jimted9619

What are your views on ceramic coatings. Anyone have it done?

Coleroad

jimted9619

I got my 04 sc430 in January and since then looking for durable paint protection and from what I've seen is that a good paint correction and an application of ceramic coating will make cleaning easier and stay clean longer. I don't know the differences between them or what is the best application which is why I asked.

mrblister

I also am interested in this process and am looking for advice and suggestions

jimted9619

I think I will have the car done professionally because it could use some minor paint correction. Plus my son is manager of a major car dealer and giving me a super deal. Thanks for the info.

jimjc

Ceramic coating is reasonably easy to do...you can find all the info on how to apply on youtube or you can go to AUTOGEEK.NET, they have the info and sell many different kinds of ceramic coatings. Be prepared to pay some big dollars for some ceramic coatings $150+ in some cases. You'll have to decide if price really matters.

Coleroad

The biggest deal is surface prep. Then have the correct lighting to makes sure you've left no high spots. If you find a high spot later you have just two choices. You can leave it be, or compound the whole panel then reapply to that panel. Some coatings are easier to apply than others. Some flash as quic as 30 seconds, some as long as 5 minutes. Some require vow compliant masks. Other like igl, and dr Beasley have a no voc coating. Some coatings like cquartz U.K. Work well in cooler temperatures. Others only work well in summer type temperatures. For the average person can coat is probably the best option. It's a coating topper that can be used as a standalone product. It has all the behavior of a coating but only lasts six solid months. The thing is you can do your whole car in 15-20 minutes. Plus if you leave a high spot it's much easier to correct. Coatings have advantages and disadvantages. It doesn't do things like stop swirl markers from improper washing. Water spots can be a problem with some coatings. Anyone who wants to have it done or do it themselves needs to spend a fair amount of time researching what best fits their needs.

jimted9619

My car is just finished. You are absolutely correct. Preparation is the key and if it wasn't for all those steps in getting the paint perfect I would have done it myself. It was actually done for me as a birthday present from my son and it seems a near perfect job. Will post some pics soon.

rhunter

I use Mequiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax on both our cars - one being an '06 Matador Red 430. Both shine up real good. A 26 oz bottle starts at $15 (see ebay) and DIY directions are simple. Now we do live in Tucson and neither car had any paint problems to start and that probably does make a big difference. I machine buffed the 430 and washed it real good with Dawn soap to remove the old wax - that means a lot of time toothbrushing all the rubber and creases and door/hood/trunk jams. So it was very clean before applying the Meguiar's. Water now beads up and squeegees off real easy then I just wipe with a soft towel. Its my (limited) understanding that the ceramic 'stuff' will bond with anything it touches - and water aids in this 'bonding'. After initial application directions say to mist the ceramic product on after every few washes and rinse it and this will provide more protection than a carnuba based wax product. I haven't use it long enough to know and besides, our cars are always garaged. And I certainly can't speak for having it done by a professional using a more costly ceramic coating product. I will warn you, tho, this stuff gets on the chrome, the wheels, rubber, tires, glass...everything when you rinse it down! So you may have to do some extra wipe down - depending on your expectations of 'sparkling clean'.

Mazor1

Question for those of you who know something about professionally applied ceramic coatings. The paint on my car is in very good condition although my 04 has its share of noticeable scratches and such, however I consider myself a very observant person especially after I've completed twice each year a good clay bar and carnuba wax application. However, these days it seems like my car shows a new "mark"or something I haven't noticed before just about every time I look at the car. Its' really pissing me off because I try everything I can to keep the car out of harms way in places like public parking lots, etc.

So, I'm just wondering, if I decide to spend $400 to $500 to have my car professionally coated with a good ceramic product, do you think that I could expect these annoying, "where the heck did this new mark come from" to be less likely?. Its' starting to feel like the durability of the paint is just soft, and my car way too easily picks up "marks" from anything that even lightly comes in contact with the car.

Does a good ceramic coating truly increase the durability and dare I say "hardness" of the painted surfaces?

ivanj

You might want to use Dr. Colorchip, ordering with the paint codes from the Sticky area of this Forum, to cure road rash, etc., before you go to the ceramic process - or in whatever order the detailer recommends. I've been using the stuff on other cars for years and it works! I believe you can use it after the ceramic process to for touch ups but I'd check with the manufacturer.

There are other videos - one with the manufacturer and the autogeek fellow - I don't this the stuff is shoe polish.

Jksc

I had my car detailed with 3 stages of polish which brought the car back to immaculate condition. In my opinion the ceramic didn’t make much of a difference besides water beading. Scratches will still appear but with a little less significance. Stay away from automatic car washes if you don’t already as most of your scratches are probably from improper washing