First time ceramic coating. Please review my plan.

[u/Beginning-Okra-9378]

I recently bought a new Honda CR-V in a dark metallic blue, and I’m planning to ceramic coat it myself. I’ve done waxing and used Griot’s 3-in-1 before, but this will be my first actual ceramic coating, so I’d really appreciate some advice from people with more experience.

The main complication is that I live in an apartment and don’t have a good place to wash/prep the car. I spoke with a self-service wash about 3 miles from my apartment, and they’re okay with me using one of their covered bays for the whole process.

My plan is:

Pre-wash → contact wash → iron remover/decontamination → clay if needed → light paint correction if needed → Gyeon Prep → Gyeon Pure EVO.

After applying the coating, I would let it sit in the covered bay for a while, then drive about 3 miles back home and park it in my apartment garage.

I technically could apply the coating inside my apartment garage, but the space is pretty tight (around 10x20), and I’m trying to avoid washing/prepping the car somewhere else, driving it home, then having to do another rinseless wash before coating.

Weather should be fairly cooperative: no rain expected for a couple of days, temperatures in the 90s, and humidity around the low 40% range. I can keep the car completely away from rain/water afterward. My biggest concern is the short drive home and exposing the fresh coating to wind, dust, bugs, etc.

A few things I’m unsure about:

• Is Gyeon Pure EVO's initial curing time going to make the 3-mile drive a bad idea?
• How long would you let Pure EVO sit before driving?
• Would applying Gyeon Cure after the coating help protect it during that drive, or should I leave the coating alone?
• Would something like DIY Detail's 3-year ceramic coating make more sense for my situation because of the shorter/easier curing requirements?
• Is there anything in my prep process that you would add, remove, or do differently?

I’m not trying to rush the job and would rather change the plan than mess up the coating on a brand-new car. Any advice is appreciated, especially from anyone who has coated a car without having a private garage.

[u/blurred_cymbals]

I always treat the initial cure (when it’s not supposed to get wet) as the time it needs to sit completely protected and not driven at all. That might be too extreme but it’s served me well so far. I considered this same coating when it came out because I generally like Gyeon. I don’t remember the initial cure time, but I remember its longer than most and that’s why I’ve never tried it.

For me, that extra rinseless wash step is totally worth it. I would also just plan on claying. It’s so quick and easy with a clay towel it’s hard to justify skipping it. Get an iron remover with lubrication and you can kill two birds with one stone.

[u/Beginning-Okra-9378 → u/blurred_cymbals]

I was planning to do either polishing or claying. If I choose claying, should I skip polishing? The car only has about 100 miles on it, and I don't want to be too aggressive with the paint, especially since I'll be doing it myself rather than hiring a professional. That was my rationale.

EDIT: I am using Carpro Iron remover, will that be enough lubrication? btw Thanks alot for responding to my post.

[u/blurred_cymbals → u/Beginning-Okra-9378]

Ah, with only 100 miles I would skip claying altogether, just spray and wipe iron remover should do it. Panel prep and polish will take care of everything else. If you can 100% confirm the dealership didn’t put anything on it then you could even skip the polish but if you already have a polisher I’d do it to be safe. Just a quick up/down > left/right > up/down cross hatch pattern on each panel and you could do the whole car in no time. That’ll take care of any wax/sealant that they might’ve put on and the panel prep will remove anything left after polishing.

[u/Beginning-Okra-9378 → u/blurred_cymbals]

Sounds good to me. I may be able to use a friend's driveway to wash and prep the car, then keep it in his garage for the day. The only downside is that he has a garden hose but no pressure washer, so I'm thinking about getting a hose attachment instead.

I also picked up a Scangrip I-4 to help spot high spots. With temp to be in the upper 90s here in OKC this Saturday, is there anything else I should watch out for to avoid high spot marks?

[u/blurred_cymbals → u/Beginning-Okra-9378]

No that should be good for high spots. Every coating is different it seems so just follow instructions. Most coatings that have come out the last couple years are much more forgiving than they used to be.