A Detailers Maverick Experience: Thin Paint, Ceramic Coating, Etc.

[ParagonDetail]

I thought touchless car washes use even harsher chemicals to clean the car. That’s why they’re touchless.

?

No that’s not why they’re touchless. They’re touchless because people have come to realize car washes don’t so much clean your car as much as they scratch it. But idk about harsher. Certain product, maybe.. idk. They use concentrated chemicals that are extremely diluted. I buy a lot of concentrates and dilute them myself so same concept. Their are probably diluted more because they’re cheap lol

Sponsored

 

[TE37Mav]

Ceramic coating is the best thing you can do to this truck it makes the clear/paint look like it’s laid down so much thicker. Really gives it depth.

 

[ParagonDetail]

Nice. Very nice. I just applied CSL to my white Mav but skipped the Exo due to extra cost (plus my bad back giving me problems) and the fact that white doesn’t really “pop” nearly as much as some darker colors. I did top it with C2V3 the next day as an extra sacrificial layer. Just washed for the first time after coating and it really makes a difference. Highly recommend GTechniq products. I use their G Wash as well and never go through a car wash unless I’m desperate. Now I need to apply the C4 to all the black trim.

Very nice, love to hear it. It really does make a huge difference and you’ll really get a lot of life out CSL topping it with C2V3. C2V3 is an awesome product, I use it to maintain most vehicles I coat. I’m a big P&S snob though and also LOVE Bead Maker. But yes Gtechniq makes some great products. Im trying To get accredited by them so I can install Crystal Serum Ultra
I used C4 on the door handles and side mirrors because they were a little lighter than the rest of the trim and it really made a difference.

 

[ParagonDetail]

Ceramic coating is the best thing you can do to this truck it makes the clear/paint look like it’s laid down so much thicker. Really gives it depth.

Yessir I agree. With white it’s hard to get that wow factor but your truck looks amazing and definitely can tell it’s got something on it. Very nice!

 

[MikeA131]

It sure does!

Great post brother, glad to see a fellow Detailer in the forum! Truck is looking killer! I am trying to find time right now to do the full ceramic package on mine as well (paint plastics glass etc) but for now I have my private label SiO2-based spray coating on it. I'm also partial to your truck because I also have a carbonized gray maverick and it's crazy when properly detailed how that color turns into liquid metal! CSL/EXO is a great choice as well, I usually install System X and Gyeon. If you haven't tried the new Gyeon EVO coatings, they're incredible! Highly recommend the Mohs EVO and topped with Can Coat EVO, it's an insane combo that I think you'd really dig since you went for the CSL/EXO combo. Cheers man!

 

[ParagonDetail]

Great post brother, glad to see a fellow Detailer in the forum! Truck is looking killer! I am trying to find time right now to do the full ceramic package on mine as well (paint plastics glass etc) but for now I have my private label SiO2-based spray coating on it. I'm also partial to your truck because I also have a carbonized gray maverick and it's crazy when properly detailed how that color turns into liquid metal! CSL/EXO is a great choice as well, I usually install System X and Gyeon. If you haven't tried the new Gyeon EVO coatings, they're incredible! Highly recommend the Mohs EVO and topped with Can Coat EVO, it's an insane combo that I think you'd really dig since you went for the CSL/EXO combo. Cheers man!

Thank you brotha! Likewise! What a great way to put it, liquid metal. I’m going to use that. What’s your private label you’re using?

I’ve heard a lot about System X as of recently, I know a few guys who got to know the product at MTE and have been playing with their stuff. I actually recommended can coat somewhere in this forum, it’s a great product. I haven’t tried the new Evo line yet but I’ve heard good things. I heard they doubled the durability on most their coatings so that’s pretty insane. I’ll have to try them out.

 

[MikeA131]

Thank you brotha! Likewise! What a great way to put it, liquid metal. I’m going to use that. What’s your private label you’re using?

I’ve heard a lot about System X as of recently, I know a few guys who got to know the product at MTE and have been playing with their stuff. I actually recommended can coat somewhere in this forum, it’s a great product. I haven’t tried the new Evo line yet but I’ve heard good things. I heard they doubled the durability on most their coatings so that’s pretty insane. I’ll have to try them out.

