Frozen Paint Care & Ceramic Coating

[FISH22]

Before pulling the trigger on my current M3, I did a lot of research on Frozen/matte paints... the doom & gloom of upkeep and horror stories. The "don't buy it for a daily", "bird droppings and bug guts will destroy it" etc, etc... but haven't seen too many posts on what it's actually like to live with on a day to day basis. My car is a daily driver and sits in a garage most of the time.

I'll start by saying that I've been an avid DIY detailer for the past 20 years on all my own vehicles, and this Frozen finish is my first matte car. I'm no pro, but I never take my vehicles through an automated wash or to any other detailer for that matter. If your car sits outside most of the time, or you do not have the facilities/equipment to detail your own vehicles, Frozen may not be for your. Frozen in the flesh is extremely gratifying. At the right angles and lighting, it'll make you salivate it looks so good. And well, owning a Frozen car has been an exciting new chapter in ownership and detailing.

This isn't so much a tutorial, rather a glimpse into upkeep for anyone on the fence with purchasing a Frozen car:

• Dr Beasleys provides every single product needed for a Frozen owner to properly maintain their vehicle.

• I have replaced every used microfiber I own, with quality new microfibers. This was to reset and know without a doubt that what I was putting on the paint wouldn't induce scratches.

• The two bucket method is a must for washing, to include; grit guards for both buckets, new quality wash mitts. Every wash is done with a pressure washer: Full rinse, full foam/dwell, rinse, full foam, and then begin wash process.

• I'm still nailing down my drying process, as we live on well water. The water is softened and filtered, but still contains unfavorable minerals. I'd like to avoid contacting the paint as much as possible. There's risk of inducing fine scratches, and the process of constantly "rubbing" the surface could in fact polish out the matte finish over years to come. Currently using a blower to remove most water, than following up with quick passes utilizing a drying microfiber. In the future, I'll be purchasing a resin-based water filtration system to guarantee no spots, and eliminate the need to wipe the surface dry.

• My most recent product applied to protect the finish, is Dr Beasley's Matte Coating Pro kit. This is a pro ceramic coat, and from research, the ONLY full solids cermic kit on the market for matte paints. Any DIY detailer can apply this product, and the results are fantastic with no impact to the Frozen sheen. Also provides protection up to 5 years against your typical bug guts, bird droppings, water spots, and even has minor abrasion resistance.

Quick tips for day to day:

• If the paint is properly protected, your typical road smudge and/or bug guts do not need to be rubbed off immediatly. Again, the goal is to touch the paint as least as possible. I have had ZERO issues with bug guts that have sat on the paint for over a week coming off with a good foam dwell and pressure wash.

• What I do remove immediatley is bird crap. I just don't trust that stuff, and it's been known to eat away clearcoats. I keep a few extra microfibers and Dr Beasley's Final Finish (think matte quick detailer) in my trunk for emergencies.

• If you're concerned with the look of staining, stay away from parking under trees. If the car is protected with ceramic, that layer should take the abuse, but would still be difficult to remove.

If looked after properly with the proper matte products, a Frozen finish is something you could drool over for hours. Out of all the vehicles I have owned, it has without a doubt been the most rewarding and satisfying. As most know, the negative side to all of this... no paint correction. Scratches, swirls, and any other defects that could normally be corrected on a gloss finish. Not happening. A good ceramic coat, or PPF, is the only tool to fight this.

It is an extremely durable and tough finish compared to gloss. Rock chips are one thing, but I was impressed that after one of our large dogs leaped up the driver door excited to see me, and nails dragging down the side of the car, there were absolutely NO scratches or marring. So it's tough. It's not a finish that's just going to defect if you look at it wrong.

Hope some of the above could be help to any prospective buyers, and please don't hesitate to post up your techniques or questions.

[gchriste]

Awesome feedback for some of us sitting on the fence. I saw a Frozen PB in person at the weekend and it looked gorgeous, but my general laziness to maintenance is likely the killer.

[Foggins]

Great write up, thanks for sharing. I used to have a frozen silver E92 M3 and after a small amount of trial and error I had a pretty good routine going like yours above.