Paint Protection Products, Whats the best?

[CherubAbaddon]

Hey guys, I was wondering how I should protect my stang.
There are 3 films that I keep coming across: 3M Scotchgard pro, Suntek TC, and Xpel Ultimate.
There are also a few coats I keep coming across: Opticoat, CQuartz, and Ceramic Pro.

Now for the films, they are great to have to protect against rock chips and scratches. I'm finding Xpel Ultimate in my area for $1000, covering the front bumper, entire hood (partial looks bad imo), and fender. For the coats, its great to keep your car clean from water and have it glossy. But for it to have a strong scratch resistance, many more layers need to be done. I've found a price of $600 for one layer of Ceramic Pro with detailing, and $150 extra per layer.

Now I'm confused on whether I should be doing one or both. If I were to do both, which one comes first? And if I were to do ceramic pro, I won't afford to do more than layer, after seeing people doing scratch tests with 10 layers of it on youtube.

What should I do?

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[kkakonn]

I think I've seen people do the coating over the paint protection film, but I'm not an expert. I've just seen it done this way before. The coating will protect the paint from swirls, minor scratches, bird bombs, etc. The film is to protect the paint against minor rock chips and road debris. I know the coatings typically are still very thin and will not withstand rock chips.

I just got my car coated, and was tempted to do the film as well. However my main concern was having the paint protected and having something that provided easy maintenance. I know that with the films they can get some pretty serious swirl marks, (even the self healing ones) from what I'm told by my detailer

 

[CherubAbaddon]

I think I've seen people do the coating over the paint protection film, but I'm not an expert. I've just seen it done this way before. The coating will protect the paint from swirls, minor scratches, bird bombs, etc. The film is to protect the paint against minor rock chips and road debris. I know the coatings typically are still very thin and will not withstand rock chips.

I just got my car coated, and was tempted to do the film as well. However my main concern was having the paint protected and having something that provided easy maintenance. I know that with the films they can get some pretty serious swirl marks, (even the self healing ones) from what I'm told by my detailer

I wouldnt have to worry about swirls on the film if I top it off with a layer of coat right?

 

[kkakonn]

I wouldnt have to worry about swirls on the film if I top it off with a layer of coat right?

From what I was told, eventually even the best of the best coatings will result in swirls. But I'm sure it will help

 

[opensesame]

Getting Ceramic Pro will help a lot on the swirls part, its sort of like getting a permanent wax job that never fades. Also its like getting another coat of clear coat on top of your paint. It will repel water like crazy. Hamza at GetDetailed will prep your car by washing, ironx, claying, cleaning and polishing your car prior to application. Which means if you have any minor scratches or swirls, it will be gone by the time he applies the Ceramic Pro.

It will protect against the elements, bird poop, Tree sap, etc... Might help against rock chips but not entirely. If you want full protection you need to go with a clear bra.

Its been a week and a half since I've gotten Ceramic Pro, and my car looks super clean and glossy. I have not even washed it yet. I highly recommend Ceramic Pro, and since the group buy is still active until June 30th and comes with a 5 year warranty. I would make a decision fast.

If you are coming to the meet on Sunday, you are welcome to check out mine and Toplessfun car (who also got the same ceramic pro).

 

[CherubAbaddon]

Getting Ceramic Pro will help a lot on the swirls part, its sort of like getting a permanent wax job that never fades. Also its like getting another coat of clear coat on top of your paint. It will repel water like crazy. Hamza at GetDetailed will prep your car by washing, ironx, claying, cleaning and polishing your car prior to application. Which means if you have any minor scratches or swirls, it will be gone by the time he applies the Ceramic Pro.

It will protect against the elements, bird poop, Tree sap, etc... Might help against rock chips but not entirely. If you want full protection you need to go with a clear bra.

Its been a week and a half since I've gotten Ceramic Pro, and my car looks super clean and glossy. I have not even washed it yet. I highly recommend Ceramic Pro, and since the group buy is still active until June 30th and comes with a 5 year warranty. I would make a decision fast.

