I've been watching this YouTube channel (for about a year) that is run by a guy that owns a detail shop. He seems to do a lot of high end vehicles. He is IMO doing an excellent job with testing PPF brands and ceramic/wax brands. Check out his videos if you're interested in PPF or ceramic coatings.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-o...M2x8WX9VTBid4w

 

i'm still a bit weary about using Ceramic Coating....kinda like vaping to me...still too new and not enough long term data or product quality control

 

If you watch the videos of him doing long term tests, you’ll see it works for the top brands (IGL and U.K. Quartz). I’ve had mine for 9 months and it still beads water like when it was just coated and my paint still looks like it’s just been waxed haha. I was getting really annoyed with waxing my car all the time. So far ceramic coating has been the best thing I’ve done for keeping my car cleaner and the paint protected besides the PPF on the entire front.

 

I've run XPEL Ultimate along with Modesta on quite a few of my vehicles - zero complaints. Application is key.

 

I think Graphene is the next big rage as far as coatings go.

 

absolutely not- I applied ceramic coating on my RX350 and that car is so easy to clean now. looks great too

 

Get on the ceramic coatinf train. Its not hard as a DIY. I do it to almost everything now. Making tape has a hard time a ticking to the paint. It makes my weekly wipe down a breeze and the shine is amazing.

 

I've been using this for 6 months with outstanding results. I "stack" it, by using several coats applied over a 24-48 hour period. It certainly isn't the highest end ceramic available, but my car looks brand new. I've had complete strangers comment on the car; they can't believe it's 4 years old.

It's definitely worth a try. Make sure you're car/paint is very clean prior to applying.

 

this...i've seen info about it and if you can expand on the VERY important key parts to have it come out properly...would appreciate it very much

 

Once I can get my car into my detail shop I'll be getting a ceramic coating and I can't wait.

 

Meh. I just buy a $15 bottle of Collinite IW845 once every two-three years and coat once every six months (which is extreme overkill for this wax). Once a year is plenty.

Ceramic can create a nice shine but it's too much prep, too much work, and it has to be done on a pristine car to begin with for best results. And requires touch ups and reapplication should you have a mishap like something getting on the paint.. just way too high maintenance for something you're exposing to the elements and using on a daily basis.

It's a car, not fine China in a cabinet.

Car care is a good thing, but there's a point where you should balance realistic benefits vs. time and money investment.

a buddy who is a pro detailer (w a ton of experience) once told me he doesn't even bother w/ ceramic on his personal cars. says wax does the same thing (maybe 2% less reflectivity) for a lot cheaper and faster but he's happy to take his customers money.

 

Wax lasts like 2 months if you’re lucky. You and your “pro detailer” are clearly out of touch with modern ceramics. My German detailer here in Germany does ceramic coating on high end cars and has a really good reputation in this area. He’s been using ceramic coatings for years now and he swears by them. The YouTube channel I linked here proves that it is worth the money considering how long it lasts as he has done multiple 2-3 year tests leaving the hood in the Texas elements 24/7. The key is using a reputable ceramic coating brand and having a pro install it. As I stated before, my ceramic coating (IGL Kenzo) is at 8 months and shows no signs of wear yet. I’ll be more than happy to let you guys know if it fails before 2 years. I’ll keep enjoying the amazing hydrophobic properties, beautiful paint shine, and ease of cleaning while you struggle with applying waxes every month lol.

 

welp....60,000 miles past that


this brings E46CT info....very high end, exotic cars are usually driven rarely...mainly on weekends and even less for most owners, they are garage kept and spend most of their life inside


the VAST majority of cars are: out in the sun 8-12 hours a day in whatever elements, plus driven 365 or a bit less yearly


wonder if there is long term, daily usage and how Ceramic holds up to most drivers conditions

 

As I stated, the tests done on that YouTube channel are on a car hood left out in the Texas elements 24/7. The IGL ceramics and the UK Quartz ceramics (and I believe a couple other ones) made it to 2 and a half years without failing. My car is garage kept when not at work or out and about so that should make the ceramic coating last even longer, but I will report back years down the line whenever it does fail to give my own input. Also, E46CT said it needs to be done on a pristine car which is true, but that doesn't mean new. That means doing a full detail to the paint (wash, clay, paint correction, then the ceramic coating).

 

I'll chime in a bit more -

I understand these are new and used cars for many people. Some it may be their first car, period. Others like myself this could be their ___ car at this point. Regardless we will all have various "care" on how we view our vehicles and how they're driven.

For me, I take a lot of pride in what I own, wouldn't matter if it's an IS, the UX, S2000 or bikes - or even a Geo Metro, it's my POS at the end of the day anyways, I worked for it and I earned it. With that though, I also find cleaning cars immensely therapeutic and adding into my major OCD-ness (think Obsessed Garage level), it's something I love enjoying with the very little free time I have. If I do not do it myself (some of my vehicles are not garaged but are also parked outside facing the Chicago/Midwest elements daily year round, I also task my friends locally that own their own detail shops and at their price point (a fairly costly one), I've never been unhappy. Again, I've applied ceramic coating and or PPF to both brand new vehicles as well as much older vehicles too (pristine or not), with satisfying results to both myself as well as consumers.

Ceramic coating is something that took me a while to get into, initially because I thought it was all marketing hype, I was at best when it first came out, one that was fine with just the two-bucket method, wash, clay, polish, wax and sealant, touchless dry, etc. Done. If I were to look at anything else, the most it would be was PPF at the time and when I first started getting it done before doing self-application, it was 3M, then VentureShield, and now XPEL Ultimate (and Stealth). When applied correctly, the shine and longevity is quite nice, particularly if you have it on your wheels that are paired with a braking setup that yields high brake dust.

For those interested in getting into the world of detailing there are plenty of channels out there with lots of information, AMMO NYC, Ride and Shine Detailing, White Details, Chicago Auto Pros (my friends' shops mentioned above)..
Or you can also join a forum such as Autogeek.net - wealth of information there too <- this is where I learned a majority of my knowledge in the trade.