What product do you use for the deepest wettest looking gloss?

[silentcorp]

I use the AMMO series of products. Not the cheapest for sure but every time I'm at a super charger another owner asks me what I use.

 

[Burrito]

ammo is good stuff too. i stick with alot of carpro products but cant justify buying reload over the cheapness of beadmaker

 

[355rockit]

If you want easy... use a wash/wax, rinse, use leaf blower to remove excess water and then apply Chemical Guys Banana Wet Wax to a microfiber towel and apply to damp car. Use Meguires Ultimate Instant Detailer to remove the wax (comes off easy but this way gives extra sparkle).

 

[t-rizzle]

Like some other's said: Paint correction, PPF, ceramic coating. My brand new 3 with ~200 miles got paint corrected and PPF days after delivery. (Yes, new paint needs correction)
View media item 120221

What is your Tint percentage you have all the way around?

 

[Adam3]

What is your Tint percentage you have all the way around?

Looks like 30% on the windshield lol

 

[t-rizzle]

Looks like 30% on the windshield lol

I know I love it. Would look amazing on my black M3.

 

[joebruin77]

The way to get the best possible gloss is to first apply a high quality sealant and then, on top of the sealant, apply a high quality carnuaba wax. The sealant will provide protection and a candy-like gloss. The carnuaba wax, which is not as durable or as long lasting as a sealant, provides a warm glow that you just can't get from a sealant. So instead of choosing between a sealant or wax, use both! You always apply the sealant first and then, after it cures, you apply the carnuaba wax. Here is an awesome sealant / wax combo:

Jescar Powerlock (sealant) topped with Collinite 845 Insullator Wax

If you are going to apply a Carnuaba wax, I personally think the Collinite family of waxes is the best on the market. It is one of the most durable carnuaba waxes available and will last 2 to 3 times as long as other carnuaba waxes. I also LOVE Collinite 915 Marque D' Elegance. It is not quite as durable as the 845, but it does have the highest concentration of carnuaba in any Collinite wax. So if you are going for the warmest, deepest shine and gloss, 915 is amazing. The 845 is a close second in terms of gloss, but it will last a month or two longer than the 915.

Another option, which is not commonly known, is this sealant which I came across reading Autogeek.net forums:

Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection Sealant

The unique thing about this sealant is that many people feel it is one of the few sealants to actually offer the warmth and shine of a carnuaba wax. Here is a description of the sealant from Autogeek.net:

"Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection delivers a high gloss shine in an easy-to-apply, liquid paint sealant. The synthetic sealant with Polycharger polymers offers months of protection and a depth of shine similar to a carnauba wax."

I have used these products and the end results are amazing. That said, you had also asked for something that is super easy to apply. The above products are traditional wipe on, allow to dry/haze, and then buff off. Although not super hard to use, they are not as easy as say a spray-on sealant. If you want the easiest to apply products, I would go with a spray-on such as:

Opti-coat Hyper Seal - a synthetic sealant from the makers of ONR. Hyper Seal is in their professional line Opti-coat and can only be purchased from the Opti-coat website. It is a ceramic-infused spray on sealant and it is amazing stuff. This costs about $40 a bottle, but a little goes a long way and the bottle should last you over a year.

Turtle Wax Seal and Shine - before you laugh at the idea of a Turtle Wax sealant, this sealant is blowing people away, especially for its value. It does not contain ceramic, but it is a super durable synthetic sealant that is infused with carnuaba wax. So it is a super easy, spray-on way to apply both a sealant and carnuaba wax. I have personally used this on my wife's Honda every 3 or 4 months and it is awesome. Especially at $7 a bottle.

Finally, to maintain gloss and shine, you can use a spray on gloss enhancing spray after each wash. Others have mentioned Bead Maker. Personally, I am not a huge fan of Bead Maker. Yes, its shine and gloss are amazing, but it is not durable at all. If you are taking your car out for a night on the town and just want to apply something to make the car shine like crazy, then Bead Maker would be great. But I also value protection. If a bird dropping lands on my paint, I want a product to protect it and Bead Maker really falls short in protection and durability, IMO.

Here are two alternatives to Bead Maker:
1) Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray - this is a ceramic infused detail spray that I love to use after each wash. I posted a recent review of it and nicknamed it a ceramic Bead Maker. You get the slickness and gloss of Bead Maker but, due in part to the ceramic in it, you also get amazing protection that is much more durable than Bead Maker.

2) Meguiars D156 Synthetic Spray Wax - Super easy to apply spray wax that adds shine, gloss, and a bit more protection. Can be used as a drying aid or on dry paint.

In case you can't tell, this is something I am really into so if you want to ask me any questions, feel free to post here or PM me.

 

[ducktales]

You want synthetic sealant. It will protect your paint and provide gloss. I would recommend Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant or Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection. Wash and clay bar first before your first application. Reapply every 6 months.

Claying creates scratches, so this might be counterintuitive. I’d save claying for when you plan to do a paint correction, a year or two from now, dependent on current mileage and exposure to the elements.

 

[joebruin77]

Claying creates scratches, so this might be counterintuitive. I’d save claying for when you plan to do a paint correction, a year or two from now, dependent on current mileage and exposure to the elements.

IMO, depending on the condition of the paint, claying may be very helpful and even necessary to do before applying a wax or sealant. Claying can induce scratches if done improperly, but if done the right way, it won't scratch the paint and it removes contaminants on the paint surface that regular washing can't remove. After you use a clay bar, the paint is smooth and contaminant free. The sealant or wax will bond much better to paint that has been clayed properly.

By properly, I mean 1) using a lot of clay lube so that there is never any friction between the clay bar and the paint 2) the clay bar is kept clean. For example, if you drop the clay bar on the ground, you should not use it on the paint. It is probably contaminated with dirt and particles from the ground and should be thrown away.