If you are coming to the meet on Sunday, you are welcome to check out mine and Toplessfun car (who also got the same ceramic pro).

hey open, I wanted to come to it but it got moved to sunday and im going hiking sadly :( im going to hamza for the ceramic, but i wanted to make sure that the XPEL should be applied beforehand and that the ceramic would work well on it as well

 

[opensesame]

hey open, I wanted to come to it but it got moved to sunday and im going hiking sadly :( im going to hamza for the ceramic, but i wanted to make sure that the XPEL should be applied beforehand and that the ceramic would work well on it as well

Yes it should be applied before hand. Once you've applied Ceramic Pro, NOTHING will stick to it. So get all your cosmetic mods done prior to Ceramic Pro.

 

[Blk2015GT]

I personally think nano coatings are a crock of crap. First, no one can provide any scientific evidence it does anything or offers an iota of extra protection; just a lot of hype around the interwebs. Second, paying $500-1,000+ for 1-2oz of some magical liquid that wipes on and off has sucker written all over it. Third, hypothetically if it did do anything, and you get scratches or swirls which will happen over time, you have to buff the scratch out by compounding/polishing destroying the coating as the car will not stay scratch and swirl free forever; it is not armor or a forcefield. They only claim scratch and swirl resistance; who knows how much if any in realty. I've seen zero conclusive tests in the years of the products being out, probably because no one can prove anything but detailers keep selling it in bulk for assinine prices.

Go google the top pro detailers in the game who work on cars that cost 4-6 times the costs of ours. No nano coating. If it was that magical don't you think they would especially on such an expensive car? If it was that magical don't you think every big name company like a Meguiar would have a nano coating on the market? Wouldn't car manufacturers spray it on at the plant to keep people happy with the car's finish for longer? Make your own conclusions but I smell something foul in pushing $500-1,000 nanocoating jobs to car owners who don't know any better.

Personally, buy a good synthetic sealant for $30 and put it on yourself per the directions. It offers a similar alleged chemical bond and protection but costs a fraction; again since there is no scientific proof any of these polymers do anything significant or notable. At worse you got 15-20 applications for $30 and didn't break the bank.

Get film put on for rock chips by a good installer if you want. That will offer the real protection.

 

[Legacykid]

Hey guys, I was wondering how I should protect my stang.
There are 3 films that I keep coming across: 3M Scotchgard pro, Suntek TC, and Xpel Ultimate.
There are also a few coats I keep coming across: Opticoat, CQuartz, and Ceramic Pro.

Now for the films, they are great to have to protect against rock chips and scratches. I'm finding Xpel Ultimate in my area for $1000, covering the front bumper, entire hood (partial looks bad imo), and fender. For the coats, its great to keep your car clean from water and have it glossy. But for it to have a strong scratch resistance, many more layers need to be done. I've found a price of $600 for one layer of Ceramic Pro with detailing, and $150 extra per layer.

Now I'm confused on whether I should be doing one or both. If I were to do both, which one comes first? And if I were to do ceramic pro, I won't afford to do more than layer, after seeing people doing scratch tests with 10 layers of it on youtube.

What should I do?

Best bet is both, but rock chip protection is a clear bra by far. Ive heard a lot about Xpel Ultimate. but keep searching around.

As far as which first, clear bra first then coating

Honestly look at it like this, the car is used most likely daily, it is going to get dirty, scratched, and etc. What can cause the least amount of harm is how you have to look at it. And just enjoy you car.

I personally think nano coatings are a crock of crap. First, no one can provide any scientific evidence it does anything or offers an iota of extra protection; just a lot of hype around the interwebs. Second, paying $500-1,000+ for 1-2oz of some magical liquid that wipes on and off has sucker written all over it. Third, hypothetically if it did do anything, and you get scratches or swirls which will happen over time, you have to buff the scratch out by compounding/polishing destroying the coating as the car will not stay scratch and swirl free forever; it is not armor or a forcefield. They only claim scratch and swirl resistance; who knows how much if any in realty. I've seen zero conclusive tests in the years of the products being out, probably because no one can prove anything but detailers keep selling it in bulk for assinine prices.

