Is Ceramic Coating Worth It?

[RDZL1]

I’m not thrilled about having water spots. Prob be hard for me to keep up with maintaining it if I get back into the car business and working long hours. Do you think realistically I’d have to have this redone once a year daily driving it in Florida?

May be I didn’t clearly explain my point.
All the potential issues that I mentioned in my comments before are paint issues not a coating issue. You can get water spots regardless of coating is applied or not.

I have seen coating needing full correction and reapplication after a year. But this car was neglected and not properly maintained.

Car maintenance is a commitment regardless of coating or not. But maintenance is easier with coating.


Shield & Sheen

 

[SWETM]

I think it's worth it on DD. You are right about the best protection from rock chips is to install ppf on front area and as your car looks on the side I would consider it on the lower half of the side panels too. And maybe on the first third part of the roof.

This I don't have any experience with so hope someone to chaim in. But I would look into ceramic coating to the ppf also. As I understand it those love bugs is really acid based. And the benefit with most all of the coatings I have seen claims to withstand a ph level from 2 to 11-12. This would be a great protection to the ppf and the clearcoat to withstand etching from them. If you decide to go with ppf and coating you will have to look up so it's safe to apply on them. I think it depends on what kind of carrier solvent the specific coating is useing. And the problem can be that it's haze the ppf. This is just what I think.

It's seems like you are ready to maintain your car properly. So it's just a little different from any waxes and sealants to do so. I think about it this way that I will have the paint as clean as possible before touching it. So first I use a dedicated prewash foam and foam with the foamcannon from the PW. Then clean rinse it off before I do a 2bm wash with carpro reset or another car soap that are made for coatings. They don't leave anything behind as normal car soap or have some sio2 in them that ads to the coating. I will switch over to use multible wash mitts and pads so I don't dunk a used one in the wash bucket again. Then dry it with a leafblower or a blower that are made for this. Then dry of the little droplets that remains with a quality drying towel or if I want to apply a coating topper I do this at the same time in this step.

Then every 4th-6th wash I do a decon wash with iron remover and tar remover. Since you have love bugs I would get a bug remover and use when needed. That is also a benefit with coatings that the use of harsher chemicals don't impact on the longevity as they do on some waxes and sealants. And keeps the coating more cleaner from imbedded road grime. Look into Gyeon and Carpro offerings on decon products as they are specific made for coatings too and then of cause other brands works too but you get a sense of what to use.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Wow!

Lots of great information!

I'm sure it can also be confusing.... that's normal. Like I was talking to a friend yesterday, it used to be people complained because there were too few options.... now people complain because there are too many options.

:laughing:


If you want fast and easy, and something you can touch up fast and easy, then hate to sound like a broken record but get a bottle of Blackfire One Step. It is an awesome one-step cleaner/wax that will remove most any defect a person would want to remove "safely". Buzz around the car with this and the paint will look perfectly cleaner and have a layer of protection at the same time. Then down the road, if you want to spruce it up, just hit the horizontal panels with the same product. It will quickly remove any current defects and restore that new car look. It wipes off super easy, that's a plus. Has an endless buffing cycle and that's a plus. An no dusting.

If you want to really amp up the durability factor, the get a bottle of SONAX Polymer Net Shield and apply to the horizontal surfaces after using the Blackfire One Step.

The above is a super simple system that will work on 99.9% of all vehicles and is perfect for people that want quick and easy.

First hand experience does show me that a ceramic paint coating helps to keep a car cleaner longer and more important to me, makes washing AND drying faster than a wax or sealant due to the hydrophobic characteristics. A ceramic coating also imparts a "glassy" appearance to paint.


Disclaimer

I use the one-step approach on my daily driver and I keep the wife's MB coated with PBL ceramic paint coating, so I use both approaches.


Check this out...

Review: BLACKFIRE One-Step Cleaner/Wax by Mike Phillips

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Is Ceramic Coating Worth It?


I repainted half of my 05 Saab 9-2x Aero due to the original owners not removing love bugs from the front end. Been thinking how am I going to maintain this in Central Florida with the heat and sun while also protecting the front end of the car from bugs and chips.

I'm pretty set on doing PPF (Xpel okay?) but I'm still hesitant on the Ceramic Coating. I'm not a professional detailer and don't feel comfortable doing it myself. I know my car is only worth $10-$12k even with only 33k miles so I know I don't want to invest a crazy amount into the car over time having to have it reapplied.

For the Love Bug issue, the PPF is the way to go but you still want to remove them off the PPF as fast as you can as the acid in bug guts can also stain and even etch the film.

If the car is going to be outside all of the time then get some Optimum Car Wax. Wash the car and then spray this on and be done with it. Hit the horizontal surfaces as often as you can to maintain the UV protection and of course, keep her looking perty.


Patented UV Protection - Optimum Car Wax - by Dr. Ghodoussi at Autogeek.com


KISS

Keep it Simple Simon

 

[RippyD]

All the potential issues that I mentioned in my comments before are paint issues not a coating issue. You can get water spots regardless of coating is applied or not.

