Opinions or knowledge of PPF and Ceramic Coatings

[Vapor Blue GT]

Optimum No Rinse, and other rinse-less wash products, are extremely versatile. Used correctly, they are safe and very effective. Even if you don't like rinse-less washing, a product like this can be used as a clay lube, window cleaner, drying aid, detail spray, interior cleaner, engine bay cleaning................................

If you have the time, check out the below video, it shows the safest way to use a rinse-less wash -

Short version -



Long version -



With drying aids, the choice is massive! In very basic terms, a drying aid is either a detail spray or spray sealant used to lubricate the surface as you towel dry the vehicle. The side benefit is you add a more gloss, slickness and protection to the car as you dry.

If the car is ceramic coated, you can probably get by not using the spray sealant types, a quick detailer like P&S Paint Gloss is an excellent choice here, its easy to use, smells great and delivers plenty of gloss. It's also very affordable. Meguiar's Last Touch is great too, or you could use Optimum No Rinse mixed at the quick detailer rate.

P&S Detail Products - Paint Gloss Showroom Spray N Shine | Rag Company – The Rag Company

For products that contain some protection, I love either P&S Bead Maker or Obsessed Garage Drying Aid. Both of these are polymer sealants with some Si02 within the formula. The OG product is easier to use, streaks less. Bead Maker has more slickness, gloss and an intoxicating scent.

P&S Detail Products - Bead Maker Paint Protectant | The Rag Company
Drying Aid | Car Paint Protectant | Obsessed Garage

For towels, you want the medium TRC Gauntlet -

The Gauntlet Microfiber Drying Towel | The Rag Company

Question for you on the bead maker. I used a bottle about 2-3 years ago and really liked the slickness it gave the paint but it attracted dust like crazy. Does it still have this issue? I found out that this was a common complaint after I bought it.

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[DFB5.0]

Question for you on the bead maker. I used a bottle about 2-3 years ago and really liked the slickness it gave the paint but it attracted dust like crazy. Does it still have this issue? I found out that this was a common complaint after I bought it.

Bead Maker is a love or hate thing. It was certainly over hyped in the beginning, which led people to latch onto its negatives rather than enjoy it for what it is.

Detractors point to the lack of longevity, the lack or water beads (despite the name), problems with streaking, and as you have noted, "attracting" dust.

On the flip side, the gloss and slickness it provides is stunning, and for me at least, its very easy to work with.

For me, I don't care how long it lasts, mainly because you end up reapplying after each wash as a drying aid. The water beading, its fine. The dusting, it is a thing in dry climates and more noticeable on darker colors. To be fair, Bead Maker doesn't necessarily "attract" dust, rather it creates a static charge on the paint which "retains" dust. Bead Maker is not alone in doing this, but its the one most people know of because of how popular it became.

But.......................... very few spray and wipe products can match the gloss and slickness Bead Maker brings to the table.

If the dust thing is of high concern, then I would suggest looking at Paint Gloss, this has natural anti-static properties, while approaching near Bead Maker levels of gloss and slickness. The OG Drying Aid I also linked doesn't seem to retain dust either.

 

[Vapor Blue GT]

Bead Maker is a love or hate thing. It was certainly over hyped in the beginning, which led people to latch onto its negatives rather than enjoy it for what it is.

Detractors point to the lack of longevity, the lack or water beads (despite the name), problems with streaking, and as you have noted, "attracting" dust.

On the flip side, the gloss and slickness it provides is stunning, and for me at least, its very easy to work with.

For me, I don't care how long it lasts, mainly because you end up reapplying after each wash as a drying aid. The water beading, its fine. The dusting, it is a thing in dry climates and more noticeable on darker colors. To be fair, Bead Maker doesn't necessarily "attract" dust, rather it creates a static charge on the paint which "retains" dust. Bead Maker is not alone in doing this, but its the one most people know of because of how popular it became.

But.......................... very few spray and wipe products can match the gloss and slickness Bead Maker brings to the table.

