The Pros and Cons of Ceramic Paint Protectant.

[DavidKFla]

What kind of succes or lack of have you had with ceramic coatings?

Do you think that it's worth the expense?

What do you suggest ILO ceramic?


Picture for illustration purposes only.

 

[Chunky White]

I have had good luck with it so far. I have not had it done on a vehicle that did not need some polishing first though so my cost has been over $1000 for installation. Opticoat Pro is what was installed on both vehicles. The truck was used daily and sometimes in some dusty/muddy areas and 3 years later it still looked good.

My Hellcat needs some paint restoration so I am not taking the best of care of it at this time. I am taking it through one of the local car washes which offers ceramic coating wax in touch free and I honestly believe pollen and dust are less noticeable than before and for $24 per month and unlimited washes I will use it until I get a full detail. I will go back to hand washing then

 

[Illegal_Demon]

I've never used it but it seems a bit like snake oil to me. It's expensive and needs to be reapplied. Seems to be a lot of variation in good vs bad too. For the money, the plastic wrap makes more sense to me. I have top-end PPF in areas that make sense and I've never have had to do more than a quick rinse to get the car looking like new again. Plus, it puts an actual barrier between scratches on plastic (vs paint).

 

[The Englishman]

Had mine done from new, the key is meticulous preparation ,had it recoated after three years .I would 100% have it carried out again

All lI do to clean is snow foam/shampoo/ blow dry and finish of with a microfibre cloth.Takes about an hour and looks like I’ve spent the weekend detailing .

 

[Paladin06]

I've had 5 new Mopars done with Ceramic Pro and PPF. I've always taken them straight from the dealership to the shop. I had it done to my 2008 Challenger (#904) and 11 years later when I sold it, the paint on the car looked just as good as my 2015 Hellcat, if not better because it was Hemi Orange.

 

[1971demon]

I've never used it but it seems a bit like snake oil to me. It's expensive and needs to be reapplied. Seems to be a lot of variation in good vs bad too. For the money, the plastic wrap makes more sense to me. I have top-end PPF in areas that make sense and I've never have had to do more than a quick rinse to get the car looking like new again. Plus, it puts an actual barrier between scratches on plastic (vs paint).

I had my wife's C8 done (black)...hard to tell @ least to me...the car doesn't see rain..and is garaged outta the sun most of its life..only gets washed once a year...the rest it just gets spray detailed...wish I was as pampered...

 

[Paladin06]

I had my wife's C8 done (black)...hard to tell @ least to me...the car doesn't see rain..and is garaged outta the sun most of its life..only gets washed once a year...the rest it just gets spray detailed...wish I was as pampered...

I resemble that comment.

 

[Illegal_Demon]

I've had 5 new Mopars done with Ceramic Pro and PPF. I've always taken them straight from the dealership to the shop. I had it done to my 2008 Challenger (#904) and 11 years later when I sold it, the paint on the car looked just as good as my 2015 Hellcat, if not better because it was Hemi Orange.

Interesting. Since you get both PPF and ceramic, how do you objectively differentiate which is doing a better job?

 

[Paladin06]

Interesting. Since you get both PPF and ceramic, how do you objectively differentiate which is doing a better job?

Ceramic coating is primarily paint protection, PPF, which I get the self healing type, is chip protection for rocks, sand, etc.

 

[MiHiHemi]

I always thought PPF stood for Paint Protection Film which is the applied clear skin...not so?

 

[Illegal_Demon]

I always thought PPF stood for Paint Protection Film which is the applied clear skin...not so?

Yes that’s correct.

 

[why2kmax]

I had my first 3 Challengers professionally ceramic coated. First was my 15 HC I bought used with 10,000 miles on it. It was well taken care of by its owner and was PPFd on the front bumper, fenders and hood, but was scratched and abused by dealership lackey car washings. Paint correction fixed a multitude of sins in both the paint and the PPF, and the car looked amazing when done. I owned the car for 2 years and it spent its entire life with me parked outside and went through one winter covered where I didnt drive it. Looked like the day it was done when i sold it.

2nd car was my 2018 392 T/A. Ceramic and color corrected. That car also sat outside 24/7 and I drove it daily through 2 salty/cinder-y PA winters. 52,000 miles. I had zero issues with taking care of the satin bits on the top of the car, and after the 50k I had maybe 3 nicks in the hood. Otherwise, zero issues and the car looked brand new when I traded it. I DID go back once for the ceramic installer to clean the car in spring after the first winter. Maybe they refreshed it, I dont recall. But when I sold it, again it was in amazing condition.

3rd was my 2019 1320 this one was garage kept and driven 18,000+ miles. Car was pristine when I traded it.
All in all, it was $$$$ to do, about $1,200 each time for each car to be corrected and ceramic-d but they were rediculosly easy to take care of and always looked like they just came off the showroom floor. In hindsight, yeah bit of a waste of $$$$ since I didnt keep any of them, BUT if you do, IMO well worth the price to keep your car looking its best as easily as possible. FYI no one gave a shit when trading the car in or selling it.

