# New Restoration Paint Protection (Ford Escort Mexico)



## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

Hi all!

The Short Story - I will soon be having a restored car with brand new fresh paint in my garage ready for reassembly. Im looking for a ceramic coating of sorts to protect this car from the elements as its now considered a classic. Its more than likely not going to venture out a hell of a lot but I just want to protect it while I can and its a bare shell. I've not got much experience with ceramics so application ease is definitely a factor but I would ideally like something with multiple year wear. Any suggestions?

The Long Story - My dad and I had the opportunity last year to purchase a Ford Escort Mexico (Olympic Blue) thats been sat in someones garage since approx 1999. It was a sight for sore eyes as it was exceptionally dusty, rusty in many parts and was half stripped. The previous owner had fully intended to restore the car but life got in the way. A series of personal circumstances, mostly unfortunate, had been thrown at him and as such he was in no position to restore it himself. We have recently found out that he was quite unwell and has consequently passed away. This was an old friend of my dads so we are restoring it not just for us, but him too. Anyway, we jumped at the opportunity to purchase it and from there we had it transported to us. It was all a massive risk as we had good reason to believe it was a legit Mexico but couldn't ever be sure (all checked now, thank goodness!).

The process of moving everything over was quite a pain, truth be told. The chap had spares and parts all over his house so it was quite a tedious process to gather all the bits. Had it been a slightly less popular car, I think we would have left some bits. However, if you fancy a laugh, look up how much these Mexico parts fetch now. Give a genuine Mexico Airbox a search. Made my eyes water! The icing on the cake is that the previous owner was fanatical about these cars. He, luckily for us, also was very friendly with the owner of the local Ford dealership and managed to aquire many *genuine Mexico panels which hadn't ever been on the car. Again, the sheer value of these is, IMO, ridiculous but thats classic cars for you! This made the prospect of restoration much easier. No patent panels needed!

Fast forward a few weeks as we sorted what was what and we started to strip it down further. Engine and gearbox came out one evening surprisingly simply (considering how much beer was consumed). It was then sat on a ramp with just the wheels and cross members attached. I love how simple these older cars are!

Fast forward another few weeks (possibly months) as we again tinkered in the spare time. All parts were now off the car and it sat looking rather sorry for itself in the garage, still filthy and now entirely naked (the car that is :lol. It was at this point that we begain to look beyond just stripping it and into the future. It needed some serious, serious work. Rear arches were knackered, front end had seen some bump action (only very minor), Stevie Wonder himself had done some welding and so on. To me, it was really bad. Now, looking back, its just an old ford. It was destined to rust! (sorry Ford boys!)

If you are still reading me waffle on, I salute you! The car then went off for Soda Blasting as that was the next step to remove it of its rusty disease and to clean up all the paintwork. This was the most scary moment for me personally as the car came back looking holier than the Pope. It was like a bloody great tea bag. Its unfortunately that at this point, the car sat and is still sat now. Its been sat in that state since Corona decided to pop along and wind us all up. In the meantime, the rear diff has been rebuilt and sealed. My dad has hammerite'd all major underside components and they look brilliant. New front shocks, hubs and brakes are hanging up and are ready to go too. The onslaught of parts being ordered has slowed but its still trickling!

You're now as caught up as possible without writing a dissertation on the restoration which brings me, after going right round the houses, to my question above. The shell is due to be stripped of its panels that are beyond repair, fitted with new, and then painted in its original colour in the coming months. Once the car arrives back, I am well aware it needs plenty of time to gas off before anything can be used to coat it. In regards to coatings, this is where I need you! I have recently applied Gtec C4 to my daily drivers wheels and that was a doddle. Being that this, once restored, is going to be staying with us forever I want it to be fully protected. The ideal situation would be something that is easy to apply and lasts forever (HA!). Of course, back in the real world, I appreciate this isnt possible.

Having done some research, and getting more farmiliar with the plethera of products on the market now, I have come to the conclusion that I need your help! I understand some coatings have a fantastic lifespan but those mostly need to be applied by a professional. I'd ideally like to avoid that route as this rebuild had been done nearly entirely (besides soda blasting and painting) by my dad and I.

So, time for your opinions. What products should I focus my search on? I don't mind spending proper money if its justified with a longer lifespan. The only other thing to bare in mind will be that this product will most likely be going on everything. Engine bay, arches, everything. The only place it won't be (I think) will be underside protection. So, lets hear it!

Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing what products you guys recommend :driver:*


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## rob267 (Nov 27, 2015)

Need pics of this please.

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

rob267 said:


> Need pics of this please.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk


No dramas. Let me find some and work out how to upload, its about time lol.


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)




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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

Theres a couple to give you an idea. This was a little while after we had it but it came not that far off as you see it! There have been some really hilarious moments with this car already. Silly things like when we were taking the engine out, I needed a different socket under the car. My dad just passed me the right socket through the huge hole in the floor.


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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

I think you are overthinking it 6 - you are doing a bare bones restoration so that is where you will inject the protection. Ceramic is just the new kid on the block - a classic car must be dressed with wax imo. For an unrestored classic, then water is the enemy so if you want to play safe on the finished car treat it like it was unrestored - ONR is your friend when washing.


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## Steveom2 (Jul 29, 2018)

Can’t wait till this is finished 👍 one of my all time favourites


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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

Btw you haven't mentioned what paint you will be using?


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## Chris Donaldson (Jun 26, 2016)

I’m with Suds on this one. I have 2 classics, on both of my classics I only do a few miles a year and swear by ONR to keep the water exposure down. I also get my airline with blow off gun and get in and about all the little gaps to ensure the cars are properly dry before storing. I too like waxing them. Given that I only do 100-200 miles a year in each and the cars are garaged at all times I find that even show waxes last long enough. I tend to apply a coat in the spring when I’m getting all excited about the car coming out the garage and then apply another coat in Autumn when it’s ready to put the car away for the winter. It also gives me an excuse to spend some time going over the car and looking at everything in detail so I would be more likely to notice anything that may require a little attention. There’s a strong argument for something like PPF but to me it’s not in keeping with the car and Ceramic would also work well but I really don’t think you’ll need to go that far. You’d probably get more enjoyment out of waxing.


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

suds said:


> I think you are overthinking it 6 - you are doing a bare bones restoration so that is where you will inject the protection. Ceramic is just the new kid on the block - a classic car must be dressed with wax imo. For an unrestored classic, then water is the enemy so if you want to play safe on the finished car treat it like it was unrestored - ONR is your friend when washing.


Thanks for the reply! I think there is plenty of merit in what you've said and I hadnt considered this before. We are doing our absolute best to future proof this car and so that will probably be enough. I suppose the other element is that a ceramic might save the poor paintwork from my dad threateneing it with a sponge if im not around to wash it lol.

In reply to your other question regarding paint:
Im not entirely sure yet. Its definitely going to be a 2 stage paint (colour and clear) but I cant for the life of me remember why we arent going single stage. Truth be told, im quite happy with 2 stage as I quite like the gloss a clear coat can give. I will find out more soon!


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

Chris Donaldson said:


> I'm with Suds on this one. I have 2 classics, on both of my classics I only do a few miles a year and swear by ONR to keep the water exposure down. I also get my airline with blow off gun and get in and about all the little gaps to ensure the cars are properly dry before storing. I too like waxing them. Given that I only do 100-200 miles a year in each and the cars are garaged at all times I find that even show waxes last long enough. I tend to apply a coat in the spring when I'm getting all excited about the car coming out the garage and then apply another coat in Autumn when it's ready to put the car away for the winter. It also gives me an excuse to spend some time going over the car and looking at everything in detail so I would be more likely to notice anything that may require a little attention. There's a strong argument for something like PPF but to me it's not in keeping with the car and Ceramic would also work well but I really don't think you'll need to go that far. You'd probably get more enjoyment out of waxing.


I have to ask - what classics do you have?

I should have mentioned this before but my other reasoning for a ceramic would be the 'hardness' it can bring to the clear. My dad is very much a bucket and sponge kinda guy and I had hoped it might bring another element of resistance to marring and small scratches. That all being said, I am beginnning to feel like the ceramic idea is a lot of effort considering how many miles (and consequently how many washes it going to see) throughout the year.

I do have a good few waxes kicking about so I imagine it will finally give me a chance to crack those out and use them instead of the lazy spray sealants I use on my daily lol


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

UPDATE:

The mexico is finally getting ready to go off for resto. After much head scratching and some faffing with a tape measure, the below picture is the result. Turns out a luton van is quite a good vehicle transport. She will be off for a few months being restored which gives us enough time to tend to the parts that need stripping and painting. It also gives us the space and time to rebuild the engine which is the most exciting part. Still trying to twist arms to get the engine 'fettled' but stock seems the most sensible way to go value wise.