If the dust thing is of high concern, then I would suggest looking at Paint Gloss, this has natural anti-static properties, while approaching near Bead Maker levels of gloss and slickness. The OG Drying Aid I also linked doesn't seem to retain dust either.

The shine was impressive as I forgot to mention. I’m not concerned with longevity because the car is washed weekly as you were implying.

I’ve never tried any OG products so I may give it a shot. I do like the quick beads I’m currently using but it doesn’t give as much shine as bead maker did but I don’t ever have any issues with streaking like I have with bead maker.

 

[DFB5.0]

The shine was impressive as I forgot to mention. I’m not concerned with longevity because the car is washed weekly as you were implying.

I’ve never tried any OG products so I may give it a shot. I do like the quick beads I’m currently using but it doesn’t give as much shine as bead maker did but I don’t ever have any issues with streaking like I have with bead maker.

The Obsessed Garage Drying Aid is not groundbreaking, but it works very well with minimal complication. The product itself is a catalog item called 'Slipstream' and is produced by a large chemical blending company, as such it has many different variations and is sold under different brands. Of the ones that I know of, Adams, Ethos and Xtreme Solutions all have their versions of the Slipstream.

Adam's Slick n Slide - this version is colored yellow and heavily scented with a tropical aroma.

Adam's Slick & Slide - Adam's Polishes (adamspolishes.com)

Ethos Pro Shine - again, heavily colored and scented. Both this and the Adams I have found to be less stable, the colorant stains the bottle and overall, these two need some additional wipes to level down.

Ceramic Detail Spray - Quick Detailer, Streak Free Formula! (ethoscarcare.com)

Xtreme Solutions Topper - again, scented and colored.

Xtreme Solutions (877askxtreme.com)


Obsessed Garage Drying Aid - the story here is that they wanted to sell Xtreme Solutions Topper to replace Bead Maker in the store. After being given the runaround and lied to about where and who was making the product, OG went and developed their own version of Slipstream. In this case, they removed the colorant and scent to improve stability and application. Sure, the lack of scent removes some of the wow factory, but in practice, the product is easier to use.

Drying Aid | Car Paint Protectant | Obsessed Garage

(Can you name the car below?)

 

[Vapor Blue GT]

The Obsessed Garage Drying Aid is not groundbreaking, but it works very well with minimal complication. The product itself is a catalog item called 'Slipstream' and is produced by a large chemical blending company, as such it has many different variations and is sold under different brands. Of the ones that I know of, Adams, Ethos and Xtreme Solutions all have their versions of the Slipstream.

Adam's Slick n Slide - this version is colored yellow and heavily scented with a tropical aroma.

Adam's Slick & Slide - Adam's Polishes (adamspolishes.com)

Ethos Pro Shine - again, heavily colored and scented. Both this and the Adams I have found to be less stable, the colorant stains the bottle and overall, these two need some additional wipes to level down.

Ceramic Detail Spray - Quick Detailer, Streak Free Formula! (ethoscarcare.com)

Xtreme Solutions Topper - again, scented and colored.

Xtreme Solutions (877askxtreme.com)


Obsessed Garage Drying Aid - the story here is that they wanted to sell Xtreme Solutions Topper to replace Bead Maker in the store. After being given the runaround and lied to about where and who was making the product, OG went and developed their own version of Slipstream. In this case, they removed the colorant and scent to improve stability and application. Sure, the lack of scent removes some of the wow factory, but in practice, the product is easier to use.

Drying Aid | Car Paint Protectant | Obsessed Garage

(Can you name the car below?)

I just noticed the question you asked. The only thing I can tell is the Ford on the center cap. I’ll guess Mustang or Fusion?

 

[DFB5.0]

I just noticed the question you asked. The only thing I can tell is the Ford on the center cap. I’ll guess Mustang or Fusion?

No to the first guess, no to the second but getting closer.

This is my beloved FG-X Falcon XR8. When Ford announced the closure of their Australian factories, I knew I had to have one of the last Falcon's. The car will be 10 years old this November and has only done about 7000 km (4400 miles), I only drive when the mood takes me there, its never been driven in the rain either.

