Ceramic coating......yes or no?

I am on the fence about getting the ceramic coating done from a shop near by. I have heard through the grapevine that a 5 yr coating is approx 1200 or so......and that a 6 month coating is 250 or so. I see hand held sprayers of stuff that claims to be ceramic coating in local auto parts stores but have heard that these are a waste of money and that if I am to do it.......pay the money and do it at the detailing shop.

Just curious if any of y'all have had it done. Thoughts, comments, suggestions appreciated.

 

I paid for mine, about $900 for a 5 year+ warranty. There are some who have installed themselves but not all ceramics are the same. I think it is worth it because I don't have the time to wash and wax my truck as often as it would need it. No regrets.

 

So you literally don't have to worry about waxing your truck for 5 years? I'm not understanding how it can last this long. How does it not get eaten away by bird poop, regular washing, etc.?

 

Make sure you use the right cleaners when washing - no dishwasher liquid for example. There are threads on here that talk about all kinds of good ways to wash your truck. You CAN wax it but the wax won't really be doing anything. I do have a hydrophobic spray that I am to use every 4-6 months to help keep water beading and sheeting. There is a lot of info on the web but you have to be careful what to trust. Find a local ceramic installer (or a couple of them) and have them educate you. That's what I did and it answered a LOT of questions.

 

I have never heard of a 6 month ceramic coating. $1200 seems very high. Have heard of folks paying just half of that.
Too many reasons for me not pursue; besides cost there are too many suspect detailers and products out there.

 

You're paying for prep work and detailed labor. The ceramic itself is not 1200.

I properly done ceramic will feel amazing for years. It's insane the paint can feel like glass for months on end without even washing the truck. Imagine the paint feeling like you just clay barred it every time you drag your finger across it.

 

graphene coating is the next wave of hard long lasting coatings.....but like people have stated, get it done by a professional who knows what they are doing. The prep work before the coating will make a world of difference.

 

One other thing, if bugs are a big problem in your area (they are really bad here on the Gulf Coast), a quality ceramic coating will absolutely save your front paint and chrome. The bugs are amazingly easy to clean off my front, even if it is a few days before I can clean them off. On my old truck with no ceramic, the bugs pitted and marred the chrome and paint on the front pretty quickly.

Ceramic does NOT protect against rocks. It may reduce the amount of damage, but there will still be damage.

 

So I'll go ahead and throw in what I've gathered about ceramic and some other stuff. Be careful of people that offer a ceramic coating for a couple hundred bucks. Usually not putting the prep time in and properly clay barring, polishing, etc your paint. Once a real ceramic coating is done, it's going to seal in any perfections or imperfections within the paint for usually at least a year depending on conditions. There are "spray ceramics", but they're mostly sealants with SIO2(silica) which is in ceramics, but it's not a true ceramic coating. I've used the Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax and it does help protect, has very good hydrophobic properties, and makes cleaning easier....but it's still not a "coating".
I have not done a ceramic coating because I personally enjoy washing/waxing my vehicles. If you don't have time...I'd suggest getting someone to do it for you.
I'm gonna make a few assumptions and if I'm wrong, please correct me. I'm also not trying to judge or be offensive, so if that happens, I apologize. Your profile pic shows a black vehicle. Very difficult color to take care of! Like most of the people within the detailing life say, "Black isn't a color, it's a lifestyle". It shows that you just joined in May of 2020, so I'm going with you owning a 2020 (maybe even 2019). This would mean it doesn't have as much issues with the paint/clear coat, but it would still need a little bit of prep work done before someone slaps on a coating. You also have the symbol in showing you're in the medical field, giving me the impression that you most likely are and most likely very busy. A true coating would probably last about 2-4 years depending on brand, upkeep, conditions, etc. The coating will make it much easier to clean and will preserve that beautiful black. It will still get dirty, but it will help alot with UV damage, environmental damage, upkeep, etc.
Personally, I feel like "graphene coatings" are kinda like the new buzz word, but still a little leary of them being better for the price increase.
Use the search bar and dig around the detailing threads. Lots of people have used lots of different methods/products/people and have feedback they're willing to share.
https://www.tundras.com/forums/detailing.66/

 

I had the Xpel Fusion installed a week after I bought my truck. I was very skeptical at first but I figured for 800 bucks...why not. The stuff is awesome and is worth that price tag. I recently ran through some tar and it got all over the truck. Once it dried, I was able to wipe it off. Nothing really sticks to it and it’s amazing that it’s still glass like after 6 months.