System X makes, matter of fact, they pioneered some of the best coatings in the industry and they're starting to get really big. Been a certified installer for a few years now.

My private label spray coating, ULTRA is a unique formulation that is very similar to products like Cure, Reload, and other like SiO2-based sprays. The difference in why I chose to come out with my own is the user experience. Ultra is a wipe on wipe off, super slick product that is very very easy to use and has incredible gloss. PM me and I'll send you a bottle to try out! I use it after every coating installation to help the base coating cure faster and protect it while it's in its curing phase. After that I use it as a maintenance detailer. Standalone it has 9+ durability and can be used on any surface of the vehicle.

And yes, the new Gyeon EVO line is now a single layer application with much improved durability. I was extremely impressed with Mohs and Can Coat EVO.

 

[TCK]

I have not washed a car in years- my 2016 FIT has never been washed (California….seen our reservoirs?) but my god that truck is pretty.

 

[Atisko]

I’m just gonna start by saying that these Mavericks are already head turners when they’re out in the wild… But now this thing straight up is snapping necks.

Finally had the time to detail my truck properly. It was washed, decontaminated and pretty much every surface is now ceramic coated. Paint was in such good shape after washing and prep, that I fortunately didn’t have to do any paint correction. This is rare but shows how taking the proper precautions and making sure your vehicle is in professional hands can save you a lot of time and money. This truck is Ceramic Coated so it’s UV protected, it’s going to stay cleaner for alot longer, it’s going to stay looking glossy and cleaning it is going to be a piece of cake thanks to the low surface energy and high contact angle the ceramic coating provides. This is going to protect my vehicle from things like bird scat, insect acid, hard water, acid rain, road salt and much more.

Here are a few thoughts..

1.) Don’t let your dealer touch the truck. This is going to prevent you from having to pay to fix any scratches/imperfections they administer. This is important because polishing is where you’re going to spend your money at the detail shop.

Warning: these trucks have little to no paint on them.. (more later on)


2.) Find an certified detailer with proper knowledge and experience and don’t let joe shmoe touch your truck. You get what you pay for quite literally in the detailing industry. You can always find someone to do it cheaper, but that’s not necessarily better. You’ll usually end up paying another detailer to fix the first ones mistakes. In this case, not hiring a professional could easily lead to them burning through the little paint you have trying to correct it.


3.)PAINT IS THIN
This is so important. If you or your detailer are going to polish the truck in any way, they NEED to do a paint reading with a paint depth gauge. Paint preservation is most important.
I was shocked at how little clear coat was on certain parts of my truck and had I not taken the right precautions and measured the paint, I’d be in a lot of trouble. Luckily I had no dealer instilled scratches or swirls and I was able to simply wash, carefully decontaminate the paint with an iron remover, sap remove, tar remover and followed up with a careful claybar. No user inflicted marring. Had I not been experienced at this, this would have been a turning point in the project for a lot of people. I’m shocked at how thin the paint is and so thankful I am not busting out the polisher. Below are pictures of the process and what I saw.

4.)Plastic almost appears to have a coating of some sort on it. I ceramic coated mine but it almost didn’t want to take the coating. Hopefully we won’t see fading down the road like we do with most vehicles with this type of exterior surface. Whether your coating it or restoring it down the road, remember these pieces are very porous and get clogged with contamination. It needs to be cleaned properly or you won’t get proper adhesion.

Here are pictures of the process, hope you enjoy.

Before:

After:

Clay After Decon: lots of dirt and grime embedded into the clear coat

Paint After Clay: No visible scratches or marring when done right

Measuring The Paint:

Results: For Reference, you can assume you have about 1.5-2. Mils of base/color coat on a car. 1 Mil is .001 of an inch. For reference, a post it note is 3 Mils thick. So most cars paint is thinner than a post it note. Most new cars have about the same amount of clear coat, sometimes less and sometimes more. After reading as low as 2.28 on some places that’s a sign there is very little to no clear coat on these vehicles.

Coating Time:
Gtechniq CSL Followed By ExoV4

Beyond happy with the results!!!

Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!!!

Anybody you could recommend in Connecticut? BTW, nice work!!

