Dkhazlett

I applied the ceramic coating (not CSC) to my wife's car a few months ago, and my pickup over the weekend. I know Adams has a full line of ceramic products and I ordered a 64oz bottle of Ceramic Boost today to replace what came with the kit and a mystery box bottle of the original CB I have. Question: did you all replace your shampoo, waterless wash, etc., with the Ceramic line of products? I have nearly full gallon bottles of Wash and Wax and Waterless Wash that I would like to use up and then replace with the Ceramic line. If you happened to discard and replace, did you notice a difference? Thanks!

I just ceramic coated my wife’s car last Saturday after having the kit for a few months. I too read the dire warnings on the forums about the consequences of screwing it up. So, I was a little apprehensive. But, it was just what I have come to expect of Adams products. Very forgiving for a DIY-er, the products behaved as advertised and I am delighted with the results. I uploaded a photo, hope it uploaded properly. A few things: - the rainbow flash thing in the tutorials doesn’t show up as readily on light-colored vehicles - Adam says so himself in one of the ceramic coating videos. So with a light colored car you have to use tackiness to decide when to buff rather than the flash. - the glass bottle is basically opaque, so apart from a shake test it’s hard to tell if I have enough coating left for another vehicle. I will probably bite the bullet and just buy another bottle to make sure before I coat my truck. - to maintain a controlled environment I closed myself in the garage for the job. The lights in there aren’t meant for this work thought so I bought a LED work light on a tripod to illuminate the panels as I went. Worked great. My only regret is that I waited so long to do this. Time will tell on durability but I think the coating is great.

Absolutely. Nine years in Hawaii and they were dog years. Waikiki isn’t real life. We had friends with beachfront, and nothing ferrous lasted more than a few years. It wasn’t as bad at altitude or inland, but you can’t completely avoid the spray. The waterless products should hold you over between full washes. Plenty of room in Texas for you — no state income tax here either!

I use the foam gun, turbo stick for inside rims/barrels, and the long brush, tire brush and wheel brushes too. They are all different stiffness and while subtle, make a difference.

I got a bottle in a MB and started using it when my auto parts store bottle ran out. I use it on irregular surfaces where it is tough to get an applicator onto, like door jambs, under trunk lid/hood, and inside the gas filler. Super easy buff out and since it isn’t exposed to the elements, fallout, UV, etc on those surfaces I think I am getting better than a month out of an application. Yeah its pricey but we are retail customers even with a discount. When I lived in Hawaii one of our corvette club members was a pro detailer and bought all his chemicals in bulk from a wholesaler. You couldn’t walk in the wholesaler’s door without a GET number. I couldn’t imagine him running a business buying at retail, 16 ounces at a time. I don’t remember the brand names on the products he used but he did explain to me that many required dilution and were not that forgiving for a DIY’er who made a mistake. I don’t mind paying extra for a little extra peace of mind. Will I actually pay full price for another bottle of spray wax when this one runs out versus going back to the auto parts store? Hmmm, not sure...

Have you tried the waterless wash? We get a lot of seasonal pollens in central Texas and it does a great job. I remember the salt spray from when we lived in Hawaii. Different stuff but I think the WW would work just as well. I wasn’t an Adam’s customer then so I can’t say from experience.

I change the rinse water between vehicles and wash both out thoroughly after washing both.

Darryl what about a really long extension cord? Not joking, I did this at an apartment complex in Korea where the nearest outlet could only be reached with a 75 foot outdoor cord. In Texas now, I use a big shop vac with the hose on the outlet side and a step down nozzle. Not sure I’m getting the same velocity as the MB but it is filtered and warmed too.

Something else you might consider is checking the water pressure at your hose bib. Mine was super low when I tested it with my neighbors gauge...screwed right onto the bib. I went to the water shutoff valve by the meter and cranked it up a bit. Still well within water utility range but way better results with the foam gun.

Great tip on diluting RW. We get lots of different seasonal pollens in central Texas and after my first bottle of WW I ordered a gallon.

Kyle, a couple of things. One, how about flow charts for the entire wash process, sequentially? Starting with wheels/rims and finishing with interior glass (or whatever you all recommend)? Two, consider hanging these on the web site as .pdfs we can download?

Shane I’m glad you said it. I used APC until I got a bottle of strip wash in a mystery box. I can’t tell the difference between the two based on the results.

Only had one issue with a delivery — product leaked in the box. One call and a replacement arrived quickly with extra goodies thrown in. Very satisfied.

I had the same issue with the bristle type brush. Not enough stiffness to get tar or sticky stuff out. However it did get into the small clearance lug wells of my wife’s Merc. I got a generic 3-loop lug brush that cleaned great but only fit the lug wells of my pickup. I know, first-world problem.

Don’t select the bottle off the detail cart by color alone. Getting ready to clean my wheels, I grabbed the odor neutralizer (blue) instead of the wheel cleaner (also blue). Caught the error before I had the best smelling rim on my block.

