303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating How-To

I call this, FREAKING INSANE GLOSS!

303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating

What is it?
Spray-on paint coating that uses graphene as the primary protection ingredient.

What does it do?
Protects and shines smooth, hard exterior surfaces like paint and plastic for up to one year.

When do I use it?
After first prepping the exterior of a car just like you would normally prep a vehicle for application of a car wax, synthetic sealant or ceramic paint coating. Basically wash and dry, clay the paint if needed and do any paint correction if needed or desired. You don't have to do paint correction, that's a personal preference decision. 303 Graphene can be used on any clean paint surface regardless of whether there are swirls and scratches or if the swirls and scratches have been removed.

Why should I use it?
To provide superior protection for up to one year from the normal exposure to the environment, inclement weather, any air borne contaminants, water spots, oxidation, industrial pollution, etc.. The graphene component also creates excellent gloss and shine.

From the manufacturer

• Enhances gloss and paint clarity.
• 1+ Year of Premium Protection.
• Superior paint protection and durability.
• Evacuates water quickly from surface.
• Anti-static repels dust.
• Lowers surface temperature, reducing water-spotting.
• High water contact angle, sheds water quickly.
• Easy to use! Black paint? Direct sunlight? No problem!
• Great for use on chrome, wheels, trim, and glass!

My comments... Lots of controversy surrounding graphene when this product first launched. There's a wide spectrum of opinions all over the Internet as to whether graphene is the real-deal or just another flavor-of-the-month product and flash in pan buzz word. What do I think? I know the head chemist for this product over at 303 Products. He attended one of my Roadshow Classes. After working with him and talking with him about all things related to detailing for 2 days - I say he's the real-deal. And I trust he knows what he's doing and as such - I trust this new product and the claims 303 makes about it and I don't really care what all the so-called experts in the blogosphere and their conjecture and opinions because - they didn't make this product.

Real-World Review - No mock-up

IN the video above, I was only able to use the product on the roof and hood to share my initial experience with the product. Fast forward 1 month and I used this product on an entire car in the exact way I would use this product for a real-world, detailing project and thus how you will use this product when you step out into your garage to work on your own vehicle.

Test Car - Old 2-door Ford

As I type this review, Monday December 7th, 2020, last week Yancy and I were in the garage filming new segments showcasing products for My Classic Car with Dennis Gage on MotorTrend channel. The theme for My Classic Car is cool cars like classics, muscle cars, unique cars, etc. So when filming these segments we try to use cars that work to showcase the products but also fit the theme of My Classic Car. As such, I asked my friend David, (a different David than the chemist in the video above), if we could borrow his 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe. David of course said "yes" and dropped the old Ford off at Autogeek for our filming project. I originally had a 2019 Toyota RAV4 lined up to detail and then use and review this product but due to scheduling conflicts and short time frames and communication issues, I washed and dried and then applied the new 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating on this streetrod. The Toyota RAV4 WILL be here this Thursday for a LIVE Detailing Class where we'll be showcasing this new product for this weekly class we broadcast live at 3:00pm.

Blast from the past!

If you recognize this car, that's because I had this car here for one of my big 3-day detailing classes back in 2016. You can see pictures of this car and this class here. It's been over 4 years since my classes did a full show car detailing process to this 1940 Ford and the good news is the owner has done a great job of taking care of the car and also the paint. BUT - while it still looks great, it's due for a refreshing to really showcase the beautiful color, body lines and style of this classic and iconic Detroit Iron.

Prep Process

Before you can apply the 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating you need to start with a clean car. To clean this car I did a waterless wash using SONAX Glass Cleaner and a 6-pack of Miracle Towels. After washing and drying, I inspected the paint using the baggie test and the paint was smooth to the touch. There were some very light swirls here and there but overall, this car and the paint were in very good condition.

You and your car?

Just like any wax, sealant or paint coating, the end-results are first determined by the condition of the paint. Now follow me, you do NOT have to do any paint correction before using this product. If your car's paint has swirls and scratches you can still use this product. It's your choice. The key thing is to wash and dry the paint and of course, if the paint needs to be clayed, then just like you would for any other paint protection product - clay the paint if needed.

Here's the BEST NEWS! Easy to use!

If you're new to paint coatings, like Ceramic Paint Coatings, in order to correctly install a coating, you should first wash, dry, clay and do some form of paint correction to perfect the paint followed by using a Panel Wipe to chemically strip the paint to ensure it is 100% clean and free from any polishing oils or other substances. No so with 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating - this is a super user-friendly product for the first time application of a Nano Coating. Simply spray it on, spread it around, allow it to dry to a haze and then wipe it off. Yes, it's that simple.

