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Ceramic Coatings


Shrike9

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I saw a vehicle that was done using cquartz coating and looked amazing.  I'm planning to have the same done to the new truck when it comes in.  Just water is all you need to keep it clean if it does look dirty, but it does a great job at repelling dirt and water spots to begin with.  Different coatings last different times but should at least provide a few years of protection

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  • 3 weeks later...

I can only speak from experience with DIY ceramic coatings, but if you do a ceramic coat...get it done by a professional. I've owned a detail company in the past and have had experience with many types of coatings and sealants. I have tried probably a dozen of the DIY consumer coatings, not one stood up to daily driving and washing like a professional coating does. 

 

System X, Ceramic Pro...find a certified installer and just have them do it.

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8 hours ago, Bob R said:

I plan on having my truck done but have noticed there are different levels (?) because they last different periods. So that begs the question, how long will a good ceramic coat last?

 

bob

 

Hi Bob. Answers will vary. In general, with maintenenace, a good professionally applied ceramic coating will last 2-3 years. Perhaps up to 5 in the extreme, with maintenance and in a milder environment. And as mentioned, contrary to what some people tend to believe, it is not maintenance free.

 

See here: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+long+will+a+ceramic+car+treatment+last&client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=tP8KYoa_BpqeptQPv_S48A8&ved=0ahUKEwiG6eehxYD2AhUaj4kEHT86Dv4Q4dUDCA4&oq=how+long+will+a+ceramic+car+treatment+last&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAwyBAgAEEcyBAgAEEcyBAgAEEcyBAgAEEcyBAgAEEcyBAgAEEcyBAgAEEcyBAgAEEc6BwgAEEcQsANKBAhBGABKBQhAEgExSgQIRhgAUKcGWKcGYIY0aAFwAngAgAEAiAEAkgEAmAEAoAEByAEIwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz

 

Good luck.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 10/29/2021 at 12:09 PM, Shrike9 said:

Anybody have their vehicle ceramic coated, if so, what do you think of it, what kind of maintenance does it require & do you still use automatic car washes? 

I had Ceramic Pro 9H Gold package installed on my Stinger in fall 2019, 2.5 years later it still beads and cleans flawlessly. I use their recharge spray every 6-9 months but the car is a daily driver so it sees all weather conditions. Every future car I own will be ceramic or ppf coated. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/9/2022 at 11:39 AM, HTownHog said:

I had Ceramic Pro 9H Gold package installed on my Stinger in fall 2019, 2.5 years later it still beads and cleans flawlessly. I use their recharge spray every 6-9 months but the car is a daily driver so it sees all weather conditions. Every future car I own will be ceramic or ppf coated. 

 

Once I get my truck back home I have already made arrangements to have a ceramic coat, PPF on the hood, headlights and front fenders and full tint (minus roof glass). It will take 2-3 days but once done it should be good for quite a few years. All I need to do now is get transport film put on the hood for the drive home, I would hate to get a chip or two before the PPF.

 

bob

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  • 1 month later...
1 hour ago, JohnnyG said:

Roughly, what does it cost to do ceramic coating on an F450?  Also, it says it lasts 3 years or so.  Would it cost the same to recoat it?

Thanks

-J

 

High JG. Ceramic coating costs can vary wildly, according to the individual or shop doing the job, the quality of the products etc. etc., as you can see here: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=cost+to+ceramic+coat+a+vehicle

 

How long do ceramic coatings last? Well, the general consensus is a good quality job will last ~3 years before needing to be redone. And periodic maintenance is also recommended every ~3 months or so. See here: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=how+long+do+ceramic+automotive+coating+last

 

Ceramic coatings are not the maintenance free paint protection that some owners seem to think they are. Not telling anyone not to do it, only making the information known for those who are not familiar with how long the coatings actually last, as opposed to the marketing and advertising hype and real world costs.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

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I have seen elsewhere some people swearing by the results of DIY products from Avalon King and Gtechniq. Why should I have it professionally done and pay so much more? What will a professional do that I can't do? I have a brand new Navigator, so I am not sure if clay bar, etc., prep is even necessary. But, I did clay bar on my 2020 Nav and it was not an issue to do so. 