And there’s my suggestion - add a “delete sprayer” radio button at ordering for a small discount or credit. I have a bin filled with those things. They rarely break so I re-use them. My upbringing won’t let me throw them away. Also, different topic. The web site renders strangely on IPads. Perhaps your developer can take a look at it..

Ian, it looks terrific. Question? I also have a Ram 1500 with full black plastic wheel well liners.. how do you attack those? I use a long handle brush while I am hitting the tires/rims with Adams brushes and a turbo stick for the rims themselves. I use WC on the rims including barrels and calipers but regular shampoo for the rest. The backs are easy — mostly smooth with just a couple of dimples where the fasteners are. The fronts are another story; really irregular surfaces to maintain some rigidity. No matter how I work the liners with the long handled brush, after I dry there is still residue in some of those front wheel well crevices. I end up going back over them with an old towel and diluted APC. Suggestions? Thanks...

Don’t mistake the new spray wax for detail spray. (“Why isn’t this clay bar sliding like it’s supposed to? Oh, snap!”)

For both of mine, I use LPS, Brilliant Glaze, then G&G every three washes. I used to use buttery but when I switched to the sealant I quit the wax. LPS lasts about six months on my truck, and close to a year on my wife’s car. Hers is mostly garaged, and mine is mostly outside. When I had my corvette and was taking it to show and shine and concours events, it was different. These are daily drivers.

I got a bottle of ceramic boost in my last MB too. Neither of my vehicles are coated either - LPS, brilliant glaze and G&G every three washes. I’m also not sure what to do with it and may trade it away.

I thought waterless wash products were a scam, like the guys sell outside the firestone. Then, I got a bottle of Adams WW in a mystery box, and used it on my wife’s Mercedes - mostly garaged and typically has just a light coat of dust and maybe some of that south Texas pollen. Worked great and I bought a gallon. Since then, I got two of the blue waffle weave microfiber towels in another mystery box and have used them exclusively with WW. My experience is that the blue waffle weave towels drag way less than the single or double soft towels and I get a lot more run time out of one of the blue waffle weaves too. They feel a lot like the great white drying towel, just smaller...and blue. Suggest trying one if you use WW a lot.

Good look and feel to the new layout. Kudos to the deign team.

We all know how well-engineered Adam's products are, to take care of our rolling stock. I have discovered yet another non-vehicle use for Adam's products. First, my wife discovered that the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner is great for taking care of carpet spills in the house. I found my bottle missing from the detail bag in the garage, then learned she had annexed it after seeing how well it worked inside. Stands to reason. Next, I learned that the odor neutralizer is great in guest room closets that almost never get opened. Today, I looked at my Hartmann leather computer bag that has taken a beating for the last three years. Hartmann says not to treat it with anything but it looked like hell. On a whim, I grabbed the Leather Conditioner and the red applicator, and gave it the business. What a difference, I should have done this a long time ago. Inspired, I pulled out a pair of soft, pebble grain leather shoes that have never taken well to polish. A shot of LC on the applicator and rubbed into each shoe. Amazing. Who knew? Now, I am filled with anxiety. What countless other life hacks are out there with Adam's products that I don't know about, that could give me back more precious slices of time? What do you all use Adam's products for that may not be "in the brochure"? P.S.: my dog is smelling a little gamey. He stares nervously at me from under the kitchen table as I glance in his direction and uncap the Odor Neutralizer...

Thanks for the quick replies! No correction necessary on either vehicle. I baby both of them as an Adam's disciple. Neither has ever been through an automatic car wash. I have been tempted at times but resisted successfully. I know that hand removal of the residue with soft microfiber towels is the purist approach and one that I have followed but am looking for a short cut that won't compromise the finish or the shine. The juice has to be worth the squeeze though. I don't want to spend my day chasing towels that get flung off by my orbital. I pondered using alligator clips to hold the towel onto the pad but the visual image of one of those things skipping across the hood like a flat stone on a lake makes me sit bolt upright in a cold sweat. My wife is an angel when it comes to running towels though the laundry room but there is a point at which she will wonder what in blazes I'm doing out in the driveway. Come to think of it she may already be wondering that. Not sure I want to ask...

I just spent 7 hours on Saturday doing a strip wash, clay bar, revive hand polish, LPS, Brilliant Glaze, and detail spray on my wife's Merc. An unseasonably hot/humid day in San Antonio too, but the less said about that the better. Anyway, I did the whole thing by hand. Car looks great but It kicked my you-know-what. My Ram 1500 is next, same routine, when the inclination and opportunity strike at the same time. Differences - a lot more sheet metal, and I need to be on my small scaffold to reach parts of the roof and hood. I would love to use my orbital polisher to buff off the Revive and LPS just to save some elbow grease and hopefully time. I don't see any soft microfiber pads on the web site or know of a good way to pin a single soft over an applicator pad to do it. Any suggestions? Or am I doomed to hand buffing the truck too? If anybody has a tip it's you guys...