white 5.0
Well-known member
Very glad for you . We learn every day.
2019 California Special Race Red
- Thread starter 2001BlackGTvert
- Start date
67 AGAIN
Enthusiast
“Now mind you they still need cleaned up and a coat or 2 of wax or maybe ceramic on top and they will be good to go in my opinion.”
Others would know more than me (insert Max’s name here) but I think if you want to do a ceramic coating, do not put wax on first.
Your ceramic will not adhere well to the wax.
We do ceramic at the dealership but only on new cars.
If you had to do it with an older car, you have to strip all old wax and do clay bar to ensure paint is 100% clean, then proceed to ceramic step.
Others would know more than me (insert Max’s name here) but I think if you want to do a ceramic coating, do not put wax on first.
Your ceramic will not adhere well to the wax.
We do ceramic at the dealership but only on new cars.
If you had to do it with an older car, you have to strip all old wax and do clay bar to ensure paint is 100% clean, then proceed to ceramic step.
Another option is go to paint supply store and buy some clear coat,
likely better and harder than ceramic coating, then wax after that,
not hard to do, can be done by hand and will last as long as paint of car.
Yeah I agree. Why I was thinking of multiple coats of wax just in case. I do have some ceramic left as well
They definitely owned up to it and in this day and age it’s a rare thing it seems.
They definitely owned up to it and in this day and age it’s a rare thing it seems.
Yeah I believe you are right. Should strip all wax products if doing ceramic. It was just a thought I guess. I don’t think they really need it. I think with agood cleaning the wax will do the trick. I wax them a few times a year as well anyways.
S197CS
Corner Carver
Very happy for you they worked it through with you.
Now on to Ceramic / Wax wheels.
- Marc is right: Ceramic coating (wheel, car, windows, etc.) should be applied on 100% clean/virgin paint only. Be it an old OR NEW car, the same prep work is involved. You wouldn't believe how already heavily contaminated & weathered new cars paint can be... On older cars/wheels, same mindset of a proper decontamination wash, iron removers, claybars & I would add, to be 100% certain any old coating or wax is removed to finish with a polishing step (how aggressive depends on the paint's state & the results chased. not all cars are show cars).
- A ceramic coating bottle that is already opened (the glass bottles) usually only have a shelf life of 6months to a year, depending on the coating's manufacturer's recommendations. If using an already opened vial, try to remember how long it sat unused.
- Ceramic coatings made for wheels typically only have a life expectancy of 1 year max, all makes spoken for. A ceramic coating manufactured for the car's paint can also be used on the wheels, but do not think it'll last the claimed 2, 3, 7 or 9 years from the normal application on paint. High heat from the brakes is what will kill it. Still expect at MOST a year.
- A coat or two of your wax of choice on your wheel will serve you probably a whole season. Most waxes on the market now have a life expectancy around 6 months now (lower with the high temps from the brakes here as well).
- An alternative to waxes & ceramic coatings or something that can be easily used as a topper is a spray on wax/sealant or the spray on hose of sealants. It is super easy and works wonders.
Happy jewelling of your wheels!!
(And sorry for the long post).
Now on to Ceramic / Wax wheels.
- Marc is right: Ceramic coating (wheel, car, windows, etc.) should be applied on 100% clean/virgin paint only. Be it an old OR NEW car, the same prep work is involved. You wouldn't believe how already heavily contaminated & weathered new cars paint can be... On older cars/wheels, same mindset of a proper decontamination wash, iron removers, claybars & I would add, to be 100% certain any old coating or wax is removed to finish with a polishing step (how aggressive depends on the paint's state & the results chased. not all cars are show cars).
- A ceramic coating bottle that is already opened (the glass bottles) usually only have a shelf life of 6months to a year, depending on the coating's manufacturer's recommendations. If using an already opened vial, try to remember how long it sat unused.
- Ceramic coatings made for wheels typically only have a life expectancy of 1 year max, all makes spoken for. A ceramic coating manufactured for the car's paint can also be used on the wheels, but do not think it'll last the claimed 2, 3, 7 or 9 years from the normal application on paint. High heat from the brakes is what will kill it. Still expect at MOST a year.
