Ceramic paint coatings - Any experience or recommendations?

treitz3

Hello all and good afternoon to ya'!

I have been recently intrigued with this supposed "new" technology that claims to be a superior form of paint protection and applications will last for "months". Every manufacturer out there also seemingly claim that all other ceramic coatings are fake, don't have enough % of the key ingredient, that their ceramic coating is superior because of blah, blah, blah.

Has anyone out there actually tried any of these ceramic coating products yet?

Do they last longer than a month?

Are they even worth the $$$ you have to spend?

Any product superior to any others you have tried?

I'd like to know what the skinny is...

Tom

Clipdat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lRsKREslOQ

charley96

I use Adam's Polishes ceramic spray coating and yes it does work. As long as you maintain it according to directions you should get a good year out of it. I use Adam's ceramic spray boost once a month to keep up on it.

halo

Tom,

I tried the Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax (spray-on) and the Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Wet Wax & the Turtle Wax is the better product (easier to apply and remove, lasts longer, super tight beads on the water). Now, granted, these are value-oriented products and they will not likely last as long as a dedicated ceramic coating but, for the money, they are pretty darn good. The key to long-lasting protection & deep gloss shine is proper paint prep (wash with a degreaser, remove bug & tar, iron remover, clay bar, compond, polish, surface prep with then apply your paint protection of choice).

mantis

Ok,
The key ingredient is SIO2.

I know a lot about this subject as I have been playing around with all the latest products on the market. Now today Do it your self people can actually Paint correct as years ago that was left to professionals only. I just so happen to be a X detailer Shop Manager of a chain detail company back in my College days. I have also always been into cars and detailing well before I went professional.

To answer your questions, Ceramic coating can last 1 to 3 years not months. Do it yourself stuff can last up to about 6 months and longer with proper care and maintenance products. They are usually just spray on and wipe off like cleaning windows.

Before you read on if you are one to go deep on stuff like me, your in for a whirlwind rabbit hole LOL.

Brands to look into are in order as follows

1) Adams Polishes - Probably the very best products on the market for a do it yourself kinda guy. If you have basic car wash and wax abilities then moving on from there with some of the new advance technics your car's finish will thank you greatly. They have every single kind of product you would want to get into the Ceramic world. Please watch their videos on youtube before you just buy stuff and attempt to do it yourself.

2) Griots Garage - You can argue they are every bit as good as Adam's and in some peoples opinions an overall better product company. They like Adam's offer an array of products not just Ceramic stuff.

3) Chemical Guys - Under rated and get some hate online like Monster cable does but I have not found 1 solid reason anyone should hate on this company. They offer so many products that you have plenty of things to try out and find your way. One very good thing is you can pick up some of their stuff right Wallmart of a local Auto parts store like AutoZone or Pepboys. They have a very affordable Ceramic line that you can do yourself . It's amazing.

4) Meguiars - This is a name that most people who wash their own vehicles know. They are the industry standard that all others look up to and try to out due. They are like the Porsche on the industry. The Standard period. Like all others have an array of wonderful Ceramic stuff.

5) Turtle Wax - Usually the budget minded brand that like Meguiars has been around forever. House hold name that got into the Ceramic game and gets high praises on line and youtube. I have yet tried out their new Ceramic stuff so I don't personally have any experience with them.

There are plenty of other brands like Car Pro and such that I have yet to go balls deep on. Since I got Griots Garage , Chemical Guys and Adam's Polishes as my new brands I have been so extremely happy with them I have not had any reason to keep digging.

But I treat this just like wire, I burn inside to want to try everything. If you have any questions at all hit me up man.

Willow

Dan, I'll be sending you a pm shortly on detailing.

Anyone every try F11. A friend of mine bought some to try out this weekend.

adabro

I just went through a full installation of Avalon King ceramic coating on my car - used Youtube as my guide (but skipped a few steps anyway).

Here's what I did:

- Heavy duty wash
- Clay bar
- Paint correction - bought a polisher and went over the entire car
- Applied the coating as per directed

The car looked awesome afterwards, as it should after a full wash, clay bar and paint correction. I made a few mistakes in the application - there were areas I didn't leave it on long enough - this isn't visible to the naked eye, but you can tell when sprayed with water that it's not beading like it should - easy to fix with a second application.

One of the central ideas to the coatings is that they last so long you need to make sure the car is prepped otherwise you're going to seal those imperfections (paint swirls etc) for years under the coating.

