ceramic coating

[Scott.lester1]

so what's the opinion on ceramic coating, is it worth it or not. Is it better to clear bra only part of the car or ceramic coat the entire car. Also, the car is 5 months old 3k miles I bought it used about a week ago its Oxford white with black accents and black performance pack wing, if that effects anything and what would be a good price for each and money is kinda tight at the moment considering the gas these things guzzle, I definitely wanna protect the paint though let me know what you think is best

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[Zelek]

If you can afford to clear bra the entire car, by all means, spend the $4000 and do it. Nothing is better than that.

Most do a full front clear bra and ceramic coat the rest of the car. That's what I did. About half the price of above. Easy to clean, always has a luster. No waxing needed.

 

[Schwerin]

I love it. I got mine(Modesta) put on along with an XPEL on the front about 8 months ago. Car is SUPER easy to wash, still beads up like new, 0 rock ships or swirl marks. I'm already planning to have it re-applied in about 4-5 years. Its pricey, but the fact I can do a full wash/dry in 45min definately makes it worth while.

For example it's cold here and I had not washed in 2 weeks. I went to a spray-n-go place since they have warm water. I did NOT use the brush, I simply sprayed down with the pre-wash, then sprayed down with the hi-pressure soap, then rinsed with the spot free rinse. I pulled to the side then dried off with my towels. Car looks almost exactly like it would have after a hand wash.

 

[Scott.lester1]

If you can afford to clear bra the entire car, by all means, spend the $4000 and do it. Nothing is better than that.

Most do a full front clear bra and ceramic coat the rest of the car. That's what I did. About half the price of above. Easy to clean, always has a luster. No waxing needed.

yeah 4k is out of my price range I was planning for about 1k to protect it, what's the best to do with that? ie: clear bra bumper and maybe fenders and then ceramic or just ceramic. I can spend a little more I just haven't really planned to

 

[Scott.lester1]

I love it. I got mine(Modesta) put on along with an XPEL on the front about 8 months ago. Car is SUPER easy to wash, still beads up like new, 0 rock ships or swirl marks. I'm already planning to have it re-applied in about 4-5 years. Its pricey, but the fact I can do a full wash/dry in 45min definately makes it worth while.

For example it's cold here and I had not washed in 2 weeks. I went to a spray-n-go place since they have warm water. I did NOT use the brush, I simply sprayed down with the pre-wash, then sprayed down with the hi-pressure soap, then rinsed with the spot free rinse. I pulled to the side then dried off with my towels. Car looks almost exactly like it would have after a hand wash.

how much did it cost for your ceramic coat

 

[Schwerin]

how much did it cost for your ceramic coat

Full car was $1650 by a high end shop(Oakes Detail), using Modesta BC04.

Full front end wrap + rockers and rear panel was another $2,300.

 

[Stage_3]

Man, if you can afford the Xpel over the full car,...go for it. That will be very expensive though.
Ceramic coating is great. I had my truck done 3 years ago and it was well worth the money. I'm going to have the Mustang done some time early next year.

 

[Boostamoose]

It all really depends on the level of protection you're looking for. The best protection will be PPF as it offers physical (rock chips / light scratches), chemical (road grime, bird droppings), and UV protection. There are a lot of myths surrounding ceramic coating and their "9H" hardness. The coating that is applied to your car is only microns in thickness, and it will scratch just like the clear coat will. What a ceramic coating does offer is chemical and UV protection with much higher durability over a sealant or wax.

It also produces more of a "synthetic gloss". If you know what that "wet" just waxed look is, a ceramic coating will look different than that since it is not carnuba based. It will be glossy, but it will not look wet. Some people like it others don't it's personal taste. The final option of protection is a synthetic sealant or carnuba wax. These both offer chemical and UV protection, but it only lasts months instead of years.

I chose to go with a ceramic coating since I never really enjoyed waxing my car every couple of months. If you plan to neglect the car with automatic car washes, improper hand washing, etc then a ceramic coating is not for you. If you plan to take care of it, and clean it properly it will look fantastic and remain that way.
It's all about the prep though. A ceramic coating is expensive because of the time detailers put into the prep work. Touch up, compounding, polishing, degreasing, etc. The coating itself is relatively easy to apply.
Since they are semi-permanent, it's hard to go back and correct the original paint after it's applied. You'd have to buff off the coating as well. This is one advantage I'd say sealants and wax have over a coating. You can easily go back and correct the paint and reapply the protection.

 

[Tonymustang302]

Im doing level 1 paint correction, llumar ppf full front 1/2 side skirts and front of rear fenders, GTechniq crystal serum, full exterior, doing rims, brake calipers, black plastic on my brand gt350 fro $4500. They are also picking up and dropping off the car in an enclosed trailer. Will take about a week.