 

[Nw_adventure]

Nothing like professionally done paint - Old school paint buddy has been doing full off paint restorations on everything from E/types/928's,Shelby's, etc since the 80s. My favorite though is his still in possession 1970 Ford 500XL convertible pimp mobile. White top/interior with a deep burgundy red glazed exterior. I mean it's such a rich/deep tone buffed to perfection that I somehow was staring into it , for some reason I opened my mouth and could see how many fillings I have had done over the years -)

I do know I worry about the soft eco paint Ford is using on these Mavericks, not sure how to prepare myself for rock chips that for sure will happen pretty quickly it seems. 2004 Honda element with 225k looks new after wash/wax for instance.

Are those 245/65 with the Bronco sport wheels ? Looks legit-

 

[Bwinter1701]

I’m just gonna start by saying that these Mavericks are already head turners when they’re out in the wild… But now this thing straight up is snapping necks.

Finally had the time to detail my truck properly. It was washed, decontaminated and pretty much every surface is now ceramic coated. Paint was in such good shape after washing and prep, that I fortunately didn’t have to do any paint correction. This is rare but shows how taking the proper precautions and making sure your vehicle is in professional hands can save you a lot of time and money. This truck is Ceramic Coated so it’s UV protected, it’s going to stay cleaner for alot longer, it’s going to stay looking glossy and cleaning it is going to be a piece of cake thanks to the low surface energy and high contact angle the ceramic coating provides. This is going to protect my vehicle from things like bird scat, insect acid, hard water, acid rain, road salt and much more.

Here are a few thoughts..

1.) Don’t let your dealer touch the truck. This is going to prevent you from having to pay to fix any scratches/imperfections they administer. This is important because polishing is where you’re going to spend your money at the detail shop.

Warning: these trucks have little to no paint on them.. (more later on)


2.) Find an certified detailer with proper knowledge and experience and don’t let joe shmoe touch your truck. You get what you pay for quite literally in the detailing industry. You can always find someone to do it cheaper, but that’s not necessarily better. You’ll usually end up paying another detailer to fix the first ones mistakes. In this case, not hiring a professional could easily lead to them burning through the little paint you have trying to correct it.


3.)PAINT IS THIN
This is so important. If you or your detailer are going to polish the truck in any way, they NEED to do a paint reading with a paint depth gauge. Paint preservation is most important.
I was shocked at how little clear coat was on certain parts of my truck and had I not taken the right precautions and measured the paint, I’d be in a lot of trouble. Luckily I had no dealer instilled scratches or swirls and I was able to simply wash, carefully decontaminate the paint with an iron remover, sap remove, tar remover and followed up with a careful claybar. No user inflicted marring. Had I not been experienced at this, this would have been a turning point in the project for a lot of people. I’m shocked at how thin the paint is and so thankful I am not busting out the polisher. Below are pictures of the process and what I saw.

4.)Plastic almost appears to have a coating of some sort on it. I ceramic coated mine but it almost didn’t want to take the coating. Hopefully we won’t see fading down the road like we do with most vehicles with this type of exterior surface. Whether your coating it or restoring it down the road, remember these pieces are very porous and get clogged with contamination. It needs to be cleaned properly or you won’t get proper adhesion.

Here are pictures of the process, hope you enjoy.

Before:

After:

Clay After Decon: lots of dirt and grime embedded into the clear coat

Paint After Clay: No visible scratches or marring when done right

Measuring The Paint:

Results: For Reference, you can assume you have about 1.5-2. Mils of base/color coat on a car. 1 Mil is .001 of an inch. For reference, a post it note is 3 Mils thick. So most cars paint is thinner than a post it note. Most new cars have about the same amount of clear coat, sometimes less and sometimes more. After reading as low as 2.28 on some places that’s a sign there is very little to no clear coat on these vehicles.

Coating Time:
Gtechniq CSL Followed By ExoV4

Beyond happy with the results!!!

Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!!!

Beautiful. This is what a new vehicle should look like when you receive it.
Note to Ford: I hope someone from Ford reads this; We all know that this is an inexpensive Vehicle but can you please apply a little more Clearcoat and paint to the Maverick? There has already been many Complaints of thin paint. I would hate to be one of the Customers who pay extra for one of the extra cost finishes like Cyber Orange and get thin paint.

