The Truth & Myths about Ceramic Coatings

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Originally Posted by PlzRepond
Hi HF, just chiming in on the best uv protection that $ can buy since we were talking about fading from uv exposure. Have a good day brother

Dubious claim, at best.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by PlzRepond
Hi HF, just chiming in on the best uv protection that $ can buy since we were talking about fading from uv exposure. Have a good day brother

Dubious claim, at best.

Not to mention the orange goop has nothing to do with the topic of this thread...ceramic coating products.

This is just another lame off-topic-trolling effort.
 
The crazy thing is that people are spending BIG money one ceramic coatings, people that spend time detailing their cars constantly. From what I have been told by a few professionals is these coating are actually better for people who don't take care of their car. The expensive cars that get driven on nice days then get waxed and put away have the wax protection and don't need ceramic. But the people who could benefit most, don't want to spend thousands for a coating, they just go through a auto car wash.
 
Originally Posted by Redright9
The crazy thing is that people are spending BIG money one ceramic coatings, people that spend time detailing their cars constantly. From what I have been told by a few professionals is these coating are actually better for people who don't take care of their car. The expensive cars that get driven on nice days then get waxed and put away have the wax protection and don't need ceramic. But the people who could benefit most, don't want to spend thousands for a coating, they just go through a auto car wash.

Thats me. I had Opti-coat pro installed in July 2014. Durango was 1 or 2 months old.

I have never washed by hand, or waxed by hand the vehicle. Only touchless tunnel washes. Water beads and sheets like coating is new yet. 72K miles on it.
Full disclaimer; vehicle has spend majority of its non driving life in garage. But since April and going forward, the durango will be outside parked.

We have since bought 2 new vehicles. F150 and Jeep Wrangler. I did not get coating on either because they will both see scratches from off roading. I do applied OTC "sealants" to aid in washing and bug removal.
 
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I'm still undecided about using ceramics. For one thing, I enjoy spending time detailing my vehicles, and I know that using ceramics isn't going to make them look any better. Secondly, I KNOW what the products I use now are capable of, as far as how they will look, and how long they will last. I know if I use Collinite on my vehicle, it will easily last 6 months, especially if I use a quick detailer in between wax applications. I feel like I know what I'm getting now and if I make a move to ceramics, it'll be like starting all over again because I won't have a clue about the product(s) I'm using...
 
Originally Posted by grampi
I'm still undecided about using ceramics. For one thing, I enjoy spending time detailing my vehicles, and I know that using ceramics isn't going to make them look any better. Secondly, I KNOW what the products I use now are capable of, as far as how they will look, and how long they will last. I know if I use Collinite on my vehicle, it will easily last 6 months, especially if I use a quick detailer in between wax applications. I feel like I know what I'm getting now and if I make a move to ceramics, it'll be like starting all over again because I won't have a clue about the product(s) I'm using...


Interesting. Do you use quick detailer in between or spray wax?
 
Originally Posted by PlzRepond
Originally Posted by grampi
I'm still undecided about using ceramics. For one thing, I enjoy spending time detailing my vehicles, and I know that using ceramics isn't going to make them look any better. Secondly, I KNOW what the products I use now are capable of, as far as how they will look, and how long they will last. I know if I use Collinite on my vehicle, it will easily last 6 months, especially if I use a quick detailer in between wax applications. I feel like I know what I'm getting now and if I make a move to ceramics, it'll be like starting all over again because I won't have a clue about the product(s) I'm using...


Interesting. Do you use quick detailer in between or spray wax?


Sometimes both...
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by geeman789
At on average $ 1500 per car around here, the cost / benefit is questionable. People have the unrealistic expectation that the coating will protect the paint from EVERYTHING ... as the video states, it doesn't.

So why bother ... $ 1500 buys a lot of professional detailing, or a ton of do it yourself detailing products.