Personally, buy a good synthetic sealant for $30 and put it on yourself per the directions. It offers a similar alleged chemical bond and protection but costs a fraction; again since there is no scientific proof any of these polymers do anything significant or notable. At worse you got 15-20 applications for $30 and didn't break the bank.

Get film put on for rock chips by a good installer if you want. That will offer the real protection.

I have to disagree with this statement. as for a crude comparison..
there are smart cars. there are gt 500s, and there is the agera-r
As there are wax, sealant, and paint coatings

a wax will last 3-5ish months, a sealant will last 5-8 months, coatings can last anywhere from 1-5 years.

Ill use your example of a sealant. lets say it lasts 6 months. that means twice a year you have to do a decontamination of the paint. meaning potential marring of the paint from a claybar or like product. not to mention from regular washing. Then you eventually have to polish away the swirls and light scratches. This removes paint.

Now most coatings add a hardness and gloss not found in any other wax/sealant. So when you do induce light swirls from regular washing, it is in the coating, and not the paint(hopefully). So when your ready to reapply you decon(the coating, not your paint)then polish. Polishing this way you are removing the coating and not your paint. There is upkeep with coatings, it is not a one and done option. decon soaps, and chemical decontamination will remove inbedded contaminants without effecting the paint or paint coating by inflicting swirls.

Some people like playing with different waxes and sealant and products. Some people dont see the value of a coating. And honestly some people are just uneducated on certain subjects. Does not help there is a lot of BS in the field of detailing so it is difficult for someone not in the world to fully understand it. Go with what works best for you.

My car i am always using different waxes on because I like to play with new products. But i coated my BBK and Wheels, and its been the best decision. years later of daily, and track abuse. They look brand new, not to mention super easy to clean.

Hope this helped in some way!

 

[Stripes]

I have a clear bra on the front of my car (just the first 24") and in retrospect, I wish I did the entire hood.

That being said, I know Xpel has the full fenders, doors, and rear quarter panels as well as the trunk lid available; I am considering doing those as well, but cannot justify spending
$4k on it just yet..

 

[Blk2015GT]

I have to disagree with this statement. as for a crude comparison..
there are smart cars. there are gt 500s, and there is the agera-r
As there are wax, sealant, and paint coatings

a wax will last 3-5ish months, a sealant will last 5-8 months, coatings can last anywhere from 1-5 years.

Ill use your example of a sealant. lets say it lasts 6 months. that means twice a year you have to do a decontamination of the paint. meaning potential marring of the paint from a claybar or like product. not to mention from regular washing. Then you eventually have to polish away the swirls and light scratches. This removes paint.

Now most coatings add a hardness and gloss not found in any other wax/sealant. So when you do induce light swirls from regular washing, it is in the coating, and not the paint(hopefully). So when your ready to reapply you decon(the coating, not your paint)then polish. Polishing this way you are removing the coating and not your paint. There is upkeep with coatings, it is not a one and done option. decon soaps, and chemical decontamination will remove inbedded contaminants without effecting the paint or paint coating by inflicting swirls.

Some people like playing with different waxes and sealant and products. Some people dont see the value of a coating. And honestly some people are just uneducated on certain subjects. Does not help there is a lot of BS in the field of detailing so it is difficult for someone not in the world to fully understand it. Go with what works best for you.

My car i am always using different waxes on because I like to play with new products. But i coated my BBK and Wheels, and its been the best decision. years later of daily, and track abuse. They look brand new, not to mention super easy to clean.

Hope this helped in some way!

A lot of assumptions there that nano coatings do anything to being with, which was my main point.

I see all parroting of rhetoric the producers spew (not just you but everyone who has used it) but zero scientific evidence or tests of these claims. It sounds more like justifying one's purchase than any proven facts. In fact I've found zero scientific evidence/tests across the internet in the years this type of product has been out showing it does anything measurably beneficial.