I now have an 18 Indigo blue HC that could hugely benefit from paint correction and ceramic but Im holding off for a bit to see if I end up keeping this one.

If you love detailing cars then do it yourself. Im 55 and TIRED of slaving over the paint and condition of the car when it comes to cruise ins and car shows. Ive been doing this since I was 18 and FK IT. If there is an easier way IM all for it. Professional color correction and ceramic is worth it to ME. Your Mileage May Vary. (YMMV)

J

 

[1971demon]

I had my first 3 Challengers professionally ceramic coated. First was my 15 HC I bought used with 10,000 miles on it. It was well taken care of by its owner and was PPFd on the front bumper, fenders and hood, but was scratched and abused by dealership lackey car washings. Paint correction fixed a multitude of sins in both the paint and the PPF, and the car looked amazing when done. I owned the car for 2 years and it spent its entire life with me parked outside and went through one winter covered where I didnt drive it. Looked like the day it was done when i sold it.

2nd car was my 2018 392 T/A. Ceramic and color corrected. That car also sat outside 24/7 and I drove it daily through 2 salty/cinder-y PA winters. 52,000 miles. I had zero issues with taking care of the satin bits on the top of the car, and after the 50k I had maybe 3 nicks in the hood. Otherwise, zero issues and the car looked brand new when I traded it. I DID go back once for the ceramic installer to clean the car in spring after the first winter. Maybe they refreshed it, I dont recall. But when I sold it, again it was in amazing condition.

3rd was my 2019 1320 this one was garage kept and driven 18,000+ miles. Car was pristine when I traded it.
All in all, it was $$$$ to do, about $1,200 each time for each car to be corrected and ceramic-d but they were rediculosly easy to take care of and always looked like they just came off the showroom floor. In hindsight, yeah bit of a waste of $$$$ since I didnt keep any of them, BUT if you do, IMO well worth the price to keep your car looking its best as easily as possible. FYI no one gave a shit when trading the car in or selling it.

I now have an 18 Indigo blue HC that could hugely benefit from paint correction and ceramic but Im holding off for a bit to see if I end up keeping this one.

If you love detailing cars then do it yourself. Im 55 and TIRED of slaving over the paint and condition of the car when it comes to cruise ins and car shows. Ive been doing this since I was 18 and FK IT. If there is an easier way IM all for it. Professional color correction and ceramic is worth it to ME. Your Mileage May Vary. (YMMV)

J

Since 97 I have owned 2 vipers..a prowler..a HC..a Demon...and a couple of Brand X cars...( I still own them all) none are daily drivers...and none have ever been outside overnight...I know there is something wrong with me...my wife reminds me everyday...

 

[Illegal_Demon]

I had my first 3 Challengers professionally ceramic coated. First was my 15 HC I bought used with 10,000 miles on it. It was well taken care of by its owner and was PPFd on the front bumper, fenders and hood, but was scratched and abused by dealership lackey car washings. Paint correction fixed a multitude of sins in both the paint and the PPF, and the car looked amazing when done. I owned the car for 2 years and it spent its entire life with me parked outside and went through one winter covered where I didnt drive it. Looked like the day it was done when i sold it.

2nd car was my 2018 392 T/A. Ceramic and color corrected. That car also sat outside 24/7 and I drove it daily through 2 salty/cinder-y PA winters. 52,000 miles. I had zero issues with taking care of the satin bits on the top of the car, and after the 50k I had maybe 3 nicks in the hood. Otherwise, zero issues and the car looked brand new when I traded it. I DID go back once for the ceramic installer to clean the car in spring after the first winter. Maybe they refreshed it, I dont recall. But when I sold it, again it was in amazing condition.

3rd was my 2019 1320 this one was garage kept and driven 18,000+ miles. Car was pristine when I traded it.
All in all, it was $$$$ to do, about $1,200 each time for each car to be corrected and ceramic-d but they were rediculosly easy to take care of and always looked like they just came off the showroom floor. In hindsight, yeah bit of a waste of $$$$ since I didnt keep any of them, BUT if you do, IMO well worth the price to keep your car looking its best as easily as possible. FYI no one gave a shit when trading the car in or selling it.

I now have an 18 Indigo blue HC that could hugely benefit from paint correction and ceramic but Im holding off for a bit to see if I end up keeping this one.

If you love detailing cars then do it yourself. Im 55 and TIRED of slaving over the paint and condition of the car when it comes to cruise ins and car shows. Ive been doing this since I was 18 and FK IT. If there is an easier way IM all for it. Professional color correction and ceramic is worth it to ME. Your Mileage May Vary. (YMMV)

J

Can someone explain what “ color correction” is?

 

[1971demon]

Can someone explain what “ color correction” is?

I believe that depending on the integrity of the factory paint...it could be as simple as preparation with a variety of compounds and buffers..and in more extreme cases...wet sanding...all in an attempt to make the surface as smooth and hard as possible to reflect the maximum amount of light...before any other application of any coating....unless of course I've been lied to...

