DIYAndy
Well-Known Member
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Ceramic Seal Coat Prep. for the Ford Ranger
Ceramic Seal Coat for the "new" 2019 Ford Ranger XL, XLT or Lariat paint surface with Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax.
Revision 1.0a
Author: DIYAndy
7/26/19
Updates: indent and whitespace fixes 7/28/19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ford Ranger Surface Preparation Steps "before" Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
These steps are necessary to remove all paint surface contaminates, waxes, dirt, grime, rail dust, iron, fallout, oils, brake dust and sealants, so Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax can be applied to the Ranger's virgin paint surface.
One chemical or solution is normally not enough to prepare the Ranger's paint surface for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax.
TIP: Wait at least 3 months after receiving your "new" vehicle from FMC Wayne Assembly Plant Detroit for the factory paint to cure!
TIP: Make sure the vehicle is out of the sun and in the shade, and the vehicle surface is cool to the touch.
Early morning or late evening is ideal to reduce water evaporation times.
TIP: Never use a "normal" automated car wash with moving fibre bristles that touch your vehicle - go "touchless" or DIY - do it by hand or pressure washer. IMHO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beginning steps of vehicle paint surface preparation for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax:
Please note: Not all steps are needed - depends on "your" paint surface characteristics.
Also, some steps are needed to be preformed only once for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax treatment.
Prep. Steps:
1. Fill, with water, two 5 gallon plastic buckets, one for RINSE and the other one with a vehicle WASH SOAP/water solution.
Insert Cyclone Dirt Traps (Use different color dirt traps for easy wash/rinse indication) into each 5 gallon
bucket.
Cover buckets with lids and transport in back of truck bed to vehicle wash prep area.
2. Do a "touchless" automated vehicle/truck wash, if possible, or thoroughly "manually" RINSE, SOAP, RINSE and DRY the Ranger.
Observe the water beading on the vehicle paint and make notes of it.
3. Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" (For iron and fallout removal)
a. APPLY solution to a "dry" vehicle and allow solution to dwell 3-5 minutes. (Ambient temperature
dependent)
b. AGITATE solution with foam scrubber and soap suds prepare from step #1.
c. Allow solution to dwell for another 3 minutes and RINSE thoroughly.
Please Note: The color of this solution changes color (to pinkest purple) to indicate it's working!
**** DO NOT ALLOW THIS SOLUTION TO DRY ON VEHICLE! ****
Please Note: Use Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" BEFORE claying.
4. Check all vehicle surfaces with plastic baggie, over your hand, for surface contaminates.
Is all the vehicle's surfaces smooth or do you feel bumps with the plastic baggie over your hand and
fingers?
If yes, do step #5 otherwise skip step #5.
5. Using Mother's "Speed Clay 2.0" - "Clay as you wash method" (use only once before ceramic prep!)
a. Clay one area at a time - about 2 square feet.
b. Keeping the working section well lubricated, dip Speed Clay 2.0 into the WASH SOAP bucket
(Step #1) and lightly glide across surface in linear, overlapping motions.
c. Once area feels smooth to the touch, RINSE remaining suds and DRY using a soft, clean
microfiber or terry cloth towel.
d. Repeat process until vehicle is complete.
6. Chemical Guys "Clean Slate" - (Vehicle surface cleaner removes grime, waxes, sealants and oils)
a. Discard previous soap wash/rinse solutions in step #1)
b. Pour 1 oz. of Clean Slate in ~ 5 gallons of water in a (clean) wash bucket.
c. Fill another 5 gallon bucket with clean rinse water.
d. WASH vehicle from top to bottom with microfiber wash mitt with clean slate.
e. RINSE using clean water. Check for close water beading - if there is a lot of water beading do step
#7 otherwise skip step #7.
f. DRY with quality microfiber towel or terry cloth towel. (in one direction and from top to bottom)
7. IPA Wipe Mixture (Optional - if needed ) - 91% Isopropyl alcohol & distilled water H2O (de-ionized &
de-mineralized)
Safe 25% IPA Wipe Solution - 32 oz. sprayer bottle used.
25% IPA mixture - Total hand sprayer IPA bottle mixture volume 400 ml / 13.5 oz.