 

So, what is it I am paying a pro to do?

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2 hours ago, Black Label said:

I have seen elsewhere some people swearing by the results of DIY products from Avalon King and Gtechniq. Why should I have it professionally done and pay so much more? What will a professional do that I can't do? I have a brand new Navigator, so I am not sure if clay bar, etc., prep is even necessary. But, I did clay bar on my 2020 Nav and it was not an issue to do so. 

 

So, what is it I am paying a pro to do?


The main thing is the pro will usually clay bar and do paint correction (color sanding) before applying the ceramic coating.  It’s usually a higher quality coating and lasts longer.  No e of it is really necessary - just depends on how perfect you want it to be.

 

I stopped waxing my vehicles and only run them through the car wash once a month or so.  They’re garaged but the paint still looks new after 5-6 years.  Not worth the extra time and cost to me on our daily drivers.   The Boxster will likely be a different story…..

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24 minutes ago, akirby said:


The main thing is the pro will usually clay bar and do paint correction (color sanding) before applying the ceramic coating.  It’s usually a higher quality coating and lasts longer.  No e of it is really necessary - just depends on how perfect you want it to be.

 

I stopped waxing my vehicles and only run them through the car wash once a month or so.  They’re garaged but the paint still looks new after 5-6 years.  Not worth the extra time and cost to me on our daily drivers.   The Boxster will likely be a different story…..

So, brand new  vehicle, I could probably get away with none of the usual prep and apply myself it sounds like. 

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1 hour ago, Black Label said:

So, brand new  vehicle, I could probably get away with none of the usual prep and apply myself it sounds like. 

 

Hi BL. Well, not necessarily. Brand new vehicles can have rail dust and other contaminants on the paint which are not visible to the naked eye. Or maybe not. All depends. So you need to properly evaluate your paint for any prep work it may need.

 

And as opposed to waxing, which is virtually...but not completely...idiot proof (why it's what I do?), ceramic coatings do take a certain amount of skill and know how to apply properly. Applied incorrectly, it can truly look terrible, with high spots, dullness, paint distortion etc. And once applied incorrectly, it is not easy to remove, as opposed to waxing.

 

I am not trying to discourage you from applying ceramic coating yourself. Especially since I feel professionally applied ceramic coatings are far too expensive to be used on anything but a show car.

Plus...I enjoy waxing and detailing my own vehicles, and don't see the need to have the paint finish of my vehicles outlive me, the electrical systems, electronics, engine and transmission of my cars. A bit of exaggerated sarcasm there...?

 

However, if you decide to do it yourself, I would strongly recommend you do some extensive online research on how to properly apply ceramic coatings, the pitfalls and what too watch out for etc. Then you can avoid the mistakes and do it right. You don't want to screw it up, because it is a witch to remove and redo.

 

Let us know how you make out and good luck.

Edited by bbf2530
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36 minutes ago, akirby said:

There are simple spray on wipe off ceramic coatings that are easy to apply but I suspect they only last a couple of weeks just like spray wax.

Yes, I bought some products from Lithium 2 years ago. They worked great. Their "Ceramic Slam" product description says it will not last years as other products say. They say 8-12 months. 

 

I'm not cheap, but thousands of dollars vs doing it myself periodically but less frequently than traditional wax sounds like better math. 

 

Edit: As with 93 octane lol, I realize this is a personal choice and no hard right or wrong answer. 

Edited by Black Label
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1 hour ago, akirby said:

There are simple spray on wipe off ceramic coatings that are easy to apply but I suspect they only last a couple of weeks just like spray wax.

 

Hi Allen. Exactly. They last no longer than spray on waxes, spray on polymer waxes etc.

 

There are also car wash shampoo and ceramic coating combo formulations available. You mix it in the bucket and wash your car with it. But again, it is a gimmick and lasts no longer than the spray on wax treatment that a car wash would charge $5-$10 extra for and does essentially nothing.

 

In the 70's and 80's, it was "Teflon" paint treatments/coatings. In the 90's and early 2000's, it was "polymer" coating technologies. Now it is "ceramic" paint treatments/coatings. Second verse, same as the first. Or..."A fool and his money are soon parted..." ?

