Hi all - I have a '17 GTS on the way for a late May/early June delivery. I traded in a 2013 911S about 6 months ago. So I am struggling a little bit with what to have the dealer do in terms of new car prep vs. what to have a third party do. I have XPEL Protection on the front end of my Cayenne and it looks brand new after 2 years so I am definitely going to do that to the front of the 911. My prior 911 didn't have this and there were dozens of tiny chips on the front bumper and some on the hood from road debris that bothered me.

So the wrap is not really the question. It is the 'paint correction'/ceramic coating I keep reading and hearing about. I spoke to the dealer and they don't really do that nor do they recommend it - they said, it is new car, why would you need that? I have never done either to my Cayenne and I have not noticed any swirls or other meaningful imperfections in the paint (that said, it is Rhodium Silver and pretty much always looks reasonably good).

My prior 911 was Bassalt Black and never really looked good - I bought it used and the paint was always a bit dull. That was my third black car and every time I have had one, I swear never again.

I have called around a bit to discuss paint correction and the ceramic coating with a few detailing shops near me - I haven't gotten comfortable that any of them really knew what they were doing nor did they really feel it was necessary on a new car. I had to explain what paint correction was to at least one of them, and all I really know, I learned online.

Please note that I am not a guy who has the time or energy to do my own detailing work or spend hours on the weekends waxing/polishing. I like my cars to look good but am certainly not fanatical.

So with that background, three questions I would appreciate input on:

1. Do I really need to do paint correction on a brand spanking new car (incidentally, it is PTS Yachting Blue Metallic, which I suspect will not be anywhere near as big a pain as Black).

2. Whether I do the paint correction or not, would you recommend the ceramic coating, and if I do the ceramic coating, does it go on before or after the XPEL/SunTech protection?

3. Can anyone recommend someone who can do the paint correction, ceramic coating and/or the XPEL/SunTech protection in Westchester, NY or Southern Connecticut? Price is less of an issue than quality.

Thanks in advance for the input - I learn a ton from these forums and really appreciate the depth of knowledge/insight available.

 

1) Yes.
2) Yes, only if you also do #1. After.
3) Someone here will know a good place. Call Phil at Detailers Domain (201-768-1818) he'll know a good recommendation.

 

This will be my second car that I'm doing paint correction and ceramic coating just this year. I did this with my 2013 Audi S4 I bought used last fall. The paint was atrocious but was a great deal. After paint correction and CQuartz it's literally better than new. It GLOWS. Can't say enough good things about that process. The detailer spent 3 days on the car. That's a lot of time. It was a mess. Came out stunning.

I just bought my new C2S a couple weeks ago. I've got 1200 miles on it. I had the dealer do a full front Xpel Ultimate. I'm scheduled for paint correction (yes, even when new) and my detailer is going to try a new to the states product called IGL. Similar to CQuartz but with a deeper gloss. I'm totally sold on these ceramic coatings. Like the best wax job you've ever seen but better and semi-permanent.

Go for it. You'll be very pleased with the results.

alec

 

The paint correction is the key. Correct, wrap then coat.

And yes, it's worth it. I'd skip wrap before I skipped coating. But I wouldn't skip either.

 

Another take:

If you're not a fanatic, skip the paint correction, it's not necessary on a brand new car. The person who is a partner in Ceramic Pro North America looked over my car at Treffen Texas Hill Country, and said it's a 9 out of 10 in terms of paint quality (from the factory) and correction wasn't necessary.
You can get the Xpel installed and then apply the nano coating over the entire car.

 

I guess I have a different take. Xpel/Suntec/etc will save you from most gravel chips and even most small scuffs. Ceramic will not although it makes bug spatters etc. easier to clean off (but wrap does that too) and has a wonderful shine. I have Xpel on the front of my 911 and ceramic on my Lexus. If someone was to skip one, I do the wrap without question. Personally I don't understand why anyone puts ceramic over a wrap... the best wraps are easy to clean and self healing for minor scratches just as they are. Seems like a waste of money to me but as I said, many others seem to think otherwise.

Edit: Revising to say - I could see doing ceramic over the surfaces not covered by the clear bra. Ceramic coatings are made to chemically bond with paint, not film. In all honesty, I will be interested in hearing how I've got this all wrong... I'm open to being corrected.

 

Ive used xpel several times, for protection I think it is the best. i would rather put money in a clear bra that waxes, because you are getting real chip protection. Theres not much reason to buff your paint 'so called correction' if you are going to put bra on it. you cant see any more shine if you cover it with a thick bra. it just more profit for the bra shops