300 ml. / 10.1 oz. of distilled H2O & 100 ml. / 3.4 oz. of IPA (91% Isopropyl alcohol)
Maximum 50% IPA Wipe Solution - 32 oz. sprayer bottle used.
Total hand sprayer IPA bottle mixture volume 400 ml / 13.5 oz.
200 ml. / 6.8 oz. of distilled H2O & 200 ml. / 6.8 oz. of IPA (91% Isopropyl alcohol)
a. Prepare 25% Safe IPA Wipe Solution in sprayer bottle.
b. RINSE vehicle
c. Check for water beading on vehicle - if there is a lot, DRY vehicle with a microfiber towel
then use the 25% IPA Wipe solution on a clean microfiber towel, on the whole vehicle.
d. Re-check for water beading - there should be hardly none - just water sheeting.
If not, repeat and apply a 50% Max. IPA Wipe solution - This is the maximum that should be
applied!!!!
Now you are ready to apply Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax.
End of vehicle paint surface preparation for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax Applications:
Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax. [Initial base coat - one time only!]
a. RINSE (the previous clean) vehicle. (Mequiars's solution is water activated!)
b. SPRAY Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax generously over all external surfaces.
c. DRY the vehicle with a quality microfiber towel or terry cloth towel.
Note: Wait several hours between both applications.
Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax. [Final coat & for maintenance coats every 3 - 6 months]
a. RINSE (the previous clean) vehicle. (Mequiars's solution is water activated!)
b. SPRAY Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax over all external surfaces.
c. Starting at the roof, use a strong stream of water to RINSE the vehicle a second time.
The hydropower of this rinse will spread the product, coating all the exterior with
Hybrid Ceramic protection.
d. DRY the vehicle with a quality microfiber towel or terry cloth towel(s).
Supplies:
Note: Not all supplies are necessary - use your own judgement.
The DIY supplies cost is far less than a commercial ceramic applications of $800 - $1500.
The commercial ceramic coatings will last longer but Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax is very inexpensive and is so easy to obtain, to apply and to maintain.
Meguiar's Deep Crystal Car Wash (pink solution) - Solution 64 oz. ~ $7 - Auto parts store.
Wash bucket: 1 oz./ 4 cap fulls per gallon of water - 5 oz. or 20 capfuls per 5 gal.
Foam Cannon: 1 oz./ 4 = 0.25 oz. or one cap full per 32 oz. or ~ 1000 ml.
Or
Turtle Wax M.A.X. Power Car Wash - (green solution) - Walmart or any auto parts store. ~ $5 Menards
Wash bucket: Use 3,6,9 oz. per gallon of water - user preference
Foam Cannon 1000 ml = ~ 34 fl oz. -- use only 32 oz. (1 quart) or 946 ml.
4 qt. = gal, use 3 oz./4 - 0.75 oz., 6 oz./4 - 1.5 oz., or 9 oz./4 - 2.25 oz.
Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" 22 oz. ~ $23 - Amazon
Mother's "Speed Clay 2.0" - ~ $22 - Auto parts store.
Chemical Guys "Clean Slate" 16 oz. ~ $15 - Amazon
Mequiars's "Hybrid Ceramic Wax" (Light blue bottle 26 oz.) ~ $12 - $15 - Any big box store or auto parts store.
91% Isopropyl alcohol - Walmart ~ $2.50
Distilled water H2O (de-ionized & de-mineralized) - Walmart ~ $0.80 / gal.
2 5 gallon plastic buckets with lids. ~ $3-$5 ea. Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards
2 colored (different) Cyclone Dirt Traps for 5 gallon buckets. Amazon, Jegs automotive, Chemical Guys
Quality microfiber towels or terry cloth towels or "check pattern" microfiber dry towels - Any auto parts store.
Microfiber foam applicator or foam scrubber. - Any auto parts store.
Microfiber wash mitt. - Any auto parts store.
32 oz. spray bottle - Walmart ~ $2
Optional - 1000 ml. Foam Cannon - Amazon ~ $15 -- Used with a pressure washer.
Detailing educational tips for novices and professionals alike - links:
Ref: Youtube Pan The Organizer
Disclaimer: I have tried all the above steps, with caution, on my new 2019 Ford Ranger. Please follow
each product's instructions very carefully and only try the solutions on a very small inconspicuous area
to see the test results. I am not responsible for any mishap(s) that might occur on your vehicle!
