Coatings - Thickness & Protection?

UTdetailing

UTdetailing

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Hi all -

Still on the fence about applying a coating to my wife's daily driver. I am hoping some of you experienced coating Pro's can confirm/correct my understanding of coatings and provide your own thoughts and input.

First to make sure we are talking about the same thing I am referring to the "glass" coatings such as CQuartz and etc.

As I understand it these coatings apply a very fine layer of ceramic/glass like coating over top of the clear coat, in the process filling any un-level portions to create a very level layer, in turn increasing gloss. They are a very durable & chemical resistant layer that protects the underlying paint from UV & other elements?

I enjoy polishing & sealing/waxing so it is not the "save the work" feature that attracts me near as much as having the extra layer for protection. I try to keep our daily drivers in "pristine" condition, but it is very difficult on daily drivers (especially with a wife who is not quite as "careful" as I would like) so I find myself wanting to polish often.

My thoughts are that if I apply the coating, the coating would take the brunt of the very shallow surface scratches typical of a daily driver, therefore polishing out the scratches on the coating rather than the actual clear coat. Am I completely off here?

Is the coating thickness even thick/hard enough to absorb these typical "use marks"? I am talking about stopping at the "soft touch" or the Dance Team Fundraising Car Wash, setting grocery bags on the hood and etc.

Or should I just start saving for a repaint LOL?
 
UTdetailing said:
Is the coating thickness even thick/hard enough to absorb these typical "use marks"? I am talking about stopping at the "soft touch" or the Dance Team Fundraising Car Wash, setting grocery bags on the hood and etc.
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Not consumer grade. not even sure about "pro" stuff. Remember soft touch/high school washes still have everybody elses dirt in their media and have probably been dropped a few times.
 
Agree with Ron. Coatings won't help with that type of abuse. Paint protection film on the other hand would.
 
No coatings will save your paint against that. What your coating will save your paint against is when you wash your car and what not. Your car will have a lot less marring from oopsies and what not then a pure clearcoat layer.
 
ronkh57 said:
Not consumer grade. not even sure about "pro" stuff. Remember soft touch/high school washes still have everybody elses dirt in their media and have probably been dropped a few times.
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Agree no such thing I don't care what you use it will scratch.
 
As others have said, it will help minimize or prevent micro marring but not from day to day scratches. Those coatings only work on youtube.com

I do enjoy having the protection from micro marring. It's very apparent on pure black. If I were to apply wax and buff too much with my softest cloth it would marr. No longer. Day to day though, if someone leans on my car it will marr and scratch the clear coat.
 
UTdetailing said:
As I understand it these coatings apply
a very fine layer of ceramic/glass like
coating over top of the clear coat...

My thoughts are that if I apply the coating,
the coating would take the brunt of the
very shallow surface scratches typical of a
daily driver,

therefore polishing out the scratches on
the coating rather than the actual clear coat.

Am I completely off here?
Click to expand...

•IMO:
-Depends on the acuity of your
sense-of-touch; along with an
exceptional level/degree of the
"sense-of-depth perception".

-Being that the very fine layer, that
you mentioned, is only about around
0.5-3.0 microns thick...One would
have to be in possession of some real
extraordinary powers to able to see
and/or feel when that limited amount
of a Coating's film-layer has, or has not,
been breached.


•Do Coatings, (once they've cured),
have a line-of-demarcation?


Bob
 
pdqgp said:
As others have said, it will help minimize or prevent micro marring but not from day to day scratches. Those coatings only work on youtube.com

I do enjoy having the protection from micro marring. It's very apparent on pure black. If I were to apply wax and buff too much with my softest cloth it would marr. No longer. Day to day though, if someone leans on my car it will marr and scratch the clear coat.
Click to expand...
love when they hammer a fender with a wax chaulk.Gives people the wrong perception on coatings.
 