Some of us have seen coatings spot more readily than sealants. And it may be impossible to remove the spots without abrading or removing the coating. If you get spots on top of a sealant they're generally easier to remove. Reapplying sealant is generally easier than reapplying a coating. A sealant over a coating can help with this if you keep it maintained. But if you have to add sealant over your coating protect it, why not just use a sealant?

I have seen coating needing full correction and reapplication after a year. But this car was neglected and not properly maintained.

Also depends on the coating. Some will sheet water for a year or more. Others are done in less time, especially in harsh weather. This is based on testing I have done rather than manufacturer's claims.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Couldn't find the write-up where I documented the process used on the wife's MB but it was simple,

1. Wash
2. Chemical decontaminate
3. Clay
4. Machine polish with Wolfgang Finishing Glaze (not a glaze but a fine cut polish)
5. Chemically strip
6. Apply PBL Paint Coating

Coating on a white car

Here's what a white car looks like, after it's been washed. The last time I coated the entire car was at least 6 months ago and probably longer. The hood was re-coated because I tested a polish on the hood and after the test I went ahead and re-polished the entire hood, chemically stripped it and then coated it. but the rest of the car has not been touched except for washing for at least 6-8 months.

Coatings retain a glossy or glassy appearance over time as long as you wash the car CAREFULLY. And that is the secret to maintaining the coating, washing often and washing CAREFULLY.

Since then I've re-polished the hood, roof and trunk lid a couple of times and re-coated due to the build-up of air-borne pollution and road film and the recoated these areas. Have not done the sides. Think it's been 3 years.

 

[TheGrayAero]

It's entirely about what set of circumstances you want to put up with. They have positives and negatives. I only coat trim and rims. Nothing can protect and make rims easier to clean then coating it. Trim is always the first things to start showing age and UV damage.
I look at coatings this way. Think about it as a really good paint sealant that last two years and makes cleaning your car a little easier and after it's washed and topped it looks like it's just been coated again. You still have to wash it and you will still top it with a coatings topper. Once they fail you have to do it all over again. They are not bullet proof, scratch proof and still need to be cared for just as much as if you were putting a $30 sealant on your car 3 or 4 times a year.
Other options that may interest you which are still expensive but more of a DIY would be a hybrid wax or sealant that contain coating active ingredients like Shine Supply Cherry, Angel Wax Enigma and Fireball Fusion, Tac Systems Moon Light, Kamikaze Infinity. I know there are other "hybrid" type products coming around all the time. They will give you the protection but less durability, much easier to use, use them outside and you don't have to deal with product expiring and going to waste.

I may go the Xpel front end of car and Seal or Wax the rest every month route. I look at it this way. I could spend $800 for maybe what might last a year in a professional coating. In reality my car might only be worth $10-$12k and to spend $800 a year to have a coating applied may not be worth it in the long run. I already used Quartz Dlux on a set of power coated OEM wheels I bought for the car that I haven't mounted yet. What would you recommend for the outside trim since my car has a lot of it. In Florida that stuff fades pretty fast and I would like to protect it for the long haul. I'd like to hold onto this car for at least 5 years and it will sit outside a lot.

 

[TheGrayAero]

You don’t have to have it redone once a year. If the coating is applied correctly, the protection will be there for 2-3 years depending on the coating used and how it is maintained.

If you don’t keep up with the regular maintenance washes, then you will most likely get water spots, bonded contaminants and some swirls over time from the washing and drying process on/in the coating.

If you’re okay with that then your fine. The protection will still be there.

I suppose even if I did have water spots they probably wouldn't show up very much on my metallic silver paint. Technically it is (Satin Gray Metallic). The car never looks dirty now.

 

[RippyD]

They may not show up much with that color. In my experience when a coating gets water spots it's not subtle. I only see them in certain light on a white car. On a dark blue on there almost always visible.

 

[SWETM]

I may go the Xpel front end of car and Seal or Wax the rest every month route. I look at it this way. I could spend $800 for maybe what might last a year in a professional coating. In reality my car might only be worth $10-$12k and to spend $800 a year to have a coating applied may not be worth it in the long run. I already used Quartz Dlux on a set of power coated OEM wheels I bought for the car that I haven't mounted yet. What would you recommend for the outside trim since my car has a lot of it. In Florida that stuff fades pretty fast and I would like to protect it for the long haul. I'd like to hold onto this car for at least 5 years and it will sit outside a lot.

The carpro dlux is made for unpainted trim also. And you have done a coating application as it's about the same to do it on paint also as you have done on the rims. You can apply dlux to metall and plastic trim and rubber. The prep is where you are needed to work on a chemical clean surface and Carpro Eraser is a great one for that. And dlux is very heat resistant so I think it will be a great choice for you to use.

