Ceramic Coating, Paint Protection Film, and Tint next week

[dutchman187]

Paint correction and applying ceramics, sealants, etc is something you can do yourself if you want to take the time to learn it, invest in great products, and have a vehicle you don't mind practicing on. I got into it a few years ago after having buyer's remorse from purchasing a paint protection plan through the dealer. Practiced my first correction on a beater car I didn't care about and became hooked with the results.

With that said, if you don't have time or practice vehicles available, pay someone who truly knows what they are doing in this area.

 

[ryelinek]

Paint correction and applying ceramics, sealants, etc is something you can do yourself if you want to take the time to learn it, invest in great products, and have a vehicle you don't mind practicing on. I got into it a few years ago after having buyer's remorse from purchasing a paint protection plan through the dealer. Practiced my first correction on a beater car I didn't care about and became hooked with the results.

With that said, if you don't have time or practice vehicles available, pay someone who truly knows what they are doing in this area.

100% agree. I don’t have the time or need to teach myself how to do it. Nor do I have a good clean space to do the work. I’m fine with paying a true pro to do but would not take anything being offered by a dealer.

 

[ryelinek]

Here is a link to the Ceramic Coat product my guy is using on my truck this week. A few different brands out there but Gyeon is one of the better.

The “good” stuff you can’t buy as a consumer and install it yourself. The higher end products are only sold to certified installers and they have to do the work. Gyeon and Cquartz are two examples of a companies that will sell certain products to consumers and certain others only to their installers.

http://gyeonquartz.com/product/duraflex/

 

[dutchman187]

Here is a link to the Ceramic Coat product my guy is using on my truck this week. A few different brands out there but Gyeon is one of the better.

The “good” stuff you can’t buy as a consumer and install it yourself. The higher end products are only sold to certified installers and they have to do the work. Gyeon and Cquartz are two examples of a companies that will sell certain products to consumers and certain others only to their installers.

http://gyeonquartz.com/product/duraflex/

I think you'll be happy with your purchase. Make sure to post pics when its done. Both Gyeon and Cquartz make some pretty high end products at the consumer level as well, but the learning curve is significant, particularly with Gyeon. Can't wait to see that water sheeting off after its done!

 

[ryelinek]

I think you'll be happy with your purchase. Make sure to post pics when its done. Both Gyeon and Cquartz make some pretty high end products at the consumer level as well, but the learning curve is significant, particularly with Gyeon. Can't wait to see that water sheeting off after its done!

Thanks! He’s going to take some photos for me of the process and also when the PPF is going on and I’ll post a bunch after.

Going to try to talk him into tossing in maybe a few free things. Pitch the idea he has tons of cars on his website and Facebook but no trucks. Try to reach a new demographic. Document what he does for me and I’ll give concent for him to use my photos to advertise. I’m going to do it anyway but never hurts to ask for freebies haha.....

 

[Lakewake]

Is Opti pro a professional product? I am in Charlotte, NC. Seems like this is the standard at detail shops here. Very little snow around here, but a good amount of bugs. Since I live on a lake, I am also in the flight path of some flying dump trucks (geese). My protection needs are probable a little different than some of you further north.

 

[ryelinek]

Is Opti pro a professional product? I am in Charlotte, NC. Seems like this is the standard at detail shops here. Very little snow around here, but a good amount of bugs. Since I live on a lake, I am also in the flight path of some flying dump trucks (geese). My protection needs are probable a little different than some of you further north.

Here is my “opinion” on that from my research. Take it for what it’s worth. I do not believe it to be one of the higher end products. Most of those like Gyeon, CQuartz, Kamikaze, etc REQUIRE a detail shop to be certified to order and install their highest quality product lines.

I do not think Opti does something similar. Product quality to me is highly important but MOST important is getting someone that knows what the F it is they are doing. If you find a very high end detail shop that uses that product you probably would be fine.

I also judge the quality of the detail shop by the cars they have inside. Each time I went to my guys place he always had multiple lambos, Bentley’s, McLearens, etc parked waiting for work. Here was my truck when I picked it up by one such car.

