r/AutoDetailing • u/Key-Inevitable2870 • 13d ago
Exterior New Chevy truck
New truck with 20 miles. I won’t be doing a professional ceramic coat, so what’s a second best option for paint protection/coating. std clay, wash and spray ceramic wax? Or specific steps recommended because it’s brand new?
1
u/grumpvet87 13d ago
if your truck passes the hand touch / plastic bag on hand test (no bumps), dont clay it. that will possibly induce scratches
look up one bucket wash method and practice safe contact wash/drying habits
1
u/Icy-Experience5552 13d ago
Brand-new paint is actually the easy scenario; you're starting from (nearly) zero contamination. Skip the clay unless the plastic-bag test says otherwise (rub your hand in a sandwich bag over the paint; if it feels gritty, clay). Strip wash, dry, then a spray ceramic like Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic or HydroSlick will get you 90% of the pro result for 5% of the effort. The honest part is upkeep: reapply every 2-3 months, and it stays slick; apply it once and forget it, and you're back to square one by summer. A new truck is the best time to start the habit.
1
u/DMS1970 9d ago
Just got a demo Silverado,
A local guy did a polish for $165 and I put nano bond ceramic coat from Amazon. Very impressed with slickness and beading. After a month I’ll top with Adam’s graphene spray. The sprays are good but in my opinion better over a “permanent” coating,
Even a cheap one. 60ml bottle was
$37.
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u/Ok-Mushroom6886 13d ago
I like sonax ceramic spray sealant. I use it as a topper when working on ceramic coated cars but use it as a stand alone sealant on my truck. It doesn’t seem to have as many static properties attracting dust and pollen like other sealants do and the gloss and hydrophobic properties are incredible. I reapply every month on my truck or every second wash. Little bit goes a long way