Professional Ceramic Coating - Which Would You Choose?

[kilobravo]

Mud: Just another person's opinion here and, without seeing the "warranty text" I can't say for sure but my guess is, the extra expense is not only for a higher grade of coating but it's also to mitigate any downstream costs if/when you bring it back in for a "refresh."

As far as hardness, I think that's almost a joke for ceramic. Remember, if applied correctly, it is one molecule thick. Now, whether that's an 8H or a 10H, do you really think it's double the protection? I don't think so. Ceramic, in my mind, is for the hydrophobic and gloss attributes, not for even the smallest of scratches.

Regarding the question of what "warranty length" to purchase..truthfully, I'll bet most coatings wear about the same amount per wash/wax session. Some of these warranties are way too long and unobtainable without refreshing the coating at least once if not more than once. I'd go for the shortest/least expensive and just plan on a Re Pete down the road. I consider it a long-term, serious wax job. :-)

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[Bikeman315]

So this is the pro stuff. It has two hardness levels. Just keep in mind they are talking about the hardness of pencil lead.

Crystal Serum Ultra
Crystal Serum Ultra delivers the best swirl resistance of all the Gtechniq coatings. This product is a composite ceramic coating, that when applied phase separates into two layers. The first layer measures 7h on the pencil hardness scale and bonds to the paintwork, so that it cannot be washed off. The second layer is a harder 10h layer which is an aggregate of 7nm and 20nm nanoparticles that offer superior chemical resistance, weather resistance and swirl resistance.

So this is the prosumer stuff and doesn't require sandpaper to get it off.

Crystal Serum Light
Crystal Serum Light is the prosumer version of the world-famous Gtechniq Accredited Detailer Crystal Serum Ultra. It offers 80% of professional Serum Ultra’s performance, but if applied incorrectly can be machine polished from your vehicles paintwork.

This is the "cheap" stuff.

C1 Crystal Lacquer
Crystal Lacquer is a chemically bonding quartz paint coating. It can bond to any type of gel coat, vinyl and all kinds of paint – eg clear coat, acrylic, nitro-cellulose, two-pack, solid paint, metallic paint, pearlescent, urethane, polyurethane and matt paint surfaces.

There's always a but.

but we recommend overcoating it with either C2 or EXO to give your finish the ultimate in dirt and water repellency, gloss and slickness.

Here is what my detailer offers. After going over pros and cons I decided to go with the Gyeon. It will be 2 years in June and it still looks new.

 

[friedmud]

Mud: Just another person's opinion here and, without seeing the "warranty text" I can't say for sure but my guess is, the extra expense is not only for a higher grade of coating but it's also to mitigate any downstream costs if/when you bring it back in for a "refresh."

As far as hardness, I think that's almost a joke for ceramic. Remember, if applied correctly, it is one molecule thick. Now, whether that's an 8H or a 10H, do you really think it's double the protection? I don't think so. Ceramic, in my mind, is for the hydrophobic and gloss attributes, not for even the smallest of scratches.

Regarding the question of what "warranty length" to purchase..truthfully, I'll bet most coatings wear about the same amount per wash/wax session. Some of these warranties are way too long and unobtainable without refreshing the coating at least once if not more than once. I'd go for the shortest/least expensive and just plan on a Re Pete down the road. I consider it a long-term, serious wax job. :-)

Thanks for the perspective Kilo. I do believe that the more expensive one is a bit thicker than that. As mentioned by Bikeman - it's actually two different coatings. I don't expect it to be scratch-proof... but it should definitely help with light scratches (swirls).

However, I think the cheaper one lines up more with your intuition: it's a fairly thin layer that is more about gloss and helping to keep the car clean than it is about protection.

So this is the pro stuff. It has two hardness levels. Just keep in mind they are talking about the hardness of pencil lead.

Crystal Serum Ultra
Crystal Serum Ultra delivers the best swirl resistance of all the Gtechniq coatings. This product is a composite ceramic coating, that when applied phase separates into two layers. The first layer measures 7h on the pencil hardness scale and bonds to the paintwork, so that it cannot be washed off. The second layer is a harder 10h layer which is an aggregate of 7nm and 20nm nanoparticles that offer superior chemical resistance, weather resistance and swirl resistance.