My Ceramic Coat Prep. Notes:
1. Detroit is famous for rail/iron dust but Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" did the job in removing the iron particles and industrial fallout.
Use this expensive chemical sparingly on the vehicle or you might run out!
2. The baggie test failed, on my new Ranger vehicle (all surfaces) due to surface contaminates. Had to clay the paint surface. I used Mother's Clay 2.0.
3. The Chemical Guys "Clean Slate" removed all surface coatings (except paint seal coat) and caused the rinse water to sheet (good) instead of beading (bad)
(Water/rinse sheeting means waxes, polishes and other surface preps. are gone. Water/rinse beading means there are still waxes, polishes present on the surface)
4. The 91% Isopropyl alcohol & distilled water step 7 (both 25% and 50% steps) was not necessary because Car Guys Clean Slate did the job! 1 oz in 5 gallons of water!
5. Time it took for the prep. ~ 5 hours. Of course, as a shortcut, you could clean and dry your vehicle then apply Mequiars's "Hybrid Ceramic Wax"
but I can guarantee you that your results will be inferior compared to mine.
6. The final step of applying Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax took about 2 hours per application. I took my time, for this final step, for the best results.
One bottle of Mequiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax should do the Ranger but again use this chemical sparingly on the vehicle or you might run out!
7. Mequiars's assumes you know what drying is but to be clear - you need to dry their chemical, on the paint surface with a microfiber towel(s), to a light haze then go back over the surface with another dry microfiber towel to lightly buff this haze off the vehicle. It might take several microfiber towels to do the job.
8. Cyclone Dirt Traps keep the dirt trapped in the bottom of the rinse and wash buckets. Be sure to thoroughly clean the traps and buckets after use.
Talk is cheap but a picture is worth a thousand words!
First pic - Tools of the trade.
Second pic - my (metallic - paint code N6) Lightning Blue XL Ranger with only one coat of Mequiars (base coat)
Be sure to put your sun glasses on before viewing this picture or you might go blind!
Ceramic Seal Coat for the "new" 2019 Ford Ranger XL, XLT or Lariat paint surface with Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax.
Revision 1.0a
Author: DIYAndy
7/26/19
Updates: indent and whitespace fixes 7/28/19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ford Ranger Surface Preparation Steps "before" Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
These steps are necessary to remove all paint surface contaminates, waxes, dirt, grime, rail dust, iron, fallout, oils, brake dust and sealants, so Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax can be applied to the Ranger's virgin paint surface.
One chemical or solution is normally not enough to prepare the Ranger's paint surface for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax.
TIP: Wait at least 3 months after receiving your "new" vehicle from FMC Wayne Assembly Plant Detroit for the factory paint to cure!
TIP: Make sure the vehicle is out of the sun and in the shade, and the vehicle surface is cool to the touch.
Early morning or late evening is ideal to reduce water evaporation times.
TIP: Never use a "normal" automated car wash with moving fibre bristles that touch your vehicle - go "touchless" or DIY - do it by hand or pressure washer. IMHO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beginning steps of vehicle paint surface preparation for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax:
Please note: Not all steps are needed - depends on "your" paint surface characteristics.
Also, some steps are needed to be preformed only once for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax treatment.
Prep. Steps:
1. Fill, with water, two 5 gallon plastic buckets, one for RINSE and the other one with a vehicle WASH SOAP/water solution.
Insert Cyclone Dirt Traps (Use different color dirt traps for easy wash/rinse indication) into each 5 gallon
bucket.
Cover buckets with lids and transport in back of truck bed to vehicle wash prep area.
2. Do a "touchless" automated vehicle/truck wash, if possible, or thoroughly "manually" RINSE, SOAP, RINSE and DRY the Ranger.
Observe the water beading on the vehicle paint and make notes of it.
3. Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" (For iron and fallout removal)
a. APPLY solution to a "dry" vehicle and allow solution to dwell 3-5 minutes. (Ambient temperature
dependent)
b. AGITATE solution with foam scrubber and soap suds prepare from step #1.
c. Allow solution to dwell for another 3 minutes and RINSE thoroughly.
