Ceramic car coatings, what's your experience?
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I have a customer that had it done to his Hellcat. It took two guys a couple of days. He said that he got some kind of aircraft grade stuff that was real expensive. Other than that and his car looked great after they finished is about all I know.
OP
ES44AC
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I want to do it myself. I'm wanting a long lasting coating, wax is a joke this day and time.
I don't have a lot of time to spend cleaning like did when I was a teenager. My Dad told me I was going to wash the paint off the '69 Camaro I had ,Lol... Wish i had it back. Gone for 30+ years now.
I don't have a lot of time to spend cleaning like did when I was a teenager. My Dad told me I was going to wash the paint off the '69 Camaro I had ,Lol... Wish i had it back. Gone for 30+ years now.
Burt Gummer
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I did the cheap(er) Mequiars version. Washed it one day by hand and put their ultimate quick wax(spray on) all over the truck. Waited overnight got up the next day, wet it down and sprayed their version or ceramic wax all over and worked it in as I dried the truck off. What a difference and it was only $12 or $13. Mud, bird poop, and other stuff rinses right off. I’ve got a monthly subscription with the local car wash so I run it through a couple times a week on my way to work. I know that’s probably not the real ceramic you were asking about. But this cheap stuff works pretty good also
Timfoilhat
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I think what you put on is a sealant, not ceramic.
I had a ceramic coating put on my car. Looks good and bird crap slides off without any haze, but I still get rock chips on the hood (maybe even easier) because my German car has thin and environmentally friendly paint.
This^^^ Searching on line reviews is on my to do list.
BMW dealer suggested that I not. Said that they are so hard that you get spider web lines caused by expansion and contraction. He may not know what he's talking about.
Timfoilhat
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He right, relative to the thin paint on german cars.
I have had 2 cars ceramic coated and then had PPF installed in high impact areas. Front bumper, hood, rear-view mirrors front door panels, rocker panel etc... Ceramic coatings make the car easier and faster to clean the PPF protects the paint from rocks and road debris but even PPF has its limitations. If you know what you are doing you can do it yourself. There are lots products out there but the best can only be installed by authorized detailers/installers. They do not sell the best products direct to consumers. In order to get high quality results you need to prep the car properly. It is a lot like refinished a gun in cerakote. Cerakote is a great product and when the firearm is prepped properly it looks great and is durable. If you do a crappy prep job it is going to come off as soon as you put it in a holster. To get the best results you need to do paint correction prior to installation. Unlike wax ceramic coatings are not going to help hide imperfections in the paint. If the car is swirled and you put a ceramic coating on it you will still see the swirls.
A ceramic coating offers paint protection similar to wax or sealant but it last longer. There are tons of claims about hardness, longevity etc. Most of them are bunk. It is not hard enough to protect the paint from impacts. It will not prevent you from swirling the paint if you do not do a proper 2 bucket hand wash. It is not going to protect your car from a car wash with brushes. What it does do is make washing your car properly faster and easier. I had my wheels coated as well. The brake dust pretty much just sprays off with a power washer. It does not stick. So it does not require me scrubbing the wheels with wheel woolies when I wash the car. As @Timfoilhat stated bird crap will wash right off as long as it has not sat too long. Stuff like tar, bird poop and sap will still stick it will just come off easier. The good products offer great hydrophobic properties. Rain beads up immediately and runs off the car so when the car gets rained on it does not leave water spots. The car will "look" cleaner longer with a good ceramic coating. Now all that said the gloss is different than a high end wax. There is a difference in the depth of color. Some people put waxes on top of the coating trying to get the best of both worlds but my installer does not recommend it. To me it functions like a second layer of clear coat.
Another thing to consider is that most of them need to be polished off in order to remove them. It is not like wax or sealants which can be buffed off or will "wash" off over time. If you mess it up you have to polish it off and do it again. The best installer level products last about 5-7 years no matter what they tell you. How you wash the car effects their longevity. At that point you either redo it or go back to wax or sealants. If money is no object most people will redo it after 5-7 years. My plan is assuming I am keeping the cars past 5 years I am going to remove the PPF. Paint correct the car again and then redo it in that 5-7 year timeframe.