So this is the prosumer stuff and doesn't require sandpaper to get it off.

Crystal Serum Light
Crystal Serum Light is the prosumer version of the world-famous Gtechniq Accredited Detailer Crystal Serum Ultra. It offers 80% of professional Serum Ultra’s performance, but if applied incorrectly can be machine polished from your vehicles paintwork.

This is the "cheap" stuff.

C1 Crystal Lacquer
Crystal Lacquer is a chemically bonding quartz paint coating. It can bond to any type of gel coat, vinyl and all kinds of paint – eg clear coat, acrylic, nitro-cellulose, two-pack, solid paint, metallic paint, pearlescent, urethane, polyurethane and matt paint surfaces.

There's always a but.

but we recommend overcoating it with either C2 or EXO to give your finish the ultimate in dirt and water repellency, gloss and slickness.

Here is what my detailer offers. After going over pros and cons I decided to go with the Gyeon. It will be 2 years in June and it still looks new.

Thanks Bikeman... looks like your detailer has prices in the same ballpark as what I'm getting quoted. It's crazy how much variability there is on this.

Also good to hear about your experience with the Gyeon... 2 years looking like new sounds great!

I'm starting to feel pretty good about the $1400 option. It kind of feels like a buy-once-cry-once scenario... if I try to go with the cheap option then I may feel like I paid a lot of money for something I could have done myself for much cheaper.

 

[VIPR01]

The common issue is with average detail shops most consumers wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if a High end ceramic coating was used or not. Sad reality-but it happens, these places charge over a grand while using standard ceramic off the shelf coatings/rush job-High Spots in every panel transition. Ceramic coatings & Paint correction in the hands of reputable detail shops like Esoteric in Ohio, or Presidential in Florida are obvious when you look at the work. Applying a ceramic coating combined with decon/multi-stage prep really is labor intensive if done correctly - but for those who enjoy this type of garage therapy/punishment it isn’t too tough to tackle over a weekend.

 

[lizardrko]

Mud: Just another person's opinion here and, without seeing the "warranty text" I can't say for sure but my guess is, the extra expense is not only for a higher grade of coating but it's also to mitigate any downstream costs if/when you bring it back in for a "refresh."

I know some professional coatings have different curing processes (some require curing under infrared lighting). That could maybe have something to do with the cost

 

[kilobravo]

First I've heard of that, Lizard, but it doesn't surprise me although it's probably a pain. Who knows?

 

[friedmud]

Ok - went and met with the detailer today and talked it through. I ended up putting a deposit down on the $1400 coating, and scheduled it for a couple weeks out from now.

Thank you all very much for all of your thoughts on this!

Now a new question… he recommended that a get a clear bra installed on the front of the car before doing the ceramic coating. (This is based on how much highway driving I want to do). I went to the shop he recommended and they quoted me $600 for the front of the car and up the hood to the edge of the vents. The clear bra also has a 10 year warranty.

Thoughts?

My one worry with the clear bra is that the paint underneath it may age differently / look different than the rest of the car. How valid is that? I know there will be able to see the edge of it on the hood - but I’m more worried about it obviously looking different over time…

 

[Bikeman315]

Ok - went and met with the detailer today and talked it through. I ended up putting a deposit down on the $1400 coating, and scheduled it for a couple weeks out from now.

Thank you all very much for all of your thoughts on this!

Now a new question… he recommended that a get a clear bra installed on the front of the car before doing the ceramic coating. (This is based on how much highway driving I want to do). I went to the shop he recommended and they quoted me $600 for the front of the car and up the hood to the edge of the vents. The clear bra also has a 10 year warranty.

Thoughts?

My one worry with the clear bra is that the paint underneath it may age differently / look different than the rest of the car. How valid is that? I know there will be able to see the edge of it on the hood - but I’m more worried about it obviously looking different over time…

Yes, yes, yes. Do it. I have at least three hits that would have caused paint damage on the hood and front bumper. My ceramic alone would have been useless. All I have are some barely noticeable dings in the film.

