Mountain guy121

I am finding a lot of different opinions on ceramic coating. What do you all think.
Worth the money or Hype ?
Thanks

CliffClavin

I have the coatings on my daily drivers. I think they are definitely worth it. Makes washing away dirt and grime an easy process. From a value perspective, I think the monetary cost vice waxing/sealant is good; however, that comes from the standpoint of me applying it. If I had to pay a detailer to do it, I think my response would change. I have heard $800 and up for paint correction and coatings and there is no way I would spend that personally.

treejohnny

What brand of ceramic coring do you apply yourself?
Do you need special tools?

CliffClavin

I have Opti Coat 2.0 (I don't believe they sell this to the public any more, I think you have to be a detailer registered with them) and CarPro CQuartz. I think Opti Coat 2.0 is probably superior in terms of durability, but it is also more difficult to apply. I think a lot of weekend warriors were not following directions properly and having problems with high spots and streaking. They make a less durable coating now called Optimum Gloss that is much easier to apply, but it comes at the price of durability. CQuartz is good, but more on the Optimum Gloss side of durability. Don't get me wrong, all of these are far superior to a traditional wax or sealant, but I don't think you are getting the 2-3 and longer years some people were getting with the Opti Coat when it first came out. That's also why I would never pay several hundred to a thousand for its application.

Special tools? It is helpful to have a dual action polisher or rotary and polishing pads to cleanse the finish prior to the coating. Otherwise, you are just putting coating over a bad finish. The other key is to make sure the finish is completely stripped of polishes, waxes, and other residue to ensure proper bonding of the coating.

None of this is terribly difficult, just time consuming. If you jump over to Autogeek or Autopia, you will see volumes of info on products and proper technique.

treejohnny

This is especially interesting with a new truck in the garage. I believe I have paid for someone else to put this on my last truck. It looks like I will do some homework on this for the new truck!

bhubneshwar

It is good use ceramic to keep your vehicle clean and glossy!

2015rubyFX4

hype. In our detailing business we have never used it and have produced many show car winning shine on numerous cars. Totally waste of $. We toyed with the idea of offering it but just can't bring myself to charge someone $1000 for a 2 year shine.

atillocate

I think the decision to coat or not your car relies on the sentimental value that you give to it. If you do value it a lot then, then you should probably get it coated, it might be a bit pricy but it lasts years (at least my IGL ecocoat quartz+ does) and it protects your baby from scratches, corrosion, UV, insects and bird stains, and so on. So if you like your car shinny and want it protected, I think you should go for it!

Re-tired

If you can do the job yourself then its worth it IMO
Problem is you better not screw up the application , or you have to break out the polisher and compound.
I have found that sealants are a better way to go for the average to dedicated weekend warrior. So many out there and and super easy to use

atillocate

That's the problem, it hard to have a pro quality result when you see these guy's tools and training (at least for the good ones), plus the risks are high and none wants their car to end up in worse shape than they were previously to the application.