Well... Let's say that you went against the BITOG grain and bought a nice car, that you plan to keep forever. Not because you're cheap, but because it's unique. Let's say that you're finally doing well, and you've saved up. You're going to custom order that new ///M3, Individual Composition, and you're going to pick it up in Germany.

Once it is home, you want to protect your investment, so you visit a professional detailer. He explains the paint correction process, and will correct any swirls or contamination presently on your paint, restoring the finish to a better-than-new shine. How would you like him to protect the car's newfound shine? The detailer of course reccomends a full custom-cut PPF as the ultimate protection, but you're not sure you want to spend $3000+. A ceramic coating is presented as the next best thing. It creates a near-permanent sacrificial layer, so that the scratches that WILL accumulate over time, accumulate in the coating, not directly into your clear coat (think micro-marring here, swirls from washing, brushing against the paint, etc.) It also protects against etching and the car will not accumulate the dust and dirt that lead to scratching as easily. It also makes the car easier to wash - again, less chance of marring the finish.

As a bonus, if your car needs a paint correction in 5 years or so to handle the swirls, you will be polishing (removing) the ceramic coating first - not the clear coat. Or of course, you could do as you say - spend $500 every few years for that same detailer to grind away layer after layer of your clearcoat to remove the defects introduced when using the car.

The unrealistic expectations are not created by the product, they're created by less than reputable sellers and installers. A quality company or professional detailer will be honest, and up front. Managing expectations is customer service 101.

Well put. The vast majority of the ~$1,000-$1,500 prices people see for coatings are the standard paint correction in order to perfect the paint before you apply the coating. As for the protection itself, it offers a lot more than a wax or paint sealant as long as one understands it isn't an excuse not to take care of the finish. In the next few weeks I'm going to apply Polish Angel Cosmic V2 to the new X5. I'm anxious to see how it goes.
 
Originally Posted by HYUNDAIFAN0001
Originally Posted by Pew
What about ceramic coating and something like a clear bra? A buddy peeled off his clear bra after some 5-6 years and the difference in paint shades is pretty drastic.

Better or worse than the rest of the car's paint?

Fading is most commonly caused by the effects of UV light's damage. It's the same reason many vehicle exterior waxes and sealants feature UV protection chemistry.

A clear bra (especially if it has UV protection) will certainly provide added protection, especially when it comes to small road debris


The area that was covered with the clear bra was better than the uncovered areas (that are now faded.) Which is great to know that the clear bra works, it just sucks taking it off for whatever reason and finding that the car looks like you just got a Maaco job.

What would you do for a car that is 95% highway, used on alot of roadtrips, and plan to keep? My current car is so riddled with chips and dents from my road trips to the point that I don't even bother detailing the front bumper, just wash. Sometimes I even keep it dirtier than normal so I don't see the hail damage lol.
 
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Originally Posted by Pew
What would you do for a car that is 95% highway, used on alot of roadtrips, and plan to keep?

A whole-car custom-cut PPF.

A quality SiO2 coating professionally applied is the next best thing.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by Pew
What would you do for a car that is 95% highway, used on alot of roadtrips, and plan to keep?

A whole-car custom-cut PPF.

A quality SiO2 coating professionally applied is the next best thing.

Indeed.

A hood guard/shield wouldn't be a bad idea either.
 
Originally Posted by HYUNDAIFAN0001
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by Pew
What would you do for a car that is 95% highway, used on alot of roadtrips, and plan to keep?

A whole-car custom-cut PPF.

A quality SiO2 coating professionally applied is the next best thing.

Indeed.

A hood guard/shield wouldn't be a bad idea either.





I agree. The only thing that can help against chips and the line is a PPF.
 
Originally Posted by HYUNDAIFAN0001
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by Pew
What would you do for a car that is 95% highway, used on alot of roadtrips, and plan to keep?

A whole-car custom-cut PPF.

A quality SiO2 coating professionally applied is the next best thing.

Indeed.

