Washing with ceramic coating/PPF

UtahPowder

Tremor Fiend
Joined
May 4, 2020
Messages
201
Reaction Points
338
Location
Utah
Current Ride
2020 F350 Platinum Tremor 6.7
All - you have been a wealth of information but I have some questions on ceramic coating and PPF.

How are you washing your trucks that have the ceramic coating applied?
Did you put ceramic on top of the PPF?

Around Salt Lake, 95% of car washes are the automated variety and they all sell unlimited use monthly memberships . The Tremor fits through the was and I would like to continue to use that since cleaning at home takes a lot of time to get everything setup vs run through the automated wash down the street.

According to this link that was posted, it seems that ceramic and the auto car wash is a bad idea. Not sure i want to spend 1k+ and not be able to get a car wash.

PPF to protect the front and hood seem to make sense as the part is always getting chipped. Did you ceramic coat PPF or leave it by itself?

Thank you!
 
I ceramic coated my truck, makes it super easy to wash and looks amazing. PPF would be nice but I don't really need it. The only rock chips I have are on the front bumper since its so high up
 
Mine is at the detail shop right now getting Ceramic, pick it up tomorrow, my person told me that it is of course best to hand wash it, but a good car wash with the chamois/soft cloth strips that hand down are ok too - just no brushes/bristle type car wash's like the gas stations often have.
 
Washed, paint corrected, polished and ceramic coated by me. didnt want the dealership to wash it, or wax, he was a little dumbfounded. Touching the paint with anything has potential to scratch or leave love marks. A good soap will encapsulate the dirt and then can be rinsed off. Almost no one has that Kind of time and be able put that kind of effort into a daily driver. Ceramics chemically bond to the paint (cure). They are suppose to be more scratch resistant, last longer than anything else and easier to clean. I think it is called hydrophobic. I would NOT run my truck through any “touch” wash. Maybe touchless in a pinch. Look up 2 bucket wash, and find a ceramic friendly soap. Dry with CLEAN good quality microfiber towels. I blow dry mine first with a leaf blower. My wife thinks I am crazy too. Your truck will look way better way longer. Just my .02
 
PPF is on my list but Install is above my pay grade. Find a good shop and look at edges that are tucked under and into seams, that’s good work, and not cheap. Also a good shop will paint correct before PPF. They can and do ceramic coat PPF for more protection.
 
PPF is on my list but Install is above my pay grade. Find a good shop and look at edges that are tucked under and into seams, that’s good work, and not cheap. Also a good shop will paint correct before PPF. They can and do ceramic coat PPF for more protection.
I'm trying to figure out what I want to do... I was quoted $2500 for front ceramic tint, ceramic and minimal PPF. That's a lot of cash and a whole lot of hand wax. its a bit more the my budget allows.
 
Washed, paint corrected, polished and ceramic coated by me. didnt want the dealership to wash it, or wax, he was a little dumbfounded. Touching the paint with anything has potential to scratch or leave love marks. A good soap will encapsulate the dirt and then can be rinsed off. Almost no one has that Kind of time and be able put that kind of effort into a daily driver. Ceramics chemically bond to the paint (cure). They are suppose to be more scratch resistant, last longer than anything else and easier to clean. I think it is called hydrophobic. I would NOT run my truck through any “touch” wash. Maybe touchless in a pinch. Look up 2 bucket wash, and find a ceramic friendly soap. Dry with CLEAN good quality microfiber towels. I blow dry mine first with a leaf blower. My wife thinks I am crazy too. Your truck will look way better way longer. Just my .02
i'm not sure about how to paint correct myself. That isn't something that I have tried, maybe i need to learn. What ceramic did you use?
 
Mine is at the detail shop right now getting Ceramic, pick it up tomorrow, my person told me that it is of course best to hand wash it, but a good car wash with the chamois/soft cloth strips that hand down are ok too - just no brushes/bristle type car wash's like the gas stations often have.
Thanks for the update. The automated car washes have the soft strips here, not brushes. Let me know if you love it and what brand they used.
 
I ceramic coated my truck, makes it super easy to wash and looks amazing. PPF would be nice but I don't really need it. The only rock chips I have are on the front bumper since its so high up
Your truck looks amazing in the other thread. What brand of ceramic was used? Ceramic only is the direction I am currently thinking. I like the PPF concept but I cant do everything.
 
Yep, nothing wrong with polish and wax, it Can be therapeutic, and pleanty of left over $ for a beer or 2..... will just have to make the garage time every few months, depending.
as tall as our trucks are, I may skip the PPF.
 
Just did the ceramic coat today. turned out awesome I have a family member that does it. the project requires a lot of product and took a professional about 12 hours to color correct and apply the product. not much color correction mostly prep. We do the wheels and all glass.

the PPF film will be added to the door jambs and sills. it won't stick if you try and put it over the ceramic coat ( provided you use a real ceramic coating.) the drying time for mine is 48 hours so the truck will sit in the heated garage ( yes still cold here) for a couple days before we get it out.
I have all my other vehicles done and its good for about 5 years. Makes it easy to keep looking great. I don't wash them very often but it makes it easy when I do wash them. Many times just a drive on a rainy day and they look good. the color really pops when its done and the finish looks deep.

There are many people who use the term ceramic coating but some say they have them coated but its really just fancy wax. A real ceramic coat requires proper preparation prior to application of the coating. The raw product cost for mine were just under $500.00. its a real time saver in the long run. It also makes the finish stronger. It will resist scratches from small branches and mud and other off road dirt won't scratch the clear finish as easy as an uncoated finish. they claim standard finish is a 3 on the 1-10 scale of hardness and the ceramic is 9.
I am impressed with the product but I also get the family deal so I am not paying for it.
 
My place uses CarPro C.Quartz product, $950 and did the wheels, exhaust tip etc, going to pick it up today, will try to get a couple pics posted later
 
My place uses CarPro C.Quartz product, $950 and did the wheels, exhaust tip etc, going to pick it up today, will try to get a couple pics posted later
I did the same, with the Gliss top coat. Nice stuff. Don’t get it wet for 48 hours. I am sure your shop told u that.
 
Yeah had to watch the weather to make sure had a few good nice days in a row after it was finished, also said to try and not use the windows for about 3-5 days. Here are some pics.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3947.JPG
    IMG_3947.JPG
    456.1 KB · Views: 233
  • IMG_3948.JPG
    IMG_3948.JPG
    433.2 KB · Views: 243
  • IMG_3949.JPG
    IMG_3949.JPG
    335.6 KB · Views: 241
Can anyone recommend a ceramic coating shop in the San Francisco Bay area, preferably the San Jose area?
 
Yeah had to watch the weather to make sure had a few good nice days in a row after it was finished, also said to try and not use the windows for about 3-5 days. Here are some pics.
looks so deep! You are going to love the ceramic coat, It's a real time saver. And your price was excellent!
 
I used the Crystal Serum from gtechniq. Took about 4 hours and most of the 50ml bottle. Makes washing a lot easier.
 
Anyone in Southeast PA or Central Jersey should look up All Pro Detail in Newtown, PA (Bucks County) Matt and his team are a great bunch of people and very reasonably priced - I get the whole families vehicles (5) a full detail there each spring - really keeps them looking new.
 
Anyone in SE Wisconsin can PM me and I can put you in touch with my guy! They do a lot of high end cars, New or older paint they will do it all.
 
Back
Top