Ceramic Coating thoughts?

I paid 2,000 with a lifetime guarantee. Not sure if I would do it again. You still have to wash it with a mitt to get the road grime off. It doesn’t come off with just a pressure washer. And you’re not supposed to take it through a car wash now.
 
I did my Ram, Tremor and Wife's expedition myself. Stripped and polished the paint to perfection, then applied the coating. I LOVE it. Takes me 30 minutes to clean any vehicle and everything comes off super easy. When it's clean, the deep finish is awesome.

I wouldn't pay the $3K people quoted me for it BUT, $150 in product plus 1-2 days time... sure.
 
How does it compare to a claybar, detail, and a wax? My understanding is you could just apply the ceramic coat after claybar detail for an extra layer of protection
 
How does it compare to a claybar, detail, and a wax? My understanding is you could just apply the ceramic coat after claybar detail for an extra layer of protection
Won't stick. Clay removes contamination but there's even different grades of clay. It won't pull scratches or swirls; you need to cut/polish to "level" the finish. Wax sits on top of the paint, ceramic chemically bonds to the paint - think of it like a second, harder clear coat.

They're not even in the same universe.
 
I did my Ram, Tremor and Wife's expedition myself. Stripped and polished the paint to perfection, then applied the coating. I LOVE it. Takes me 30 minutes to clean any vehicle and everything comes off super easy. When it's clean, the deep finish is awesome.

I wouldn't pay the $3K people quoted me for it BUT, $150 in product plus 1-2 days time... sure.
What products did you use and what surfaces did you apply it to? Paint, Glass, etc...
 
I have some Avalon King I bought last Black Friday sitting on my shelf. I should have used it then, now I will have some more correction to do.

Dan what polishes/wax and machine are you using? I think I over complicate things and have too many steps planned out.
 
I was thinking about doing it just to protect the pain from rocks. Our driveway is gravel and pieces that sling up past the wheel well tend to scratch the paint. Would the ceramic coating protect it?
Xpel or other vinyl coating would help for that. I think ceramic is great for preserving a nice wax/polish job. Makes washing real easy as the water beads off.
 
A few other threads on this and more info but I plan to do it with my F350 when it shows up. Cost on my end is $1000 for paint correction and then full 10 year ceramic coat that includes all the glass, the wheels, and entire truck. My price is the family/friends price as I know the owner of the shop. Just as a comparison he does a lot of work for dealers and he charges them starting at $1200
 
I usually have our cars done with Opti-Coat, but was thinking about the Adams Graphene Ceramic since I read it was a harder surface. The only negative I read was some had trouble with high spots. Seems like a forced error kind of complaint, so I don't know if they didn't do prep correctly, or they just put it on wrong, or it was product related.

I had my E63 S-AMG done in the latest version of Opti-Coat and I wasn't that impressed, so I'm going to forego the high install cost this time and have my Son do the Adam's Graphene Ceramic coating. Did you have any issues when you put it on your Tremor?
The Flash time of the Adams and Chemical Guys is comparable but the chemical guys is WAY more forgiving. The adams will definitely show you where you left it on too long. Polish it out and redo it.
 
I usually have our cars done with Opti-Coat, but was thinking about the Adams Graphene Ceramic since I read it was a harder surface. The only negative I read was some had trouble with high spots. Seems like a forced error kind of complaint, so I don't know if they didn't do prep correctly, or they just put it on wrong, or it was product related.

I had my E63 S-AMG done in the latest version of Opti-Coat and I wasn't that impressed, so I'm going to forego the high install cost this time and have my Son do the Adam's Graphene Ceramic coating. Did you have any issues when you put it on your Tremor?
I have conducted a fair amount of research on the nano technology of ceramic coatings and also PPF products.. The prep and paint correction are very important. In other words, the particular detailer and their experience, along with their desire to be meticulous is probably the most important factor. A great A or A+ product and average C or C+ detailer = B or B+ result.

That said, Opti-Coat remains at the top of the product heap...but as you cited, it is expensive. Keep in mind and unlike competitors, Opti-Coat has a full product line of different ceramic cotings which makes it very difficult to compare their products. A great detailer using GTechniq or Adams could provide a better end result than an average detailer using Opti-Coat.

Hardness is not the only or most important variable in a ceramic coating. Something similar can be said about automotive / off-road lights.....Lumens is not the only or most important factor in determining light(s) quality.

PPF products.....both Suntek Reaction and Xpel Ultimate Plus have "self healing" properties and are top notch.
 
I did mine because I live in NW Arizona and the UV is so bad on paint here. My truck is Star White and it looks really good water just beads up and rolls off. I also did PPF on the front areas that are prone to rock chips.
The shop I did It at took all week but that was because it rained 2 days and he won't put the ceramic on when it high humidity. It cost me $900 for the ceramic and $700 for the PPF. He did say the next Super Duty he will have to charge $100 more as It was more labor then he thought. If you plan on keeping it I think its a good investment.
 
And you’re not supposed to take it through a car wash now.

Ceramic coating....worth it?

Sorry but this is a "not worth it" from me... I get why others do it and am not against it, mind you but regularly use the local car wash (gasp) so this immediately counts me out. I have also read that things like sap can cause problems and my truck will see that as well...
 
I did my Ram, Tremor and Wife's expedition myself. Stripped and polished the paint to perfection, then applied the coating. I LOVE it. Takes me 30 minutes to clean any vehicle and everything comes off super easy. When it's clean, the deep finish is awesome.

I wouldn't pay the $3K people quoted me for it BUT, $150 in product plus 1-2 days time... sure.
Thanks for this valuable feedback. I was thinking exactly the same thing, if i ever get this done, it will be doing it by myself. There is no way this has to cost what these finishing shops are charging for the service.
 
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