So when it's comes to if going with coating on the car. Inspect what kind of condition your paint is in now with swirls and scratches. Then if you only need to do a light polishing I would go with carpro essence primer that has the ability to cut the light swirls out. And then carpro CQUK is a great heat resistant coating. Then if you want to minimize the water spots Carpro has released a top coating named Gliss that is very hydrofobic. The CQUK is not the easiest to apply of coatings and it's when wiping it of it can be hard to remove. But read up on it and work in small sections and wipe it off in the lower time of the time window and it's very like the dlux to use. I would do 2 layers of cquk so you get maximum uv protection and coverage.

Mike Phillips has really great write ups on how to start machine polishing. And is very helpfull to read up on. If you get a scrap yard panel first to practice on to get the feeling of the polisher is a good thing to do. Or if you have someone you know that has a DD that you can do your first polishing on.

 

[Desertnate]

Mike Phillips has really great write ups on how to start machine polishing. And is very helpfull to read up on. If you get a scrap yard panel first to practice on to get the feeling of the polisher is a good thing to do. Or if you have someone you know that has a DD that you can do your first polishing on.

Great advice. I'll add another thought.

You can learn to machine polish on your own daily driver, but don't go super aggressive. It seems many people start with the belief their car is a wreck and they go with the most aggressive compound and pads they can find. I'll offer a counter point. Get a a DA, 3~4 polishing, 3~4 compounding pads, and a small bottle of either an AIO or a finishing polish. After watching Mike's videos and doing some thorough reading, go out and try it yourself. As long as your careful, those pads and products will be pretty low risk and will allow you to become comfortable with operating a DA and how a product behaves with different pads. Don't try to fully correct the vehicle on your first try. Once you are more comfortable you can expand out to even more pads and polishing products while working to get better results.

The first car I machine polished, I had no intentions of doing a 100% correction and would have been happy with 50%. Since that car happened to be a Subaru with really soft paint, it turned out much better than expected despite being a very gentle approach. From there, I steadily worked to get better results when working on our other vehicles.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

What would you recommend for the outside trim since my car has a lot of it.

In Florida that stuff fades pretty fast and I would like to protect it for the long haul. I'd like to hold onto this car for at least 5 years and it will sit outside a lot.

Any of the brand name exterior plastic coatings will do a good job. The key is always in the prep work. Do a GREAT job of first cleaning the plastic trim then apply the trim coating per manufacturer's directions.

I would also add to re-apply periodically. While a quality coating will last longer than a dressing, the sun is a formidable enemy and when add the universal solvent "water" in the form of rain, dew and washing, everything is working against your car and all it's surfaces. So periodically, wash the coated surface and then give it a prep wipe and then re-coat.

I've found with exterior plastic exposed to the sun frequent care results in longer lasting beauty and appearance results. Most people do nothing and then look for a miracle product to bring the white, faded oxidized plastic back from the dead.

 

[SWETM]

I don't remember if anyone has mentioned that since your car is repainted to some panels. They will most likely behave differently when polishing. So I would do test spots on the old paint and to the repainted to dial in what works on them.

If you want one of the easiest coatings to apply and with a awesome results and you have the budget for it. I would go with Polish Angel Viking Coat Kit. The downside is that AGO don't have the PA Invicible Primer yet but their sister site Autopia has it. So think you can get it from AGO when buying if you ask them. The primer does a difference in both finishing polish and longevity. The Viking Coat is made for the winter weather in Sweden and is accually developed just a few miles from where I live. Benefit of that it's made for harsh winter weather is that it's also very heat resistant too. And it's the high content of sio2 in it that does that as why CQUK also is that.

Polish Angel Viking Kit

 

[Nix]

I dont think Viking coat requires Primer..Their primer is required for Cosmic to reach 9H hardness..Viking coat will be good on its own without the primer I believe...I have not tried the primer with cosmic so cant comment on how it behaves in terms of longevity..

 

[Whiplash Willy]

Some of us have seen coatings spot more readily than sealants. And it may be impossible to remove the spots without abrading or removing the coating. If you get spots on top of a sealant they're generally easier to remove. Reapplying sealant is generally easier than reapplying a coating. A sealant over a coating can help with this if you keep it maintained. But if you have to add sealant over your coating protect it, why not just use a sealant?


Also depends on the coating. Some will sheet water for a year or more. Others are done in less time, especially in harsh weather. This is based on testing I have done rather than manufacturer's claims.

The only issue I have had with water spots and ceramic coatings (Optimum Gloss Coat) is when my car was parked at work and was hit by a water sprinkler, and left to sit all day in 80*F weather. I had figured it was all over, and I would have to completely remove and re-apply the coating. Luckily, I was able to completely remove all of the waterspots with Carpro Water Spot Remover, quickly and easily, which is impressive, because they were horrible (See my pic below). The best part was that the coating was completely intact, and retained its water beading/sheeting properties.

I don't think water spotting is a reason to avoid ceramic coatings.