i usually use a ceramic detailer on my vehicles . thinking of ceramic coating my main one because getting tired of applying it all the time. I know ceramic coating will need to be prepped etc and it take time. So is the reward for the time invest in prepping for a ceramic coat worth it over just continuing to spray a a detalier?
Ceramic coat worth the squeeze?
- Thread starter CarLuver
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Coatings have become increasingly easier to apply. You could try a product like Can Coat which is considered a coating "lite" product, good for about a year. Durability of any LSP will be dependent on how well the surface was prepped, environment the car is operated in and how it's maintained. Some coatings clog faster than others which can require an acidic wash every now and then. The other option is just using a highly hydrophobic spray sealant like Sonax Ceramic Spray, Sonax BSD, Fireball Pirouette etc. and applying as needed.
The "rinse off" Si02 coatings like Gyeon WetCoat or Carpro Hydo2 Lite are crazy. I have pretty much stopped using waxes and sealants because these are 1000 times easier to apply. I get about six weeks out of an application.
These coatings have come a long way IMO. I hope this innovation continues. I've used some SiO2 washes from gtechniq and from wolfgang...whatever the second part of their company is called. Both are good. Neither lasts months.
I did the "best" diy type ceramic coating on my car and it took me a weekend to do it. Prep was key. I am happy with the results and it still looks great. With that said, the ease of these spray on type coatings makes the marginal difference of labor between the two something that is tough to ignore for me. I'd rather use a spray on and towel dry product (gtechniq c2v3) every 3-4 months if I'm likely going to use it every 6-8 months any way (as my current use). Ultimately it's up to the end consumer what you're going for, what type of shine you're after and whether or not you think the time outlay to get your ceramic coating done right personally (or via a solid pro near you) is worth the cost/time it takes to get there. I've had a car professionally done and it was expensive. Money well spent imo as I wouldn't have wanted to do it and the guy that did it is a top 10 installer in the country.
I did the "best" diy type ceramic coating on my car and it took me a weekend to do it. Prep was key. I am happy with the results and it still looks great. With that said, the ease of these spray on type coatings makes the marginal difference of labor between the two something that is tough to ignore for me. I'd rather use a spray on and towel dry product (gtechniq c2v3) every 3-4 months if I'm likely going to use it every 6-8 months any way (as my current use). Ultimately it's up to the end consumer what you're going for, what type of shine you're after and whether or not you think the time outlay to get your ceramic coating done right personally (or via a solid pro near you) is worth the cost/time it takes to get there. I've had a car professionally done and it was expensive. Money well spent imo as I wouldn't have wanted to do it and the guy that did it is a top 10 installer in the country.
Ceramic coatings are excellent and last a long time. I think that in the long run, you actually save time, effort, and money by coating your car with a good ceramic.
I can’t seem to go a week without putting some wax product on my car, so a coating would take the fun away.
But honestly I would only coat an expensive garage queen, or my daily driver/beater.
But honestly I would only coat an expensive garage queen, or my daily driver/beater.
That is a hefty price. I would note that it is a straightforward do it yourself project, with some newer offerings that are very easy to apply. Also, there are a gazillion YouTube videos to guide anyone. The biggest part by far is getting the paint cleaned, compounded and polished before applying the ceramic. Even if it takes a full weekend, some products hold up for seven to ten years.
Fair enough. There actually are people out there who prefer an excellent wax coating over ceramic, because it has a warmer, more natural appearance.
Patman
Staff member
I often hear people say that the hardest part is the prep, mainly getting rid of the imperfections. And as someone who has a buffer, I’m no stranger to spending many many hours doing paint correction (mainly from back when I had my black 98 Corvette!) But certainly one could simply apply a ceramic coating without doing any paint correction, it would be no different than applying any type of wax or sealant to an uncorrected finish, and people do that all the time. Certainly the results will not be the same and the coating won’t last as long but the time you save could be transferred over to having more time reapplying another ceramic coating every year or two.
I don’t think too many people would see the coating last 7-10 years anyway. Certainly not a car exposed to the elements often. And the hydrophobic nature of the coating would definitely be drastically depleted long before the 7 year mark.
Absolutely, and that is a great way to get some of the benefits. My fear would be that if the results are not satisfactory, you are in for a day of heavy compounding to get that ceramic coating off the car! I recently did a black metallic SUV, and it was probably the prep that did the most (removing swirl marks and getting the paint smooth)
This!
Perfect timing for this thread, having bought a new Honda Pilot this weekend. The dealer didn't add their cheap, $10 cost and $899 retail "ceramic coating/protection package", minimizing the prep work for me. I did my own on the Audi we traded and the paint still looked better than new.
Patman
Staff member
If I ever did go with a ceramic coating on my cars I would probably leave the prep to my son, he’s a detailer for his local GM dealer and is very good at paint correction. At 55 I find that to be back breaking work that didn’t seem to bother me 20 years ago.
For now I’m still using up my supply of Meguiars Ultimate Fast Finish, which is an aerosol sealant that is very hydrophobic so it does behave somewhat like a ceramic coating. I reapply it once a month since it only takes ten minutes to apply. Before it was discontinued I bought a bunch of cans so I have a few more years before I need to worry about what I will replace it with. I’m sure there will be a lot of new products come out during this time as well.
Worst case (and it sounds like you're detailed oriented, so highly unlikely), how expensive is your time vs spending thousands having an experienced detailer do the work for you?
It can be hard to find the time, and difficult to explain to the family, but my preference is to do it myself. Would I be ahead paying someone else? Probably.
I'm getting older and it's harder getting up from squatting or lying down to work on the car, but when it's said-and-done, feel good about "wasting several hours" piddling with the car. What I notice is how much more you learn about your car having put your hands all over it vs reading the owner's manual from cover to cover, which I do. The new Pilot's manual is almost as long as War and Peace!
It's not hard if you use the right products. I used to buff the car with a water based polish for pre ceramic coatings. Then I discovered Kamikaze #5 cleansing product. It's expensive but goes a long way. Wash the car. Apply This #5 product in straight lines one panel at a time. Then rinse off with water. It removes any former ceramic or wax coatings. No buffing unless you have an area that needs correcting.
Then I use Tec 580 ceramic coating(Amazon). It's easy to use. After letting it "set up" for a day or 2, you have a ceramic coating. I maintain it with Ted 582 Ceramic Detail spray.(Amazon) I don't know how long it lasts but it's going on a couple years and water will not stay on it. I'm 76. If I can do it anybody can.
https://kamikaze-collection.store/products/kmkz-paint-cleansing
Then I use Tec 580 ceramic coating(Amazon). It's easy to use. After letting it "set up" for a day or 2, you have a ceramic coating. I maintain it with Ted 582 Ceramic Detail spray.(Amazon) I don't know how long it lasts but it's going on a couple years and water will not stay on it. I'm 76. If I can do it anybody can.
https://kamikaze-collection.store/products/kmkz-paint-cleansing
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Patman
Staff member
One of the problems I can see with DIY coating is for people who don’t have a garage. I understand that you really shouldn’t get a fresh coating wet for the first 48 hours (or more?) and you certainly don’t want birds to do their business on the paint either. So you run the risk of having the protection compromised during this curing period if it’s outside subjected to these possibilities 
True but if you can let it sit in the sun for a day, that quickens the curing.One of the problems I can see with DIY coating is for people who don’t have a garage. I understand that you really shouldn’t get a fresh coating wet for the first 48 hours (or more?) and you certainly don’t want birds to do their business on the paint either. So you run the risk of having the protection compromised during this curing period if it’s outside subjected to these possibilities
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