Best Exterior Detailing Products

[Bdsankey]

This is going to be a thread that may derail quick BUT I just had my truck painted and am wondering what I should (in terms of products) for washing/waxing the exterior?

I typically use a foam cannon with some Chemical Guys wash and a hand waxing with Carnuba wax from Mothers or Meguires. I have picked up some F11 top coat after seeing the results on a friends 2015.5 High Country with a dark metalic paint (my truck is black, primer/base/clear).




My biggest dilema is I have no place to hand wash the truck this summer due to being in an apartment so I will be running it through the touchless car wash to remove the dirt etc. I've thought about just getting it ceramic coated but don't know if it is worth the $600-$1000 cost to have a professional do it with a multi-year guarantee.

 

[AZlml]

I had my truck professionally ceramic coated with a 5 year warranty a few months ago and would do it again in a heartbeat. Water literally beads and falls off it's pretty impressive. Road grime, grease, and burnt rubber wipes off very easily with nothing but soap and my wash mit. Since you can't hand wash it in your situation it's not as enticing but with a 3-5 year warranty I wouldn't pass on it especially since you just had your truck painted. The cost was right on with your numbers, $600-1000. 3 year warranty was the low end and 5 year was the high end.

 

[Bdsankey]

I had my truck professionally ceramic coated with a 5 year warranty a few months ago and would do it again in a heartbeat. Water literally beads and falls off it's pretty impressive. Road grime, grease, and burnt rubber wipes off very easily with nothing but soap and my wash mit. Since you can't hand wash it in your situation it's not as enticing but with a 3-5 year warranty I wouldn't pass on it especially since you just had your truck painted. The cost was right on with your numbers, $600-1000. 3 year warranty was the low end and 5 year was the high end.

Thank you. I figured as long as I keep a decent product on it (some type of spray wax etc for example) then it SHOULD (in theory) help the dirt/grime etc bead off. I will probably end up going to the "wash it yourself" style car wash and taking my time but that will be once a week.







I'm also trying to figure out if I should undercoat it or use fluidfilm living in the rust belt. The underneath of the truck is 100% rust free. Brake lines look like it just rolled off the lot etc.

 

[PureHybrid]

Use undercoating, fluid film inside of places you can't see.

I wouldn't even bother waxing a truck you can't hand wash, try to borrow someone's hose, it'll be worth the time. I have no experience with the ceramic coatings.

For wax, I use Collinite products #845 liquid or 476s paste.

 

[Bdsankey]

Use undercoating, fluid film inside of places you can't see.

I wouldn't even bother waxing a truck you can't hand wash, try to borrow someone's hose, it'll be worth the time. I have no experience with the ceramic coatings.

For wax, I use Collinite products #845 liquid or 476s paste.

All my friends down here live in apartments. It's not so much that I can't find a way to get a hose, its that is is not allowed per the lease (kind of surprising but is what it is).


I could still hand wash it if I used the "wash it yourself" carwashes and just put in a few dollars at a time then bringing my soap/mitt/buckets etc.

 

[gmduramax]

Ceramic coating is worth the cost, stays cleaner longer and much easier to clean. But you have to wait a few months before you can apply anything to the paint since it was just painted.

I have used turtle wax for years and it holds up very well. Other than that I haven’t used any others.

Hydroselix is a very good product but use their marine grade stuff. That’s the best spray on wax I’ve used.

 

[Bdsankey]

Ceramic coating is worth the cost, stays cleaner longer and much easier to clean. But you have to wait a few months before you can apply anything to the paint since it was just painted.

I have used turtle wax for years and it holds up very well. Other than that I haven’t used any others.

Hydroselix is a very good product but use their marine grade stuff. That’s the best spray on wax I’ve used.

The truck was painted a little over a month ago. It drove from my auto body shop to my auto garage then back to the body shop.

I’ve still gotta put the NEW injectors in, built trans, trans cooler, and lift pump in so it won’t be up and running for at least another month or two. Getting Lasik this Thursday so they said I can’t physically exert myself for 2 weeks.

 

[Cknight199]

I detailed vehicles through high school as a business and tried various products, I liked Adams polishes and have used them for my personal products for the last 8 years. Their products are expensive and they make a lot of stuff that you don't need, but their soap, tire shine, and wax/polishes are always top notch.

I personally have always used wax and sealant and have not tried ceramic coating (I have the product but haven't had the time to apply it). Adams just released a new Ceramic coating spray which is supposed to make the application super easy where you can do it yourself.