- A coat or two of your wax of choice on your wheel will serve you probably a whole season. Most waxes on the market now have a life expectancy around 6 months now (lower with the high temps from the brakes here as well).
- An alternative to waxes & ceramic coatings or something that can be easily used as a topper is a spray on wax/sealant or the spray on hose of sealants. It is super easy and works wonders.
Happy jewelling of your wheels!!
(And sorry for the long post).
Hey Max,Very happy for you they worked it through with you.
Now on to Ceramic / Wax wheels.
- Marc is right: Ceramic coating (wheel, car, windows, etc.) should be applied on 100% clean/virgin paint only. Be it an old OR NEW car, the same prep work is involved. You wouldn't believe how already heavily contaminated & weathered new cars paint can be... On older cars/wheels, same mindset of a proper decontamination wash, iron removers, claybars & I would add, to be 100% certain any old coating or wax is removed to finish with a polishing step (how aggressive depends on the paint's state & the results chased. not all cars are show cars).
- A ceramic coating bottle that is already opened (the glass bottles) usually only have a shelf life of 6months to a year, depending on the coating's manufacturer's recommendations. If using an already opened vial, try to remember how long it sat unused.
- Ceramic coatings made for wheels typically only have a life expectancy of 1 year max, all makes spoken for. A ceramic coating manufactured for the car's paint can also be used on the wheels, but do not think it'll last the claimed 2, 3, 7 or 9 years from the normal application on paint. High heat from the brakes is what will kill it. Still expect at MOST a year.
- A coat or two of your wax of choice on your wheel will serve you probably a whole season. Most waxes on the market now have a life expectancy around 6 months now (lower with the high temps from the brakes here as well).
- An alternative to waxes & ceramic coatings or something that can be easily used as a topper is a spray on wax/sealant or the spray on hose of sealants. It is super easy and works wonders.
Happy jewelling of your wheels!!
(And sorry for the long post).
Thanks for the informative post. The ceramic coating I have is definitely beyond the life expectancy you mentioned. I believe it’s 3 plus years. That being said I will not be running out and buying a new bottle.lol. I have plenty of different wax products on hand that I can definitely find something that will do the trick. I clean and maintain them numerous times a season anyways so that will remain the same.
Mineral Grey
Well-known member
I found the tech who cleaned up your rims..I've got an appointment next week to get mine done. And since the end results are so good, I'm borrowing all my neighbors cars to get their rims redone, i have 8 appointments over the next 2 weeks. It's just the right thing to do
Y am thinking I need to get all my wheels done, lets see.I found the tech who cleaned up your rims..I've got an appointment next week to get mine done. And since the end results are so good, I'm borrowing all my neighbors cars to get their rims redone, i have 8 appointments over the next 2 weeks. It's just the right thing to do
View attachment 62864
7 work trucks, for personal trucks and cars, race car, two dump trucks,
4 wheel barrows, roller.
several wheeled carts, Damnit I might as well just hire her full time
Well I had a bit of garage therapy with the wheels this afternoon. Cleaned them up again, 3 coats of wax on the inside and 2 on the outside so far. Super impressed with the results. Definitely a different feeling from a week ago.
look great, now you have to wash tires eh
67 AGAIN
Enthusiast
Tires don’t look too bad. 
I clean tires with spray nine and separate mit when I’m washing car.
I hate using tire shine. Some of it ends up on side of car and draws dust stains.
Tires stay sticky and gooey. Dust sticks to it. Wash mit picks it up and turns black.
Can’t get it off.
If you touch your tire, your hand gets all sticky, black and dirty.
And it stains the inside of your car cover.
I hate it.
I clean tires with spray nine and separate mit when I’m washing car.
I hate using tire shine. Some of it ends up on side of car and draws dust stains.
Tires stay sticky and gooey. Dust sticks to it. Wash mit picks it up and turns black.
Can’t get it off.
If you touch your tire, your hand gets all sticky, black and dirty.
And it stains the inside of your car cover.
I hate it.