 

Great post! I had mine done within a week after purchase, so the detailing part was much easier. I'm not sure if I would do ceramic coating on a vehicle that already had marred paint.

 

First off thanks Andy you nailed it. If you are serious about having the vehicle coated properly you need to do a little homework. I would find a detail shop that is certified by the manufacturer with the products they are using.Make sure those products are reliable and truthful. I would be looking for a ceramic pro or CarPro certified shop which you can find via the manufacturers web page. Also no matter the coating they take specific products to maintain them. You can’t just not wash the truck anymore. It add protection but it’s not bullet proof. Do not go with any product or shop that tells you otherwise or give outrageous claims that it will prevent chips or scratches. Don’t walk away run!! If your looking for a solution to rocks and such do ppf on the truck then coat the whole thing.

bottom line: qualifying your shop is the biggest factor. Ask them what product the use and how they do the curing process.

 

I'm old fashioned....wax and wash for me.

I actually enjoy the process and lets me inspect the vehicle more than I normally would.

 

Thanks for adding that in @Swfltoyomafia ! good points.
Good luck with decision @AircareTundra !

 

I've had my cars ceramic coated before and I would recommend it. The main cost is the amount of labor that goes into the prep, paint correction, wash then the ceramic coating. Depending on where you live, you would have to do maintenance washes on a monthly or every other month to keep up the coats. I do plan to have my truck done before the winter.

 

Speaking of 'nailed it....^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

yes for me!

i have 3 vehicles coated with ceramicpro; 2 of them (tundra and rc f) also have xpel ppf which is another cool thing.

yeah, be leery of low cost jobs. if you go for it, def do paint correction (polishing) as part of the service to get rid of imperfections and swirls. but you can't just coat and be done. the length it lasts and maintenance is key. some good advice given already. if you can't dedicate the time to hand wash yourself with something like the two bucket system, top down, microfiber mits, leaf blower to dry, etc. i'd consider taking it to a professional detailer for washes. de-ionized or soft water is always good, ceramic coated or not, to prevent hard water spots.

here's my ageless 12yr old cm that's no pavement princess and has xpel ppf on full front and rear quarter panels to prevent rock chips, pinstripes and fender flare damage. everything else is three layers ceramicpro with 10yr warranty. wheels are also coated. have to do my part to maintain it though as described above. good luck.



most of the dirt was gone except for a light layer after driving home on the freeway for several hours. before ceramic it would still look like this when i got home.




the rear quarterpanels have xpel but look at how the wheels clean up with just pressure washer, no soap yet. those are 10yr old wheels.

https://youtu.be/x8PIhsz7PPc

 

That video is so satisfying!

 

That looks freaking amazing! I did ceramic coat on one of my cars myself, but the results are nowhere near that

 

Best bet go to YouTube.com and watch some comparison videos. There are some good ones on there. I went with a ceramic coat called
CarPro Cquartz 50ml Kit - Ceramic Coating Finish
It is easy to do but it takes time if you follow the instructions. I did to two years ago, almost three and it still looks good. I have not done anything but washes. It still beads up and looks great, I do garage it at night. It is worth it to me but I watched a dealer do some to a car, I think they hire a lot boy/detailer. Don't trust them, use a professional if you have one. BTW, one 50ml kit did my whole crewmax.

 

That is not a pro coating btw.