If you have people letting your guy work on their car that costs 100’s of thousands of dollars then your truck will be fine

 

[Lakewake]

Here is my “opinion” on that from my research. Take it for what it’s worth. I do not believe it to be one of the higher end products. Most of those like Gyeon, CQuartz, Kamikaze, etc REQUIRE a detail shop to be certified to order and install their highest quality product lines.

I do not think Opti does something similar. Product quality to me is highly important but MOST important is getting someone that knows what the F it is they are doing. If you find a very high end detail shop that uses that product you probably would be fine.

I also judge the quality of the detail shop by the cars they have inside. Each time I went to my guys place he always had multiple lambos, Bentley’s, McLearens, etc parked waiting for work. Here was my truck when I picked it up by one such car.

If you have people letting your guy work on their car that costs 100’s of thousands of dollars then your truck will be fine

View attachment 1212

Thanks Reylinek, did a lot of looking, lol, found a detail shop 1 mile from where I work. Walked in, there is a picture of Cam Newton with his truck he had done with CQuartz, along with other happy clients. Did a search and his reviews were 5 Star.
In the Bay’s was a Porsche, F150 Platinum, BMW, and a 1970 Ferrari Daytona Spyder, Yellow. Completely Awesome! He is going to work me up a neighbor price on 3 coat with clear bra.
It will take 3 weeks minimum to get me worked in. We will finish up tomorrow since my truck just got built, so I can get on the schedule.

 

[ryelinek]

Thanks Reylinek, did a lot of looking, lol, found a detail shop 1 mile from where I work. Walked in, there is a picture of Cam Newton with his truck he had done with CQuartz, along with other happy clients. Did a search and his reviews were 5 Star.
In the Bay’s was a Porsche, F150 Platinum, BMW, and a 1970 Ferrari Daytona Spyder, Yellow. Completely Awesome! He is going to work me up a neighbor price on 3 coat with clear bra.
It will take 3 weeks minimum to get me worked in. We will finish up tomorrow since my truck just got built, so I can get on the schedule.

Good stuff! That’s awesome. Glad you found someone good. It will be awesome once it’s all done. Making a good choice here.

I can’t wait to wash mine for the first time this weekend since getting everything done.

 

[zignice]

Had mine coated with the Opti Coat ceramic coating. Detail Authority in Fairfax, VA did it. They are one of the few certified Opti Coat detailers in the area. The paint correction and coating which included taking the wheels off and coating both sides came to $2,400.
reviously had a black Porsche coated and it worked out well. I hate swirls.

 

[ryelinek]

Had mine coated with the Opti Coat ceramic coating. Detail Authority in Fairfax, VA did it. They are one of the few certified Opti Coat detailers in the area. The paint correction and coating which included taking the wheels off and coating both sides came to $2,400.
reviously had a black Porsche coated and it worked out well. I hate swirls.
View attachment 1281
View attachment 1282

Looks great. I’ll be able to wash my truck this weekend after getting the Ceramic Coat on mine. First time I’ve been truly excited to wash a car haha

 

[1Raider]

This is something I've never gotten into an excuse my ignorance.. I do wax my trucks to keep from the mud from scratching the paint etc. How much better is this over a good wax?

 

[ryelinek]

This is something I've never gotten into an excuse my ignorance.. I do wax my trucks to keep from the mud from scratching the paint etc. How much better is this over a good wax?

It’s better and much longer lasting than wax. A good product and a good application can last for years.

What’s makes it so impressive is how glossy the car looks/feels and water just beads right off it. Makes cleaning MUCH easier. Plus the paint does become more resistant to damage.

Me personally I don’t want to wax all the time but I want to maintain the look. It’s all personal preference. My truck is the only car I’ve done this to thus far. Only time will tell how I like this after a year or two passes.

 

[RAM 5 times]

guys got a question. when you get these coats, film or the tint done, can you still wax it if you want? or would it hurt what you have on it?

 

[ryelinek]

guys got a question. when you get these coats, film or the tint done, can you still wax it if you want? or would it hurt what you have on it?

A ceramic coat makes anything much less likely to stick to the surface of the paint. You can apply certain products to help maintain the ceramic coat or help increase its hydrophobic properties. That way you keep the gloss looking it’s best.