 

[Nagare]

I chose to go with a ceramic coating since I never really enjoyed waxing my car every couple of months. If you plan to neglect the car with automatic car washes, improper hand washing, etc then a ceramic coating is not for you. If you plan to take care of it, and clean it properly it will look fantastic and remain that way.

This is my problem with understanding the whole emphasis on "9H" and the protection aspect. I get that supposedly nothing sticks and it all rinses off with a light sprinkle of water, but if it is truly to protect with that type of hardness, why can't it handle automatic car washes or improper hand washing? Sounds like they should be a perfect combo...as long as you keep up with occasional maintenance washes as well.

 

[Tonymustang302]

This is my problem with understanding the whole emphasis on "9H" and the protection aspect. I get that supposedly nothing sticks and it all rinses off with a light sprinkle of water, but if it is truly to protect with that type of hardness, why can't it handle automatic car washes or improper hand washing? Sounds like they should be a perfect combo...as long as you keep up with occasional maintenance washes as well.

whats the 9H.

i did it because there is an amazing warranty including paint chips, defects, and windshield replacement should anything happen, no questions asked for 10yrs.

 

[Bikeman315]

whats the 9H.

i did it because there is an amazing warranty including paint chips, defects, and windshield replacement should anything happen, no questions asked for 10yrs.

This is what 9H is. "It refers to Mohs hardness scale of minerals in a range from 1 to 10. On this scale, regular glass is placed at 5 and a diamond is at the highest 10. This hardness is measured by the ability of minerals to scratch each other's surfaces."

Now your warranty for paint chips and your windshield are most likely for the PPF you are putting on not the ceramic coating. While the ceramic coating does add a very slight protective layer on the paint it is still subject to damage. Your combination of PPF and ceramic is the best defense to protect your paint currently available.

By the way do not forget to put PPF on the "A" pillars. It's worth every penny.

 

[Tonymustang302]

This is what 9H is. "It refers to Mohs hardness scale of minerals in a range from 1 to 10. On this scale, regular glass is placed at 5 and a diamond is at the highest 10. This hardness is measured by the ability of minerals to scratch each other's surfaces."

Now your warranty for paint chips and your windshield are most likely for the PPF you are putting on not the ceramic coating. While the ceramic coating does add a very slight protective layer on the paint it is still subject to damage. Your combination of PPF and ceramic is the best defense to protect your paint currently available.

By the way do not forget to put PPF on the "A" pillars. It's worth every penny.

I’ll make sure to ask them

 

[Boostamoose]

This is my problem with understanding the whole emphasis on "9H" and the protection aspect. I get that supposedly nothing sticks and it all rinses off with a light sprinkle of water, but if it is truly to protect with that type of hardness, why can't it handle automatic car washes or improper hand washing? Sounds like they should be a perfect combo...as long as you keep up with occasional maintenance washes as well.

There are still a lot of myths behind coatings. Dirt and grime can and will still stick to the car. It's the hydrophobic effect of the coating that helps the water encapsulate and sheet away the dirt and grime. After a winter storm on my DD I can blast the car with a pressure washer, and the majority of the dirt will be carried away. The road film and grime still remains, and I need to wash it by hand to completely remove it all. While it does make it easier to clean, it's not a perfect system as the road grime is pretty hydrophobic itself since it's mostly oil film. This makes it hard to just blast away. It still requires soap and a mitt.

Now this is where I probably need to clear something up. The only protection that will be scratch resistant (think keying, rock chips, jacket zippers) is PPF now remember resistant not proof. The ceramic coating is in no way scratch resistant, but it does have some micro marring resistance. It's not much, but it's better than what straight unprotected clear coat will give you. Micro marring is all those swirl marks you see on a car under direct sunlight or good shop lighting. This is caused by automatic washes and improper washing. A coating is still very susceptible to these. If you do start to see them you can rest easy knowing they are in the coating and not your paint. That will be the coatings protection against micro marring as it will serve as a sacrificial layer between your paint and the marring. This is the reason I would never recommend an automatic car wash, or any seasoned detailer would for that matter, is because of how terrible they are for your paint and protection. The best ones would be a touch-less system, but they still won't clean everything.

The ones with the huge synthetic bristles are the real problem. What these bristles do is essentially "smack and drag" the dirt and slide it across your paint / coating causing the micro marring. With proper hand washing you use a microfiber mitt which captures the dirt/grit inside the fibers to safety carry it away. Combine this with a good pH neutral soap and the two bucket method and you're set. That's another point to touch on is these automatic car washes use cheap soap with some mild degreaser to get the car as clean as possible as fast as possible. Over time this eats away at the coating and even your seals/rubber by drying everything out.

 

[Nagare]

I get what causes the swirling and all that, I just don't understand how something that is "9H" can't resist that but I suppose it's the same as the sand that somehow ends up in our pockets scratching phone screens.

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