The Best “Quick” Coating Type
by Ian Martinez
Ceramic coatings are no longer a professional only item and more and more products are coming out in the “quick” coating category. From shampoos to sprays to rinse off options, I wanted to break down the benefits and downsides of each to help determine the best option for each situation. Please also note that we call these items “coatings” as they are sio2 based, however, if you want a true coating experience you will need to reach for a ceramic coating product. The products below are designed for quick and easy application of sio2 protection.
Shampoos Coatings
Shampoos infused with SiO2, use it like a normal wash & wax shampoo but with much better results and longer lasting performance. Typically just for maintenance washes as it’s not adding a ton of protection, but this also makes them extremely slick to help reduce scratches from washing.
Some of my favorites:
Waterless Wash option:
Spray Coatings
These are coatings that are in a more standard form factor like a detail spray/sealant. Either a trigger or fingertip sprayer these are easy to use, usually work on a ton of surfaces and work great. They also still offer a very good amount of protection. Your not going to get the years a standard coating would offer but you can also coat all exterior surfaces in 30 mins and not have to worry about high spots, coating thickness, etc.
If you are doing rinse less washing, this is going to be your best bet. As a professional, I wouldn’t even offer sealant/wax anymore. Just offer this or an upgraded longer life coating. These products have just evolved so much farther than any sealant/wax and the industry and manufacturers are trending this way anyway.
Some of my favorites:
Spray on, Rinse Off Coatings
Just like it sounds, these are coatings where you just literally spray it on, and rinse it off, or spray it inline with your water. By far the easiest option if you have access to water. However, this comes with a longevity hit as these get you around 3-4 months. Yet you can also coat the entire exterior of a car in minutes and are some of the slickest finishes I’ve ever seen. On my personal vehicle I don’t even have a standard coating on it, one because I’m often testing products, but two because these are so easy and perform so well, I’m happy to apply every few months
Some of my favorites:
From a professional standpoint, I would offer a spray on/rinse off coating like CarPro HydrO2, in place of something like a sealant, or a standard coating like the Gtechniq CSL/EXO Combo , then use a coating shampoo for maintenance. If its not a client that you will be able to maintain (distance, client needs, etc.) then you can even offer a maintenance care package along with the standard coating install. Since thus are so easy it is highly unlikely they will ruin the coating.
Whatever you choose, just know that this is just the beginning, manufactures will continue to innovate with the demand for this category and these “easy” coatings will start to get more durable and maybe even new form factors will come out. All of these options are great for different purposes and would be a great additional to any arsenal.
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I have been using GTechniq C2V3 Liquid Crystal to remove sealants, such as Rupes Uno Protect and Jescar Power Lock Plus after they have set up. These sealants are easy to remove, the C2V3, in my opinion, adds another layer of protection. I use Gyeon WetCoat as a coating booster when I wash my vehicles.
C2v3 will “remove sealants ” like power lock/ wolfgang/ etc ,after they are applied and properly cured ???? Why will c2v3 strip the coatings off ??
C2 V3 will not remove any other protective layers on the surface. This product is a spray on sio2 based sealant and is applied by spraying on and wiping away. It does not clean or polish and will not remove any dirt, grime, or protective layers already applied. We recommend applying C2 V3 on top of existing coating or other sio2 based product layers for some added gloss, depth, and protection.
I appreciate the discussion on paint care and coatings. I have a bit of a frustration going on now in that the dealership said a coating was put on the car then they tried to sell me their warranty. I declined. They said the coating will stay on and they simply don’t engage the car in the future. Somewhat an “as is” state. The problem is I can’t get an answer on what they put on the car so I don’t know how to really care for it *OR* get a new coating either added on top or first get this dealership coating removed/reduced. This is from a Mazda dealership.
Any help would be appreciated.
Michael – Thank you for reaching out! I cannot say 100% for certain what was applied, but generally dealerships apply a very mild sio2 based product. It rarely is a true coating and more of a spray on sio2 based sealant, think similar to CarPro Reload, Gtechniq C2, etc. Great items for sure, but not a true coating and something that lasts 3-6 months in most cases. Generally the warranty is you have to go in every so many months for care and most dealerships just quick wash and spray the product onto the surface. Again, I can not say 100% for sure what is used, just that this is what most dealerships apply and try and pass it off as a true coating, which it is not. What I recommend is performing a thorough wash and Decon process, spraying something like the Gtechniq Panel Wipe to remove their “coating” layers. From here you can apply a true coating and top with Gtechniq C2 for added gloss and protection. If you plan to polish at all, that will also remove any layers of protection they applied. Just be sure to remove this product before applying a coating as a true coating will not adhere to this type of item as it needs to be applied to the bare paint.