Here's the old Ford after a thorough waterless wash and dry

Also on the cart is a microfiber applicator pad and 2 fresh, clean Miracle Towels.

KEY Technique Tip

To correctly apply this product, make it as easy as possible without wasting any product or fighting yourself during the application step - you DAMPEN ONE SIDE of the applicator and ONLY use this one side to apply the product to the entire car.

Why?

Because once one side is dampened, because the microfiber is WET with product, the microfiber simply spreads the product. Simple. Easy. If you try to apply using a microfiber towel, at the same time you're trying to spread the product - the towel will be trying to wipe it off. In essence - you'll be fighting yourself. So use the dampened applicator technique. If you don't have an microfiber applicator pad you can use this technique with a folded microfiber towel. Fold the towel 4-ways and then DAMPEN one side of the towel and then ONLY use this side of the towel.

Here's a clean, dry microfiber applicator pad.

Here I'm misting one side - I'm dampening this side with product.

Ready to use - notice the black color? Graphene is black.

Use a crosshatch pattern Next spray a spray a light mist of product to a section of a panel and then spread the product over the section using a crosshatch pattern.

Here's side-to-side...

Then front to back...

Here you can see the two different directions you want to apply and work this product over the surface.

Repeat this crosshatch pattern 4 times - 2 times in each direction for UNIFORM COVERAGE.

Repeat this process to each panel.

Start at the top of the car and work you way down...

Sweating - Beads of product coagulating on the surface After you apply and spread the product over the surface, within a few seconds the product forms tiny beads called sweating.

Drying to a haze As the product dries to haze - the paint has a more opaque appearance.

Here's me continuing to apply the product to the car - misting a little onto the pad... I always like to get a picture of myself doing the work because Lord knows - the work doesn't do itself.

Mist a little product onto a panel or section of a panel...

Then use a crosshatch pattern to spread the product over the surface.

What I like about this product - it dries to a visible haze I took a few pictures to show what the car looks like as I worked my way around the car applying the product to all the various body panels. What I like about this type of coating is it leaves a very visible, opaque looking film on the paint surface.

One benefit - using a hand-held light to inspect my work - it was easy to see any spots I missed.

When I discovered a spot that I missed it was simple enough to use the still dampened microfiber applicator pad to apply the nano coating for 100% uniform coverage.

How long do you wait before removing? Here's my recommendation. If you like products that are easy to wipe-off, then apply and remove this product to ONE PANEL AT A TIME. If you're strong and healthy, and don't mind a product that wipes off a tick sticky - then you can do like I did and apply to then entire car at one time and then wipe-off. When I do this I use a practice called, Follow your path of travel This means, when you go to wipe off the dried graphene nano coating, start when you started when you applied, and work your way around the car mimicking the same exact path or sequence of panels you applied to. Above all - ALWAYS USE MICROFIBER TOWELS YOU TRUST. This means they are CLEAN and UNCONTAMINATED. If you're new to my writing and teaching style and are not sure what I'm talking about - then click this LINK and catch-up. It only takes one tiny abrasive particle lodged into the weave of a microfiber towel, undetected by you, to put swirls and scratches into your car's paint. Or as I like to say, It takes HOURS to buff out and perfect the paint on a car and only seconds to screw it all up. -Mike Phillips Cobra Miracle Towels Because the layer of graphene is what I would call very solid or substantial - I want a microfiber towel with a little stoutness to it. I'm not a fan of rectangular shaped towels because when you fold them 4-ways they don't fit the average human hand. That said, these towels are fairly stout with a combination of a deep nap of a "fluffy nap" on one side and a flat weave on the other side. I used the fluffy side to break open the uniform layer of graphene nano coating and once the bulk of the coating was removed I used the flat weave side to make a final pass to perfect the results with a totally clear, residue-free surface. Starting with the roof and the fluffy side of the towel...

Working my way down to the horizontal panels - hood and trunk lid...

And then for the final wipe - switching to the flat weave side for a completely clear, absolutely smudge and streak-free finish.

Final results...

My cell phone pictures don't do justice to what the human eye can perceive in person... but the pictures still look pretty damn good!

Here's what I used... A very simple process with stunning show car results.

