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Old 01-06-2020, 12:41 PM   #15
harner
 
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Drives: 2018 ZL1 A10
Join Date: Sep 2014
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It took me many years to figure out and understand the detail process that I call my own. I'm still learning and critiquing the ways I do things and the products I use. You won't be able to figure it all out in a forum thread like this. I suggest you start researching. Adam's has many solid products and they are a sponsor here. They also make many great videos on Youtube that show and explain the installation techniques of their products.

If you're unsure on the direction to go, maybe breaking down the solutions into grades would be better.

Fair- wash/wax

Good- clay, correction/polish, ceramic coating

Better- clay, correction/polish, clearbra-style limited placement PPF, ceramic coating

Best- clay, correction/polish, PPF the whole car, ceramic coating (coating is honestly just icing on the cake and helps with UV protection)

You will need to determine your price range and what you're willing to take on versus shipping the car to your detailer. For an amateur, polishing a car with a DA and applying an off-the-shelf ceramic coating is certainly doable after some research. Don't hesitate to test things on another car first. As mentioned before, there are some good resources here to also help you get started.
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Old 01-06-2020, 01:06 PM   #16
2SS Capt
2020 Shadow Gray 2SS
 
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Drives: 2020 2SS - A10, NPP, MRC, CAI
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: San Diego (North County), CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harner View Post
It took me many years to figure out and understand the detail process that I call my own. I'm still learning and critiquing the ways I do things and the products I use. You won't be able to figure it all out in a forum thread like this. I suggest you start researching. Adam's has many solid products and they are a sponsor here. They also make many great videos on Youtube that show and explain the installation techniques of their products.

If you're unsure on the direction to go, maybe breaking down the solutions into grades would be better.

Fair- wash/wax

Good- clay, correction/polish, ceramic coating

Better- clay, correction/polish, clearbra-style limited placement PPF, ceramic coating

Best- clay, correction/polish, PPF the whole car, ceramic coating (coating is honestly just icing on the cake and helps with UV protection)

You will need to determine your price range and what you're willing to take on versus shipping the car to your detailer. For an amateur, polishing a car with a DA and applying an off-the-shelf ceramic coating is certainly doable after some research. Don't hesitate to test things on another car first. As mentioned before, there are some good resources here to also help you get started.
Thank you, your "Better" line is pretty much exactly what I am going to shoot for. I grew up working in my Dad's body show and worked with the old buffers and such (although it has been 30 years) so using a modern polisher shouldn't be an issue. Just need to figure out exactly what I need to buy (all this new ceramic/PPF stuff is all new to me), thanks to you guys I have a much clearer idea of the process and feel much better about a path to take.

Like I said, not looking for 100% show car quality, but would like it to look great for a very long time (I plan to keep this car for a long time).

Thanks again for all the input and please keep the suggestions and comments coming!
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2020 SGM 2SS - A10, NPP, MRC, Red Calipers, Black Camaro Fender Badge, Footwell Lighting
Added after delivery: - GMP CAI, GMP Black Strut Tower Brace, MRR017 1LE Wheels, SS Armrest, Black Fuel Door, Stainless Sport Pedals, SS Wheel Caps, Black Lugs/Locks, GM Splash Guards, DD Smoked LED Markers, Smoked Rear Reflectors, Mishimoto Catch Can, Xpel PPF - Full Front, SunTek 35% Tint, CeramicPro coating, RST Stainless Brake Lines, Castrol SRF, MSD Super Conductor Wires

Left: My "fun" ride. Right: My "work" ride: a Gulfstream G600. One's top speed is 180 Mph, the other, 620 Mph...
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Old 01-06-2020, 02:29 PM   #17
Adam's Polishes
 
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Originally Posted by 2SS Capt View Post
Thanks Adam, I was looking at your stuff yesterday...

Do you have a easy list of the initial basic stuff to get?

What to wash with...
Claybar/surface prep...
Ceramic options...

There are so many products on your site I don't know what I need and what I don't...

Maybe a beginners guide to "Here's what you need to do to your new car for the average owner/mild enthusiast..."

The car will eventually be my daily driver so I'm not looking for show quality, but I certainly take pride in my vehicles and keep them a long time so want to keep it looking good (and this is the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased)...

I'm going crazy reading all this stuff trying to figure out what is what and what I really need, if there was a simple guide for the average car owner/mild enthusiast to keep our vehicles looking great at a reasonable price I'd be all over it...

For washing our Wash & coat will help to make your coating last longer.

https://adamspolishes.com/collection...ucts/wash-coat

Here is a link to our Surface Prep.

https://adamspolishes.com/collection...s/surface-prep

Here's our clay

https://adamspolishes.com/collection...econtamination

And our Coatings

https://adamspolishes.com/collection...int-coating-9h

Thanks!
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Old 02-25-2020, 02:55 PM   #18
Rekkless
 
Drives: Carmaro SS 1LE
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Montreal, Canada
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User Friendly Ceramic coatings you can do yourself at home

CarPRO CQuartZ UK 3.0 Ceramic Coating - should last 2-3 years with regular maintenance
CarPRO GLISS as a super glossy top coat - Will last about 1 year and offer insane gloss.

GTechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating - Should last 3+ years
GTechniq EXOv4 super glossy top coat - Will last 1 - 1.5 years.
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Old 01-08-2021, 05:18 AM   #19
Mando895
 
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Drives: Hyper Blue Metallic 2017 Camaro 2SS
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 16
First off, congrats on the new car! Since you are a new Camaro owner, I would highly recommend watching some of Mat's videos (Lethal Garage) to help you with any and all things Camaro. He is located up in Temecula and has been super helpful for me in the past. Also, I HIGHLY recommend getting an oil catch can. Imo it should be one of the first things you do when you get the car since it helps keep your engine clean.

If you do plan on doing the ceramic coat yourself, I would make sure the paint is PERFECT (or at least as close as possible) before starting. Even straight from the factory, there may be iron particles, scratches, etc. that can be found in the paint. To get the best results, you would want to remove all of these beforehand. Everything I have read suggests that prep work is by far the most important part of applying a ceramic coat. Also, there are different types of ceramic coatings that you can purchase. Some you can apply in an average garage, and others require time under a heat lamp to cure (they essentially bake the coating onto your car). They also have different lifespans and hardness, so it is important to figure out which coating is right for you. I have not coated my car yet, but since I need major paint correction done (I bought my car 2nd hand :/), I plan on just taking my car to a shop.
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8-Speed Auto, Magnetic Ride Control, Borla S-Type Exhaust (NPP), HRE FF10s (Tarmac), Michelin PS4S Tires,
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Old 01-09-2021, 11:09 PM   #20
2SS Capt
2020 Shadow Gray 2SS
 
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Drives: 2020 2SS - A10, NPP, MRC, CAI
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: San Diego (North County), CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mando895 View Post
First off, congrats on the new car! Since you are a new Camaro owner, I would highly recommend watching some of Mat's videos (Lethal Garage) to help you with any and all things Camaro. He is located up in Temecula and has been super helpful for me in the past. Also, I HIGHLY recommend getting an oil catch can. Imo it should be one of the first things you do when you get the car since it helps keep your engine clean.

If you do plan on doing the ceramic coat yourself, I would make sure the paint is PERFECT (or at least as close as possible) before starting. Even straight from the factory, there may be iron particles, scratches, etc. that can be found in the paint. To get the best results, you would want to remove all of these beforehand. Everything I have read suggests that prep work is by far the most important part of applying a ceramic coat. Also, there are different types of ceramic coatings that you can purchase. Some you can apply in an average garage, and others require time under a heat lamp to cure (they essentially bake the coating onto your car). They also have different lifespans and hardness, so it is important to figure out which coating is right for you. I have not coated my car yet, but since I need major paint correction done (I bought my car 2nd hand :/), I plan on just taking my car to a shop.
Thanks, my car is just about a year old with about 3,200 mile on it...

I ended up doing a fair amount of PPF (Xpel) and having the car Ceramic Coated with CeramicPro... Been very happy with how it has held up for the first year!

Here is where I did the PPF...



Here is a shot of the car shortly after the PPF and Ceramic Coating...



I also added a Mishimoto Catch Can within the first 100 miles... Along with the GMP CAI and Black Strut Tower brace...

__________________
2020 SGM 2SS - A10, NPP, MRC, Red Calipers, Black Camaro Fender Badge, Footwell Lighting
Added after delivery: - GMP CAI, GMP Black Strut Tower Brace, MRR017 1LE Wheels, SS Armrest, Black Fuel Door, Stainless Sport Pedals, SS Wheel Caps, Black Lugs/Locks, GM Splash Guards, DD Smoked LED Markers, Smoked Rear Reflectors, Mishimoto Catch Can, Xpel PPF - Full Front, SunTek 35% Tint, CeramicPro coating, RST Stainless Brake Lines, Castrol SRF, MSD Super Conductor Wires

Left: My "fun" ride. Right: My "work" ride: a Gulfstream G600. One's top speed is 180 Mph, the other, 620 Mph...
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Old 01-21-2021, 06:29 PM   #21
VR Baron
SoCal Camaro5 Race Team
 
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Drives: 2021 Shadow Grey Camaro 2SS 1LE
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SO CAL
Posts: 14,281
Just got my Shadow Grey 2021 2SS 1LE. Stage one paint correction and polish, didn’t do ceramic coat. At least not yet. But have ceramic boost to help paint stay nice, their product will last three months.That and a “track pack” PPF for chip prevention. Turned out great!

Sorry for some sideways pics
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