Please Note: The color of this solution changes color (to pinkest purple) to indicate it's working!
**** DO NOT ALLOW THIS SOLUTION TO DRY ON VEHICLE! ****
Please Note: Use Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" BEFORE claying.
4. Check all vehicle surfaces with plastic baggie, over your hand, for surface contaminates.
Is all the vehicle's surfaces smooth or do you feel bumps with the plastic baggie over your hand and
fingers?
If yes, do step #5 otherwise skip step #5.
5. Using Mother's "Speed Clay 2.0" - "Clay as you wash method" (use only once before ceramic prep!)
a. Clay one area at a time - about 2 square feet.
b. Keeping the working section well lubricated, dip Speed Clay 2.0 into the WASH SOAP bucket
(Step #1) and lightly glide across surface in linear, overlapping motions.
c. Once area feels smooth to the touch, RINSE remaining suds and DRY using a soft, clean
microfiber or terry cloth towel.
d. Repeat process until vehicle is complete.
6. Chemical Guys "Clean Slate" - (Vehicle surface cleaner removes grime, waxes, sealants and oils)
a. Discard previous soap wash/rinse solutions in step #1)
b. Pour 1 oz. of Clean Slate in ~ 5 gallons of water in a (clean) wash bucket.
c. Fill another 5 gallon bucket with clean rinse water.
d. WASH vehicle from top to bottom with microfiber wash mitt with clean slate.
e. RINSE using clean water. Check for close water beading - if there is a lot of water beading do step
#7 otherwise skip step #7.
f. DRY with quality microfiber towel or terry cloth towel. (in one direction and from top to bottom)
7. IPA Wipe Mixture (Optional - if needed ) - 91% Isopropyl alcohol & distilled water H2O (de-ionized &
de-mineralized)
Safe 25% IPA Wipe Solution - 32 oz. sprayer bottle used.
25% IPA mixture - Total hand sprayer IPA bottle mixture volume 400 ml / 13.5 oz.
300 ml. / 10.1 oz. of distilled H2O & 100 ml. / 3.4 oz. of IPA (91% Isopropyl alcohol)
Maximum 50% IPA Wipe Solution - 32 oz. sprayer bottle used.
Total hand sprayer IPA bottle mixture volume 400 ml / 13.5 oz.
200 ml. / 6.8 oz. of distilled H2O & 200 ml. / 6.8 oz. of IPA (91% Isopropyl alcohol)
a. Prepare 25% Safe IPA Wipe Solution in sprayer bottle.
b. RINSE vehicle
c. Check for water beading on vehicle - if there is a lot, DRY vehicle with a microfiber towel
then use the 25% IPA Wipe solution on a clean microfiber towel, on the whole vehicle.
d. Re-check for water beading - there should be hardly none - just water sheeting.
If not, repeat and apply a 50% Max. IPA Wipe solution - This is the maximum that should be
applied!!!!
Now you are ready to apply Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax.
End of vehicle paint surface preparation for Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax Applications:
Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax. [Initial base coat - one time only!]
a. RINSE (the previous clean) vehicle. (Mequiars's solution is water activated!)
b. SPRAY Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax generously over all external surfaces.
c. DRY the vehicle with a quality microfiber towel or terry cloth towel.
Note: Wait several hours between both applications.
Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax. [Final coat & for maintenance coats every 3 - 6 months]
a. RINSE (the previous clean) vehicle. (Mequiars's solution is water activated!)
b. SPRAY Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax over all external surfaces.
c. Starting at the roof, use a strong stream of water to RINSE the vehicle a second time.
The hydropower of this rinse will spread the product, coating all the exterior with
Hybrid Ceramic protection.
d. DRY the vehicle with a quality microfiber towel or terry cloth towel(s).
Supplies:
Note: Not all supplies are necessary - use your own judgement.
The DIY supplies cost is far less than a commercial ceramic applications of $800 - $1500.
The commercial ceramic coatings will last longer but Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax is very inexpensive and is so easy to obtain, to apply and to maintain.
Meguiar's Deep Crystal Car Wash (pink solution) - Solution 64 oz. ~ $7 - Auto parts store.
Wash bucket: 1 oz./ 4 cap fulls per gallon of water - 5 oz. or 20 capfuls per 5 gal.