To your question a wax “could” be put on top of a ceramic coat but it’s not going to apply all that well and would probably smear. It’s just a waste of product mostly.

Also you can wax or use product over top of Paint Protection Film if you get it on a car. Example being when they did the PPF and Ceramic Coat on my truck they did paint correction and polish FIRST then second was to apply PPF and LAST was the Ceramic Coat. You can’t put the PPF on last or it won’t stick or apply to the car because the ceramic coats finish will not allow it.

 

[RAM 5 times]

A ceramic coat makes anything much less likely to stick to the surface of the paint. You can apply certain products to help maintain the ceramic coat or help increase its hydrophobic properties. That way you keep the gloss looking it’s best.

To your question a wax “could” be put on top of a ceramic coat but it’s not going to apply all that well and would probably smear. It’s just a waste of product mostly.

Also you can wax or use product over top of Paint Protection Film if you get it on a car. Example being when they did the PPF and Ceramic Coat on my truck they did paint correction and polish FIRST then second was to apply PPF and LAST was the Ceramic Coat. You can’t put the PPF on last or it won’t stick or apply to the car because the ceramic coats finish will not allow it.

thanks for the info! it's good to know these products are out there in case i'm ever unable to do my own waxing.

 

[dutchman187]

One thing to keep in mind is what it isn't. It will not save you from hard dings or more serious scratches. Even the pros version normally offers around 9H scratch resistance, which is the same as a glass tempered screen protector on my phone. I'm easy on my phone, but it has scratches on that protector. Chemical etching can still occur. It'll definitely add a layer of protection to your clear coat and a sacrificial coat sort to speak (same reason I have the glass on my phone). So it is definitely nice, but beware of some marketing hype out there.

It will certainly allow for your car to sheet rain more easily, but you will still have to care for it properly to ensure longevity. Again, you will have a little more leeway here with a professional version compared to consumer grade ceramics or plain sealants. You might not need to be a two bucket grit guards and boar brush fanatic like myself, but you can't just let the salt and crud sit for months on end. It's a fine product, but not a miracle.

The nice thing about a properly prepped and sealed vehicle (commercial or consumer grade) is it makes keeping it that way so much easier. You can see from the pictures posted in this thread how beautiful a properly corrected and detailed truck looks. Once the hard work has been done, you can start to finish wash and dry in less than 30 minutes. That includes the two bucket wash, dryer (I use a leaf blower that only is used on my cars), and a booster gloss/sealant/wax depending on what my base layers are.

If you want to obsess over products to keep your truck looking better than it looked on the lot, check out some detailing forums like Auto geek. I've spent an incredible amount of money there since I bought my Camry five years ago. Lol, sexy family sedan, coming through!

 

[573nny]

I'd like to hear some rough pricing for what you guys are paying for paint protection film and ceramic coats. I'm not positive I'll do either, although the paint film is tempting. I was shocked when I was detailing my 2011 to sell at how much abuse the front bumper and mirrors had taken, mostly from high speed bug impacts.

First quote I got for paint film was $850 for "partial front" - at that price I don't think I'll bother.

I brought mine to a local shop to apply Auto Armor paint and undercarriage protection. I've had it on trucks in the past, and believe it's a worthwhile coating; esp in the cold, snowy, salty climate up here. I do not think it's ceramic, though. And, it only ran about $500

 

[GeneralPatten06]

I had my other to coated paint corrected and opti coat pro put on. I love it with one exception. You really have to be particular in how you wash it if your doing it by hand as useing a sponge and car soap will certainly leave hairline swirls in no time. I always used microfiber with Opti No-Rinse for wash.

 

[dutchman187]

I brought mine to a local shop to apply Auto Armor paint and undercarriage protection. I've had it on trucks in the past, and believe it's a worthwhile coating; esp in the cold, snowy, salty climate up here. I do not think it's ceramic, though. And, it only ran about $500

Auto armor is just a sealant. It will last six months to a year depending on weather conditions and ongoing proper wash care. It is the exact product that led me to learn more about the detailing world after I was talked into buying it at the dealer.