cannon for mixed with cashwash. Seems to help prevent water spots and add some additional lubrication.

I also keep a small bottle in the car with a microfiber for bird bombs or to clean my windshield (since I don't stop at the pump anymore). It works way better anyways.

For an easy coating / drying agent, my new favorite thing is beadmaker.
https://www.amazon.com/Detailing-Products-C250P-Maker-Protectant/dp/B0779KCS7D

I put it on my glass too, but make sure the glass is nice and clean first. Works great on the roof, but I feel the wipers on the windshield make quick work of it.

You can also apply carpro reload without doing the coating, but it's more expensive, and I find beadmaker super quick and easy to use, wipe on, wipe off...

 

[Bill Foster]

Pan the

This guy explains it well.

But yea, blasting with a pressure washer first is still better. I use ONR in a 16:1 concentration in a spray-bottle, and a microfiber for touch ups between pressure washing. I also dump a capful into my foam cannon for mixed with cashwash. Seems to help prevent water spots and add some additional lubrication.

I also keep a small bottle in the car with a microfiber for bird bombs or to clean my windshield (since I don't stop at the pump anymore). It works way better anyways.

For an easy coating / drying agent, my new favorite thing is beadmaker.
https://www.amazon.com/Detailing-Products-C250P-Maker-Protectant/dp/B0779KCS7D

I put it on my glass too, but make sure the glass is nice and clean first. Works great on the roof, but I feel the wipers on the windshield make quick work of it.

You can also apply carpro reload without doing the coating, but it's more expensive, and I find beadmaker super quick and easy to use, wipe on, wipe off...

I’ve only pre washed if it’s really dirty, like mud or something. Beyond that, ONR the whole way. Still no scratches. It’s amazing how well it works.

Also, ONR is great around the house too, cleaning windows, floors ect.

Also, put a cap of ONR in your washer fluid tank.

 

[dfwatt]

So what's the next best thing?

I saw a thread about waterless wash -- I'm not afraid to wash a car, and I don't understand how waterless wash works without scratching the heck out of the finish.

I also don't want to spend hours applying a traditional wax and then buffing it to a shine.

I keep seeing ads before youtube videos for stuff like "TopCoat F11" and other products.

I guess I'm looking for something that's easy to apply and has a great shine. I don't mind reapplying every month or two if I have to.

It's remarkable to me that the auto detailing folks have managed to mystify and obfuscate the application of ceramic coating, making it sound as though the average modestly technically competent person doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of applying this stuff without making a mess. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can consult any number of threads on this forum and on the other Tesla forum about do-it-yourself ceramic coating. It's astonishingly easy, if you just follow a few simple rules.

1) obviously you want your paint to be in as good shape as possible, either by using polishing compound, claying, or other interventions to maximize the best possible Surface to get the best possible result.
2) Apply ceramic coating in the shade and not the sun or preferably in a garage
3) let it set up for 5 to 15 min. until you see a light haze with a kind of rainbow appearance
4) Take off with microfiber.

It's actually easier in terms of how much work it involves once the paint is in decent shape than applying typical waxes. I've used several kinds and I've decided that the best value out there is GreyGhost which is available off of Amazon for – brace yourselves – $18 a bottle.It's held up well for six months, and I'm sure that there are other ceramic coatings that may be longer lasting and better, but for 20 bucks, it's a great deal. It's crazy if you don't at least give it a try. I've used it on two Model 3s, my wife's Midnight silver and my pearlescent white. Couldn't be happier with the results.

Oh and if you let it dry for too long you will have a kind of fuzzy sheen left on the paint. Don't panic – it buffs off with any good polishing compound.

 

[Bill Foster]

Agreed. There is talent in prepping the paint, but applying a coating is stupid simple.

I’ve used gloss coat from optimum on every car I’ve owned recently. 50 bucks for a tube and a tube usually can do two cars. I’ll be putting it on the Tesla soon.

 

[Glamisduner]

It's remarkable to me that the auto detailing folks have managed to mystify and obfuscate the application of ceramic coating, making it sound as though the average modestly technically competent person doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of applying this stuff without making a mess. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can consult any number of threads on this forum and on the other Tesla forum about do-it-yourself ceramic coating. It's astonishingly easy, if you just follow a few simple rules.

1) obviously you want your paint to be in as good shape as possible, either by using polishing compound, claying, or other interventions to maximize the best possible Surface to get the best possible result.
2) Apply ceramic coating in the shade and not the sun or preferably in a garage
3) let it set up for 5 to 15 min. until you see a light haze with a kind of rainbow appearance
4) Take off with microfiber.