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## RS3 (Mar 5, 2018)

Regular updates please.

Can't wait for this one.

Escort Mexico - Best car ever made.


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

I had a Mex for nearly 30yr and fully intended to do what you are doing - but lack of use pushed me to more modern RS's

where you getting the work done?


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## Chris Donaldson (Jun 26, 2016)

straight6hatch said:


> I have to ask - what classics do you have?


I have an Escort Cosworth and a Mini.

I think staying with a standard engine is the way to go for you but that's just my opinion.

Best off luck with the restoration. Like others on here, I'm certainly interested on updates as you progress on the build.


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## Derek-Eddleston (Aug 17, 2016)

These people aren't cheap but lots of the seriious restorers use them.

https://www.surfaceprocessing.co.uk/classic-vehicle-solutions/restoration-guide/

Derek.


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

RS3 said:


> Regular updates please.
> 
> Can't wait for this one.
> 
> Escort Mexico - Best car ever made.


Ill have to take your word for it, I havent driven one yet haha! Cant wait for that first drive moment. I have been warned not to expect it to be 'fast'. After looking up the engine specs, 90HP is unlikely to win any races :lol:


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

grunty-motor said:


> I had a Mex for nearly 30yr and fully intended to do what you are doing - but lack of use pushed me to more modern RS's
> 
> where you getting the work done?


Ah fantastic! 30 Years, wow! 
I understand the classic thing isnt for everyone and I could hardly blame you for choosing something you'd drive over something you dont.

Resto wise, I dont know the company name but theyre located near Brands Hatch. Helpful I know :lol:


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

Chris Donaldson said:


> I have an Escort Cosworth and a Mini.
> 
> I think staying with a standard engine is the way to go for you but that's just my opinion.
> 
> Best off luck with the restoration. Like others on here, I'm certainly interested on updates as you progress on the build.


I should have just looked at your pic lol!

There is, dare I say it, also the possibility of a classic mini in the near future too. We have been offered one but the number of cars we have is getting a little silly now. Whats yours like? Ive never driven one but they look like an absolute blast. Ive never seen anyone driving a classic mini that doesnt have a smile on their face!

We all love a cossie. Theyre just so classic.


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

UPDATE: So, the car is currently off to the resto as I type this. We have joked that being in the back of the van will be the fastest it will travel in its life :lol:

There are a plethora of panels (most of which are original and genuine Ford Panels) that still need to be transported up to the restorers. We didnt feel safe having those panels in with the shell so theyre going up seperately. 

After a very thorough garage tidy, it will be time to focus on the engine. No doubt there will be lots of pics on that department so watch this space


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

*Update*

Hello all! Me again :wave: (Go and pop the kettle on!)

So, in the last update you'll have seen that the Mexico was loaded up into the back of one of the work vans and carted off to the restorers.

I will say that unfortunately due to work, I havent been up to actually see the restoration in person. When I say 'Work', what I actually mean is that my dad tells me im looking after the store while he goes off to see it being done :lol:. Anyway, I digress.

The restorer has been sending images periodically over to my dad who then passes them on to me. As you'll have seen by some of the picture, the poor original shell is most definitely.....holey?....










A verbal update I got a few months back now was that the chap doing the resto had run into an issue. We always had trouble lining up the doors after the car came back from shotblasting (and priming). Dad and I always attributed this to a thicker area of primer making life a challenge to properly close the doors. We were wrong.....Then again, we were using a screwdriver to temporarily hold the doors on...and cable ties :doublesho

What was actually going on was due to some damage earlier in the cars life. It looks as though the car suffered a relatively minor bump to the front offside. Obviously crumple zones weren't really a thing when the Mexico was produced so the impact had actually pushed part of the front wing back into where the bottom part of the door would sit. Difficult to explain without actually pointing! As a consequence of this 'bump' the whole front end of the car had to be removed. The images always make me chuckle looking at it because it just looks odd with no front end. It was probably a good thing that the whole front end was removed as it showed more and more rot....classic Fords .










Lots of work has been put into rectifying this issue, as you would expect from any decent restorer! The bent section has been replaced, areas above the wheel arch, sills and all retaining points have been addressed. Much as I love cars, I definitely couldnt do what this chap does. Thankfully, not only does this chap really know his beans, he had plenty of other Mexico's to reference. Not just that, but a purpose built Mexico Jig is available in his arsenal so make sure everything lines up MM perfect. You'll all know how important everything lining up is, especially when it comes to reintroducing the doors and all other panels to the mix. Sod having to adjust them all!