These Falcon's are far removed from a Mustang, the Mustang connection was broken way back in the early 70's, but it does have a Mustang influenced heart.

You will notice some familiarity to the way the engine looks, but these versions of the Coyote were locally manufactured from imported blocks and heads. Devolved in Australia, the engine featured a supercharger and various other Australian spec parts. The result was the first factory supercharged Coyote 5.0 in the world, debuting way back in 2010. Each engine was hand built and signed by the man responsible for it.

Power and torque varied depending on the model it was used in, mine has the Boss 335 version with 335 kW or 450 hp. Those numbers were least it would produce, they could over-boost up to 500 hp in the right conditions, some models could go out to above 420 kw or 563 hp. All for $60,000 AUD.

Some music for you, and a standard exhaust too.....................

 

[RLE55]

Aren't / weren't a large number of "Falcons' being raced in the V8 Supercars circuit? Now I see more "mustangs" are appearing in the lineup.

 

[DFB5.0]

Aren't / weren't a large number of "Falcons' being raced in the V8 Supercars circuit? Now I see more "mustangs" are appearing in the lineup.

Correct. Falcon was in the V8 Supercars for decades but was replaced by the Mustang a few years after the Falcon ceased production. Currently they are running S650's.

Just listen that thing scream, I think every Ford supporter had a man-crush on Scott McLaughlin, who now races Indy Car. If you don't have goosebumps after this lap, there's something wrong with you!

 

[DRKKNITE]

Wow so much fantastic information here. Thank you so much.

One more question that may have been covered.
My wheels and calipers were ceramic coated.
What can I use for brake dust that will not hurt the ceramic? I've always found a wheel cleaner to really help with brake dust but for this car I have been washing and the odd ONR. I haven't had it long and second time waiting for ceramic to cure. LOL

 

[roadpilot]

Wow so much fantastic information here. Thank you so much.

One more question that may have been covered.
My wheels and calipers were ceramic coated.
What can I use for brake dust that will not hurt the ceramic? I've always found a wheel cleaner to really help with brake dust but for this car I have been washing and the odd ONR. I haven't had it long and second time waiting for ceramic to cure. LOL

Recommended by my ceramic installer:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X5N24PM

I had my (entire) wheels coated as well using IGL EcoCoat Wheel.

 

[DFB5.0]

Wow so much fantastic information here. Thank you so much.

One more question that may have been covered.
My wheels and calipers were ceramic coated.
What can I use for brake dust that will not hurt the ceramic? I've always found a wheel cleaner to really help with brake dust but for this car I have been washing and the odd ONR. I haven't had it long and second time waiting for ceramic to cure. LOL

For ceramic coated wheels, in most cases the coating will reject brake dust and allow most of it to be removed with a pressure washer rinse. From there, all you need is soap. In my case, I use whatever soap I have mixed up for the paint and foam it onto the wheel.

If you feel the need for a wheel cleaner, I've settled on P&S Brake Buster. This can be used undiluted for heavy cleaning or tire scrubbing. If you want to use it regularly, I would dilute it out to 10:1 so it doesn't hammer the coating as much. For wheels, I use it straight in a foam cannon, which does the diluting for me. When foamed, Brake Buster clings to the wheel and allows for a longer working time. This product also contains rust inhibitors, which help reduce the flash rust appearing on the rotors.

P&S Detail Products - Brake Buster Wheel Cleaner | The Rag Company

While Brake Buster is a good all-rounder and ideal for regular use when diluted, sometimes you need a little more. I use NV Purge once every few months to provide a deeper clean and dissolve any iron contamination. On well maintained wheels, you may not see a lot of reaction, but they are still worth having. These type of iron remover wheel cleaners are pH neutral, so they won't trash your coating, in fact they can help prolong the lifespan of it. I choose NV Purge because of its performance, but also because it's the least offensive smelling iron removers on the market.