Personally, I like to use a claying sponge like the one from Nanoskin:

https://www.amazon.com/Nanoskin-AS-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XWEQFEF86AX5E7PAYXEN

If you drop it on the ground or if it just gets dirty from regular use, you can wash it completely clean. And it lasts much longer than a traditional clay bar.

 

[3LRWDUtd]

I switched to Blackfire to McKee's37 sealant. Both product are great and easy to use. However Blackfire product cost a lot.

 

[firebird8302]

I've been detailing my cars for the past couple of years and I have some recommendations.

I use an orbital polisher about twice a year. I've been using Chemical Guys Bright White.

Then I apply Finish Kare's Big White Hi-Temp Paste Wax. It's really a sealant, not a wax. It's awesome and is like adding another layer of clear coat to the car. It will last 2-4 months too. Highly Recommend it.

Next I apply Adam's Buttery Wax. This stuff is great too but I need to apply it every 2-4 car washes. Highly Recommend it.

After every wash I'll use an quick detail spray. I've been using Finish Kare's Extra Slick Final Body Shine and like it. I've also heard great things about Bead Maker.

 

[N54TT]

There can be 100 suggestions on what products to use. Some are good bandaids you can get pretty good results with. But if you absolutely want the BEST deep, wet, glossy, shine you can get...you need to do some sort of paint correction. NO brand new car comes from the factory swirl free (even high end exotics)....will pick up contaminants just from shipping and could benefit from even a decon and single stage correction.

I’m an enthusiast detailer and do all my own work. Here’s a before and after of my brand new P3D after one pass with a finishing polish and white foam pad on an orbital polisher. It has a better mirror finish and this is before any LSP was applied. The swirls were worse on the bumper...but the whole car had some sort of fine swirls all over and holograms from poor buffing technique. Throw any product on a corrected and uncorrected car. Ask Someone who’s not into detailing to compare the two. They might not know why....but they will def be able too see a difference between the two.

 

[mzairboy]

I use P&S Beadmaker after every wash. Very slick and great gloss on my Blue Model 3. I've found it doesn't last much longer than 4 weeks, but if you want something to apply every time you wash the car as a final wipe down and to enhance gloss, Beadmaker is economical and works fantastic.

I tested a few products here: Automotive Wax and Top Coating Experiment

 

[Adam3]

The way to get the best possible gloss is to first apply a high quality sealant and then, on top of the sealant, apply a high quality carnuaba wax. The sealant will provide protection and a candy-like gloss. The carnuaba wax, which is not as durable or as long lasting as a sealant, provides a warm glow that you just can't get from a sealant. So instead of choosing between a sealant or wax, use both! You always apply the sealant first and then, after it cures, you apply the carnuaba wax. Here is an awesome sealant / wax combo:

Carnuaba on top of sealant will give the ultimate shine, but I don't think it is worth it. You shouldn't apply synthetic sealant on top of carnauba - so next time you want to refresh your sealant you have to "start over" (clay bar, etc). IMO, synthetic sealant alone provides 95% of the shine and the extra bit you might get from a carnuaba topper isn't worth it.

 

[acarney]

Being kind isn't your forte, is it?

Put Ceramic coat on top of PPF. That's what I did. No more waxing or anything.

What was the title of this thread?

Sorry, I literally thought you were trolling since five or six words into my post I said I don’t want a ceramic and all you replied with was ceramic.

So. I have partial PPF on the car. After buying the car and wanting to tint the windows I just couldn’t afford the $5k+ just for a full body PPF... so I went with high concern areas. I do want to circle back later when I can afford it and get the rest done in PPF just to help protect against poor wash technique, F-ups on my part, or someone leaning against the car or something before I can yell at them

Right now I have full front (bumper, front hood, head lights, quarter/side panels back to front wheels), mirrors, a-pillar all the way back to the start of the trunk, side skirts/rockers from behind the front wheel to behind the rear wheel and up about 2 inches on the doors, and trunk lip.

I hope that will protect me enough from driving that good care on my part will keep it looking nice until the spring when I can do a full rear PPF and the doors. So again, ceramics are out. I just feel like I’ve read over and over again that you need a fairly strong cutting compound to remove the ceramic... compared to just a polish for light swirl paint correction.

And I meant the duration lasts for weeks or a month or two, not long term. I don’t mind having to reapply a spray that I just lightly buff off with a microfiber every two to four weeks or something. The car is a daily driver and usually needs washed at least once a month during most seasons.

 

[SilverGS]

@joebruin77 What product do you recommend to remove minor imperfections - such as surface scratches, prior to using the Jescar Powerlock and Collinite wax?

 

[nvx1977]

Not sure why the OP is biased against ceramic just because it's difficult to remove. Why would you remove it? It seals the clearcoat and makes it very hydrophobic, and it provides gloss. And it lasts a really long time. It makes the car super easy to return to that glassy wet condition when you wash it because less junk can get embedded in the clearcoat.

Not knocking the various products being listed in the thread, but with just homeowner-grade ceramic, I get a high-gloss detailed look every time I leave the touchless car wash bay.

If you're looking for the glossiest of the glossy look, you're better off buffing out the orange peel introduced at the factory. After that, any product you apply will make your car super glossy.

 

[Burrito]

if you have the time look at carpro essence

 

[Fusion]

Old school.
Klasse All in One and then topped off with P21S 12701W 100% Carnauba Wax

 

[commasign]

+1 for Beadmaker. Started using this on the recommendation of a car enthusiast family member. Easy to spray on, easy to wipe off (no residue, streak marks, etc.,). Smells good too.

Disclosure: I also have full body Xpel + Opticoat, but it's bug splatter season and I have to wash the car almost weekly.