So you need to think about what you are trying to accomplish. It is not going to replace washing the car. It is not going to protect it from rock chips. It will have an excellent gloss of different than high end waxes. It is going to make washing your car faster and easier. I can do a foam canon, 2 bucket hand wash and hand dry in about an hour on my ceramic coated cars. I can do a spray and rinseless wash in 30 minutes and get good results. I never have to wax the car. Some people who really want to to save time ceramic coat the car and then get a water deionizer. They then don't have to dry the car because the deionized water does not leave water spots. Drying the car properly takes a lot of time and is where most people swirl the paint.
If you are going to do it yourself I recommend. Gtechnig Crystal Serum light. Lots of pros who detail, coat and wrap cars for a living recommend this as the best do it yourself product. https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/auto/protect/exterior/paint/crystal-serum-light
This is great kit for the entire car.
https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/a...te-plus-exo-ultra-durable-hydrophobic-coating
BMW M3 after ceramic coating install.
Pic at home after a typical wash.
BMW M550ix which was taken from the SC BMW Performance Center were I picked it up with 5 miles on the odometer and drove it directly to my detailer.
Video of M550IX in the shop after coating.
https://imgur.com/LMlsxON
A ceramic coating offers paint protection similar to wax or sealant but it last longer. There are tons of claims about hardness, longevity etc. Most of them are bunk. It is not hard enough to protect the paint from impacts. It will not prevent you from swirling the paint if you do not do a proper 2 bucket hand wash. It is not going to protect your car from a car wash with brushes. What it does do is make washing your car properly faster and easier. I had my wheels coated as well. The brake dust pretty much just sprays off with a power washer. It does not stick. So it does not require me scrubbing the wheels with wheel woolies when I wash the car. As @Timfoilhat stated bird crap will wash right off as long as it has not sat too long. Stuff like tar, bird poop and sap will still stick it will just come off easier. The good products offer great hydrophobic properties. Rain beads up immediately and runs off the car so when the car gets rained on it does not leave water spots. The car will "look" cleaner longer with a good ceramic coating. Now all that said the gloss is different than a high end wax. There is a difference in the depth of color. Some people put waxes on top of the coating trying to get the best of both worlds but my installer does not recommend it. To me it functions like a second layer of clear coat.
Another thing to consider is that most of them need to be polished off in order to remove them. It is not like wax or sealants which can be buffed off or will "wash" off over time. If you mess it up you have to polish it off and do it again. The best installer level products last about 5-7 years no matter what they tell you. How you wash the car effects their longevity. At that point you either redo it or go back to wax or sealants. If money is no object most people will redo it after 5-7 years. My plan is assuming I am keeping the cars past 5 years I am going to remove the PPF. Paint correct the car again and then redo it in that 5-7 year timeframe.
So you need to think about what you are trying to accomplish. It is not going to replace washing the car. It is not going to protect it from rock chips. It will have an excellent gloss of different than high end waxes. It is going to make washing your car faster and easier. I can do a foam canon, 2 bucket hand wash and hand dry in about an hour on my ceramic coated cars. I can do a spray and rinseless wash in 30 minutes and get good results. I never have to wax the car. Some people who really want to to save time ceramic coat the car and then get a water deionizer. They then don't have to dry the car because the deionized water does not leave water spots. Drying the car properly takes a lot of time and is where most people swirl the paint.
If you are going to do it yourself I recommend. Gtechnig Crystal Serum light. Lots of pros who detail, coat and wrap cars for a living recommend this as the best do it yourself product. https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/auto/protect/exterior/paint/crystal-serum-light
This is great kit for the entire car.
https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/a...te-plus-exo-ultra-durable-hydrophobic-coating
BMW M3 after ceramic coating install.
Pic at home after a typical wash.
