Has Anyone Done a Ceramic Coating? Thoughts?

"ClassicDatsunDebate" (gmagnusson) 01/20/2020 at 11:31 • Filed to: Detaling

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Wondering if a ceramic coating is worth it? Does anyone have any experience with them an d what were the pros and cons.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 11:37

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I’ve used the Mother’s CMX product. Not a true ceramic coat, but a good DIY solution it seems.

Urambo Tauro > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 11:43

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Parts stores in my area are suddenly stocking a nice array of cer am ic waxes. Not quite the same thing as ceramic coatings from what I hear, but I’m not clear as to what the difference actually is. But   I’ve had good experience with Meguiar’s products in the past, so I’ll probably try their version later this year.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 11:48

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You 110% get what you pay for. An inexperienced applicator or a cheap product will fail quickly, or leave your car looking dull and you’ll waste your money if you go that route. Your best options are a good wax/sealant that you apply yourself or, if you have a shop do it, pay the money for a reputable shop to do it with a quality product.

ClassicDatsunDebate > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/20/2020 at 12:03

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Was it any better than a spray wax?

ClassicDatsunDebate > Urambo Tauro 01/20/2020 at 12:04

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Yeah it seems to be the fad to throw Ceramic around these days.  Kinda like “polymer” was in the ‘90's.

ClassicDatsunDebate > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/20/2020 at 12:09

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I’ve got all the polishing tools but I don’t have the patience to be a good detailer.  Not enough Zen in me.  Thats why I was thinking of getting a pro coating whether its carnuba or one of these fad ceramic systems.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 12:10

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Quite a bit better, but more labour intensive 

Thomas Donohue > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/20/2020 at 12:12

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There’s labor involved?   CP!

412GTI > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 12:18

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One of my best friends is an installer and has done a few cars of ours. It’s definitely legit and he routinely works on various supercars/expensive vehicles.

Sometimes Ceramic Coating marketing is a bit cringe as they’ll show it almost like it prevents scratches and dents. However, it’s more like permanent wax you don’t need to reapply every few months. For that reason you might like it. It adds great shine/depth and water beading. You do still need to use a proper washing technique to avoid scratching like any other paint protectant.

I’d say go for it if there’s a good shop around you that can install it. 

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 12:23

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Friend of mine is an installer for a shop that uses CeramicPro. The coating really does work wonders; essentially they’re covering your car with glass as it’s a coating that’s then cured and hardens. He doesn’t wax his car and it still look perfect, even in snow or rain.

That being said, his coating would have cost around $2-3k  at retail, soooo 

kevina > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 12:42

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The new silica based “ceramic” spray sealants work quite well. I’m trying hydrosilex and it works as advertised. It’s a great lubricant and cleaner like a detailing spray and also a great sealant like a synthetic spray wax but you don’t NEED to buff it. If you over apply, buffing helps. It’s super low maintenance. I used to hand wash, dry with a chamois, blow out the water in the  panel gaps , wax, buff. Now i can hand wash, air dry, seal and done.  If I had new paint on the car, I would take the time to find a good ceramic coating installer.  but since my car’s paint is pretty rough already it’s not worth it for me. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 12:42

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If you have the time I still feel a good carnuba wax is great but you have to do it about 2-3 times a year. A well applied ceramic can last years.

ClassicDatsunDebate > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/20/2020 at 12:50

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Is a CeramicPro application that expensive??  If so, I don’t see the value proposition.  

HammerheadFistpunch > Urambo Tauro 01/20/2020 at 13:05

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I’ve had a lot of luck with these. I use a chemical guys ceramic car wash and it really lasts a long time and looks great. I think by using it consistently Im getting most of the benefits of a coating too. Im going to start using it on the boat to see how it does.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 13:14

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I looked into it for the Terrain. My takeaways were that the pros are basically that its much tougher than clear coat. The cons are its very time consuming and expensive to do it right (yourself) or even more expensive to have a pro do it. And if it does get scratched its difficult to repair.

someoneatacura > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 13:32

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I’ve applied a few coatings, none of them as crazy as the multi-thousand dollar ones like Ceramic Pro, but similar application. The big thing with Coatings is prep. You are putting down a product that has over a year of real world durability, you want the paint below it to be in really good shape. That means, no matter how new the car, it’s getting a full polish before it gets coated, and before you can coat it you have to strip every last ounce of oil or residue of the surfaces , as they’ll impede the coating causing it to fail. After that, the coating usual ly needs more than one coat (or is a base layer plus top layer product meaning 2 separate products, sometimes with 2-3 coats of the second product). Each layer will have a set amount of cure time (product dependant, some are 1 hour between, some 5 hours or 24 hours). Once all layers have been applied, the car will need another cure period , somewhere in the 24 hour range. This means no water, no washing, no touching.

There is more user friendly coatings out there, but none of them can be applied out in the sun, in the rain, or at freezing temperatures. I recommend you look at Spray Sealants like Turtle wax Seal N Shine, Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax, or Mothers CMX spray coating. They’re super easy to apply (Megs is done wet!) and last really well under normal conditions. They’re also cheap to buy and easy to get your hands on.

I have reviewed all 3 of the above, here is my posts from a detailing forum.