I did say washTires don’t look too bad.
I clean tires with spray nine and separate mit when I’m washing car.
I hate using tire shine. Some of it ends up on side of car and draws dust stains.
Tires stay sticky and gooey. Dust sticks to it. Wash mit picks it up and turns black.
Can’t get it off.
If you touch your tire, your hand gets all sticky, black and dirty.
And it stains the inside of your car cover.
I hate it.
67 AGAIN
Enthusiast
Good advice!
Haha. I will wash the tires just never got there yet.
SVT4MT
Well-known member
Just for the sake of conversation, and it's topical....(see what I did there?)
Everyone is aware of the old detailing trick to wash your car with dish soap to strip off oId wax if you want to start from square one.
That raises the question ...... if a solution is strong enough to remove brake dust from your wheels, will it strip off ordinary wax when you power wash your wheels with it ???
I can't say if ceramic is any better or worse, but the thought occurred to me, so why not ask to see what the consensus is ??
As far as tire shines go, I typically don't like the tire shine applications either, not a huge fan of the sidewall being all super shiny and the tread face being not so shiny.
I will however, use Zaino (Z16) Perfect Tire Gloss...... if you use one application, you get nice, natural (?) finish, almost a matte finish.
If you want the shiny shiny look, you merely apply a second coat.
Bonus use is spraying the plastic front fender liners on the truck, makes them look like a million bucks.
Standard disclaimer, much like wax, it's purely subjective, your mileage may vary.
One coat of Z16 on the sidewall and Sonax ceramic on the wheel when i had them off last summer....
Everyone is aware of the old detailing trick to wash your car with dish soap to strip off oId wax if you want to start from square one.
That raises the question ...... if a solution is strong enough to remove brake dust from your wheels, will it strip off ordinary wax when you power wash your wheels with it ???
I can't say if ceramic is any better or worse, but the thought occurred to me, so why not ask to see what the consensus is ??
As far as tire shines go, I typically don't like the tire shine applications either, not a huge fan of the sidewall being all super shiny and the tread face being not so shiny.
I will however, use Zaino (Z16) Perfect Tire Gloss...... if you use one application, you get nice, natural (?) finish, almost a matte finish.
If you want the shiny shiny look, you merely apply a second coat.
Bonus use is spraying the plastic front fender liners on the truck, makes them look like a million bucks.
Standard disclaimer, much like wax, it's purely subjective, your mileage may vary.
One coat of Z16 on the sidewall and Sonax ceramic on the wheel when i had them off last summer....
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Mike 2021
Well-known member
I don’t mine the shiny 
look I used Chemical Guys with a foam applicator no spraying the wheel and drys very fast and seem to last a long time. Also did two coat of ceramic to the rims can’t remember the stuff I used not home at the moment but held up well. I will be repeating the process next month to get ready for the season.
Just my personal preference
look I used Chemical Guys with a foam applicator no spraying the wheel and drys very fast and seem to last a long time. Also did two coat of ceramic to the rims can’t remember the stuff I used not home at the moment but held up well. I will be repeating the process next month to get ready for the season.Just my personal preference
Some good questions raised. I would supsect that if it is strong enough to remove brake dust the wax may go as well. Ceramic would definitely be stronger and more resistant. That being said I prefer the Matt finish as well but both above pictures look great. That being said I use meguires Hot shine and it is more Matt than shiny for sure. It probably won’t pass the Trevor test , however it’s the best I can do for today. Lol.
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Hey they look great, I prefer clean and when it comes to final look each to his own.
I have stuff for tires as well, can't remember name, I use it once or twice a year.
As for wax or ceramic, really just a choice, time and money,
I suspect ceramic saves on future cleaning time.
I am seriously conserving Clear coat, have been told last on wheels
holds up to the heat and makes it easy to clean wheels, we will see.
I have stuff for tires as well, can't remember name, I use it once or twice a year.
As for wax or ceramic, really just a choice, time and money,
I suspect ceramic saves on future cleaning time.
I am seriously conserving Clear coat, have been told last on wheels
holds up to the heat and makes it easy to clean wheels, we will see.