BMW M550ix which was taken from the SC BMW Performance Center were I picked it up with 5 miles on the odometer and drove it directly to my detailer.
Video of M550IX in the shop after coating.
https://imgur.com/LMlsxON
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I’ve seen a number of vehicles with it. One guy was a regular where I go and every vehicle since 2008 he had it done. He loved it. Paint chipped less unless it was a larger rock. He says washing it is a breeze and never needs wax. All of his were Ford trucks loaded with accessories. The other guy did his car and truck. They look pristine for 10 year old vehicles.
The cost seems fine if you plan to keep vehicles longer than the average buyer. The shine is highly noticeable for years.
The cost seems fine if you plan to keep vehicles longer than the average buyer. The shine is highly noticeable for years.
My only experience is a negative one.
A friend had a full paint correction and ceramic coating done on his babied 05 Tacoma and while it looked great, the ceramic only lasted about 6mo. It seemed not better to me than a quality synthetic wax and sealant for a small fraction of the $1k+ he spent.
A friend had a full paint correction and ceramic coating done on his babied 05 Tacoma and while it looked great, the ceramic only lasted about 6mo. It seemed not better to me than a quality synthetic wax and sealant for a small fraction of the $1k+ he spent.
I have had 2 cars ceramic coated and then had PPF installed in high impact areas. Front bumper, hood, rear-view mirrors front door panels, rocker panel etc... Ceramic coatings make the car easier and faster to clean the PPF protects the paint from rocks and road debris but even PPF has its limitations. If you know what you are doing you can do it yourself. There are lots products out there but the best can only be installed by authorized detailers/installers. They do not sell the best products direct to consumers. In order to get high quality results you need to prep the car properly. It is a lot like refinished a gun in cerakote. Cerakote is a great product and when the firearm is prepped properly it looks great and is durable. If you do a crappy prep job it is going to come off as soon as you put it in a holster. To get the best results you need to do paint correction prior to installation. Unlike wax ceramic coatings are not going to help hide imperfections in the paint. If the car is swirled and you put a ceramic coating on it you will still see the swirls.
A ceramic coating offers paint protection similar to wax or sealant but it last longer. There are tons of claims about hardness, longevity etc. Most of them are bunk. It is not hard enough to protect the paint from impacts. It will not prevent you from swirling the paint if you do not do a proper 2 bucket hand wash. It is not going to protect your car from a car wash with brushes. What it does do is make washing your car properly faster and easier. I had my wheels coated as well. The brake dust pretty much just sprays off with a power washer. It does not stick. So it does not require me scrubbing the wheels with wheel woolies when I wash the car. As @Timfoilhat stated bird crap will wash right off as long as it has not sat too long. Stuff like tar, bird poop and sap will still stick it will just come off easier. The good products offer great hydrophobic properties. Rain beads up immediately and runs off the car so when the car gets rained on it does not leave water spots. The car will "look" cleaner longer with a good ceramic coating. Now all that said the gloss is different than a high end wax. There is a difference in the depth of color. Some people put waxes on top of the coating trying to get the best of both worlds but my installer does not recommend it. To me it functions like a second layer of clear coat.
Another thing to consider is that most of them need to be polished off in order to remove them. It is not like wax or sealants which can be buffed off or will "wash" off over time. If you mess it up you have to polish it off and do it again. The best installer level products last about 5-7 years no matter what they tell you. How you wash the car effects their longevity. At that point you either redo it or go back to wax or sealants. If money is no object most people will redo it after 5-7 years. My plan is assuming I am keeping the cars past 5 years I am going to remove the PPF. Paint correct the car again and then redo it in that 5-7 year timeframe.
So you need to think about what you are trying to accomplish. It is not going to replace washing the car. It is not going to protect it from rock chips. It will have an excellent gloss of different than high end waxes. It is going to make washing your car faster and easier. I can do a foam canon, 2 bucket hand wash and hand dry in about an hour on my ceramic coated cars. I can do a spray and rinseless wash in 30 minutes and get good results. I never have to wax the car. Some people who really want to to save time ceramic coat the car and then get a water deionizer. They then don't have to dry the car because the deionized water does not leave water spots. Drying the car properly takes a lot of time and is where most people swirl the paint.