It's actually easier in terms of how much work it involves once the paint is in decent shape than applying typical waxes. I've used several kinds and I've decided that the best value out there is GreyGhost which is available off of Amazon for – brace yourselves – $18 a bottle.It's held up well for six months, and I'm sure that there are other ceramic coatings that may be longer lasting and better, but for 20 bucks, it's a great deal. It's crazy if you don't at least give it a try. I've used it on two Model 3s, my wife's Midnight silver and my pearlescent white. Couldn't be happier with the results.

Oh and if you let it dry for too long you will have a kind of fuzzy sheen left on the paint. Don't panic – it buffs off with any good polishing compound.

Depends on the coating, some of them you don't want to let them haze. But yea they are easy AFTER all the prep work. Still it takes time vs something like beadmaker, of course the results are better with a coating. There is no magic bulllet coating, although watching youtube adds can make you think there is. Beadmaker, or other spray on sealants (like meguires ceramic wax, which isn't ceramic hah) are as easy as it is going to get from my experience. Probably better than what 98% of people do, which is nothing hah.

 

[JasontheBeaver]

It's remarkable to me that the auto detailing folks have managed to mystify and obfuscate the application of ceramic coating, making it sound as though the average modestly technically competent person doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of applying this stuff without making a mess.[/QUOTE]

I italicized the important part of your comment.
The challenge is, how do you know who is actually "modestly technically competent" or not? Let me put it this way... every single person that brings me a car that they've screwed up, damaged, scratched, compounded improperly, etc., insisted that they were some form of "modestly technically competent".
For every DIYer that does the job correctly, I sincerely applaud you, but please understand that you are in the SERIOUS minority!

As far as ONR washing...
The videos posted in this thread are perfect learning tools for how to properly wash a car, and I'll add a couple more to the mix just for variety.
My 2 cents on DIY ceramic coating is to use Optimum's Gloss Coat, it's a perfect consumer-grade coating that goes on very easily, and like others have said, is pretty forgiving to the beginner.

 

[Rothgarr]

I'm still waiting on delivery of my M3, so I'm hoping the prep is minimal since it will be a brand new car if I do decide to try my hand at doing a ceramic coat.

 

[Glamisduner]

I'm still waiting on delivery of my M3, so I'm hoping the prep is minimal since it will be a brand new car if I do decide to try my hand at doing a ceramic coat.

Honestly I'd still give it at least a quick polish and prep.

 

[joebruin77]

If you want a really simple regimen and don't want to go to the trouble of a ceramic coating, I suggest using either Opti Seal or Hyper Seal, both are made by Optimum. Opti Seal is their original polymer sealant and is super easy to use. Just apply it to clean paint. There are lots of videos on youtube on how to apply it. You can almost wipe on and walk away. I say almost because I find you still have to go back and, with a clean micro fiber towel, and wipe the high spots off. But it is super easy to use, especially when compared to the old school car waxes that require tons of buffing.

Hyper Seal, also a sealant, is in their professional line. It contains SiO2, so it does have the same ingredient as ceramic coatings. I absolutely LOVE Hyper Seal. It is like Opti Seal on steroids. It goes on super smooth and easy. The paint is left feeling super slick.

If you apply Hyper Seal once every 4 or 5 months, your car will have quite a bit of protection from a product that is super easy to use.

 

[logan]

So what's the next best thing?

Learn the steps to prevent swirls/scratches.

 

[ducktales]

A guy I know has worked with Yvan Lacroix (spokesman for Optimum car products), who mentioned that the tiny micro marring "won't be noticed by customers" by the BRS.

I have also tried the BRS with ONR (2 weeks since the last wash with ONR/ cuffless mitt), and despite being super gentle (one swipe, flip, another swipe, dunk, repeat), I saw a bit of marring. It could have been from the factory, but I think to be on the safe side, I will go back to using a cuffless microfiber mitt with ONR.

Side note: ONR + opti-seal is flat out amazing. Can't go back to 2 bucket washes, as that method scratches way more than it should.

 

[SMAlset]

We go to a local waterless car wash but also for home touchups use this company’s products along with microfiber cloths. If your up for another video this explains how to wash the car using a few of the cloths and folding over to new section. The waterless washes help lift the dirt off the surface and impart a coating when done that helps keep the dirt from sitting on the surface. Comes out nice and shiny afterwards. We’re sold on waterless. Not unlike regular hand washes it’s important to understand also about going in one direction to avoid swirls.

How to | Eco Green Auto Clean, Inc.

BTW for anyone in the SF bay area, the location for the manual wash is gone—real estate too valuable and land sold out for redevelopment. Their products can still be ordered.

 

[Kilotango74]

It's remarkable to me that the auto detailing folks have managed to mystify and obfuscate the application of ceramic coating, making it sound as though the average modestly technically competent person doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of applying this stuff without making a mess. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can consult any number of threads on this forum and on the other Tesla forum about do-it-yourself ceramic coating. It's astonishingly easy, if you just follow a few simple rules.

