Hupp2it

My garage is pretty well cared for and the floor is epoxy coated. So it is really easy to clean and I do so -a lot-, like my friends tease me about it. Anyway, I'll inspect a towel I drop on my garage floor and use it if I see nothing on it. Now to be fair I inspect it closely, but still. Anything I drop on the driveway is relegated to wheels or indoor cleaning.

I just did the ceramic paint coating not long ago. While I can't answer all the questions I'll take a stab at a couple - applicators: I used two sides of one applicator. My car is small though (corvette). If you do the whole care in one go you'll be fine with just one side likely. I took a break and when I returned I used a second side as the first had hardened. -prep: the prep spray removes all the oils and such so it is ready to go. Don't wait a long time between prep and coating. If you need to pause between your prep and the application of the coating do it before the prep spray. I used waterless wash to knock of the dust after washing and polishing the car the night before and then prep spray before the coating. Waterless doesn't leave any wax on the car so the prep I used after it had less to deal with. - pads: The two the kit comes with are plenty. I assume the wheel kit comes with enough as well. - useful life: Don't know yet, but the boost can be reapplied if the hydrophobic properties start to diminish. - coats: just one, I saw an adams post somewhere stating that multiple coats don't help. The coating bonds to paint so that makes sense. Also, for maximum hydrophobic performance don't do anything else on top of it. The coating completely rejects water and will keep the paint looking good even after short drives in the rain. Anything you put on the coating may increase the 'depth' of the finish though. Have fun!

I'm a big fan of the Waterless wash and use it on my car regularly. My rule of thumb is to use waterless on dust/pollen and a full wash after much rain driving. I have coated my car using Adams' ceramic paint kit. That makes the waterless wash option far easier as the coating makes all washing safer. The method for using waterless wash should help figure out how dirty is too dirty as well. You just spray it on and drag the towel across the surface using little pressure. This means it isn't going to pull up road gunk allowed to dry on the paint after a rainy drive. However, the coating can help here too as driving in light rain will leave very little behind as the water just shoots off. So yeah, not really that helpful I guess as it is an experience thing a bit and as Mathews31 indicated, depends on how much you've done to the finish already. Also, I love the color of your car

good to hear. I have a lot left over after doing my vette, figure I'll do my buddy's vette eventually. Also the coating is amazing.

I've just been using the waterless wash to wipe the car down. Even after driving in light rain the waterless wash was enough to clean it because of the coating. It's only been 1 month. I'll use the boost when I see a change in the finish.

I love this, thanks for sharing.

"I just go for a short drive around the neighborhood" Yes, this. You have an amazingly clean and shiny car, unlike anything your neighbors have seen (since the last time you did this). Turn that dial to 'Track', drive around in 1st gear and 'clean your brakes'. or try to spray off the water as suggested above, which seems like less fun.

Man I really got lucky I guess. Last two cars I purchased were swirl free (Camaro and Corvette). The Camaro was even black. Now my buddiy's new Mazda looks like someone at the dealership thought a swirl patterned paint job would be a cool look. Though on the original topic neither Chevy's had any paint protection on them.

I have a buddy with an Avalanche and has the same faded plastic trim. Seems it is a common problem. I found a set of videos from avalanche owners that addressed the problem with heat guns. The heat gun has some risk though as you can melt the plastic if you do it wrong. But the results were certainly impressive. I wasn't about to try that as it wasn't my car. Seemed pretty extreme. Good luck with your restoration of the trim. I'd make sure to get the plastic looking the way you want it before the ceramic coating as it's just going to lock in whatever state the trim is in.

I used the ceramic coating on my car, since then I just use that waterless wash spray. The ceramic coat sheds the water so well I don't want to cover it with any other product with wax. Prior to the ceramic coat (and on the other family car) I do use the quick detail spray much more often.

Probably has paint overspray on it too. My new car had it pretty bad (but Stingray paint jobs are not the best feature of the car). I'd strip wash and clay bar it before using your wax of choice. Plus it's a new car, you know you want to spoil it.

I like the regular one but I bought the Candy Cane TID for all my Vette friends for Christmas. They were a big hit. Now if they could just make a product that smells like chocolate chip cookies! DO IT!

I don't wash them first. I love using new towels straight from their sealed bags, like I'm operating on my car or something... weird I know. Only get to do that once in awhile.

What a nice website too.

I cheap out on the wheel cleaner and my wheels are coated and sealed so my process is this: 1) Spray down the wheels with foam cannon (low power electric pressure washer) and then rinse. 2) wash wheels with all the cool brushes and soap and water (because detailing toys are fun) 3) Rinse off wheels 4) go after the stubborn stuff inside the wheel (if any )with a squirt of wheel cleaner and scrub it out I figure the wheel cleaner will last a long time this way. The exception was after the track day with racing brake pads installed. That was some epic break dust, I ended up having to lightly spray down all the wheels after the initial wash and basically wash them twice.

Well this was super-helpful and timely. My new car has fabric wheel wells (something I never even new was a thing). I found this out when I was about to go at it with the Undercarriage Spray as I did on my Camaro. Ended up skipping it and just spraying it down. Checked here for advice and here y'all are. Thanks! Now to Petsmart for auto detailing tools -Don

What a cool thing to do. Good on you man. oh, and also... nice job!