[chris_portimaog20]

So With my new car I'm trying o educate my self on best ways to maintain my car (especially the paint) long term.
Very curious how you all take care of your car during the winter.
especially if you live in the north where winter has come.

[A6bullet]

Hey congrats on the car! Saw the pictures on your thread, looks really good.
For myself, I will be doing ceramic coating on the whole car. I will also be adding PPF to the front bumper and side rockers. These are the really high traffic areas that get affected the most.

After that I do my regular hand washes, paying special attention to the undercarriage. If you have a pressure washer even better! If you don't, even a cheap one will do the trick.

I think the most Important part is regular maintenance, don't let the salt and dirt accumulate on the car. Wash it and apply some type of sealant. If you don't have access to hand wash it, look for a touch-less car wash. If you don't have any, then a last resort would be a regular car wash if you have to.

From the pics looks like you have a driveway and easy access to water, so just keep an eye on it and wash it accordingly.

[WestCoast76]

Will do the same here. PPF on the full front and maybe on the side rockers and ceramic coating on the rest. Probably from Gtechniq (Crystal Serum Ultra).

Then hand wash on a regular basis with a good detergent and that's it !

[chris_portimaog20]

thanks for the advice guys really appreciate it . i found an indoor heated self serve hand car wash with pressure washer. with temperatures where i am of -10-20 degrees i will definitely go there

[Pacman123]

Originally Posted by WestCoast76

Will do the same here. PPF on the full front and maybe on the side rockers and ceramic coating on the rest. Probably from Gtechniq (Crystal Serum Ultra).

Then hand wash on a regular basis with a good detergent and that's it !

That's exactly what I'm gonna have done. $2000 for full front ppf, gonna have them black out the mirror caps and bumper corners as cerium doesn't look that good. I bought the gtechniq crystal serum and evox4 kit to do after they wrap it. They were trying to charge $1600 for the ceramic when the kit only costs $105 to do it yourself.

[WestCoast76]

Originally Posted by Pacman123

That's exactly what I'm gonna have done. $2000 for full front ppf, gonna have them black out the mirror caps and bumper corners as cerium doesn't look that good. I bought the gtechniq crystal serum and evox4 kit to do after they wrap it. They were trying to charge $1600 for the ceramic when the kit only costs $105 to do it yourself.

The basic stuff costs indeed nothing but you need some expertise to apply the ceramic. I would be able to apply it but I don't want to do any mistake. Hence, I will go to a professional detailer

[VipinLJ]

I CQed my previous car myself. First time I ever applied ceramic coating and it came out perfect. A couple of high spots which I corrected using my DA and reapplied those parts. Saved $$$s doing it myself. I also paint corrected the entire car before. Spent a full Sunday for it and it was totally worth it compared to how much money I saved.
Maintenance washes - If it’s too cold to wash it properly, I’d recommend a touchless place. That’s what I do in the winter. If the car isn’t too dirty, I do a water less wash using warm water. Keeps the car clean and can be done in 15 minutes.