 

Why not? I directly copied that tote of the kit off the internet. All the sites call it the same https://carpro.globa/. I’m not trying to argue the point just showing you what it says and what I bought. So I’m confused I guess

 

No argument from me. I have cquartz on my truck and have used it on a bunch of vehicles. It is their consumer level coating not the pro one. They make a pro level coating which can only be had by a authorized applicator. I highly recommend CarPro products. I think the OP is looking for a solution that a professional will do.

 

Post some pics on a clean day love to see the ride.

 

I’m very happy you did not think I was upset. That’s why I don’t usually say much as it’s to easy to take offense. So you mean I can’t get the pro unless I am la professional detailer or business? Ok is it a big difference in makeup?

 

I wanted to tell you guys just FYI, I installed AMP Research electric running boards. I installed them myself and the instructions were great and an easy project. I love them, they are noisy when deploying and returning to up position but I got used to it and don't notice it now. I love them, why? Because I am a right leg amputee and it makes it so easy as they drop lower than fixed boards. $1399.00 very pricey but thumbs up.

 

This is taken before I got 9800 bucks in hail damage this August

 

I am curious if the ceramic coating is worth it if I usually go to a car wash for my truck. It sounds like most of you wash it yourself, which is doable for me in the summer months, but in the winter when I just want to get the crud off, I run it through the car wash.

 

Here’s my take, as someone who loves detailing, and has had a ceramic coating put on. This is just my experience and opinion. Others will disagree.

Overall a ceramic coating is effective, but not a magical, end all, “set it and forget it” solution. Will it last years? Yes, but with stipulations. You still have to maintain it. Most ceramic brands advertise a long life / warranty if you take care of it per instructions. They all have additional products you’re supposed to use regularly to keep the coating from degrading.

I’ll use CarPro as an example as that’s what I have experience with. CQuartz is a highly rated ceramic coating, and one of the most popular. Here are their instructions for maintenance: https://carpro.global/tips/coatings-aftercare/

As you can see, they’re pretty specific on what products to use, how often, etc. Generally no big deal as their soap and paint decon products are what I use anyway. Here’s where my issue begins with ceramic coatings:
They expect you to apply Reload regularly. Great product on its own, and I highly recommend it. The thing is, Carpro, and other manufacturers want you to apply additional sealants to protect the ceramic coating. In my opinion, it’s not really the ceramic that’s providing the protection here. It’s Reload.

Sure, the combination works great, and will last a long time, but why not save the money and just use Reload? Why bother with the labor and expense for a product that has to be protected by something else? If you have to use Reload to maintain the ceramic, it seems to be just as effective to just use Reload.

I had CQuartz put on right almost 2 years ago. It did perform well, but no better than Reload or other sealants on their own. I’ve stated before that Griots 3-in-1 gave me more of what I expected from a ceramic than my actual ceramic did.
You have to reapply it every four months or so, but you’re supposed to do that with a ceramic topper anyway. A 16oz bottle of Reload runs 40 bucks. A 22oz bottle of Griots is 20 bucks, and you can do a Tundra at least three times with one bottle. (A bottle of Reload will likely go just as far though. Expense is the only difference there.)

I’m getting long winded here, just trying to thoroughly explain my mindset. Yes, a ceramic coating is a great product, I just think the same result can be accomplished cheaper and easier.

Like others have said though, the majority of the expense is the paint correction and paint prep. That’s the hardest part. Even then, you can get your paint corrected a lot cheaper than $1200.00. You should easily find someone to do it for 500 or less. Then by using a really good sealant, you’ll end up saving several hundred dollars. (Especially considering you have to buy and use those sealants anyway.)

I don’t mean to shit on coatings. They do what they say they do as long as you do your part. I just don’t see the value. The claims that you don’t have to wash as often, that it protects against rock chips, etc are false. Your black truck is still going to get scratches and swirls no matter how careful you are.

All in all, the only thing I see as a better, more permanent option than good sealants is PPF, but the cost of that is much higher than a ceramic.

Sorry for the wall of text. I’m not great at being concise, especially in the morning.