Which coating did you get? And I saw one of Adam's vids where he said it was OK to let the soap dry. (Demonstrated by washing a black car in the AZ sun. )

 

.....and the winner is... Nati!

 

+1!
I'm already exhausted from this Thread!!
I'm going back to the good 'ol days of Dawn soap, with an abrasiveness Scotch Guard sponge, finished with a nice layer of Turtle Wax!

 

It's funny you should say that. I was going to post that I find it interesting [re] the various methods of people washing and cleaning their cars. In some cases using rather, what I might call, elaborate methods (including "paint correction" which I don't think I even know anything about). And that's all, obviously, perfectly cool. Whatever works for you.

Personally, I don't even use a two-bucket method - although I do use what I consider a good quality car wash, relatively clean washing mitt, micro-fiber towels, etc. - and I am perfectly satisfied with the results. I don't even think I have any swirls (although you might disagree for all I know) and I might venture to say my car looks as good as any other using far more elaborate methods than I. I dunno...maybe I'm wrong.

Different strokes - in this case, literally - for different folks.

 

+1. There's no one right way to do this. I might wash my car for real about once per year. Otherwise I rinse it off on a regular basis, blow dry it and apply Prep 'n Polish to remove the water stains and add a coat of protection on top of the wrap and OptiCoat. I have just one micro-scratch in the OptiCoat next to the rear window (presumably from a meteor strike). Otherwise still perfect except for the rash on the wrap just in front of the rear wheels.

 

Some (or maybe most?) of this is the high testerone hunter types zeroing in, in an OCD, fashion to achieve the impossible - automotive finish perfection, if only for fleeting short minutes or hours, until their car is a dirty mess again and they can rinse and repeat the process to the stupified amazement of their wives, friends and neighbors, but with the adoring oohs and ahhs of the other OCD nut-jobs like them.

 

I resemble that comment!

But after much consideration I havent bothered with ceramic coatings for the f type and XE because the care instructions are too fussy for me. Ultimately I was prepared to spend the $2K for the coating but after seeing that I would have to wash with something special then recharge it and do this and not do that and carry on, the fortnightly to monthly wash and quarterly waxing of my cars didnt sound so bad after all, especially given that they are in garages 23 hours a day except on weekends.

But I dont knock it, I really do admire the glassy look that you get with the coating.

 

All in a weekends work. I haven't refreshed the cquartz, but I'm due. It only covers about half of the car as the other half is film. About a quarter of this car is glass.

 

I'm with you--although I spent no where close to that! I'm sure I will get use to the few extra steps due to the coating, but had I educated myself more, I would have just opted for the paint correction and then been on my merry way. I actually enjoyed washing and applying a quality sealant on my cars every week--OCD-type here! Now all I have to look forward to is applying Reload every few months--who am I kidding, it will be more like every few weeks!

 

It is either a religion or something for a retired guy to do...or both. I have enjoyed keeping my fun car looking nice, although I became OC about even driving it in the rain or on wet streets. I have tried to be less OC about my Jag. I did have paint correction and ceramic coating done to my(leased) F-Type when new and I do appreciate the gloss, but especially appreciate how much easier it is to wash off the dirt. Yes, I even have a portable resin bed to avoid spotting from our hard water. I just did the Reload treatment, but I only do it every 6 months. It is so much easier than wax or polish. The part of the car that drives me nuts is the body-colored fins or whatever they are at the base of the doors. Those things collect dirt even when there is no apparent dirt on the roads.
Larry

 

And I thought I was the only owner not that OCD. I take my F-Type to the local hand spray wash for a CAREFUL spray job, micro dry, then home to garage. Now I plan to do a self applied nano coat to avoid constant waxing. Should be good for 2 yrs. so I can avoid waxing during that time. Only need the wash.
I enjoy the "wet/1' deep" gloss, and on a dark(BRG) finish it really comes out when clean and waxed. I just don't like to spend all my spare time waxing. 2 yr. nano sounds like a good solution.

 

I have xpel on everything except rear quarters, trunk deck, and rear panels - everything not covered with xpel has Opti-Gloss (inexpensive non-pro version of Opti-Coat I applied myself).
I have used 2 bucket method and microfiber wash mitt ~1x each week (on average) for 1.5 years with zero swirls or water marks - approx 75 washes.

I coated wheels with opti-gloss, and use sonax or griots heavy duty wheel cleaner followed by wash mitt with remaining suds from wash bucket - look like new.

Wash time is actual quality time for me :-) I get to touch every inch and then after washing, I take the opportunity to drive my car - about 10 miles round trip with 5 on freeway. Then I use griots 'best of show' detailer to dry any remaining drops and add shine - all paint and wheels. Once a month I claybar and apply CarPro Reload on all paint and wheels.

 

Dropped it off for a long weekend of a full body PPL wrap http://www.proshieldinc.com/available-packages

They had her in with good company - Rolls, Ferrari 488 (red middle right), Ferrari F12 (white back right), Z06, GT350 (red front right)

 

Definitely good company. In finished the coating on my car. Did it over a 2 day period. So far looks great. Will see how it performs. Used the Mckees 37 paint nano coating from Auto Geek. Hope it is o.k. to plug. They give good service and price.

 

Sorry about language in pic, got this distressing text from wrap guy, he was texting me and the R8 guy and messed up the text, my car went in spotless with 2679 miles, thank goodness I saw this after he said it was not me!

 

My car is ceramic coats as well.

I have a friend that is a professional detailer. The kind of guy that makes enough to own a house in SD and does cars for car week in Monterey. I.e. Nothing but high end stuff.

He uses a cr type de-ionation system for his water, a pressure washer and some of the TOP McGuires products (which isn't that expensive).

I think a lot of us are making this too hard on ourselves.

 

If we washed our cars the right way- the massive paint correction industry would be redundant.

Pressure washer is a very bad way to wash a car, it drives the dirt into the paint- it also gets water into places that a hose would not.

BruceTheQuail, ceramic coating does not make a paint glassy. Wax does.

 

+1.Even with a ceramic coating, you have to use some form of polish to really bring out the shine.

 

The reason behind it is that you are basically applying a thin clear coat with a sponge. And it can never be smooth.
Wax and polishes are self-leveling oils.

 

After doing the 2 day DYI process on my car using the McKees 37 product, I think my car looks pretty good. Of course we have had about 25" of rain here in S.W. Fla. since I finished, nothing like Texas, thank you, but I have been inside most of the time. I plan to use light washing to see how the coating holds, and then a little wax if an extra shine is called for. As stated earlier, I am not as OCD as many. I just like to enjoy my car, and enjoy the occasional thumbs up, or someone asking, "What year Miata is that?" This is S.W. Fla after all. Avg. age, 93.