You'll notice in a lot of the pictures that there have been lots of additional strength bars added and tacked in just to give the car some structure while its being worked on. As you can imagine from a car thats so badly rotted, this is required mostly because if you take too many parts off, it can warp and bend the frame....or just fall apart altogether. I had a funny (not for the chap) story recently of someone with an E-Type that went in for shot blasting and came out in cardboard boxes.....










Im getting lost with the ordering of things here as pictures come in heaps so you'll have to forgive me if things arent in a logical order!

Next up on the menu was a side order of Sills. Obviously, being low down, they were absolutely destroyed. All cut out in large sections and replaced with new metal. Both sides and extensively.



















By this stage, if you're still with me, thank you . The keen eyed of you (joking) will have spotted the sorry state of the floor pans. Again, being low down and such a lightweight racing machine (with 60hp :lol there can't have been much underseal from factory. Naturally this means the floorpans taking a beating too. Theres a theme here with Fords and rust . New floor pans from ****** panels (as per most of the replacement panels here, more on that shortly) were sourced and fitted! No more Fred Flintstone moments however....



















Alongside the bump repair, sills and floorpans there were obviously various other areas that required considerable attention. I have some pics of the areas below. One area, essentially what would be a firewall but affectionately known as 'the boobies' by myself *takes bow* initially look unaffected. Unfortunately, as per the pics, you can see they're part of the metal arch liners and have corroded too!


































This pretty much takes everything up to speed. Well. As far as I have pictures and information for anyway. Its seeing all these shiny new metal panels that gets me excited. Im most excited for the engine however....

The last point I wanted to make was about panels. I can't remember if I had mentioned this before but its something worth considering if you're reading this and ever want to under take your own resto. We originally got exceptionally lucky with this find for the simple fact that the previous owner had spent years sourcing *brand new, unused* oem ford panels. They were never fitted as he never got around to properly restoring the car before he passed away unfortunately. However, this put us in an excellent position to make this a truly original and special Mexico. That said, discussions were had and we decided to go a different direction. 'Fools' I hear you scream. Well. Listen to this before you decide. I'd rather not talk figures on a public forum (its none of ya' business you scallywags  ) but lets just say that one single genuine wing paid for most of the replica Panels that are required. Thats one body panel in exchange for multiple other replacement panels. If you look into (starred out brand) panels, you'll realise that unless you are shooting for a 6 figure concours Mexico, it just makes sense to use replica panels. They are thicker, better made and a hell of a lot cheaper. The other issue with sticking with the truly original panels, other than the cost, is the fact that if you go to that extent with the body panels, everything else must follow. Honestly, Dad and I are far too excited to get it on the road to go down the route of spending years sourcing some of the original oem parts. Also, we want to actually use and drive this car. Its going to shows, its being used in the summer months as an actual car. We want to enjoy it and we will.

Until the next update folks :wave:


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## Chris Donaldson (Jun 26, 2016)

Nice write up. I can’t wait for the next instalment!


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

Chris Donaldson said:


> Nice write up. I can't wait for the next instalment!


Thanks Chris!

Very excited myself. Even more excited to start reassembling everything! Ive started practising my wiring as I feel this is going to be the most challenging element due to not having done much of it in the past!

My expectation is that the next update will involve more panel replacement and then its onto the panel work for painting! :argie:


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

*The Engine....*

Hi folks,

Another, albeit minor, update for you!

On this episode, we are talking about the engine! Exciting 

For those Ford nuts, this first bit might be a bit obvious. For those non-nuts, I will go into some detail!

Rolling out of the factory, the little Escort came with a whopping 85hp from a 4 cylinder 1.6 CrossFlow Engine. 124 nm of torque too!

Whoa.....:tumbleweed:

Being that we wanted to keep this restoration as close as possible to the factory specification, the initial plan was essentially an engine overhaul but keeping everything as OEM as possible. PLans were to skim the head, change it to accomodate modern fuel (de-leading?) and just generally ensure the engine was as fresh as could be. Naturally, being a little old, the original parts are exceptionally difficult to find. Also, my dad (aka the treasurer of this project) didnt fancy going mad and throwing in a 2.0 Pinto engine or anything like that for fear of ruining its originality. The idea of a Cosworth engine also fell on deaf ears....I know, I know.

