I've never been one to push one product over another in the field of detailing cars. After talking to a few of our Corvette Club members and personal friends that have gotten on the "Ceramic Coat" bandwagon I thought I would take a look at a few of these products. I considered the ceramic but can't justify the cost of several hundred dollars.

I'm in my mid 60's now and don't want to spend days on end detailing my cars even though I do like seeing good results from my efforts. I show my '94 C4 Polo Green Metallic Convertible and must admit that the car show circuit here in Central Florida is "prolific" with a lot of VERY NICE cars that I would put up against anything I've seen around the country...we are blessed with a bunch of car people around here. Suffice to say the competition is tough...but we all have fun.

Anyway...we all know that hours of "Clay Bar" action, Buffing and Waxing/Polishing produces predictably good results. Now we have a New generation of products that are polymer based that promise an instant miracle shine with spray and wipe effort. I shopped around albeit skeptical about the whole idea. I decided to give Torque Mirror Shine a try. https://deals.torquedetail.com/youtu...st_ads_v1.html

I got the three bottle deal delivered for about $80 plus a Cleaner or "Decontamination kit" for another $30. I got the 3: bottles first and keep my cars clean most of the time and garaged so I was ready today when the 3: Mirror Shine" bottles showed up today.

I started on the hood of the Corvette...following the instruction...very simple. I have to say, I have never used a product that produced the depth and "Pop" of lustre as this one does. I did the 'vette in about 10 minutes and was amazed with the results after the application of one coat. I then moved to my wife's 2016 Crimson Red Tintcoat Yukon....same result. Did the whole truck in about 30 minutes. I will post some pics later but honestly it's tough to show the quality of the finish with a camera. No swirl marks...no streaks. Just a very deep shine that you would normally expect after hours of work.

So how does this work? From what I can tell, these products completely fill in any porosity in the clear coat and change the refraction of light from any angle to that of a sheet of glass. It looks as if you took a sheet of glass and sprayed the back side of it with paint.

Hope this helps anyone else considering using this product. I can recommend it totally.

 

Of course. These social media snake oil sprays (from these companies that appeared out of nowhere) are just heavily-concentrated polymer spray sealants. Nothing more. They are loaded with silicone fillers. Torque sells that stuff for $40 for a 16oz bottle. For $40 you can buy a whole gallon of polymer spray sealant from about 5 or 6 different popular brand name companies. The same brands professional detailers use. Always smart to do lots of research first, then spend your money wisely. Glad you like it, but it is really nothing magical. Just magically over-priced. I dissuade my fellow Corvette owners from these products as often as possible. I hate seeing my friends get screwed.

Your car looks nice and glossy, though! It's just not much more glossy than if you used something a lot less expensive. They all work the same way, really.

 

Seriously...Thanks for the heads up. I learned something new.

Since you probably know...how does the "Ceramic Coat" deal work?

Thanks again.

 

Well, there are true ceramic coatings, and then there are some polymer spray sealants that contain a small amount of SiO2, which is the base of ceramic coatings. If you are talking about true ceramic coatings, they do work very well. They just aren't for everyone. I think people believe that a ceramic coating on their paint makes it impervious to water spots, bird droppings, and scratching. That isn't true. It is a type of paint protection that does the same thing as a wax or a sealant. It just lasts longer. The surface is very hydrophobic, though, so water rolls right off. It takes longer to get the car dirty, but care must be taken when washing. Maintenance is more difficult with ceramic coatings. If you leave swirl marks when washing or drying, it is a much longer process to fix. On a waxed or sealed car, spot fixes are a breeze. Personally, I think ceramic coatings are best for cars that get driven a lot, and when there aren't many plans to clean it often. Like, a family minivan or something. The spouse's car. For cars that don't get driven often, or for cars that will be washed and waxed often, there is no need for a ceramic coating.

 

KAMAKAZE MIYABI after serious Correction

 

I would be curious to know if you have used Bead Maker. I can't help myself from trying the "snake oil" pricey products but have not found one that beats Bead Maker regardless of the cost. Also, for yuks go to Walmart and by a bottle of Turtle Wax Ice Hybrid Spray Wax for $6. It was heresy for me to test this even on my daily driver tow vehicle but the results were very surprising.

 

So true! Bead Maker is my go-to topper spray and after-wash drying aid. For the money, you won't find anything that provides more extra gloss and surface slickness. It doesn't last more than a couple months, but it isn't supposed to be a stand-alone means of protection. However, if you use it often, it can be. If you want something that works very similar to Bead Maker, pick up a $10 bottle of Nanoskin "Nano Shock". Looks and smells almost identical, but lasts a little longer. Bead Maker is about $30 per gallon, and Nano Shock is about $40 per gallon. I really like both of them.

The unsung hero of the retail shelves! Not as much added gloss as Bead Maker, but lasts longer. Quite a few popular pro detailers on YouTube have tested ICE Spray Wax several times. I detail a few cars for my close friends, and I give them all "care packages" so they can easily maintain their cars after I finish them. I give them some good microfiber towels, and bottle of waterless wash I mixed for them, and a bottle of ICE. Cheap and effective, and keeps their paint looking nice until the next time I detail them.