Review From my experience using this product and my personal trust in the chemist behind the technology, David Gutierrez, I'm going to publicly state in this review, 303 Graphene Nano Coating is the real deal. Take it for what it's worth and come to your own conclusions, but I personally believe what David Gutierrez has told me in person and in the video we made where he shared the story behind how he developed the chemistry to enable 303 to formulate a true nano coating that uses graphene for protection, gloss and longevity. How long it lasts and how well it protects is like all other paint protection products dependent upon how the vehicle treated with 303 Graphene Nano Coating is used in real-world driving scenarios, the environment it's exposed to and quite frankly, how the paint is "touched" after application. (see my article here for more on what I mean about the word touched). The protection and longevity are simply two things I cannot judge simply by applying and removing the product. And the car you see above is a Garage Queen and one hell of nice one at that. Later this week I'll be applying the 303 Graphene Nano Coating to a daily driver where I can monitor more closely the protection and longevity aspect but to be fair, while not a garage kept car, it is an SUV that is parked under a carport when not in use, thus protected from direct sun and the elements when not being driven. As for the gloss, clarity, depth and shine? I can speak to that easily. And the pictures I shared also share what I'm going to say. The 303 Graphene Nano Coating delivers on gloss. Not just gloss but INSANE GLOSS! The paint on this car looked good when it arrived - but it didn't look THIS GOOD!

The gloss and clarity of the clearcoat is as good as it gets. So whatever VooDoo Juice is inside the bottle of 303 Graphene Nano Coating - it's some good darn good juice.

Super Easy Application - the OPPOSITE of complicated! Everyone knows about coatings now days and yes, this is NOT a conventional ceramic type coating that comes in a tiny glass vial, which must be painstakingly applied only after hours of meticulous paint correction, polishing and prep work. Nope - just wash and dry and then apply. It doesn't get any easier. And if you're of my mindset, that is I don't need products that last for years and years because I regularly maintain my cars, getting one year's protection, longevity and gloss out of a single spray-on application is perfect for my style of car care and needs. If you're looking for an easy to use product from a company with a stellar reputation for top quality products, then for less than $20.00 bucks you test and find out for yourself if what I've said above and photo-documented above is true or not. Gloss comes from a smooth surface I will add this because I don't know the knowledge level of so many people that will see and read this review - gloss starts with a smooth surface. So while "yes" you can simply wash, dry and apply, I would strongly recommend that after washing and drying your car and before applying the 303 Graphene Nano Coating - do the very simple Baggie Test to see if the paint on your car has any type of bonded contaminants. If after feeling the paint with the baggie test you feel little bumps on the paint. This means whatever these bumps are, (over spray paint, air-borne pollution, industrial fallout), they have formed a strong enough bond to the paint that they obviously did not wash off and thus you need to use detailing clay and clay the paint. Detailing clay removes bonded contaminants and restores a SMOOTH SURFACE. Gloss comes from smoothness. It is that simple. And creating the kind of gloss you see coming from the paint on the old 2-door Ford above is created from the 303 Graphene Nano Coating - but the foundation is a smooth surface. I point this out because most of you reading this will be working on a daily driver and I have yet to come across a daily driver that doesn't need to be clayed at least once a year if not more often. Final comment... After hearing so many people including various influencers and personalities dismiss graphene as dud product - I'll just say this... I always give priority to a chemist over a talking head. And I say this with all due respect as I too am just another talking head but a talking head that consults with actual chemists, not just posting my opinion. Remember the KEY TECHNIQUE TIP I shared for applying this product? If you are your own detailer - you can never have to many clean, uncontaminated microfiber applicator pads. What are you going to do if half way around applying the 303 Graphene Nano Coating you accidentally DROP the applicator pad onto the ground? You can't keep using it. Let your budget be your guide - that and pro-active common sense. Keep it in the 303 Family Down the road you're going to need and want to wash your car. In my car detailing classes, my how-to books and how-to articles and reviews like this I teach the concept and practice of, Synergistic Chemical Compatibility In simple words, I tend to be a system guy, that is I will tend to use all products from a single manufacturer using a system approach. Here's how this works... The chemists that formulate the first step products, since they know what's in them, they are better able to formulate the follow-up or next step products. For this reason, there's a synergistic chemical compatibility among the products and/or product line. Using one product designed to be used after the results of the previous product is a system approach. Maintenance Wash Following the above line of thinking, here's the link to the 303 Car Wash. If David Gutierrez is qualified to make the 303 Graphene Nano Coating - he's more than qualified to make the car wash to take care of the coating. 303 Ultra Concentrated Car Wash Cobra Micro-Chenille Wash Mitt 4-Pack Here's the mitts I like and use personally. Like applicator pads and microfiber towels, you can never have too many. The most important thing you can do to MAINTAIN the finish on a car is to ensure the wash mitt and drying towels are clean and UNCONTAMINATED. Touching your car's paint with anything that is contaminated is a recipe for swirls and scratches. A super soft and absorbent drying towel After you wash your 303 Graphene Nano Coating protected car you're going to need to dry the water off. Here's what I consider the BEST drying towel on the market for maintenance washes. Just be sure to keep it clean. Keep it from ever getting on the ground where it can become contaminated with dirt, rocks, sticks, leaves, etc. Griots Garage PFM Terry Weave Drying Towel 5-gallon Wash Bucket with a Grit Guard If you don't have a clean, dedicated bucket for use when washing your car and also a Grit Guard - get this combo. 5 Gallon Professional Wash Bucket with Grit Guard - CLEAR Ultra Fine Detailing Clay If you discover your car has little bumps all over it after doing the Baggie Test - here's the link to an ULTRA FINE detailing clay. This is the safest clay I know of on the market. If you don't want to machine polish your car or don't own an orbital polisher, then get this clay and a great clay lube. Use LOTS of lube when you clay the paint and this will keep the process safe and get your paint back to how smooth it was when it was brand new. Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Being your own detailer If you already take care of your own cars then you know what I'm talking about. If you're new to this, then for what it's worth, spending a day off on the weekend to wash and detail your car is not only rewarding in that you're taking care of what for most of us is the second most expensive investment we own outside of a house, it's also relaxing. It's a way to leave the 9-5 Monday through Friday Rat Race behind and decompress with some me-time and some car time. Whether you're working on something cool like the old 2-door Ford in this review or whatever it is you own and drive - there's something to be said for driving and being seen in a clean, well maintained vehicle. Life is short - drive and arrive is something clean and shiny.