If you are going to do it yourself I recommend. Gtechnig Crystal Serum light. Lots of pros who detail, coat and wrap cars for a living recommend this as the best do it yourself product. https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/auto/protect/exterior/paint/crystal-serum-light
This is great kit for the entire car.
https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/a...te-plus-exo-ultra-durable-hydrophobic-coating
BMW M3 after ceramic coating install.
Pic at home after a typical wash.
BMW M550ix which was taken from the SC BMW Performance Center were I picked it up with 5 miles on the odometer and drove it directly to my detailer.
Video of M550IX in the shop after coating.
https://imgur.com/LMlsxON
Wealthiest man in Rutherford County.
Not sure I’m following... Are you saying you think we know the same guy, or the guy you mentioned above spent $1500 on his first and had it done in Denver?
Gotcha. It threw me off because I’m pretty sure my friend had his done in denver haha.
OP
ES44AC
Happy to be here
Thanks for your in depth post !I have had 2 cars ceramic coated and then had PPF installed in high impact areas. Front bumper, hood, rear-view mirrors front door panels, rocker panel etc... Ceramic coatings make the car easier and faster to clean the PPF protects the paint from rocks and road debris but even PPF has its limitations. If you know what you are doing you can do it yourself. There are lots products out there but the best can only be installed by authorized detailers/installers. They do not sell the best products direct to consumers. In order to get high quality results you need to prep the car properly. It is a lot like refinished a gun in cerakote. Cerakote is a great product and when the firearm is prepped properly it looks great and is durable. If you do a crappy prep job it is going to come off as soon as you put it in a holster. To get the best results you need to do paint correction prior to installation. Unlike wax ceramic coatings are not going to help hide imperfections in the paint. If the car is swirled and you put a ceramic coating on it you will still see the swirls.
A ceramic coating offers paint protection similar to wax or sealant but it last longer. There are tons of claims about hardness, longevity etc. Most of them are bunk. It is not hard enough to protect the paint from impacts. It will not prevent you from swirling the paint if you do not do a proper 2 bucket hand wash. It is not going to protect your car from a car wash with brushes. What it does do is make washing your car properly faster and easier. I had my wheels coated as well. The brake dust pretty much just sprays off with a power washer. It does not stick. So it does not require me scrubbing the wheels with wheel woolies when I wash the car. As @Timfoilhat stated bird crap will wash right off as long as it has not sat too long. Stuff like tar, bird poop and sap will still stick it will just come off easier. The good products offer great hydrophobic properties. Rain beads up immediately and runs off the car so when the car gets rained on it does not leave water spots. The car will "look" cleaner longer with a good ceramic coating. Now all that said the gloss is different than a high end wax. There is a difference in the depth of color. Some people put waxes on top of the coating trying to get the best of both worlds but my installer does not recommend it. To me it functions like a second layer of clear coat.
Another thing to consider is that most of them need to be polished off in order to remove them. It is not like wax or sealants which can be buffed off or will "wash" off over time. If you mess it up you have to polish it off and do it again. The best installer level products last about 5-7 years no matter what they tell you. How you wash the car effects their longevity. At that point you either redo it or go back to wax or sealants. If money is no object most people will redo it after 5-7 years. My plan is assuming I am keeping the cars past 5 years I am going to remove the PPF. Paint correct the car again and then redo it in that 5-7 year timeframe.
So you need to think about what you are trying to accomplish. It is not going to replace washing the car. It is not going to protect it from rock chips. It will have an excellent gloss of different than high end waxes. It is going to make washing your car faster and easier. I can do a foam canon, 2 bucket hand wash and hand dry in about an hour on my ceramic coated cars. I can do a spray and rinseless wash in 30 minutes and get good results. I never have to wax the car. Some people who really want to to save time ceramic coat the car and then get a water deionizer. They then don't have to dry the car because the deionized water does not leave water spots. Drying the car properly takes a lot of time and is where most people swirl the paint.