Mothers CMX.
https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=417589

Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax
https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=417613

Turtle Wax Seal N Shine
https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=417634

Thisismydisplayname > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 13:44

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I DIYed the sonax ceramic coating kit and it held up well for over a year, almost 2. Will do it again. I have a kit for the Wife’s minivan. About $80 for the one time use kit. Well worth it IMO. And there may be better DIY kits out there, but this one worked well for me and suits my new kid-filled lack of detailing time that I’m in  nowadays.  No time to detail every few months anymore.  

ClassicDatsunDebate > someoneatacura 01/20/2020 at 13:55

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Hey thanks for that! I’m thinking my Majestic Black Pearl will really benefit from a good detail and a coating  

ClassicDatsunDebate > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 13:56

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haha...replied before reading your Mothers review....highly apropos.  

someoneatacura > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 14:16

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Most cars will benefit from any kind of wax/sealant product, let alone a coating. The difference is the Coating is more durable. However, one thing that isn’t mentioned is their durability and warranty comes with a strict maintenance regime including specific soaps and top up detailer applications (similar to the products above). They don’t last “years” without top ups and routine maintenance.

With that in mind, a good polish and spray sealant will see you through summer, and it can be re-applied every couple weeks with minimal effort and cost.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 14:43

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It’s worth it if you have an expensive car and like to take it to shows. What’s an extra $2k on an $80k Porsche?

dropthatclutch > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/20/2020 at 15:22

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I’m getting a Ce ramic Pro Silver package with 5 year warranty for $625. I think the Gold with lifetime was quoted at like $1200. It wasn’t nearly as expensive as I feared.

That doesn’t include the paint correction I am getting before hand. 

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 16:42

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It would be interesting to see the compare and contrast with clear vinyl chip-protecting film wrap.

A really hard ceramic coating might come into issues when dealing with paint damage like chips or scratches that happen after the coating is applied...

do people partial-wrap, then ceramic coat the rest?

do people go nuts and wrap, then treat the outer surface of the wrap for shine and to dispel water and grime?

FrankAtlanta > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 20:22

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As with many things, it depends upon what you want and what you expect...

I have 2 cars with ceramic coatings installed professionally - one has OptiCoat (2013/2014 application); the other has Gtechniq Ultra Black (2019 application). If you want a top notch job, paint correction is a requirement. Unlike wax, a ceramic coating will not mask imperfections; rather they’ll be very conspicuous underneath the coating.

My 2014 is still near perfect to my eyes, but that car is a garage queen. I’m curious as to how the 2019 application will hold-up as it’ll see a lot more daily use and spend most of its life outdoors.

I’m very happy with the coatings and would do it again; however, it is not a magic bullet. It’s not going to prevent scratches/swirls and it’s not armor. The benefits/considerations are:

1. Looks great, esp. with a paint correction.

2. Low maintenance - don’t have to wax every x months. Even with these products, I haven’t found the need for an outrageous regime or need to top off for these particular coatings, but others may require it . I use Optimum wash (or ONR when it’s only lightly dirty/dusty). I was given a spray bottle of diluted C2v3 for the Gtechniq to use as a drying agent/enhance beading . But I haven’t done anything nutty with the Opticoated car and it still looks amazing.

3. While it is NOT going to prevent scratches/damage, I find the coating makes rinsing junk off the car/washing easier - and the less you fool with the paint, the less damage you’ll do. Also, it’s not an either/or between ceramic coating and PPF. Ceramic coating will not protect the paint from chips as PPF would - I haven’t done it, but I know folks that put down both PPF and a coating.

Good luck.

FrankAtlanta > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/20/2020 at 20:32

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Short answer - yes, people wrap with PPF (all or portions ) and then ceramic coat.

MM54 > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/20/2020 at 21:10

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I did gtechniq CSL with EXOv4 (talk about alphabet soup) on my 4runner in the fall, did all the prep and application by the book (including a full compound and polish beforehand). It’s probably been 5 or 6 months, and even when it’s covered in road salt it still beads water like it was waxed a day ago. Makes cleaning said salt off it easier, too.

Old Red Wagon > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/21/2020 at 11:38

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I’ve applied ceramic coatings in the past, Gtechniq specifically. As someone else said, prep is key. Cleaning the surface and getting rid of all surface contaminants and previous wax/sealants is important. The ceramic will not adhere to the paint properly, it will bond but it won’t last as long. Adhere time is something that you really need to pay attention to when applying. Leaving it on too long it will be an extreme pain in the ass to take off. When using these coatings, the thinner the better. DO NOT cake it on at all and don’t let it sit very long. Follow the directions of whichever ceramic you go with as it will probably vary depending on which one you use. It shouldn’t be anymore than 5 minutes before you wipe it off. 

If used properly it will last a year if not more, depending on how many coatings. Cure time is important as well, don’t expose the paint to any moisture for 24 hours so it can bond properly.

For a daily driver,  coatings are very good as it’s an apply once and forget about, opposed to a carnauba wax that would need to be applied again in three months. Coatings are great, i love to detail and like trying out new products. The only downside is i don’t get to try as many products anymore due to the life span of ceramic coatings. 

Ryan beck > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/21/2020 at 14:45

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I am a detailer and have used quite a few popular ceramic coatings. They are amazing products that really give a new shine to your paint and can help fill in some minor scratching while adding a depth to your paint. Now you have to be careful because the coatings last up to 2-3 years in my experience and if you don't have adequate light in the application process you can leave large streak marks in the paint that look like oil slicks. If you have a darker room with LED lights it's easy to see these streaks but with sunlight and certain paints it's near impossible to see until the next day when it's too late!