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My almost-new 20 year old '03 AE coupe (got it last Jan. with only 6K miles on it) had the "partial" PPF on it on 3 sides (that could be 20 years old as well). The front bumper PPF section had some dings and was delaminating in spots and looked pretty bad. So for the past few weeks I've been removing it with a heat gun and plastic razor-scrapper, 1/2" by 1/2". I removed the side mirror PPF sections today and will do the lower side body sections over the next month. Rapid-Remover cleaned it up really well, and now the front bumper looks brand new, not a single chip or scratch (photo shows when 1/2 of it was done).
So what do I do now after a thorough machine polishing/correction (here's the rabbit hole...): PPF again (replace in 5 years), DIY ceramic (Miyabi & Zipang), Polymer Coating (ReJex) or Wax (Carnauba or an Esoteric exotic)?
PPF should be replaced every 5 years while it's easy to remove, DIY ceramic has to be machine polished off every 3-5 years (you can only do that a few times), I used ReJex on my last 2 vettes (photo of my yella one below) & thought it was slick as hell (comes off with Dawn, easy to manage) but no one here on the forum has mentioned ReJex very much if at all... or go with a modern wax? So far after a few weeks of research I'm thinking ReJex is the way to go, has gloss like a ceramic and manages like a wax? What says my forum?
I think it depends on your preference, on my daily driver I have ceramic coating so I can get by with it sitting in the rain and just be wiped off every 1-2 weeks. On vette I like the process of waxing
Really all depends on how you’ll use the car and how you prefer to maintain.
If you plan on driving it regularly and chips will diminish your enjoyment, some level of PPF + ceramic will fit the bill. If a chip here and there isn’t the end of the world and you wanna spend less time cleaning then ceramic alone will likely work well.
Less miles than a daily driver and you don’t mind a day maintaining everyone and again, something tasty & luscious from POLISHANGEL; High Gloss Paste Wax/High Gloss Spritz would look divine in that color.
So, anyone using ReJex? I first used it on my '04 Mag-Red coupe. When I first applied & buffed it I was amazed at the gloss. That car got totaled in 2010, so then I got the '09 Vel-Yellow vert, and again the Rejex looked like glass, and you could reapply it every so often to build up that polymer layer. Point being the ReJex is like a wax but with less effort, and had gloss like ceramic.
She's not a daily driver, is always in a heated/AC'd garage, and I plan to hang on to her as a collector... so do worry about the ceramic & PPF wearing out every 5 years (might PPF the front though, it's amazing how well it protected it over 20 yrs).
I still have a bottle of Rejex in my closet at least 10 years old. Is this product still available?
Does it work better than Rain-X for glass/windshield to repel water and use windshield wipers less?
I'd be hesitant on using any chemical that's 10 years old, plus their prices are pretty decent. They have a large line of cleaning, polishing and protective products, available at Rejex.com. On glass it's about the same as Rain-X last time I used it, but I remember thinking it lasted longer.
UPDATE: After reading further on their website, Rejex DOES NOT come off/wash off chemically, you can only polish it off (I thought I remembered it would come off with Dawn, nope), so it's more like a ceramic coating. Thus I might just go with the Miyabi-Zipang combo, or Carnauba?
I'll post back later to show the results of what-the-hell-ever I decide to go with
Why just the grill? I just found out it doesn't wash off, so not sure I'd use it now (Rejex vs Ceramic = a similar process, DIY ceramic may be a better choice)?
I'd be hesitant on using any chemical that's 10 years old, plus their prices are pretty decent. They have a large line of cleaning, polishing and protective products, available at Rejex.com. On glass it's about the same as Rain-X last time I used it, but I remember thinking it lasted longer.
UPDATE: After reading further on their website, Rejex DOES NOT come off/wash off chemically, you can only polish it off (I thought I remembered it would come off with Dawn, nope), so it's more like a ceramic coating. Thus I might just go with the Miyabi-Zipang combo, or Carnauba?
I'll post back later to show the results of what-the-hell-ever I decide to go with
The only thing I dislike about Rain-X is that is leaves a smudy film that is very noticeable on all glass. Very difficult to remove the smudges on windshield to get a clear view.
There is a new Rain-X Ceramic X product in a silver spray bottle perhaps it's an improved version of the regular Rain-X in the yellow bottle?
Yikes, Carnuba's even the Hyrbrids, do give a bit of a warmer feeling but they are so 90's and out dated. Yes, I know we have newer Carnubas and they do give a warmer look, BUT Ceramics are simply the way to go if you are looking for lower maintenace and a OK shine.
Most of the Ceramics give a very sterile look, a nice non-depth shine and OK hydrophobic qualities but zero depth to the paint and a lot less maintenance. This works for 80% of the audience.