 

[AZlml]

I detailed vehicles through high school as a business and tried various products, I liked Adams polishes and have used them for my personal products for the last 8 years. Their products are expensive and they make a lot of stuff that you don't need, but their soap, tire shine, and wax/polishes are always top notch.

I personally have always used wax and sealant and have not tried ceramic coating (I have the product but haven't had the time to apply it). Adams just released a new Ceramic coating spray which is supposed to make the application super easy where you can do it yourself.

The only reason i'd be leery of a DIY ceramic coating would be the lack of prep 99% of people will do. It took hours of buffing before my guy applied the coating. The actual application didn't take very long and was an apply and wipe method that was pretty straight forward.

 

[2004LB7]

I know a guy who always had the cleanest shinnest paint on all of his vehicles. Even his company work truck was the best looking of all of them.

I asked him what his secret was and he said... Shampoo

It was the only product that wouldn't strip the wax off over time but would still clean up the dirt and oils

 

[bigmackmiller]

I always two bucket wash (Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Soap), clay bar (meguiars or mothers kit) if needed, polish (Wolfgang Uber Compound/Finishing Glaze) if needed, then seal with wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant and top with a good carnuba or collinite wax. I have used ceramic coatings such as CQuartz UK, and am going to try some Gyeon this next go around

 

[lutzjk913]

The only thing that touches my truck is Jax wax products. Local company and family owned.

I ceramic coated my truck and my wife’s explorer this year and couldn’t be happier with it. Jax wax sells their own coating also.

 

[Bdsankey]

Thank you all for the responses. I figure if I take the proper steps now with fresh paint it will look killer for years to come!

Black is a pain to keep clean so I figure anything to get a leg up on keeping swirls out is also a benefit.

 

[JoshH]

I wish it was easier to keep a vehicle clean. I have a gravel driveway, and even if I don't drive something, it gets filthy from the dust blowing on it from other vehicles driving by. Then if I did put in the hours it takes to make one look nice, I would be afraid to drive it. That's why I usually just drive through a touchless car wash or a coin-op self car wash and knock off the heavy stuff. I know that sounds bad, but it is what it is.

 

[gmduramax]

I wish it was easier to keep a vehicle clean. I have a gravel driveway, and even if I don't drive something, it gets filthy from the dust blowing on it from other vehicles driving by. Then if I did put in the hours it takes to make one look nice, I would be afraid to drive it. That's why I usually just drive through a touchless car wash or a coin-op self car wash and knock off the heavy stuff. I know that sounds bad, but it is what it is.

I love touchless car washes I had no issues with the soap stripping wax. I even used to use a regular car wash (just not the cheap ones at gas stations) I just made sure to wax once a year and my paint still looks really good for being 10 years old.

 

[Hambone]

I wish it was easier to keep a vehicle clean. I have a gravel driveway, and even if I don't drive something, it gets filthy from the dust blowing on it from other vehicles driving by. Then if I did put in the hours it takes to make one look nice, I would be afraid to drive it. That's why I usually just drive through a touchless car wash or a coin-op self car wash and knock off the heavy stuff. I know that sounds bad, but it is what it is.

Lol x2!!!
Used to keep my truck so clean then moved off a gravel road and just gave up
Then I had Kids:roflmao: whole new level of dirty lol

 

[snowman22]

Chemical Guys Black Light wax has been the best thing I have used on dark paint. I haven't ceramic coated anything personally, but if it holds up it would be nice.

 

[Dozerboy]

I wouldn’t use ceramic wax with what it cost to have it done. Hell even if you get some swirl marks they buff out. You spill a little diesel while fueling like a lot of guys do. Your wax is gone. You get a scratch and want to buff it out? Your wax is gone.

When I lived in am apartment. I hand washed my vehicular at the coin wash in the evening/morning when no one was around then would wax it at home with 100’ of extension cord off my balcony.


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[dieselfan]

I like using Collinite 845. It is easy to apply and remove. It offers a nice shine and a fair amount of durability.

 

[kheims]

I would use a rinseless wash and good microfiber towels. If the truck gets really filthy take it to the coin self wash, rinse off the bulk then use the rinseless wash when u get back to the apartment. I like meguiars fast finish or a good sealant from any company really but I would choose meguiars or griots. Have fun I really enjoy detailing and have thought about starting up a small business for detailing around here.