With the body taking shape nicely (I will get some pictures up soon enough of how that is progressing), focus turned to the engine. I had suggested to dad that we rebuild the engine ourselves. Being under 30, DOHC is the thing I am used to so having a minor nose about the CrossFlow engine, I was perplexed and intrugued in equal amounts. The cam? At the bottom? Eh?! Anyway, due to work commitments and generally not wanting to rebuild the entire thing and have it spontaneously explode at the first turn of the key, we opted to have it all professionally rebuilt by a local, very well reputed, engine builder. Shame, I was looking forward to getting messy!

Without any prior chatting, the engine was off to the builders. I didnt even see it go! One day I go into my garage to find the stand empty and no Mexico engine....It was already with the rebuilders :lol:. Then, like a child at christmas, my dad comes rushing into my office. 'Ive just a call from the engine builder and he has invited me over to see what he can do'. All pleas and attemps to go with him, feeling a bit like a toddler being denied sweets, I was left at work to man the buisness while he went off to look at engines. Ill have to recover somehow.

Some hours passed and I had a feeling Dad was up to no good. I was indeed correct. He came back, barely able to hide the smile from his face, and explained he had changed his mind on keeping the engine stock. At this point, I got exceptionally excited! Before your mind wonders off into the realms of crazy engine swaps, let me bring you back down. The task ahead is just to keep this a pristine example. It wont be perfection, nor concours, but it will be blooming close! As such, the engine had to be inkeeping with this plan......but......

Dad had been convinced by the builder to change his course - ever.so.slightly.

Enter the 'fettling'. Namely the following: Larger Carb (from a 2.0 varient), slightly adjusted cam for greater lift, lightened flywheel (not excessively but just for easier revving) and a few other little bits such a port polishing etc.

The hope is that what we end up with is a slightly more peppy driving experience but without losing the original character. Plenty of people have been seen adding another carb (Twin Webbers are popular), a racing cam, ridiculously light flywheel (horrific town driving experience), oversized pistons and the list goes on. That, we feel, would take away from the true driving experience. You could argue that is what we are doing by upgrading some engine components but still, who doesnt fancy some more poke?

In regards to figures, we have absolutely no idea. The builder anticipates it 'should' make over the 100hp mark but with a better torque curve etc. Ill let you know what the butt dyno says once its on the road :thumb:

Thats all for the moment im afraid guys. As a little teaser, the bodywork is looking exceptionally good. It actually resembles a car again....

See you at the next update :wave::thumb:


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

My engine was that spec for a while - larger valves, Piper 286, DGV 32/36 and produced 110hp

Electronic ignition was a good move too - no more points/dwell angle nonsense to mess things up!


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## straight6hatch (Jul 17, 2020)

grunty-motor said:


> My engine was that spec for a while - larger valves, Piper 286, DGV 32/36 and produced 110hp
> 
> Electronic ignition was a good move too - no more points/dwell angle nonsense to mess things up!


Lovely! 110 is going to be good enough!

Yes, I totally forgot to mention electronic ignition. Dad and I have some plans regarding this and immobilisers etc. I doubt ill touch on that very much as its more of a security thing considering these are rather sought after and not that difficult to steal!


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## Rappy (Oct 2, 2020)

straight6hatch said:


> Lovely! 110 is going to be good enough!
> 
> Yes, I totally forgot to mention electronic ignition. Dad and I have some plans regarding this and immobilisers etc. I doubt ill touch on that very much as its more of a security thing considering these are rather sought after and not that difficult to steal!


Yes, a few kill switches or fuse removal normally helps 

One of my mates has a detachable steering wheel on his


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

straight6hatch said:


> Lovely! 110 is going to be good enough!
> 
> Yes, I totally forgot to mention electronic ignition. Dad and I have some plans regarding this and immobilisers etc. I doubt ill touch on that very much as its more of a security thing considering these are rather sought after and not that difficult to steal!


I used one of these just under the drivers seat.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310846010629?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

the more layers the better - certainly easy to steal these cars and in the UK they are VERY sought after!!!

keep the updates coming:thumb:


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Ooh, nice updates and some nice touches to the engine side of things :thumb:


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

I wouldn't ceramic coat this. I would invest in a tub of Zymol Concours, which smells divine by the way, and give it a few coats of that. Enjoy the process, top the coats up every now and then. You will get so much pleasure out of hand waxing it. It is very calming.


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## chris chappell (Jun 6, 2007)

Another one here for Zymol, old school wax that looks great and performs well. Not cheap tho.


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