At my shop we used Feynlabs Ceramic and it actually created depth to the paint. As a pro detailer you are looking for a product that puts you above your competition and Feynlabs did it. I can say I tested some 25 Ceramic products and all had a nice shine and hydrophobic qualities but NONE gave the paint depth. One that gave a lifetime warranty, and that is all it did, and I had to use it as it seemed to be the industry standard due to their massive marketing campaign, but when I showed my customer that product versus Feynlabs, Feynlabs was the choice every time
I am not associated with Feynlabs but their product did wonders for me and my shop.
LS WON toss your 10 year old product. Shelf Life on most products is 2-5 years. Time to get caught up in Ceramics
Yikes, Carnuba's even the Hyrbrids, do give a bit of a warmer feeling but they are so 90's and out dated. Yes, I know we have newer Carnubas and they do give a warmer look, BUT Ceramics are simply the way to go if you are looking for lower maintenace and a OK shine.
Most of the Ceramics give a very sterile look, a nice non-depth shine and OK hydrophobic qualities but zero depth to the paint and a lot less maintenance. This works for 80% of the audience.
At my shop we used Feynlabs Ceramic and it actually created depth to the paint. As a pro detailer you are looking for a product that puts you above your competition and Feynlabs did it. I can say I tested some 25 Ceramic products and all had a nice shine and hydrophobic qualities but NONE gave the paint depth. One that gave a lifetime warranty, and that is all it did, and I had to use it as it seemed to be the industry standard due to their massive marketing campaign, but when I showed my customer that product versus Feynlabs, Feynlabs was the choice every time
I am not associated with Feynlabs but their product did wonders for me and my shop.
LS WON toss your 10 year old product. Shelf Life on most products is 2-5 years. Time to get caught up in Ceramics
It's older than 10 years since 1979 on LG that I have been using LG if that is what you mean?
But I'm sure that the LG product has been through changes and different formulations and law suits.
You can now get it in CA as I saw it on sale a few weeks ago.
I had to buy the batches I got out of state at a much higher price.
Then I went to Zaino as you already know when I got the Corvette and used the Zaino products for at least 17+ years.
I am getting too old for all of those steps so I went back to LG and now use that on the Corvette with great results as the LG gives the Corvette better protection than the Zaino as far as my experience between these two products go with the kinds of contaminants in the aptmosphere I have encountered on the Corvette.
Doing anykind of washing a vehicle or any polishing using ANY product at this point in my life is starting to hurt.
So now LG works for me as a one time application on each polish session. Good thing the Corvette doesn't have too much for me to wash and polish.
The 1988 Mustang GT that I factory ordered in 1987 from Ford in Dearborn, MI was a Liquid Glass Polish car which I did use for 31+ years on that car which did work wonders as far as covering up blemishes, scratches from plywood and paint transfer from freeway debris.
It gave a showroom shine and people were always asking me if I would sell the Mustang GT whenever I was getting fuel at a gas station or even driving on the freeway as well as leave notes on my windshield with a phone number when Mustang was left in parking lot.
When you say toss the 10 year old product you must mean the Zaino products because I have noticed some of my old Zaino products Z-2 to Z-10 or whatever numbers does go bad and changes in texture.
The Zaino Z-6? and Z-8? (both of the Zaino detail sprays) seem to last long.
Also the Zaino car wash Z-6? seems to last long as far as shelf life.
The LG doesn't go bad for as long as I have stored the latest batches and has proven the test of time which is why so many of us go back to it.
This post on YouTube is a side-by-side comparison of Liquid Glass (which is now "Finish-First") vs Rejex. On his later comments he seems to prefer the Rejex after 3 months, but seems to mostly be a tie.
This post on YouTube is a side-by-side comparison of Liquid Glass (which is now "Finish-First") vs Rejex. On his later comments he seems to prefer the Rejex after 3 months, but seems to mostly be a tie.
Don't know about that Finish First. I only know the Liquid Glass Polish has changed the formulations since 1979 and of recent as LG is now for sale again in California. I bought my LG out of state and at a costly $60.00 per can. When it used to be available in CA it was 15. Now in CA it is availble for $41.95. I do not want no watered down CA product because of CA VOC regulations.
I'd be hesitant on using any chemical that's 10 years old, plus their prices are pretty decent. They have a large line of cleaning, polishing and protective products, available at Rejex.com. On glass it's about the same as Rain-X last time I used it, but I remember thinking it lasted longer.
UPDATE: After reading further on their website, Rejex DOES NOT come off/wash off chemically, you can only polish it off (I thought I remembered it would come off with Dawn, nope), so it's more like a ceramic coating. Thus I might just go with the Miyabi-Zipang combo, or Carnauba?
I'll post back later to show the results of what-the-hell-ever I decide to go with
I will hold onto this 15+ year old Rejex bottle as someday it will be a collectors item.
11-01-2023, 05:27 PM
PPF vs Ceramic vs Polymer vs Wax
