ceramic coating Versus waxing from the CEO swissvax

[Newbie777]

2 hours ago, Boomer54 said:

"For me it is not about a mirror or shiny finish, but the overall effort and enjoying the finished result." Hmm, call me in about 20 years time to discuss.

Sorry please explain, I do not understand, do you like detailing cars like I do?

[Spacewagon52]

To admire and sit in a car that has been extremely well prepared is, in my opinion, lovely. It is all about enjoyment. If you enjoy detailing your car and you get the pleasure of the finished product then well done. 

If you pay someone else to do the hard work and enjoy the result then good for you!

I have spent many hours in my younger days cleaning and polishing my cars. I still do my own car but not to the extent I once did.

[LenT]

10 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

If you pay someone else to do the hard work and enjoy the result…

Ideally, David, I go for a compromise.

I pay someone else to do the hard work.  And then I enjoy watching them do it.  😊

[Boomer54]

3 hours ago, Newbie777 said:

Sorry please explain, I do not understand, do you like detailing cars like I do?

I loves it, i really do, every micro piece of dust be gone I say, and never darken my sill again! I literally wash, polish after every trip. Even to the shop down the road.

Unfortunately as I rack up my biblical three score and ten I can't really convince my knees , hands ,back (I could keep going), that the joy goes further than the neurons between my ears.

[Newbie777]

11 minutes ago, Boomer54 said:

I loves it, i really do, every micro piece of dust be gone I say, and never darken my sill again! I literally wash, polish after every trip. Even to the shop down the road.

Unfortunately as I rack up my biblical three score and ten I can't really convince my knees , hands ,back (I could keep going), that the joy goes further than the neurons between my ears.

Excellent and well done for persevering.

I have all the kit, the brushes, clay bars waxes polishes. But love using my hands rather than the polisher I have.

After a hard day working in IT (yeah right!!) I love cleaning and weather permitting washing and polishing my car.

I have owned over 50 cars (never made a profit) so am a creature of habit, it has been said more than once by my wife I love my car more than her....oops.

[LenT]

6 minutes ago, Boomer54 said:

Unfortunately as I rack up my biblical three score and ten I can't really convince my knees , hands ,back (I could keep going), that the joy goes further than the neurons between my ears.

I share your pain, Stephen - almost literally!

I find that the problem is how dirty do I let the Lexus get before subjecting us both to the two bucket, snow foam, Karcher extravaganza?

Recently I found a mobile Detailer who came to the car and did an excellent job for a very reasonable price.  But I feel a lot of muck has to be shifted to justify that!

[Boomer54]

In truth now i stop and think about it I'm a bit lost ,because my car went under canvas a couple of week or so ago and I don't have any car cleaning to do ! Probably why i have been a bit grinch lately.

[LenT]

2 hours ago, Boomer54 said:

because my car went under canvas a couple of week or so ago and I don't have any car cleaning to do ! Probably why i have been a bit grinch lately.

It’s gone off camping on its own?  🙁

Bit headstrong I’d say.  In this weather I think you were wise to stay at home.

[GSLV6]

I used to (every year) use a dual action polisher, after using a clay bar and lubrication solution to remove all the environmental grime, along with 1800 followed by 2300 or 2500 grit polish.  It lifts all the swirl marks and polishes to a deep shine.  Took me around 3 hours to do an RX.  Following that, I would use Menzerna's Lock & Seal polymer finish, then revert to weekly washes with PH neutral snow foam and waxing with a carnauba rich wax like macguires techwax.

However, speaking with a few pro detailers , there are DIY ceramics (none of which are true ceramics but cross-linked polymer polishes loaded with SiO2) made now which can be easily DIY applied and which are very good indeed.  I now use the CarPro  CQuartz products.  Once done, all you need do for the next 3 years is wash the car weekly using a PH neutral foam or hand washing solution, dry and spray apply CarPro Elixer spray to bring back a deep lustrus shine without the need for waxing.  Wax looks good for a short while but doesn't last long and takes way more effort applying and buffing.

Once the initial cut/polish is done to correct swirls and scratches, you only need re-apply the CQuartz every 3 years and the cost is about £40.  It's as good as anything Lexus offers at their dealerships costing £800 per vehicle treatment imho.  Just had my RX done and it looks showroom.  Can be used on windscreens and headlamps too.