I've only had it on for a few weeks so I don't know if all the advertised benefits are real, but so far it looks good, has made the car easier to clean so I'm happy. The coating was more than anything I've bought at Canadian Tire, but not prohibitively expensive.

mantis

adabro wrote: »

I just went through a full installation of Avalon King ceramic coating on my car - used Youtube as my guide (but skipped a few steps anyway).

Here's what I did:

- Heavy duty wash
- Clay bar
- Paint correction - bought a polisher and went over the entire car
- Applied the coating as per directed

The car looked awesome afterwards, as it should after a full wash, clay bar and paint correction. I made a few mistakes in the application - there were areas I didn't leave it on long enough - this isn't visible to the naked eye, but you can tell when sprayed with water that it's not beading like it should - easy to fix with a second application.

One of the central ideas to the coatings is that they last so long you need to make sure the car is prepped otherwise you're going to seal those imperfections (paint swirls etc) for years under the coating.

I've only had it on for a few weeks so I don't know if all the advertised benefits are real, but so far it looks good, has made the car easier to clean so I'm happy. The coating was more than anything I've bought at Canadian Tire, but not prohibitively expensive.

Very cool man, welcome to the world of Detailing.

treitz3

I knew I came to the right place. This has been a wealth of information so far. Thanks.

I'd rather trust you all than "reviews" that have probably been put up by those who sell....both with great and scathing reviews.

For those that have "plastic" as part of their trim package on the vehicle? Look no more that a product called "Wipe New". When my truck turned about 10 years old, you could start to see where the injection molding waves were within the plastic. I applied one coat of Wipe New and the truck looked brand spankin' new.

Not only could you no longer see the injection molding waves, the plastic beaded water up like you had "waxed" it, if you will, and it lasted for years. I have only put one other application on since then and even though it's been 5 years, it still looks new. The only difference is that it no longer beads up on the plastic.

It is rare that one comes across a product that exceeds your expectations and Wipe New definitely does. It comes with very high marks from me, from experience. While you don't get much of it for about 14 bucks, I can do both my truck and the wife's truck with one bottle, then do the Gravely with the rest. Seeing as how it only needs to be done every 5 years? That's an extreme value.

People with Avalanches driving around with black plastic that looks grey with waves? Yeah, they could really use it.

Thanks again for the information provided thusfar gentlemen. It's much appreciated.

One further question though. I have read that once you choose a ceramic product, that's pretty much it until it wears off and that no other application can adhere until the initial application is removed with a clay bar. Is this complete hogwash, partially true or fact?

Tom

mantis

treitz3 wrote: »

One further question though. I have read that once you
choose a ceramic product, that's pretty much it until it wears off and that no other application can adhere until the initial application is removed with a clay bar. Is this complete hogwash, partially true or fact?

Tom

It's both actually. A real full professional Ceramic coating is like a thin layer of clear coat that was applied over your paint. It's designed to repel anything that gets on it like water, bird droppings etc. If you wax over top of a Professional ceramic coating, lets say you used a Carnauba Wax Like Mothers Gold. Well the wax will not bond with the Ceramic , it will reject it as it's supposed to do. That doesn't mean you can't wax over a coating, you can but it will not hold up like it would if you applied it to a freshly Polished car.
Now what is cool about Semi Ceramic coatings or Hybrid as they are called from certain companies you can wax on top of them as they are part SIO2 and Part Synthic waxes and in some cases Carnauba infused.

So Tom here is what you want to do. Decide on which direction you want to go in and I'll point the way. I can give you each product you need, what steps to take and how to apply. I can also point you to some very good respectable you tube videos so you can watch them over and over until you are on the same page with todays technology.
I gotta admit being a Detailer from the 80's and 90's my technics where very different back then. Some still apply like my Rotary Buffing skills which by the way are superior to the D/A buffers of today still. Most young Detailers are scared of the Rotary as which they should be, it's not an easy tool to master like the D/A's are. Anyone can learn how to D/A but not everyone is cut out to be a Rotary wheel man.
I have trained many detailers in my days and only 1 out of 5 or 6 guys became masters, the rest of them I smacked their hands and put a wash mit back in it and told them to forget about the buffer.

mantis

Here is what you have to look forward to

pitdogg2

That Wipe New is good stuff. I've been more than satisfied with my results and how long it's lasted.

halo

Tom,

There are “toppers” for ceramic coatings. You apply these over the ceramic coating itself to improve water sheeting ability. This will also prolong your ceramic coatings durability. You have to be very careful about washing the cars once the ceramic coating has been applied - do not go to automatic car washes. Also, when applying a dedicated ceramic coating (like CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0) the more time you can give it to cure, inside a garage and away from the elements, the better.

