CharmCtyIS

I got a quote for ceramic pro yesterday for $1700. Just wondering what the disadvantages are other than cost. This one comes with a 5 year warranty.

vi3tboidvt

That comes from Dealership?

PaiMei

Worth every penny IMHO. I had mine applied (interior and exterior) right after I purchased my RX from the dealer by Atomic Auto Salon in Columbia, MD. Car looks great even after rain, pollen, dust, etc.

They recommend that you use their special soap to hand wash the car, but it only takes about 45 minutes to hand wash the car.

LeX2K

Given the amount of time required that price is not that out of line. I've done it myself it took me literally days start to finish.

SW17LS

I also did it myself, I would never pay anybody $1,700 to do it unless the car required a lot of prep work. No harder than applying any sealant or wax, had to wait a day in between coats but that was no big deal.

Applying and removing the coating literally took 30 minutes each time. If even that long.

LeX2K

I would assume for that price it does. On a 2-3 year old car that runs what about $700 if it needs minimal prep work?

SW17LS

LeX2K

Wow, interesting. The application is not hard at all and even if the product is $200 (which is unlikely) that's a pile of cash for how many actual hours. No wonder I do this stuff myself.

WNC

baconRx

CharmCtyIS

That's great! That's where I got the quote from. Good to know they do a good job. Thanks!

SW17LS

14RX350

I'm sorry but that seems ridiculous to pay that amount for a coating.
You ever go to a car wash and see those detail prices... Something like $200-$300 for a full exterior detail? Well applying a coating has the exact same steps. At the end, instead of applying a wax and wiping it off, they apply a coating and wipe it off... Same thing. So the price should be about the same as a regular full exterior detail. the coating product is more expensive, but they are of course buying products in bulk.

In case you want to do it yourself, the steps are:
Wash
Clay (they have clay mitts now that making claying very easy and fast)
OPTIONAL Buff (Remove light scratches by removing a portion of you clear coat)
Prep. Polish (Wipe or buff the paint coating prep. polish on car, then wipe off)
Paint Coating (Wipe paint coating on, then wipe off)

There are many good products out there, but the products I've used and liked are:
Wash: Meguiars Gold Class
Clay: Nanoskin Wash Mit & Nanoskin Glide
OPTIONAL Buff: WolfGang Finishing Glaze with White Polishing Pad (Lexus paint is very soft... I would skip this step if not necessary or just do this step very lightly)
Prep. Polish: Pinnacle Black Label Surface Cleansing Polish
Paint Coating: Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Surface Coating (enough in bottle for many applications)

For that price you could even purchase yourself a top of the line Flex buffer to make the work go even faster.
I like Autogeek. They have sales often.

Truth be told, it is a big job... as every detail is. I just don't see any explanation as to why it would cost more than a regular full detail. Besides the small increase for cost of products.

bcz2010

I paid 50K for my Lexus and $1300 for my professionally applied coating. I have no problem with the price. My car always looks clean and shiny and no waxing or claying anymore. I follow a simple no rinse wash procedure with a 7 year warranty. My detailer also give me a semi annual check up to make sure everything is still fine with the coating. He is established locally and I trust him to honor the warranty if my coating ever degrades.

14RX350

I am definitely a believer in coatings and the protection they provide. I have applied coatings to mine and my parents cars and will never be going back to using wax. If my ONLY choice was to either go without a coating or pay someone $1,300 for one, I would pay the money.
My point was that applying a coating is basically the same procedure as doing a full detail, just with applying a coating at the end instead of a wax... which is the same method... wipe on and wipe off... just with a different product.

So with that in mind, whatever the going rate is for a full detail, it should be roughly the same price for a coating.

Car dealerships have always charged $1500 to $2000 to apply paint coatings and I don't see them changing their prices now to match what they charge for a full exterior detail, as that would basically be admitting that they've been ripping people off. So as long as dealerships keep charging those prices, detailers can do the same.

There are definitely detailers whose work is worth thousands. My point is just that I see no reason why the price should be any higher than a full exterior detail.
So if a detailer charges $1,200 for a full exterior detail, then $1,300 for a coating would make sense.
But if they charge $200 for a full exterior detail and $1,300 for a coating, that makes no sense to me, as it is the same procedure and same amount of work for either job.
Again, coating products are more expensive than wax, so it should be maybe 10% more expensive than a full detail, just to account for the increased expense of the coating products compared to wax.