 

[Pickles]

No it’s really a liquid polymer. Typically silica carbide or silica dioxide. It hardens when it’s exposed to oxygen. So it’s mixed with solvent carriers and it’s applied to paint by hand almost like a wax. The solvent carriers dissolve and leave the coating behind on the surface. Over the next week it will harden to your paint and form a bond that really can’t be broken unless you really trying to remove it (sanding, aggressive polishing)

Ok great! This is helpful thanks. Ill look up the product you used

 

[projectvortex]

I’m just gonna start by saying that these Mavericks are already head turners when they’re out in the wild… But now this thing straight up is snapping necks.

Finally had the time to detail my truck properly. It was washed, decontaminated and pretty much every surface is now ceramic coated. Paint was in such good shape after washing and prep, that I fortunately didn’t have to do any paint correction. This is rare but shows how taking the proper precautions and making sure your vehicle is in professional hands can save you a lot of time and money. This truck is Ceramic Coated so it’s UV protected, it’s going to stay cleaner for alot longer, it’s going to stay looking glossy and cleaning it is going to be a piece of cake thanks to the low surface energy and high contact angle the ceramic coating provides. This is going to protect my vehicle from things like bird scat, insect acid, hard water, acid rain, road salt and much more.

Here are a few thoughts..

1.) Don’t let your dealer touch the truck. This is going to prevent you from having to pay to fix any scratches/imperfections they administer. This is important because polishing is where you’re going to spend your money at the detail shop.

Warning: these trucks have little to no paint on them.. (more later on)


2.) Find an certified detailer with proper knowledge and experience and don’t let joe shmoe touch your truck. You get what you pay for quite literally in the detailing industry. You can always find someone to do it cheaper, but that’s not necessarily better. You’ll usually end up paying another detailer to fix the first ones mistakes. In this case, not hiring a professional could easily lead to them burning through the little paint you have trying to correct it.


3.)PAINT IS THIN
This is so important. If you or your detailer are going to polish the truck in any way, they NEED to do a paint reading with a paint depth gauge. Paint preservation is most important.
I was shocked at how little clear coat was on certain parts of my truck and had I not taken the right precautions and measured the paint, I’d be in a lot of trouble. Luckily I had no dealer instilled scratches or swirls and I was able to simply wash, carefully decontaminate the paint with an iron remover, sap remove, tar remover and followed up with a careful claybar. No user inflicted marring. Had I not been experienced at this, this would have been a turning point in the project for a lot of people. I’m shocked at how thin the paint is and so thankful I am not busting out the polisher. Below are pictures of the process and what I saw.

4.)Plastic almost appears to have a coating of some sort on it. I ceramic coated mine but it almost didn’t want to take the coating. Hopefully we won’t see fading down the road like we do with most vehicles with this type of exterior surface. Whether your coating it or restoring it down the road, remember these pieces are very porous and get clogged with contamination. It needs to be cleaned properly or you won’t get proper adhesion.

Here are pictures of the process, hope you enjoy.

Before:

After:

Clay After Decon: lots of dirt and grime embedded into the clear coat

Paint After Clay: No visible scratches or marring when done right

Measuring The Paint:

Results: For Reference, you can assume you have about 1.5-2. Mils of base/color coat on a car. 1 Mil is .001 of an inch. For reference, a post it note is 3 Mils thick. So most cars paint is thinner than a post it note. Most new cars have about the same amount of clear coat, sometimes less and sometimes more. After reading as low as 2.28 on some places that’s a sign there is very little to no clear coat on these vehicles.

Coating Time:
Gtechniq CSL Followed By ExoV4

Beyond happy with the results!!!

Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!!!

So your paint thickness measurements went from 2.28 to 4.24 mils. What part of the truck was lowest and what was highest? Or were these all done on one section like the hood? Thanks!

 

[KenC]

Good job on cleaning your truck. Worth protecting but that shine is way too videogame for me. Is there a ceramic coating that doesn't look artificially glossy?

 

[DucFae]

Why you gotta be all the way out west. I'd love to get this done to my truck, once I have a truck.

Sponsored