Professional Ceramic Coatings? And rust proofing for a new car?

[WeyounDS9]

I might buy a new vehicle soon.
A end-of model year deal, a 2023 Nissan Armada, 4x4.
The deal seems too good to pass up and since a US spec Armada is a decontented Y62 Patrol from the Nissan global market, it will likely last forever mechaically.

So since its brand new, I figure now would be the time to make it last.

a) Professional ceramic coating. I hear they cost a lot due to the hours involved. How much are we talking about?
None of their websites will mention a price..
Can I accomplish comparable results on my own? Probably not I think, since the ceramic includes 3 washes to prep, twice degreasing with alcohol, then dryng indoors for a couple of days (I do have a garage but I never use it, it serves as storage but is mostly empty and could house the vehicle I suppose), and then apply the ceramic.
I am a but unsure which detailers can be trusted to do the job properly in this small town....

b) For anti rust, I could easily sped a couple hours under the vehicle spraying it down with fluid film. This is something I trust myself to do. Are there professional yet still affordable alternatives?
I do live in Florida but not at the coastline so rust is not a big issue here, but still, it seems like a good idea to do when a car is new......

Any comments welcome.

PS: I am on a VPN so I get nearly every english word highlighted red as a typo, its a bit offputting and actually makes it harder for me to spot typos. So I guess I am saying, sorry for the typos

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Congrats on the consideration of your new purchase.

First things first, my advice is to read the owners manual front to back. Make sure you follow all of the recommended maintenance at a minimum. For example, most folks do not lubricate or at the very least check the condition of lock and hinge assemblies at every oil change. Make sure parts are well lubricated and operate freely. It will be normal for some painted hinge parts to wear through to bare metal....just make sure you keep those areas covered in light grease.

I am not a believer in lifetime paint coatings, ceramic, graphene or otherwise. Wax, or polymer paint protectants are meant to be sacrificial in nature. Their purpose is to protect the underlying finish which means they get consumed or weather off in time. A good waxing with Colinite 845 twice per year should suffice, with spray wax applications in between after regular washes. One other thing I would recommend is regular cleaning of all the door, hatch, trunk, or hood jams. This seems to be an area that a lot of people never clean or wipe down after washing the car. This is where the majority of the body seams are and it is important to keep dirt from collecting in those areas which then hold moisture and start rust. Use some spray wax on those areas at least twice per year too. Try also to look for dirt accumaltion on or near the weather strip edges and clean those areas to prevent rust as well.

I am not sure if this Nissan model has a CVT or not, but if it does I would be more agressive about keeping the fluid clean with regular changes.......whatever you do don't extend them beyond the recommended mileage intervals.

Good luck with your purchase, apply some common sense, and effort, and your vehicle will last a long time.

 

[The Critic]

a) Professional ceramic coating. I hear they cost a lot due to the hours involved. How much are we talking about? For a car of that size, you are looking at $1500-$3K.

Can I accomplish comparable results on my own? Probably not I think, since the ceramic includes 3 washes to prep, twice degreasing with alcohol, then drying indoors for a couple of days (I do have a garage but I never use it, it serves as storage but is mostly empty and could house the vehicle I suppose), and then apply the ceramic. From a protection standpoint, yes. From an appearance standpoint, maybe not.

 

[Malo83]

Been using TW Ceramic Graphene paste wax lately, did both wife's and my car, after every wash apply G-Max TEC584 Graphene detail spray, cars always look great.

 

[WeyounDS9]

I am not sure if this Nissan model has a CVT or not, but if it does I would be more agressive about keeping the fluid clean with regular changes.......whatever you do don't extend them beyond the recommended mileage intervals.

It has a 7 speed tradtional auto they've been using for a decade in Armada and Titan.
Also used globally in middle east and australia, In Middle East many guys uses them as large dune buggies and beat on them in the desert.
The Y62 is a Landcruiser competitor and considered in same class everywhere exept in the US.
Both LC and the Patrol are/were decontended in the US.

Nowhere in the world can one buy a Y62 for as little as we can in the US.
Here is are a couple australian review ( for autralian market they get push button rear locker, 40 Gallon fueltank and the same hydraulic suspension as the Infiniti QX80), the Patrol does not always win but it is in the same class as the LC.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

It has a 7 speed tradtional auto they've been using for a decade in Armada and Titan.
Also used globally in middle east and australia, In Middle East many guys uses them as large dune buggies and beat on them in the desert.
The Y62 is a Landcruiser competitor and considered in same class everywhere exept in the US.
Both LC and the Patrol are/were decontended in the US.

Nowhere in the world can one buy a Y62 for as little as we can in the US.
Here is are a couple australian review ( for autralian market they get push button rear locker, 40 Gallon fueltank and the same hydraulic suspension as the Infiniti QX80), the Patrol does not always win but it is in the same class as the LC.