Water Beading Everyone LOVES Water Beading. That is, the way water piles up into tight, tall and small beads of water after a fresh detail. As mentioned in the first post of this review, Yancy and I were using this car for some b-roll footage for some new segments coming up for the TV show, My Classic Car with Dennis Gage. B-roll is video footage that matches what the dialog or audio being shared in the video. We needed to capture water beading for one of the products we showcased that also beads water really well but these photos below were actually of water beading on the 303 Graphene Nano Coating. Keep in mind this is a vertical panel so gravity will tend to pull the water drops downward but I think you get the idea.

What is Graphene? Graphene Raw Material

303 Graphene Nano Coating

The below is taken from the The Institution of Engineering and Technology website What is Graphene? In 2004, two researchers at the University of Manchester, Professor Andre Geim and Professor Konstantin Novoselov, removed flakes from a lump of graphite using sticky tape. They repeated the process on the fragments until the flakes were one atom thick and the 2D graphene was isolated. The structure of graphene is a hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms. It is approximately 200 times stronger than steel and harder than a diamond of the same dimensions. It is lightweight, weighing 0.77mg per square metre, and is stretchable with a high tensile strength; graphene can stretch by up to 20 per cent of its original size without breaking. Graphene has very high electrical conductivity, far better than copper or silicon, because carbon atoms have four ‘outer shell' electrons, three of which form bonds in the lattice, leaving the fourth free for conduction. It also has a higher thermal conductivity than carbon nanotubes, graphite and diamond and acts as an isotropic conductor, conducting heat in all directions. Moreover, its conductivity increases with size. This challenges conventional thermal conduction law and means that graphene could in theory absorb an unlimited amount of heat. Graphene is also more resistant to tearing than steel and is almost impermeable. In addition, it is thin, around 0.34nm, and absorbs approximately 2.3 per cent of white light, which makes it transparent to the human eye so it can be used as a transparent conductor. Although perfectly flat sheets are inert, structural or chemical irregularities enable graphene to be modified to create, for example, graphene oxide or fluorinated graphene.. Every atom in graphene is exposed to its environment, so sensors detect changes in temperature, atmospheric conditions and the presence of harmful gases. Today, graphene is available as a powder, mixed with polymers, oil or water in micro-fluidisation processes, for use in composites, paints, inks and coatings.

Here's a few pictures of the liquid graphene nano coating poured out of the 303 spray bottle and into a laboratory glass beaker. As you can see it is an almost black, thin liquid

Me? Instead of trying to play the part of a chemist and figure out what the magic ingredients are inside the bottle, I trust the chemist that made the product and instead, Focus on the performance of the product...