1) obviously you want your paint to be in as good shape as possible, either by using polishing compound, claying, or other interventions to maximize the best possible Surface to get the best possible result.
2) Apply ceramic coating in the shade and not the sun or preferably in a garage
3) let it set up for 5 to 15 min. until you see a light haze with a kind of rainbow appearance
4) Take off with microfiber.

It's actually easier in terms of how much work it involves once the paint is in decent shape than applying typical waxes. I've used several kinds and I've decided that the best value out there is GreyGhost which is available off of Amazon for – brace yourselves – $18 a bottle.It's held up well for six months, and I'm sure that there are other ceramic coatings that may be longer lasting and better, but for 20 bucks, it's a great deal. It's crazy if you don't at least give it a try. I've used it on two Model 3s, my wife's Midnight silver and my pearlescent white. Couldn't be happier with the results.

Oh and if you let it dry for too long you will have a kind of fuzzy sheen left on the paint. Don't panic – it buffs off with any good polishing compound.

Sure for over the counter ceramic coatings yeah you can do it in your garage. I’ve done it myself on many different vehicles. Most people however don’t have the patience for proper prep. Prep makes all the difference in the world and people if they don’t know what they are doing can screw up their paint with a quickness. Also most people do t have access to the types of ceramic coatings that a good detailer will use. These more complicated coatings sometimes have very specific temperature, time, and humidity requirements for application curing. These coatings will also last much longer. It’s easy to fire off from the hip and claim that detailers are just blowing smoke about the difficulty involved in a ceramic coating, but most reputable places know what they are doing and offer results and products not available to the average Joe. Plus, I for one used to detail cars as a side job in my garage and frankly it’s worth my time just to have someone else do it.

 

[N54TT]

So what's the next best thing?

I saw a thread about waterless wash -- I'm not afraid to wash a car, and I don't understand how waterless wash works without scratching the heck out of the finish.

I also don't want to spend hours applying a traditional wax and then buffing it to a shine.

I keep seeing ads before youtube videos for stuff like "TopCoat F11" and other products.

I guess I'm looking for something that's easy to apply and has a great shine. I don't mind reapplying every month or two if I have to.

There’s a difference between waterless and rinseless washes. Rinseless is using something like a couple ounces of onr in a Bucket of water to wash the car...as in the vids posted. Waterless is essentially using a detail spray to wash your car.

But to answer your question. There are spray on sealant/protectants like gyeon wetoat, drying aids like bead maker that work well with minimal effort and time. Not as durable as ceramic coats and will require reapplication. Budget wise....they aren’t any cheaper than diy ceramic coating though. The other thing you have to consider. I know you don’t want to spend hours. But if you’re coating a car..... whether spray/rinse, drying aid, ceramic coat...you don’t want to lock in any imperfections or swirls. Prep and paint correction is really the most time consuming part of the process.
Not even specific to Tesla...with any new car from the factory.... they all typically need some paint correction before coating. But depending on your attention to detail and what you’re looking for...if you don’t care for paint correction I would at least do a surface prep and decon.

 

[Burrito]

CarPro HydrO2 Concentrate 100ml

Carpro hydrO2

for my 3 i did the whole works, paint corrected, ceramic, topcoat etc but for my wifes honda oddessy, i just try and keep it clean. the other day i tried to product above on the minivan.

HOLY BALLS

i did a 2 bucket wash on the minivan and while still wet i sprayed the hydrO2 on a few panels at a time and then almost immediately power washed it off. her car feels super slick, has nearly all the hydrophobic properties of my car which i spent days on coating and was the most stupid simple thing i've ever applied to a car. after i did all the panels i took a straight hose and "flooded" the car with water and the whole car was nearly dry from that. i used a small microfiber to dry a few spots and was done. her car still looks and feels great a week later.

i dont know how long it will last compared to all the crap i put on my tesla but damn it was easy.

 

[ducktales]

CarPro HydrO2 Concentrate 100ml

Carpro hydrO2

for my 3 i did the whole works, paint corrected, ceramic, topcoat etc but for my wifes honda oddessy, i just try and keep it clean. the other day i tried to product above on the minivan.

HOLY BALLS

i did a 2 bucket wash on the minivan and while still wet i sprayed the hydrO2 on a few panels at a time and then almost immediately power washed it off. her car feels super slick, has nearly all the hydrophobic properties of my car which i spent days on coating and was the most stupid simple thing i've ever applied to a car. after i did all the panels i took a straight hose and "flooded" the car with water and the whole car was nearly dry from that. i used a small microfiber to dry a few spots and was done. her car still looks and feels great a week later.

i dont know how long it will last compared to all the crap i put on my tesla but damn it was easy.

Be very careful with this stuff. A little bit goes a LONG way.

I made the mistake of putting on an extra layer, on my last car's wheels, and brake dust WELDS itself to it. No amount of iron remover or washing could remove it.