Wolfgang PROFI Ceramic Coating How-To
What is it?
3 year ceramic paint coating with 9h hardness that resists swirls and scratching with super hydrophobic characteristics and excellent chemical and corrosion resistance
What does it do?
Seals and protects car paint while adding incredible gloss, depth and shine. The hydrophobic effect creates a self-cleaning effect anytime it rains and washing and drying are faster and easier.
When do I use it?
After first washing and drying paint in new condition or after first doing any paint correction to older cars.
Why should I use it?
To protect your car's paint from anything that would attack it while give it a show car looking finish that washes and dries faster plus has a self-cleaning effect when it rains.
My comments...
Modern cars have what is called a clearcoat paint finish. If this clear top layer of paint properly cared for and regularly maintained by careful washing - it's possible the paint can last as long as the mechanical service life of the powertrain. The powertrain in modern cars, that is the engine, transmission as well as all the other mechanical moving parts, on many brands of modern cars can easily go one hundred thousand miles, two hundred thousand miles and yes, even three hundred thousand miles and LONGER! That's a long time compared to the engines and drivetrain form cars built just 20+ years ago. The challenge is to get the paint to last as long as the mechanical aspect of a new vehicle. And there are two primary components for getting the longest life out of your car's paint and that is:
- Sealing the paint to protect it from the elements. This means using either a car wax, a synthetic paint sealant or a hi-tech paint coating.
- Maintaining it via regular and careful car washing to keep the contaminants that will attack the paint - off the paint.
Of course, if you have the ability to park your car in a garage at home and at work so it's not exposed to our paint destroying world, that helps a lot too.
The product and terms, ceramic paint coating have reached the tipping point in that the general public is now pretty much fully aware of what these products are in that they replace traditional car waxes and also synthetic paint sealants. I would dare to say however that the general public still doesn't know the steps that are required to properly PREP the paint for application of a ceramic paint coating.
The truth is - you can wash, dry, clay and then use a panel wipe to any car and apply or to use the correct terminology, install a ceramic paint coating and the coating will do it's job. And by this procedure I mean, completely skipping the paint correction steps of compounding and polishing the paint to remove below surface paint defects like swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation.
While this will work for the majority of our car-driving population that merely sees their vehicle as a means of transportation, for those that see their vehicle as not only a means of transportation but also as an extension of their personality - the best performance from a coating is when you do the extra steps of machine polishing, after washing, drying and claying the paint to perfect the finish visually and at the same time, prep the paint for maximum coating bonding and thus longevity.
And it goes without saying, but I'll say or type it anyway, the better the bonding the longer the lasting and the longer the lasting the longer the protection.
In the context of appealing to and writing for the second group of people, those that see their car not only as transportation but also as an extension of their personality, I'll outline directions below to include paint correction via machine polishing the paint in order to perfect it by removing the majority of paint defects that in simple terms, tends to make your car's paint look ugly.
DIRECTIONS
Do not apply in direct sunlight.
1. Wash, dry and correct paint if applicable.
2. Prepare the surface for coating with Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep to remove all traces of polishing oils.
3. Apply several drops of Wolfgang PROFI Ceramic Coating onto a foam coating applicator.
4. Wipe onto the surface to be coating, working in a 2 x2 square foot area.
5. Allow product to flash (rainbow appearance) before buffing excess product away.
6. Continue around vehicle until all surfaces are coated.
7. Allow coating to cure for approximately 12-24 hours before exposing paint to moisture.
Clean, contaminant-free microfiber towels.
The above directions are pretty much the norm for any paint coating. Actually they are the norm when applying any wax or sealant except the extra step of using the panel wipe to prepare the paint before applying the coating. This step is important because the coating needs a surgically clean, pure paint surface in order to make a proper bond. In order to do this step carefully, it is important that you have a large collection of clean, contaminant-free microfiber towels.
I'll include a link below to some microfiber towels that I like and work really well when installing ceramic paint coatings for both when you're using the panel wipe to prepare the paint, (that's the Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep), and also for wiping the treated section of paint to spread the coating out uniformly while also removing any high spots.
Step 1: Wash and dry the car.
This car belongs to my co-worker and he keeps it pretty clean, so all I did was a basic waterless wash using a glass cleaner.
Step 2: Inspect the paint with your sense of touch and if you feel tiny bumps - use detailing clay and clay the paint.
There was light contamination on the paint. I used the Wolfgang Clay and Clay Lube to remove the contamination.
When you first start out, you'll often feel the clay drag a little. This is because the contaminants are still bonded to the paint.
As you continue to rub the clay patty over the paint, the clay removes the contaminants and then you'll feel the clay begin to glide effortlessly over the paint. This is the sign you're ready to stop claying and wipe the clay lube residue off the paint.
Remove the clay lube residue using a clean, inspected microfiber towel.