Purge | Reactive Wheel Cleaner – Nv Car Care USA

Every 3rd or 4th wash, I also add a spray and rinse product on the wheels to help keep the coating fresh and extend its life. Gyeon Wet Coat or Carpro Hydr02 Lite are what I use.

Gyeon Q2M WetCoat | Car Supplies Warehouse – Car Supplies Warehouse
CARPRO HydrO2 Lite | Car Supplies Warehouse – Car Supplies Warehouse

Also, if you have the Brembo brakes (or the PP wheels), you are most likely going to need one of the EZ-Detail brushes to gain access to the barrels. I have both, but if you are picking one, go for the large version. Great for exhaust tips too.

EZ Detail "Big EZ" Wheel Brush | Car Supplies Warehouse – Car Supplies Warehouse
EZ Detail "Little EZ" Wheel Brush | Car Supplies Warehouse – Car Supplies Warehouse

 

[RLE55]

Ok, I've been procrastinating this for over a year. What is the consensus of the Foam Cannons? Do they do an OK job or pretty good. I'm not wanting to sink a lot of $$ into a Kit till I'm pretty confident it's going to do a good jog with little elbow grease. From what I've read and seen in video's, you foam the car, rinse and that's it?? Blow dry of course.

 

[Billycar11]

Ok, I've been procrastinating this for over a year. What is the consensus of the Foam Cannons? Do they do an OK job or pretty good. I'm not wanting to sink a lot of $$ into a Kit till I'm pretty confident it's going to do a good jog with little elbow grease. From what I've read and seen in video's, you foam the car, rinse and that's it?? Blow dry of course.

a foam cannon is really not a no touch wash if thats what your thinking.
its more to breakdown stuck on junk and greatly depends on the soap you use run of the mill soap is going to do basically nothing something like car pro descale or bilt hamber touch less will do a good job breaking down stuff.
and no they dont mean no touch it's very deceptive i wish they would change the way we all talk about it they mean touching the car less things like that should be called less touch and no touch to avoid confusion.
any way back on topic
but it can help in with scratching the car less

obsessed garage on youtube has alot of videos you can watch to get a feel for this junk
and
obviously a ceramic coating helps massively with stuff washing off with the foam cannon.

 

[DukeCLR]

Ok, I've been procrastinating this for over a year. What is the consensus of the Foam Cannons? Do they do an OK job or pretty good. I'm not wanting to sink a lot of $$ into a Kit till I'm pretty confident it's going to do a good jog with little elbow grease. From what I've read and seen in video's, you foam the car, rinse and that's it?? Blow dry of course.

I use the Foam cannon to get dust off the car, if you blow dry it afterwords it looks good but it doesn't get everything off. The dust that sticks behind the wheels usually needs a touch wash. I'm also a bit worried to hand dry it after the foam cannon, i feel like it's not free from debris. every other wash I follow the foam cannon with a 2 bucket hand wash to keep here really clean.

You may want to consider getting a less expensive one to try it out and see if it's something you want to add to your routine.

 

[RLE55]

a foam cannon is really not a no touch wash if thats what your thinking.
its more to breakdown stuck on junk and greatly depends on the soap you use run of the mill soap is going to do basically nothing something like car pro descale or bilt hamber touch less will do a good job breaking down stuff.
and no they dont mean no touch it's very deceptive i wish they would change the way we all talk about it they mean touching the car less things like that should be called less touch and no touch to avoid confusion.
any way back on topic
but it can help in with scratching the car less

obsessed garage on youtube has alot of videos you can watch to get a feel for this junk
and
obviously a ceramic coating helps massively with stuff washing off with the foam cannon.

Appreciate the feedback. So in essence its like a Pre-Wash step and as you stated, breaking down stuff that may scratch the car. I've always hosed the car down really good before applying a good car shampoo with a soft microfiber mit. As roadpilot previously mentioned, do not wash in circles/swirls, I go up/down, sideways but never in circles, as we were taught in the 60's.
I suppose I can see the usefulness of the cannon, just not sure its worth the $$ to be a Pre-Wash tool. Will keep investigating.

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