"MrDakka" (mrdakka)
08/25/2019 at 13:01 • Filed to: None
1
13|
"MrDakka" (mrdakka)
08/25/2019 at 13:01 • Filed to: None | 1
| 13 |
Anyone get their cars ceramic coated? What exactly is a ceramic c oating and how is it bonded/attached to the car? And how much does it usually go for? The local shop said their package starts at $450, but I’m guessing it usually goes up to something like $1000.
How long does it last? How's it different from paint protection films?
gettingoldercarguy
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 13:17 |
|
Haven’t done it, I like washing and waxing too much.
Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 13:29 |
|
$450 for ceramic coating seems crazy cheap....
Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 13:30 |
|
I’ve thought about this as well. I think it isn’t as impact resistant as a PPF but is more for not getting scratches.
Svend
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 13:32 |
|
Ceramic coatings usually (but not always) have a covalent with the paint which offers an extra level of protection to the paint surface by acting as a sacrificial layer but also adding a degree of scratch resistance (again depending on what is being used), some will last from two years up to nine years for Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra. Different coatings offer different results such as water beading, water sheeting, chemical resistance, UV protection, scratch resistance, etc...
One thing I strongly recommend is doing research, looking at accredited detailers that can offer you guarantees, detailers than you can pop in and have a coffee with and will answer your questions and offer after care advice. Because a coating isn’t something you just apply and forget, you need to assist it to help prolong it’s life either by washing it at a minimum to applying a top to p sealant from time to time or using a drying aid.
There are a multitude of different products out there for your taste from simple wash and wax to a wax, then hybrid wax, sealant, coating then film.
Variance
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 13:37 |
|
My GT350 is ceramic coated with GTechniq Crystal Serum. I believe I paid around $1k for the whole car, including wheels and glass (if I did it again, I would skip the wheels and glass; they’re not worth it). The application is guaranteed for 7 years, though I believe their newer “Ultra” coating lasts even longer.
Ceramic coatings are a suspension of ceramic nanoparticles that are cured into a layer on top of the paint. It’s essentially like a sealant, but significantly more durable and chemical-resistant. In fact, the only way to fully remove it is by polishing with an abrasive. Ceramic coatings offer significant scratch resistance to the paint (it’s basically impossible to cause micro-scratches from washing), but because it is a microscopic layer bonded directly to the paint, it offers little to no impact protection, like PPF.
I actually had the coating applied on top of my PPF. Most modern films have clear coats, similar to the paint, so the coating protects the film from scratches. The only downside is that, if I need to replace the film from damage, I’ll need to have the coating re-applied to the areas where the film is removed or replaced.
BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 13:39 |
|
Several friends work at a ceramic coating shop here in PA. Their cars all have it done, of course, and look amazing - basically they always appear to be freshly waxed. The coating looks better on light colored cars than black, IMO; it seems to not be shiny enough on the black cars.
|
MrDakka
> Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
08/25/2019 at 13:42 |
|
He said it starts at $450, probably their lowest coverage and quality coating.
|
MrDakka
> Svend
08/25/2019 at 14:07 |
|
I was hoping you’d chime in. I will definity be going over options. Thanks
themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 14:29 |
|
I invented one to get applied at an automatic car wash? It self-cures in sunlight and protects your paint and heals light scratches for a week or two. It’s not bad. Unfortunately it’s not rolled out across the country yet.
I do recommend you get a professional appication. If it’s a multi-step process you really need a consistent environment to get proper results and single stage ceramics are a bit......meh.
Wurrwulf
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 15:34 |
|
I'd like a small hi-jack of this: I was thinking of doing this to my car because I park under an oak tree when I'm home. Does the ceramic coating keep things like tree sap/crap from sticking?
|
MrDakka
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
08/25/2019 at 16:30 |
|
Yeah, I took it down to the local detailer and the owner recommended some other steps besides just slapping some SiO2 in a carrier fluid
|
MrDakka
> Wurrwulf
08/25/2019 at 16:33 |
|
Most of the coatings are supposed to be hydrophobic, but I don’t think it would of much help against tree sap or bug guts. I'll ask, when I get the car coated
|
Wurrwulf
> MrDakka
08/25/2019 at 21:33 |
|
Thank you much.
This is roof of my car two weeks after it’s last wash. It wipes off pretty easily after it sits in morning dew a bit , but it can be a real bitch to get off during the middle of the day. It would be nice if I could just hit it with the hose to knock it off.