WLDock

Great topic! My late Spring / Early Summer plans are to

1) Tint the windows
2) Paint calipers with matching ceramic paint
3) Detail, clay, and finish with a ceramic coating

My new to me 2017 Chrysler 300S in Jazz Blue that I picked up last Fall with about 20K miles on it. I finally handed over my old 2002 300M with 200K+ miles on the dial over to the son. Its seen better days but still runs and gets him down the road 2 miles to work and school, lol!

Here's the 300M in her better days.


Here's 300S the week I got her


I was considering getting the job professionally done but cost are high and I'm skeptical of the results for the money. I think I will just do it myself and the feedback here will be most helpful.

halo

WLDock wrote: »

Great topic! My late Spring / Early Summer plans are to

1) Tint the windows
2) Paint calipers with matching ceramic paint
3) Detail, clay, and finish with a ceramic coating

My new to me 2017 Chrysler 300S in Jazz Blue that I picked up last Fall with about 20K miles on it. I finally handed over my old 2002 300M with 200K+ miles on the dial over to the son. Its seen better days but still runs and gets him down the road 2 miles to work and school, lol!

Here's the 300M in her better days.


Here's 300S the week I got her


I was considering getting the job professionally done but cost are high and I'm skeptical of the results for the money. I think I will just do it myself and the feedback here will be most helpful.

Check out Apex Detail on YouTube. Pro shop with a metric ton of good advice, tips, techniques, and product reviews for the at-home detailer.

Beautiful looking car!

vmaxer

What’s the best way to get the headlights crystal clear again?

pitdogg2

Hammer.....


I've used both the meguires and rainX shower door/windshield cleaner. Meguires for very yellow and RainX for just a little cloudy. In a very bad case I've used wet/dry sandpaper 3000 and higher till clear

Nightfall

How much is an average price for professionally applied ceramic coating?

Nightfall

vmaxer wrote: »

What’s the best way to get the headlights crystal clear again?

I'm so glad my headlights are glass.

treitz3

vmaxer wrote: »

What’s the best way to get the headlights crystal clear again?

Replace them.

Seriously, I'm not being a smart a$$. I must have spent North of $350 or so smackers on all types of headlight products. From wet sanding to fine polishes? All of them had substandard results (They looked a lot better though). All of them seemed to only last at the most 6 months before they looked like they did before. That's too much work and money for a so-so end result that did not last.

I inquired before I started buying these products at how much just a new set of headlights would have been at my dealership. $500.00. Just for the headlights and nothing else. Too damned much money for me, so I bought product after product after product of all types of headlight restoring products.

I ended up taking a look on Amazon and getting a full complement of lights (ALL of them) for my truck for something like $325 to my door. Many of the light replacements came with wiring harnesses and the lights them self, score! My 3rd cab mounted brake light was the most expensive, even though it was the smallest (go figure).

After I installed the new lights, I threw every single light restoration kit I had out and I will never again waste my money on inferior products. I replaced my lights about two years ago now and they still loo brand new with ZERO maintenance performed on them.

Save your time. Save the aggravation. Achieve perfect results the first time and simply replace them.

Tom

halo

If you refinish/restore your headlights (or buy new ones), or you have a brand new car, I'd recommend applying Meguiar'S G17804

Mask off the painted area(s) around the headlights, make sure that they are clean, and apply the coating once a year (every 6 months max) and they should not turn yellow.

charley96

I put paint protection film on my headlights 2 1/2 years ago and they look brand new.

treitz3

halo wrote: »

You have to be very careful about washing the cars once the ceramic coating has been applied - do not go to automatic car washes.

If this is the case? I won't even bother. I travel so many miles each day, that my truck normally gets washed 3 to 4 times a week. I have a Sam's Car wash a mile from my home and it's just too convenient to simply drive both cars up and get them washed in a manner of 20 minutes versus hand washing and drying two very large vehicles.

Tom

charley96

That's probably your best bet. Just keep it waxed or whatever ya want and leave it at that. C coating can get pricey to have it done. If you're the OCD type then I'd go ceramic.

pitdogg2

Yes Tom you need to put a protective coating on after you do the lights or it will not look good for long. I've never had any problems if I followed the directions on the products I mentioned. If they are very very yellow and cloudy then yes those lights I've done were never going to be clear like new but they were far far better than they were.

halo

Tom,

https://drbeasleys.com/blog/2019/05/23/how-to-wash-car-after-ceramic-coating/

mantis

vmaxer wrote: »

What’s the best way to get the headlights crystal clear again?

Maguiars actually makes a do it yourself kit and you can get it at Pep Boys.