Be sure anytime you're going to use any microfiber towel on your car's paint you first inspect your microfiber towels by looking at them and also feeling them for contaminants. Once your towels have passed your inspection they are safe to use.
Step 3: Machine polish the paint to remove any swirls, scratches, water spots, oxidation and other surface impurities.
The paint was actually in very good condition. I'm using the Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover with a FLEX CBEAST and Buff & Shine Uro-Tech yellow foam polishing pads for the paint correction step.
When machine polishing paint, work small sections at a time, no larger than 2' by 2' and use a crosshatch pattern with 8 section passes over each section of paint corrected.
Overlap your passes by 50%
Making a crosshatch pattern ensures uniform defect removal over the entire section.
After buffing a section, immediately remove the polish residue with a clean, inspected microfiber towel.
Step 4: Spray the Wolfgang Perfekt Finish Paint Prep onto the paint and after gently spreading over a section, use a clean, uncontaminated microfiber towel to gently wipe the paint prep off the surface.
For this step, usue plenty of Perfect Finish Paint Prep to not only dissolve any residual oils on the surface but to also lubricate the surface as you spread the product around and then wipe this residue off the paint.
This shows an ample amount of product. Don't use so much that the product is streaming off the paint.
Step 5: Apply some of the Wolfgang PROFI Ceramic Paint Coating to a microfiber foam block applicator pad.
Then apply to a section of paint no larger than 2' by 2' using a crosshatch pattern.
Allow the coating to "flash" on the surface. If you look careful you can see a rainbow appearance in the layer of coating on the paint. These are the carrying agents for the solid portions of the ceramic coating evaporating. You want to wipe this before it fully dries or evaporates so that it's easy to wipe off and you don't leave any excess coating called "high spots"
Step 6: Using a clean microfiber towel, give the section a final buff
Important: Be sure to remove any high spots.
Vitally Important
As mentioned previously, it is vitally important that all your microfiber towels are clean, dry and contaminant free, especially for this last step of giving the paint a final buff.
That's it!
You don't have to be a "professional detailer" to use a professional grade coating and get pro results. Simply follow each of the steps outlined above and take your time and you to can install a ceramic paint coating to your car's paint.
Final results
Review
This is a super easy coating to apply. It spreads over the paint super easy and wipes off super easy too. There's really nothing more I can add to the application and removal of this coating. If it was sticky and hard to spread or wipe-off I'd tell you but it's not, it's easy on and easy off. It is important to watch for the rainbow flashing effect as this takes place in a window-of-time of about 30 seconds to 60 seconds. This is the real-deal and if you wait too long, the coating will start to bond to the paint as as the solvents evaporate or flash-off, the coating will be in the process of drying and thus bonding to the paint and then it will become difficult to wipe-off.
While trying to get this picture showing the rainbow appearance that appears after application and as the solvents are evaporating or "flashing".
It took longer than recommended time before wiping the paint to both spread and remove any excess product. There was one tiny patch or as the term goes, high spot of coating that was stubborn and difficult to remove. This is normal for a pro-grade ceramic coating.
Instead of rubbing harder I used the coating applicator and a drop or two of the coating and re-applied to the high spot and the solvents in the coating dissolved the high spot enabling me to wipe it off. This is actually a REALLY NICE FEATURE in a coating as not only does it tell you this is the real-deal, but if you inspect your work as you move around the car and discover any high spots, if they won't wipe off you can use the coating itself to re-liquefy the high spots and easily remove them. This process removes the high spot while at the same time it leaves the paint sealed with the coating. Some coatings don't work this way and if you miss a high spot you have to either polish the area and in some cases, compound the area. Then you're back to chemically stripping the area and then re-applying the coating. With this product, you can avoid these hassles.
Been there, done that, don't ever want to do it again. The key take-away for this coating or any coating is you have to take the coating application step seriously and focus-on-the-task-at-hand.
The manufacturer states that this coating can last up to three years. I've been told on the down-low it's actually 5 years! It really comes down to how you "touch" the paint or more specifically, how you touch the coating anytime wash, dry or wipe the finish. So invest in high quality microfiber wash mitts, drying towels and detailing towels and then take good care of them and in return they will take good care of you.
Excellent swirl and scratch resistance as well as highly resistant to spotting and etching
These are features this coating offers and these are the features you really want in a coating. Just because a coating excels in these areas is not an excuse to run your car through an automatic car wash, you still need to wash and dry your car carefully... but - these are great features as they should extend the visual appearance results much longer than any wax or sealant as well as many coatings.
Water Spots
Water spots are one of the worst defects to have to remove. The Wolfgang PROFI Ceramic Paint Coating provides excellent resistance to water spotting or chemical corrosion. This one feature alone will help to protect your paint as well as help prevent the need to do a heavy compounding process down the road.
There are lots of great coating options available ranging from enthusiast level to professional grade. The Wolfgang PROFI Ceramic Paint Coating gives you the ease-of-use of an entry level coating with the solid performance of a pro-grade coating.