Foam Cannon: 1 oz./ 4 = 0.25 oz. or one cap full per 32 oz. or ~ 1000 ml.
Or
Turtle Wax M.A.X. Power Car Wash - (green solution) - Walmart or any auto parts store. ~ $5 Menards
Wash bucket: Use 3,6,9 oz. per gallon of water - user preference
Foam Cannon 1000 ml = ~ 34 fl oz. -- use only 32 oz. (1 quart) or 946 ml.
4 qt. = gal, use 3 oz./4 - 0.75 oz., 6 oz./4 - 1.5 oz., or 9 oz./4 - 2.25 oz.
Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" 22 oz. ~ $23 - Amazon
Mother's "Speed Clay 2.0" - ~ $22 - Auto parts store.
Chemical Guys "Clean Slate" 16 oz. ~ $15 - Amazon
Mequiars's "Hybrid Ceramic Wax" (Light blue bottle 26 oz.) ~ $12 - $15 - Any big box store or auto parts store.
91% Isopropyl alcohol - Walmart ~ $2.50
Distilled water H2O (de-ionized & de-mineralized) - Walmart ~ $0.80 / gal.
2 5 gallon plastic buckets with lids. ~ $3-$5 ea. Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards
2 colored (different) Cyclone Dirt Traps for 5 gallon buckets. Amazon, Jegs automotive, Chemical Guys
Quality microfiber towels or terry cloth towels or "check pattern" microfiber dry towels - Any auto parts store.
Microfiber foam applicator or foam scrubber. - Any auto parts store.
Microfiber wash mitt. - Any auto parts store.
32 oz. spray bottle - Walmart ~ $2
Optional - 1000 ml. Foam Cannon - Amazon ~ $15 -- Used with a pressure washer.
Detailing educational tips for novices and professionals alike - links:
Ref: Youtube Pan The Organizer
Disclaimer: I have tried all the above steps, with caution, on my new 2019 Ford Ranger. Please follow
each product's instructions very carefully and only try the solutions on a very small inconspicuous area
to see the test results. I am not responsible for any mishap(s) that might occur on your vehicle!
My Ceramic Coat Prep. Notes:
1. Detroit is famous for rail/iron dust but Griot's Garage "Iron & Fallout Remover" did the job in removing the iron particles and industrial fallout.
Use this expensive chemical sparingly on the vehicle or you might run out!
2. The baggie test failed, on my new Ranger vehicle (all surfaces) due to surface contaminates. Had to clay the paint surface. I used Mother's Clay 2.0.
3. The Chemical Guys "Clean Slate" removed all surface coatings (except paint seal coat) and caused the rinse water to sheet (good) instead of beading (bad)
(Water/rinse sheeting means waxes, polishes and other surface preps. are gone. Water/rinse beading means there are still waxes, polishes present on the surface)
4. The 91% Isopropyl alcohol & distilled water step 7 (both 25% and 50% steps) was not necessary because Car Guys Clean Slate did the job! 1 oz in 5 gallons of water!
5. Time it took for the prep. ~ 5 hours. Of course, as a shortcut, you could clean and dry your vehicle then apply Mequiars's "Hybrid Ceramic Wax"
but I can guarantee you that your results will be inferior compared to mine.
6. The final step of applying Mequiars's Hybrid Ceramic Wax took about 2 hours per application. I took my time, for this final step, for the best results.
One bottle of Mequiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax should do the Ranger but again use this chemical sparingly on the vehicle or you might run out!
7. Mequiars's assumes you know what drying is but to be clear - you need to dry their chemical, on the paint surface with a microfiber towel(s), to a light haze then go back over the surface with another dry microfiber towel to lightly buff this haze off the vehicle. It might take several microfiber towels to do the job.
8. Cyclone Dirt Traps keep the dirt trapped in the bottom of the rinse and wash buckets. Be sure to thoroughly clean the traps and buckets after use.
Talk is cheap but a picture is worth a thousand words!
First pic - Tools of the trade.
Second pic - my (metallic - paint code N6) Lightning Blue XL Ranger with only one coat of Mequiars (base coat)
Be sure to put your sun glasses on before viewing this picture or you might go blind!
Sponsored
Last edited:
