Ccpecot

D%Q$. White gets me every time:-)

bondjockey

My midnight blue after stage 2 paint correction and Gtechniq crystal serum ultra by Peachstate Detailing. Sweet!

Ceepe

I heard the factory sprays clear stuff all over the car that can be cleaned, polished, buffed, blown, touched for years and years before you wear through it and get to the less than stellar modern paint. But more clear stuff can't hurt I guess.

Detailed Designs

I will answer the question and I'll even attempt to make it fun (sorry lol). Feel free to follow up with anymore you may have.

It may help if you first understand technically how they bond/are applied, and how that differs from a wax/sealant.

A real paint coating consists of the active ingredient (the "coating") and transfer solvents. If a coating bottle has 30ml-50ml of liquid, there may be anywhere from 1'ish% to 90+% solids which will form the coating barrier. Did I mention how you're probably better off to think of a (legitimate) paint coating as a barrier? Yeah, do that. A carnauba wax forms an incredibly thin barrier in a similar fashion, except the durability is generally pretty minimal, it stains plastics (coatings can too!...but differently) and the chemical resistance is antiquated in terms of modern technology. Synthetic polymers ("sealants"), provide a huge boost in durability, chemical resistance and in many cases, ease of application over a carnauba wax. Sealants can actually form a healthy crosslink with the molecular structure of your clear coat where wax mostly just sits on top waiting for a warm breeze to scare it away causing you to have totally wasted your time applying that sweet sweet "'nuba" by hand(complete exaggeration but yeah, wax durability is nothing compared to synthetic polymers).

A legitimate paint coating is supposed to form an even stronger crosslink with the paint/PPF. The barrier is supposed to be stronger, more durable, more chemically resistant, provide a measure of scratch resistance (that's one slippery slope that we won't touch beyond this -in short, it's all relative; wax, sealant; "coating". Fair enough?). I say supposed to for all these wonderful things because a "coating" is not always, really a legitimate coating. Too, not everyone cash-grabbing those uneducated private car owners (fancy word for person who owns a vehicle thingy) coating jobs are actually doing a good job. How so? Well, how does your Porsche differ from a 2003 Kia? Ignore the fit and finish, the quality of the materials, the experience you get when having a service, the care of a professional life-long sales person, the performance and connection to the road and all that stuff owning a Porsche 991 gets you. HAVE YOU SEEN HOW CHEAP A 2003 KIA IS?? WHAT A DEAL! haha sorry. You likely get the idea though. Typically, you get what you pay for. In the detailing/paint protection service industry, there are a bazillion ways that corners can get cut in which you will simply never know (such as offering a coating "warranty" which hinges upon you returning once per year and paying $200-$500 per year for them to spray a weak silica treatment on the surface after a wash....just enough to get those Instagram-worth water bead shotz...oh, just read the fine print on the coating warranties available and get back with me ). And we all know it. Some have integrity and do people ethically, many do not. Ya know, those fat stacks can be hard to pass up on for a lot of folks. So they yes-man themselves into getting a car dropped off and oh man oh man! "Guys, blast through this one. We gave him a "deal" so he's getting what he's paying for...." yes, this is exactly how it goes many times for folks and nope, most will never know how poorly the prep was or ...well, just use your imagination. There are infinite ways folks get ripped off and cheated out of a quality prep and coating job.

What was I talking about before? Oh yeah, coating barriers and the what/why of them:

The really cheap DIY products you may find as some off-brand Amazon "coating" will very likely have a very low concentration of the solids. Some professional-only coatings will contain a very high % of coating solids. What does this matter? In general....yeah, so I can't speak in absolutes because, aside from only the Sith speaking in absolutes (ironic that OWK said that, right SW's fans??) there are countless differences that are possible and I don't know everything about every product...anyways, back to that thing I was saying:
In general, the fewer solids a bottle of coating contains, the cheaper it is to produce AND the easier it is to apply. Those are 2 things that are wildly important to the masses of car care DIY'ers. By the way, the quality of the raw materials used in production are also play a large role in the cost to produce a bottle of coating, but that is a whole different conversation (I'll just rely on the fact it's likely that many Rennlist members understand there are many factors that go into the retail cost of a product).

Product A is inexpensive, easy to apply and OMG!! THOSE WATER BEADS ARE TO DIE FOR! Exciting! What's not to love! (yes, a statement, not a serious question lol -think, jovial, not sarcastic I hope I am not the only one laughing at me right now. I'm honestly trying to be educational and entertaining and this is taking me forever to type out! - )
In short, that "coating" barrier is going to SUCK regardless of the unfounded and outlandish claims that all ya gotta do is spray some water on it to keep your paint perfect. It's going to be thin, less chemically resistant (IMHO, one of the top 2 or 3 characteristics that make a legitimate coating worth while or not) and have awful durability. But of course this, and MANY other factors, are not advertised as technical details a consumer should be aware of. Enter the critical thinker who has likely heard the snake-oil claims that cash-grabbers spout ad nauseam (no hate from me, just saying some folks spot snake oil tactics from a mile away):

But coatings just don't break down "unevenly". They were break down fairly uniformly in this way: exposure breaks them down, wears them out and uglies them up. The exact same way exposure does paint, leather, a motor, suspension. "Exposure" is a wildly broad term here and it's intentional.

A legitimate coating will create a very durable barrier that lasts far longer than a sealant and insanely longer than a wax. If the coating is a high caliber product, it will require many redundancies to ensure you don't have high spots or ugly areas because a high concentration of the solids means a low volume of the transfer solvents, which means -"GEEZ DUDE, THIS STUFF IS LIKE SYRUP TO APPLY!" Then the trainer laughs hardily and says, "get used to it newbie, the good stuff is a beast to deal with." The new installer wipes away that tear that gently rolled down his cheek, digs his elbow brace out of his bathroom drawer and then prepares himself for more punishment.

Those transfer solvents carry the suspended solids/active ingredient which are to create the coating barrier. The application method for a hand-applied coating results in the transfer solvents rising and the solids settling lower as they begin to crosslink with the clear coat/ PPF in the plasma-like membrane. Again, think of the good stuff as if you were to apply syrup to your paint. Sure, your paint would be super tasty for a mile or two, but it's not fun when one considers trying to level it out and make that paint silky smooth. This is where a quality product and qualified/honest technician will likely use 300 nice microfibers or so to refine that layer out nicely (okay, not 300 but a lot! Don't forget! IT'S SYRUP MAN! SYRUP!!)

Wow, this is tiring. If this sucks to read, too bad. Welcome to the internet. A lot of stuff sucks to read here.

Just like a paint job requires curing, a legitimate coating will. How long does it take to bake a cake? Well, how thick is the cake? How dense is the batter? Coatings are kinda the same. Sure, there is science-magic happening too. But let's keep this general and easy-to-digest. IR lamps are necessary for some coatings, others not. The "not" coatings? I'll pass. Been there, done that. Maybe the future will bring me a different opinion. But for meow, stick with the ones that require it (with THE focus on the professional you're dealing with).

Cure time is whatever. You wait whatever and BAM, you have a mac-daddy coating barrier on your car. Sweet! How long does it last? That's the some-made-up-dollar-value-question. But how does it wear out? If it's a poorly prepped surface, it will never crosslink and it actually will be removed over the course of one or more washes. "That" job? Yeah, shoulda just put wax on and save some money. A properly prepped surface and quality coating? Some inorganic coatings permanently bond with the substrate they're being applied to. In that case it's not technically how long does it last. A better question is how long does it look nice? If it's there but looks awful, what's the point? And now we're at the true crux of the matter! What's the point of a coating? It's simple:
A quality coating applied by a qualified professional, in general, will offer a car owner a surface that is easier to wash (chemical resistance IS the bee's knees like I said, isn't it?!), looks better over time (in a vacuum of a coating vs synthetic polymer vs wax) and protection that lasts significantly longer. At what cost? You still need to contribute to the good health of the surfaces of your car. No coating will authorize neglect regardless of what some video on "the gram" claims. Coatings reward people who already care properly for their car. Sure, on some technical level a coating could benefit the negligent. But that's not the purpose. It never has been. That's the ear-ticklers weaving their tale.

I wrote an article on 3 necessary pieces to a car owner being satisfied with a paint coating a few years back and I encourage you to read it: http://detaileddesignsautospa.com/pa...r-satisfation/

All jokes aside, I am passionate about this stuff. It's not a cash grab for me and it's not for many industry experts who were around before what we see as modern coatings in North America. (to be completely balanced and fair, there are newer professionals who are equally passionate about what they do and have a genuine desire to treat their clients to something wonderful. I do not mean to suggest it should be some good 'ol boy's club) What we see now has been around in Japan and South Korea for a few decades. The technology is not brand new.

I was going to reply to some other comments with information but I am now beat from typing this out and going to treat myself to some bourbon and then go to bed. Hope this helped you guys out at least a little and provided you with at least a chuckle. And if not a chuckle, maybe I caused air to be swiftly exited through your nostrils. (be honest, how many of you tested your rapid nostril air movement when I said that? )

K C

this but id recommend gtechniq as thry do not require annual (bs) maintenance 😃

Big Swole

The gentleman in post 124 above (Jean-Claude w/ Detailed Designs Auto Spa) just did my car.

Have a look.

Bud Taylor

I have mine done with a special sherpa toungue wash each year and then I baste it in baby seal fat. The shine is immaculate.

Bxstr

Depends on what kind of car you have and how you are driving it. Previous owner ceramic coated my GT3. It is nice having the water beading properties that comes with a coating and how easy it is to clean. However, I would never put a ceramic coating on a weekend car, like my GT3. It is already on there so I will leave it and wait until it wears away and then probably go with something like Swissvax as a wax. Reason being is I don't mind spending the 2x a year waxing my car, especially when it is garaged and sees 2k miles a year. However, on a daily driver I would much prefer a ceramic coating. I drive 20k miles a year and having something that I can clean easier is nice.

Detailed Designs

That mustache needed to go and I am happy to say it's now gone. Thank you for the reminder!

Consider spritzing unicorn tears on it as a topper. THAT will give you the best water-beading shots.

I love me some Swissvax. Best selection of waxes IMHO. I keep Opaque, Shield and Crystal Rock in stock. In terms of waxes, those hit the mark for me.

Big Swole

LOL. Well, to eat his own man. I've grown a short beard recently for a contest at work to donate money to the local elementary school kids. Not my "LOOK" either, but it's for a good cause.

palladio

Other than the paint correction (which of course depends on existing condition) what's a ballpark cost to get a proper ceramic coat on a 911 in SoCal?

My car is not a daily driver, and is garaged/covered unless I'm away on a weekend road trip. I'm debating if it's worth paying for a coating. The main value to me would be ease of washing and not having to wax regularly. Is it really that much easier to wash? Does it help in any way to lessen the incidence of surface scratches? I'm careful when washing my car, but I'm also not someone who wants to spend an hour doing it. Also, I don't like taking my car to commercial "hand" car washes as you never know if they are using truly clean mitts and towels that won't scratch the paint. I'd like to hear more from people who have ceramic coatings about how washing goes as compared to with a regular wax job like carnauba.

I take weekend road trips up the coast or to the desert, and often don't have covered parking at the destination. I'd like to be able to cover my car at night, but don't want to get dirt on the inside of the cover and scratch the paint. After a day on the road, that means having to wash some road grime and dust off the car if I want to cover it. Would a good ceramic coating allow me to just hose down the car and towel dry it, without doing the mitt and bucket of soap or a spray detailer? If so, I'd be very interested in trying it.

shammerman

@palladio - A good ceramic will run $1.5-2K. I had mine done two years ago with Qtechnic and have done self maintenance with the same manufacturers product detailer gave me as part of the deal once a year. Cleaning is about as easy at it comes, I actually run through touchless carwash (Oh the horror!) and wipe it down. Looks like freshly detailed every time. Absolutely worth it.

LexVan

Yes, much easier to wash. If you already have good car wash technique, you will have less surface micro marring simply because the car stays cleaner, longer, and sheds the dirt easier and faster when washing because the coating is so hydrophilic and slick.

Less is best. The less you wash. The less dirt sticking. The less touching. The less you dry. As you stated, don't cover a dirty car. On road trips, just wait till your return, to do the proper & thorough car wash routine. I think you'll be impressed how much longer the car will stay cleaner. And your quick washes and touch-ups will become unnecessary.

Also look into a better drying method than "towel drying". This is where most of the scratching occurs. Start using a leaf blower or a quality car dryer like MasterBlaster. The combo of a high quality nano ceramic coating and the MB are synergistic and awesome. You can throw away your drying towels.

Jack F

Had car coated in Gyeon Durabead. This is a 5 year guarantee if you maintain with their products. Has anyone needed to have the ceramic coating redone? I wonder what needs to be done to the car when reapplication is needed. Applying ceramic coating does not seem difficult if you are patient and follow the directions. Is the IR light a necessity or does it just speed up the curing process?

LexVan

Mine was done in early 2014, late 2015, 2017 and again this fall. Basically every 2 years. Minimal to mild polishing and recoated. OptiCoat Pro and now CQUARTZ Pro.

IR is only required for some brands. Most all should not be exposed to any water or elements for 24 hours.