But do it right. Do the whole hood. Trust me, if you don’t a rock will find that line and cross it. It doesn’t cost much more and it is worth every penny. Also the “A” pillars and the front edge of the roof (this is usually one piece).

Todays films are vastly improved over ones from even a few years ago. The chances for any discoloration are very slim. I wouldn’t say impossible but highly unlikely.

 

[friedmud]

Yes, yes, yes. Do it. I have at least three hits that would have caused paint damage on the hood and front bumper. My ceramic alone would have been useless. All I have are some barely noticeable dings in the film.

But do it right. Do the whole hood. Trust me, if you don’t a rock will find that line and cross it. It doesn’t cost much more and it is worth every penny. Also the “A” pillars and the front edge of the roof (this is usually one piece).

Todays films are vastly improved over ones from even a few years ago. The chances for any discoloration are very slim. I wouldn’t say impossible but highly unlikely.

Thanks man - I’ll do it. But, at $2k now (for both) I’m tapped out on budget. My bride to be is already giving this whole endeavor the side eye since we still have a lot of wedding stuff to pay for.

So: the front bumper is going to have to be good enough for now. This car is not going to be a show car… I’m going to drive the hell out of it. I just want to do what is reasonable so it looks “damn good” for as long as possible…

 

[kilobravo]

Whatever you decide, Mud...the film will not cause any change in the paint whatsoever, no matter how long it remains on the vehicle. Keep her out of the sun and that paint will stay pristeen.

 

[friedmud]

Whatever you decide, Mud...the film will not cause any change in the paint whatsoever, no matter how long it remains on the vehicle. Keep her out of the sun and that paint will stay pristeen.

Thanks Kilo - I appreciate it.

The car will be garage-kept when not on the road

 

[Bikeman315]

So: the front bumper is going to have to be good enough for now.

I hear you loud and clear. I to had a budget to and blew right threw it.

I am going to push you a little harder to do the entire hood done though. I was fully content to do just the front clip including the hood up to the vents. My detailer told me that was a mistake. He guaranteed that if I do it this way I was going to take a hit just north of the film. I relented as the cost was only an extra $100 or so, I do not remember.

Well sure enough a month or two later I took a hit. Bounced off the hood into the windshield. A very slight mark on the hood and no damage to the windshield. The hood film self healed and you cannot even see it now. Had I not done the film I would have been looking at a paint filled chip every single day. Trust me you do not want that.

Also no visible line to collect dirt so long as they wrap the ends and corners.

 

[friedmud]

I hear you loud and clear. I to had a budget to and blew right threw it.

I am going to push you a little harder to do the entire hood done though. I was fully content to do just the front clip including the hood up to the vents. My detailer told me that was a mistake. He guaranteed that if I do it this way I was going to take a hit just north of the film. I relented as the cost was only an extra $100 or so, I do not remember.

Well sure enough a month or two later I took a hit. Bounced off the hood into the windshield. A very slight mark on the hood and no damage to the windshield. The hood film self healed and you cannot even see it now. Had I not done the film I would have been looking at a paint filled chip every single day. Trust me you do not want that.

Also no visible line to collect dirt so long as they wrap the ends and corners.

Did you do anything on the fenders? That’s where I currently have the most small marks. Im a bit more worried about them than the hood.

I hear you though. Not having a line would be nice…

 

[Bikeman315]

Did you do anything on the fenders? That’s where I currently have the most small marks. Im a bit more worried about them than the hood.

I hear you though. Not having a line would be nice…

I did the entire front clip. Bumper assembly, full front fenders and hood. Was thinking about the door bottoms and the part of the rear quarter just in front of the rear wheel but like you said enough was enough $$$ wise.

Here was my guys pricing.

 

[larr12]

https://avalonking.com/shop/ceramic-coating/armor-shield-ix-diy-kit/

Get that and do it yourself.

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