UTdetailing said:
Hi all -

Still on the fence about applying a coating to my wife's daily driver. I am hoping some of you experienced coating Pro's can confirm/correct my understanding of coatings and provide your own thoughts and input.

First to make sure we are talking about the same thing I am referring to the "glass" coatings such as CQuartz and etc.

As I understand it these coatings apply a very fine layer of ceramic/glass like coating over top of the clear coat, in the process filling any un-level portions to create a very level layer, in turn increasing gloss.
It may fill some micro scratches, but I don't believe it will level your paint to any noticeable degree. They are a very durable & chemical resistant layer that protects the underlying paint from UV & other elements?Maybe!

I enjoy polishing & sealing/waxing so it is not the "save the work" feature that attracts me near as much as having the extra layer for protection. I try to keep our daily drivers in "pristine" condition, but it is very difficult on daily drivers (especially with a wife who is not quite as "careful" as I would like) so I find myself wanting to polish often.

My thoughts are that if I apply the coating, the coating would take the brunt of the very shallow surface scratches typical of a daily driver, therefore polishing out the scratches on the coating rather than the actual clear coat. Am I completely off here? Car Pro came out with a polish (Essence Plus) for this very reason.

Is the coating thickness even thick/hard enough to absorb these typical "use marks"? Depends, but usually not. I am talking about stopping at the "soft touch" or the Dance Team Fundraising Car Wash,Dropping the wash media on the ground and then rubbing your paint will not stop the marring. setting grocery bags on the hood and etc. I've seen marring from grocery bags on the trunk, but on the hood, help!!

Or should I just start saving for a repaint LOL?
Click to expand...
Do your DD and apply a coating.
 
Thank you all for the input. I suspected I was being a little over optimistic in my thought process.

Now that I know scratch protection is near null, I can start reading all the "What's Best" posts for coatings until I get sick of reading and stick with Megs Ultimate Wax refreshed often with D156 :)
 
We never sell a coating as scratch resistance. If the owner using proper washing techniques, the right wash media, or allows us to post maintained it's quite possible the maintain a swirl free finish. Coatings are easy maintenance. They add a superficial barrier between your paint and the elements. They will help again contamination, washing, drying and improve the overall appearance.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
UTdetailing said:
Thank you all for the input. I suspected I was being a little over optimistic in my thought process.

Now that I know scratch protection is near null, I can start reading all the "What's Best" posts for coatings until I get sick of reading and stick with Megs Ultimate Wax refreshed often with D156 :)
Click to expand...

IMO they are all pretty good. I chose McKee's 37 due in part to cost/value for daily drivers. I use Cquartz on summer only cars that may not even see rain. The main reason being that on a daily driver that someone may end up washing improperly and/or having polished or "detailed" again in the near future, it's not worth spending a ton of money if they coating is going to just be polished away. I reserve the better ones that may last 3-5yrs and hold up better for summer only cars that owners are more careful with. The ones that may get 100% corrected and then never have a need to be buffed again later.

I've had Cquarts and 22PLe on my cars before and am just as happy with McKee's 37.
 
pdqgp said:
IMO they are all pretty good. I chose McKee's 37 due in part to cost/value for daily drivers. I use Cquartz on summer only cars that may not even see rain. The main reason being that on a daily driver that someone may end up washing improperly and/or having polished or "detailed" again in the near future, it's not worth spending a ton of money if they coating is going to just be polished away. I reserve the better ones that may last 3-5yrs and hold up better for summer only cars that owners are more careful with. The ones that may get 100% corrected and then never have a need to be buffed again later.

I've had Cquarts and 22PLe on my cars before and am just as happy with McKee's 37.
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That's very sound logic IMO! At the $35 price point I am going to have to try it. Where is Meghan with one of her savings posts? :P

This is the stuff your talking about right? Paint Coating, nano paint sealant, ceramic paint coating, nano paint coating

Do you use the McKee Coating Prep polish as well, or 205 with an IPA wipe?
 
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