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Ceramic Coating

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Peoria
#1
I’m looking into ceramic coating my FiST this spring.

How much did everyone pay for it, is it worth it?
What does it actually protect against?



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Pete

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#2
I’m looking into ceramic coating my FiST this spring.

How much did everyone pay for it, is it worth it?
What does it actually protect against?

Edit: I was quoted $1200 from a professional

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$70 and 10 hours of elbow grease on my Volvo v60 polestar. Plan on doing the same to the fiesta in the spring. It's pretty much a 2 year coating so you just have to wash the car. Lots of info on YouTube and the internet. All the hard work is in the paint correction.
 


OP
moltyfist
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Peoria
Thread Starter #3
$70 and 10 hours of elbow grease on my Volvo v60 polestar. Plan on doing the same to the fiesta in the spring. It's pretty much a 2 year coating so you just have to wash the car. Lots of info on YouTube and the internet. All the hard work is in the paint correction.
I’m definitely leaning towards getting it done. I think it’ll be worth it. So you don’t have to wax it at all?


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XR650R

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Eerie
#4
I've seen all the stuff about clay bars, etc. Seems pretty labor intensive, but cars look so great once it's all done.
 


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Philadelphia
#5
I’m definitely leaning towards getting it done. I think it’ll be worth it. So you don’t have to wax it at all?


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No need to wax if you get a ceramic coating. I use a ceramic coating "booster" while drying that puts a small layer of added protection and shine on the car after each wash.

That being said, if you're looking to get it done by a pro detailer its going to be $$$. You're going to want to get someone that is certified or a dealer for the coating they use to have it done right. Like Pete, I did it myself (was an amateur detailer for a quick minute) because I have all the tools and it just took me time. I'd shop around and get some quotes from detailers around your area.
 


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JeffCo
#6
I had it done by a local guy. $300 for wash, clay bar, alcohol bath, and ceramic coating.
 


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Brooklyn
#7
if DIY, use something easy like polish angel, applies like traditional wax removes like traditional wax, durability... hmm not sure never got a chance to test it, but it looks and behaves fantastically, with a strong following, so i suspect their stuff is proven and expensive.

the look is not superior to regular sealant in my opinion, since how it "adds shine" is subjective and emotional, look is developed from paint correction. it is advised to spend the money on paint correction before coating because "it is hard to remove after" which i doubt, but if i was going to slap some expensive fluid on my car to make it hydrophobic, i'd like to have the best surface to get maximum shines.

anyway, expect to pay around 300-800 depending on price of coating (brand) and reputation.

consider it a super sealant, that just last longer.

do not expect it to protect your car like a film/clear bra, it wont. Just keeps dust easy to wash off and less "contaminants" stuck to your paint.

i have a bunch of coating material and detailing gear that i've never had the chance to use due to change of my career path taking all my time.
 


Hijinx

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#8
It depends on what product, hardness level, layers and the detailer, of course. In St Louis, it was about $1k, IIRC. I have two layers of Kenzo IGL’s hardest and it’s warrantied for 5 years. But, it looks amazing.







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KKaWing

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#9
Just a bit of a warning before you put on the "good" ceramic coatings... Treat it like a sealant, as in whatever is underneath will be sealed in for however long the product is supposed to last for.
 


Hijinx

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#10
Just a bit of a warning before you put on the "good" ceramic coatings... Treat it like a sealant, as in whatever is underneath will be sealed in for however long the product is supposed to last for.
Yes. I forgot to mention that my paint was corrected before the ceramic was applied. The cost is usually high because detailers clean, clay, paint correct, polish, seal and then apply ceramic. It took my car three days to be done.


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Pete

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#11
Yes the clay and paint correction is key. When I did it myself as well the car had to sit covered in a garage for 48 hours for the ceramic coating to cure. Totally worth the money spent or if you are capable of doing it yourself the time to do it all. Also the car looks way better in person. I think my favorite part is that after a week of driving around the car doesn't look so dirty as it did before before the coating. It really makes a difference on a black car for sure.
 


Attachments

M-Sport fan

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#12
It depends on what product, hardness level, layers and the detailer, of course. In St Louis, it was about $1k, IIRC. I have two layers of Kenzo IGL’s hardest and it’s warrantied for 5 years. But, it looks amazing.







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Moved to 'Bammy??
 


M-Sport fan

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#13
Yes the clay and paint correction is key. When I did it myself as well the car had to sit covered in a garage for 48 hours for the ceramic coating to cure. Totally worth the money spent or if you are capable of doing it yourself the time to do it all. Also the car looks way better in person. I think my favorite part is that after a week of driving around the car doesn't look so dirty as it did before before the coating. It really makes a difference on a black car for sure.
It helps to be in Cali as well, despite the sun/heat, since you don't have to deal with salt soup/salt dust, have less pollen than us in the east, but yeah, still have the dive shit-bombers in the sky to deal with.

It does not pay for me to do a maniacal paint correction and then 5+ stages after that since nothing is going to really protect around here (save for a FULL wrap).
So I just get it as clean and mar free as possible, put a coat of Wolfgang 3.0 on it, put a thin coat of Collinite 845 over that after every wash, and HOPE it can stand up to the winter salt bath when I cannot wash it for up to 2+ months at a time.

I don't have a garage to use anyway to let the expensive ceramic coatings 'cure', so the Wolfgang sealant can be done, and left outside to cure for 24 hours as long as it will not be too humid, or it will not rain in that time. ;)

Your car looks GREAT, BTW. [twothumb]
When did you get the OZed Rally wheels?
 




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