I see lots of repeating of manufacturer claims, but no hard data. "Oh it adds hardness less scratch & swirl prone blah blah." I've heard all of the claims, not my first time around the detailing bush. Prove it! But alas no one does.

Nowhere else would people go pay $500-1,000 for something they dont even know if it does anything beyond the manufacturer's claims, except on cars. It's akin to going to buy a $500 (or some ridiculous priced) bottle of "natural" weight loss pills who of course disclaim not evaluated by the FDA or anyone legit beyond the manufacturer's claims. No one can prove they do anything beyond the company taking your money; sure a few people lose weight, but was it natural weight loss regardless of the pill? Same here, was less scratching because of proper car care of because the product actually did anything?

It just makes zero logical sense if you ask me to spend that much. If it was THAT great a product then the big names in detailing products would be cashing in on it. There must be a reason Meguairs (Mothers, etc), one of the biggest names, doesn't have a nano coating product. There must be a reason pro detailers detailing $200,000 cars on youtube aren't applying Opticoat or whatever brand nano coating product.

Sorry, but if it was some proven miracle product everyone would be using it, especially on high dollar cars, and every big name making it. My recommendation has always been if you want to test a nanocoating go buy a tube of Opticoat for $60 and do it yourself; if you can wax your car you can apply opticoat it's wipe on wipe off like a wax. If it does nothing, you didn't lose 10 times that or more paid to a detailer who's main goal is to hock crap/services to make the max $.

As I said it's everyone's money, do what you want. There will always be people with too much money and too little brains. I choose not to spend some assinine amount of money to a detailer for an unproven nano product that acts on such a nano level that no one can tell if it does anything at all. Proper car care and supplies is much more important than nano coating.

 

[Legacykid]

A lot of assumptions there that nano coatings do anything to being with, which was my main point.

I see all parroting of rhetoric the producers spew (not just you but everyone who has used it) but zero scientific evidence or tests of these claims. It sounds more like justifying one's purchase than any proven facts. In fact I've found zero scientific evidence/tests across the internet in the years this type of product has been out showing it does anything measurably beneficial.

I see lots of repeating of manufacturer claims, but no hard data. "Oh it adds hardness less scratch & swirl prone blah blah." I've heard all of the claims, not my first time around the detailing bush. Prove it! But alas no one does.

First off I have to say in regards to coatings i have personally never looked into the science behind it. Since your post i have looked into it and yes I could not find any real hard evidence. I have contacted a few people to see what they can dig up and I would post the findings.

Nowhere else would people go pay $500-1,000 for something they dont even know if it does anything beyond the manufacturer's claims, except on cars. It's akin to going to buy a $500 (or some ridiculous priced) bottle of "natural" weight loss pills who of course disclaim not evaluated by the FDA or anyone legit beyond the manufacturer's claims. No one can prove they do anything beyond the company taking your money; sure a few people lose weight, but was it natural weight loss regardless of the pill? Same here, was less scratching because of proper car care of because the product actually did anything?

So I am a part time detailer, Reason I got into detailing was the price. I couldn't believe I had to pay so much for certain things. I personally would not have purchased a paint coating. Since being the in world of detailing has changed my mind completely. I now understand the cost the consumer pays is mostly completely justified. It takes a certain level of skill to perform actions that most just dont have the time to learn.


It just makes zero logical sense if you ask me to spend that much. If it was THAT great a product then the big names in detailing products would be cashing in on it. There must be a reason Meguairs (Mothers, etc), one of the biggest names, doesn't have a nano coating product. There must be a reason pro detailers detailing $200,000 cars on youtube aren't applying Opticoat or whatever brand nano coating product.