 

[why2kmax]

I believe that depending on the integrity of the factory paint...it could be as simple as preparation with a variety of compounds and buffers..and in more extreme cases...wet sanding...all in an attempt to make the surface as smooth and hard as possible to reflect the maximum amount of light...before any other application of any coating....unless of course I've been lied to...

Thats what I understand it to be. Making the finish as optically perfect as possible for the color to look as good as possible. Some say paint correction, others say color correction. Ive heard "color" more often so I got used to saying it. sorry for any confusion.

 

[MikeD1]

Can someone explain what “ color correction” is?

I've not heard that term before. There is 'color sanding' and 'paint correction'. CS is typically more invasive and refers to the process where you wet sand all or portions of the car to blend and level the clear coat, then proceed to the compound, polish and seal/coat steps. PC is less invasive and usually involves compounding, polish and seal/coating to remove surface imperfections & orange peal on the paint tho it might involve a bit of wet sanding here & there if warranted.

PC is what most pro appliers of ceramic are doing to make the surface as smooth as possible before applying the product.

Here is an excellent article on what CS is:
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/hrdp-0805-color-sanding/

 

[1971demon]

I resemble that comment.

Now thats funny...

 

[Speedy!]

Timely thread for me since I've been working with mine of late. I shot some content on it yesterday that will probably go up next week.

Short answer - Ceramic is 100% worth it if you want an easy to keep clean car that looks amazing all the time, but I'd consider a DIY product as things have improved in that area since I had mine done professionally.

I also had PPF (Xpel was the brand) applied to the front end of the car, and the mirrors. Ceramic was then applied over the PPF making it super easy to knock off the bugs. 5 years down the road I have almost ZERO paint chips, like count on one hand, and the PPF is still in excellent condition. If I had it to do again, I'd have had PPF also installed behind the rear tires.

If the paint is scratch/swirl free then I'd just wash it in dish detergent to remove any previous wax (I'd use Dawn).
Then clay bar. You might consider the Mother's Speed Clay 2.0 (it's a synthetic clay like sponge and may be a little softer on the paint)
Speed Clay 2.0: https://amzn.to/3GOBM5X
Then wipe it down with panel wipe: https://amzn.to/3MoHWe2
Finally apply Crystal Serum Light: https://amzn.to/39729ra

The entire process above would take 90 minutes tops and be good for at least 3 years (that's where I'm at on the Mrs. car so far).

Longer answer:

I had the Hellcat professionally ceramic coated in September of 2017. The product used was Gtechniq Crystal Serum which had a "guarantee" of 7 years, supposedly longer if garage kept. I had it done just a couple of months after purchasing the car. Installer surveyed the paint, determined it needed very little paint correction, and knocked the price down from $1000 to $600 as a result. He polished 2-3 little areas where he saw a blemesh or two, and applied the ceramic. Most of the labor is in the paint correction, so keep that in mind. If you apply ceramic over scratches and swirls it will seal them in.

I have been THRILLED with the results. My goal was to reduce the time it took to clean the car as much as possible. I've not really done anything special to take care of the ceramic and in fact treated it pretty harshly over the past 5 years running it through a touchless car wash several times a year and only hand washing the car a few times a year sometimes going 6-8 months without washing it at all. I'd just spot detail the front to get bugs off, and behind the tires to remove any road grime using Ech20 mixed as a detail spray.

The Ceramic has 110% made keeping the car looking fantastic super easy.

I wanted something similar for Mrs. Speedy's ride, but didn't wanna pay $600, so we went with the consumer version of the same product professionally used on the Hellcat.

This is what I used: https://amzn.to/39729ra

Her car was also new, the paint was in great shape, so all I did was clay bar and use a product called Panel Wipe (https://amzn.to/3MoHWe2) to prepare the surface and applied the Crystal Serum Light. That was 3 years ago and her car is still slick as glass and looks amazing.

I recently noticed "something" on the hood, roof, and trunk of the Hellcat that had a roughish feel to it. Paint still looks amazing and water beads/sheets right off but the top doesn't feel near as slick as the sides. I probably should have been doing a better job of hand washing to prevent it rather than going months and months but live and learn I guess. I'm going through some steps to resolve it, none of which have bene labor intensive, but I always start with the least invasive and work my way up. I expect to have it 100% by the end of the week and I'll let you guys know what I had to do.

 

[MikeD1]

One thing I would add to the above - be VERY careful when using Dawn to wash your car !!!!!!!!!!

It is the recommended soap to prep a car for any sort of coating because it strips off all the old wax/sealant, which leaves the surface VERY vulnerable to EVERYTHING !! Be sure the car is cool when you start & do the wash in a very shady spot - do it in the sun & you will be hating life !! Fully dry the car before proceeding to the claybar step.

All the following steps (clay, polish, wipe down, coating needs to be done in the garage/carport or somewhere the car will be protected from any sort of fallout/contamination until the final coating has fully set (time varies depending on product).