A hood guard/shield wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Windshield savers, those.

We're on a roll here, man!
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by HYUNDAIFAN0001
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by Pew
What would you do for a car that is 95% highway, used on alot of roadtrips, and plan to keep?

A whole-car custom-cut PPF.

A quality SiO2 coating professionally applied is the next best thing.

Indeed.

A hood guard/shield wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Windshield savers, those.

We're on a roll here, man!


Great ideas... I always have to wipe down the windshield every time I gas up during my summer trips because the bugs and dust on the windshield is bad enough that visibility at night actually starts to be impaired.
 
Originally Posted by Pew

We're on a roll here, man!

Great ideas... I always have to wipe down the windshield every time I gas up during my summer trips because the bugs and dust on the windshield is bad enough that visibility at night actually starts to be impaired.

A good UV protection spray wax will actually help avoid those buggers sticking and making the mess they usually make.

I use my Chemical Guys Blazin' Banana on all exterior surfaces, including painted areas, plastic, chrome, trim, and windshields...it applies easy and makes washing windows easy too. There are other products which do the same thing (although some don't fare well on glass or dark trim).
 
Originally Posted by grampi
I'm still undecided about using ceramics. For one thing, I enjoy spending time detailing my vehicles, and I know that using ceramics isn't going to make them look any better. Secondly, I KNOW what the products I use now are capable of, as far as how they will look, and how long they will last. I know if I use Collinite on my vehicle, it will easily last 6 months, especially if I use a quick detailer in between wax applications. I feel like I know what I'm getting now and if I make a move to ceramics, it'll be like starting all over again because I won't have a clue about the product(s) I'm using...


Think of these new spray on ceramic products as just another entrant into the easily-applied paint protection field. Treat them like you would a shiny new wax-as-u-dry from Meguiars or Griots. Buy a bottle, give it a day in court, put it on the shelf to give away if you aren't impressed with the results.

Basically the same as any other spray wax/sealant you might stumble across OTC and want to try - it may be a little nicer to use than current go-to, or it may not be any different. Only you can decide, try 'em out and see.

Don't expect miracles or even significant difference from a good spray wax you are already using. May be easier or last a little longer, that's about it.
 
For the record, I've tried the ceramic sprays from Megs, Mother's, and Turtle Wax. Each has its perks; none are head and shoulders above my normal go-to (GG BiS spray wax). I'll use them until gone and then likely go back to my bottle of GG i have left.
 
@Pew- regarding the bugs 🛠and dust

You can use a really good sealant like turtle wax Ice or nu finish on the windshield to help make a barrier so those things don't stick anymore. Also makes the windshield super hydrophobic. I literally applied both to our glass shower doors! Good luck ðŸ€
 
"Great ideas... I always have to wipe down the windshield every time I gas up during my summer trips because the bugs and dust on the windshield is bad enough that visibility at night actually starts to be impaired."




In your situation stay away from the cheap windshield wash products. Get something strong like Krystal Klar. Keeping the windshield clean is the biggest step.

I would refrain from using the orange bottle stuff on glass. There are much better products out there. Putting something on your windshield that ends up causing wiper skip or smearing is just doubling up on your troubles.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
"Great ideas... I always have to wipe down the windshield every time I gas up during my summer trips because the bugs and dust on the windshield is bad enough that visibility at night actually starts to be impaired."




In your situation stay away from the cheap windshield wash products. Get something strong like Krystal Klar. Keeping the windshield clean is the biggest step.

I would refrain from using the orange bottle stuff on glass. There are much better products out there. Putting something on your windshield that ends up causing wiper skip or smearing is just doubling up on your troubles.


Thanks for the tip. I just started using Rain-X on the Focus again but I'll definitely add in the Krystal Klear. $12 on amazon isn't bad to make sure the windshield is good to go. I tried the Rain-X anti-fog on the inside of the windshield and it left a lot of residue that made the glass look fogged up.
 
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