If you are going to do it yourself I recommend. Gtechnig Crystal Serum light. Lots of pros who detail, coat and wrap cars for a living recommend this as the best do it yourself product. https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/auto/protect/exterior/paint/crystal-serum-light
This is great kit for the entire car.
https://usa.gtechniq.com/products/a...te-plus-exo-ultra-durable-hydrophobic-coating
BMW M3 after ceramic coating install.
Pic at home after a typical wash.
BMW M550ix which was taken from the SC BMW Performance Center were I picked it up with 5 miles on the odometer and drove it directly to my detailer.
Video of M550IX in the shop after coating.
https://imgur.com/LMlsxON
bspitt
Cajun in da Carolinas
I'm a chemist for a gel coat manufacturer. Several companies were recommending these for fiberglass boats. We tested it before we would recommend it to our customers. End result...in Accelerated Artificial QUVA .. these products did nothing for gloss retention nor discoloration.
However.. this testing simulates zero care for the fiberglass..no washing, waxing, etc. In other words (my opinion) if someone is going to spend 500-1000+ dollars to apply this product to their car/boat...they are going to wash it once in a while too...which very well may prove this product works in the real world. I have see it improve gloss retention on a black gel coat in south FL for a customer whom takes care of his boat.
However.. this testing simulates zero care for the fiberglass..no washing, waxing, etc. In other words (my opinion) if someone is going to spend 500-1000+ dollars to apply this product to their car/boat...they are going to wash it once in a while too...which very well may prove this product works in the real world. I have see it improve gloss retention on a black gel coat in south FL for a customer whom takes care of his boat.
I am not sure how well the ceramic coating will help but I know people put PPF on the lenses which prevents chips, cracks and helps with fading and oxidation.
I was thinking about this for the wife’s new ride also.
Skaufma0
Well-Known Member
I use Jetseal from Chemical Guys (NOT A CERAMIC COATING). Leaves a finish you wouldn't believe and stays that way for weeks if not months, even in the sun and weather. Takes some time, and the car has to be CLEAN when you do it, otherwise it won't work correctly.
This is my dad’s 2003 4Runner a week after using the Jetseal on it, and it's sat in the sun every day of its life.
This is my dad’s 2003 4Runner a week after using the Jetseal on it, and it's sat in the sun every day of its life.
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I use Jetseal from Chemical Guys. Leaves a finish you wouldn't believe and stays that way for weeks, even in the rain. Takes some time, and the car has to be CLEAN when you do it, otherwise it won't work correctly.
This is my dad’s 2003 4Runner after a week, and it's sat in the sun every day of its life.
Jet Seal is a sealant and does a pretty good job. It definitely last longer than most waxes but it is not in the same category as ceramic coating. IIRC you have to do a sealant at least twice a year. I use a similar Adams product on my F150. It is a truck and on top of that its black so at some point I gave up trying to keep it pristine.
4Runner looks good.
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Skaufma0
Well-Known Member
Correct, it's not ceramic coating, but it's a hell of a lot easier to apply, and I get better results than when I've done the ceramic coatings.
>>>clarified my original post<<<
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MikeDawg46L
Rapscallion for hire
Like painting, proper prep is essential. Wash, clay bar, polish, strip, apply ceramic coating. Let ceramic coating sit for a few days in a dry spot out of the sun to cure.
I did my 2015 Mazda with Majestic Solutions Shield and a year later when I traded it in on my current 2018, it still beaded water like a fresh wax job and washed up very easily.
I need to make time to do the 2018 now, but it still only has 9k on the odometer and is flawless.
I did my 2015 Mazda with Majestic Solutions Shield and a year later when I traded it in on my current 2018, it still beaded water like a fresh wax job and washed up very easily.
I need to make time to do the 2018 now, but it still only has 9k on the odometer and is flawless.