Excellent. It sounds like you have really done your homework on this particular vehicle....that is great. Back to making it last. After you take delivery, and before winter hits, see if you can find someone who will put it on a lift for you. Get under the vehicle and inspect all the welded seam areas and make sure they are properly covered in seam sealer from the factory. Don't worry if you find some that are not, as you can cover those yourself. You may have to remove some of the under body shielding to do this but it will be worth it if you want to prevent rust. Remember any area on the vehicle body that has a seam or panel overlap that is spot welded is an area that will be prone to rust formation. Make sure those areas are sealed as good as you can get them.

 

[WeyounDS9]

 

[chris719]

With a big vehicle I’d buy Gyeon WetCoat or Diy Detail Quick Beads and just spray and rinse and get pretty decent protection. Gyeon Bathe+ or Infinity Wax Synergy Boost foamed is also an ultimate lazy person maintenance sealant. I can’t be bothered to wax, seal, or coat anything bigger than a mid-sized sedan.

 

[tblt44]

Florida, not on the coast no need for undercoating unless it makes you feel good.
Fluid changes important, ALL fluids diffs,transmission, transfer case, break fluid, power steering fluid, coolant and of coarse oil with a good filter.

 

[hrv]

I remember the old days when you purchased a new car and had the old style tar /rubberized undercoating put on...That was in Cleveland where you had a winter and they used a lot of salt on the roads..Mickeys was a popular place to have it done back then...

 

[buster]

Really comes down to how particular you are about it and how much time you want to put into it. If the paint is in good enough shape to your own standards (few swirl marks and just minor imperfections), you could skip polishing and do full decontamination/clay and put a sealant like Griot's 3 in 1 or Wet Coat on it. Or follow the same steps and use something like Can Coat which is a wipe on/wipe off product.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Paint Sealant: Because your paint is new request that the dealer does not apply their fancy marketing chemicals, and upon delivery you can wash and decontaminate your paint yourself. You can buy all the fancy coatings that they can. There is a guy on youtube that does real outdoor durability testing, select one that is good for 3 years and apply it per the directions. Then maintain with TEC582 spray. The cost of having a pro do it, is to do a full paint correction. On a new car that is a daily driver I do not beleive this is needed unless the paint got beat up or washed incorrectly at the lot.

Rust prevention: The big three 1.) Blastershield 2.) Woolwax 3.) Fluid Film are all good products. It is more important to access hard to reach cavities and apply the product deep within the internal structures. Then you can apply to the chassis as needed every 2 yrs or so.

 

[mikemilburn]

I had my 2019 Ram 1500 ceramic coated when I bought it brand new a year old, the colour is dark forest green metallic, looks black most of the time. It looked awesome immediately after it was done and for 8-12 months after. Didn't take long for the surface to degrade after that time. Microscratches and swirls were quite noticeable, water beading pretty much stopped after a couple years. One thing that did last was water beading on the windshield, I recently had to replace a windshield and didn't realize how much of a difference the coating made.
Although I don't use the two bucket washing method I am conscious of contaminants on the wash mitt and use Dawn detergent which was recommended by the coating applicator.
Havin well water I do have to dry it using microfiber cloths and Turtle wax detailer for lubrication while drying.
It cost me $1,500 Canadian, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done it. My understanding is the majority of the cost is labour, polishing out the microscratches so they don't get sealed in.
For undercoating, I've had Krown applied every year since I've bought it, CAN$130 a shot. I get under it myself and spray spots missed or that I think should have more, cab mounts etc.

 

[JHZR2]

Spraying boiled linseed oil has been going through my mind on untreated clean vehicles, TBH. Then top with oil as desired.

 

[The Critic]

I had my 2019 Ram 1500 ceramic coated when I bought it brand new a year old, the colour is dark forest green metallic, looks black most of the time. It looked awesome immediately after it was done and for 8-12 months after. Didn't take long for the surface to degrade after that time. Microscratches and swirls were quite noticeable, water beading pretty much stopped after a couple years.

That's pretty normal. Most coatings will require a periodic decontamination wash, and in reality, all surfaces will see some amount of wear. A few years is pretty good for any coating, professional or not.

 

[buster]

This guy (he works for Esoteric now; believe he retired and does it just bc he likes it) has tried multiple brand coatings. He now says he'd opt for Can Coat and call it a day. The cost is in the prep as others have stated. Coatings wear and fail regardless of pro or consumer. Some pro coatings aren't worth a dime. Can Coat is a WOWO product. Hard to mess up and you can put it on anything. Will hold up at least 1 year, mostly like 1.5 years. Hydrophobics are as good as the best coatings on the market.

Glass/Quartz/Ceramic Coatings – Kamikaze Miyabi, ISM, Zipang, NV Nova EVO, 22ple, Cquartz, Gtechniq CSL, EXO and more.

Disclaimer: I’m not a pro, nor even a ‘complete’ detailer; I just enjoy polishing paint and applying coatings to see how they do. Interiors make me cringe and I can barely clean interior glass with…

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