Im sure if all of us dont know the science behind coatings, It isnt exactly something anyone can replicate without $$. Now big names like Megs and Mothers, well they have how many products as it is. Some of which dont even work. They also rely on the majority of their sales from big box stores. So they push their waxes and kits etc. For the beginners. There are plenty of big name detailers that apply coating to cars 200k plus. Some dont, and there are some who apply wax by hand, literally. Some detailers will take a car for 6 weeks. What do you think they actually do. But people pay, it is a business after all. Why wouldnt you apply a wax and then the consumer feels like they need to come back just a few months later. Just my thought from a business perspective.

Sorry, but if it was some proven miracle product everyone would be using it, especially on high dollar cars, and every big name making it. My recommendation has always been if you want to test a nanocoating go buy a tube of Opticoat for $60 and do it yourself; if you can wax your car you can apply opticoat it's wipe on wipe off like a wax. If it does nothing, you didn't lose 10 times that or more paid to a detailer who's main goal is to hock crap/services to make the max $.

It isnt a miracle product, no one has said this, like I mentioned in a previous post. Its just a step above wax and sealant. Dont believe me just check youtube. There are countless videos of the long term effects of having a coating, how long it lasts, beading, sheeting the whole 9. OC is not exactly that easy to apply, If you miss a high spot then your panel will look like garbage (color and lighting depending). But easy enough. But I understand you point.

As I said it's everyone's money, do what you want. There will always be people with too much money and too little brains. I choose not to spend some assinine amount of money to a detailer for an unproven nano product that acts on such a nano level that no one can tell if it does anything at all. Proper car care and supplies is much more important than nano coating.

Put my thoughts in bold, please dont take anything Im saying as anything more than just a friendly discussion. I actually appreciate conversations like this!

Once i hear back ill post up what they find if anything.

 

[kkakonn]

I just got one of one of those coatings applied to mine. It's only been 3 days since so I can't give you a whole lot of feedback. But so far the car definitely feels slicker, smoother, and shinier than any type of wax or sealant I've used in the past. The real test here is longevity. If it holds through, then I feel like it was worth not having to apply wax or sealant every so often. Just my 2 cents

 

[Blk2015GT]

Put my thoughts in bold, please dont take anything Im saying as anything more than just a friendly discussion. I actually appreciate conversations like this!

Once i hear back ill post up what they find if anything.

No offense at all. I just think if there was all this science backing it someone would have a better explanation years later. I trust nothing on youtube because who knows what else they have on that car to be honest besides a coating; plus all clear coats react different (what if the coating had actually rubbed off the but clearcoat still beaded/sheeted, you just never know). I just can't justify spending that much on something that you cannot prove with some type of solid evidence; sealants, waxes, glazes, that kinda stuff has been around for a long time and is proven to at least do something; of course vary by brand but it isn't that big a financial loss if you don't like a particular sealant lets say; $30-50 at most, a far cry from $600-1000.

I understand the cost of a detailer of course; I just do my own detailing and I started from knowing nothing a few months ago. Just watched hundreds of youtube videos and read articles on products and techniques. My point is anyone can do it; same with a coating it's as easy as a sealant it wipes on with a foam pad. It doesn't take any pro technique or skill, just being thorough and careful.

I just find it funny people who don't know any better say "omg I had my car Opticoated its SOOO shiny" and then post pics of the surface like we can see the coating or something; it makes me LOL from the ignorance. My black GT is like glass too, it's called taking care of the paint- polish, clay, sealant, wax. If you keep up on car care you don't need a coating. A sealant will last 3-6 months and top it with wax for shine and double protection. Good wash and dry technique- 2 bucket, soft mit, blower to dry, touch paint as little as possible, etc. and there will be no scratches or swirls to begin with even without a coating.

I just find it funny people go out and spend $500-1,000 on this and then don't bother taking care of the car anyway like the coating is a forcefield which totally defeats the purpose; and then in a few months their car is all microscratched/swirled up because they have improper wash and car care technique and have to polish off the $1000 of work.

But to the OP's case I think the film is a much better way to spend your money for real protection. Use the $600-750 saved and get a good regimen of detailing products and tools, even a DA, (and still $ in your pocket after) and just take care of the paint exposed and not covered by film.

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