Some owners are now paying $1,000-$1,500 and more for ceramic paint treatments that they think will protect their paint finish for the life of the vehicle. Then they read the fine print and/or find out later that it needs to be retreated every 3 years or so.

And yes, the better quality treatments will give some additional minor scratch/chip protections, it is not the invisible shield that many owners believe it to be, if they listen to the advertising and marketing spiels. 

 

In the end, most of it is just another way to liberate a bit more money from our pockets.

 

But then again, I am admittedly old school.  So everyone should do what they think is best for their own situation.

 

Good luck.

Edited by bbf2530
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39 minutes ago, Black Label said:

Edit: As with 93 octane lol, I realize this is a personal choice and no hard right or wrong answer. 


You’d be stupid to cheap out after spending that much money……….   LOL

 

 

Seriously I would either get the good stuff up front or skip it altogether.

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25 minutes ago, akirby said:


You’d be stupid to cheap out after spending that much money……….   LOL

 

 

Seriously I would either get the good stuff up front or skip it altogether.

I have been called stupid, but not for at lest a few days. Lol

 

I'm doing the research now. Just found someone near me offering a 5 year guarantee for $900. Will definitely be checking them out. 

 

Hell, since Lincoln bought back my vehicle and paid the ~$9,000 TTL and fees, I can afford a lot of ceramic coatings. I love rationalizing. Ha. 

Edited by Black Label
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19 minutes ago, Black Label said:

I have been called stupid, but not for at lest a few days. Lol

 

I'm doing the research now. Just found someone near me offering a 5 year guarantee for $900. Will definitely be checking them out. 

 

Hell, since Lincoln bought back my vehicle and paid the ~$9,000 TTL and fees, I can afford a lot of ceramic coatings. I love rationalizing. Ha. 


I was an expert at rationalizing things I wanted (but didn’t realize it).  Now I just say screw it, I want it.

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3 hours ago, Black Label said:

So, brand new  vehicle, I could probably get away with none of the usual prep and apply myself it sounds like. 

I had it done on my brand new Kia Stinger GT2, while it might not require a full service paint correction with cutting/polishing it still needed a minor one to take out little imperfections found during the shipping and initial wash the dealer did. I had Ceramic Pro applied with their Gold Package, it carries a claimed "Lifetime Warranty" but is expected to last 5-7 years. I already don't use automatic car washes and it is mostly garage kept so it was a easy investment decision on my part. I paid $1200 which included the paint correction, coating, and taxes/fees. Maintaining the warranty is a yearly visit to their shop for inspection and full detail ($120), paint is still pristine and water beads off like a freshly waxed car. 

 

the DIY options won't give you the results and as bbf said it could be more damaging. Wife's used BMW had a diy job done and they left the coating on too long prior to wiping it off in spots. when washed it left a rainbow sheen across the black car. Only fix was a very serious cut/polish to restore the factory finish. We just had her car ppf wrapped with DYNOmatte which was pretty pricy but cheaper than buying new already matte painted. 

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18 minutes ago, HTownHog said:

I had it done on my brand new Kia Stinger GT2, while it might not require a full service paint correction with cutting/polishing it still needed a minor one to take out little imperfections found during the shipping and initial wash the dealer did. I had Ceramic Pro applied with their Gold Package, it carries a claimed "Lifetime Warranty" but is expected to last 5-7 years. I already don't use automatic car washes and it is mostly garage kept so it was a easy investment decision on my part. I paid $1200 which included the paint correction, coating, and taxes/fees. Maintaining the warranty is a yearly visit to their shop for inspection and full detail ($120), paint is still pristine and water beads off like a freshly waxed car. 

 

the DIY options won't give you the results and as bbf said it could be more damaging. Wife's used BMW had a diy job done and they left the coating on too long prior to wiping it off in spots. when washed it left a rainbow sheen across the black car. Only fix was a very serious cut/polish to restore the factory finish. We just had her car ppf wrapped with DYNOmatte which was pretty pricy but cheaper than buying new already matte painted. 

Thanks! I was just looking at a detailer's site who uses Ceramic Pro. Sounds similarly priced. When did you have it done?

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