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Ceramic coating, yay or nay?

Condor757

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Never done it, but my curiosity is calling. Would love to hear pros and cons.

2019 Big Horn , Patriot Blue

Thx.
 

Rsorrell2

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You will find multiple threads on this forum about this.

it was done on my 2020 and I talked the dealer into throwing the cost ($1,500) in for free as I had not asked for it.

i wash and wax regularly so I could not justify the cost.

i know some have said that it lasts for “years” but that would also depend how it is treated (outside, rain, wind, dust, heat, etc,) but in my opinion it might last a year and still require that you wash it.

some require touch up which is additional cost.
 

LimitedGRR

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Never done it, but my curiosity is calling. Would love to hear pros and cons.

2019 Big Horn , Patriot Blue

Thx.

A big yes Sheets water, truck stays cleaner longer. I got ceramic pro with lifetime warranty. The key is to make sure the paint is properly prepared and corrected before doing it. This pic is my truck after not being washed for 2 weeks and is parked outside 24/7

fd0782e891fbbb1539dd34fe60ec193d.jpg



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badpewterz

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It can be great. BUT it still has to be cleaned regularly and correctly. ( not that our trucks fit many but no automatic car washes) Also have a topper added a few times a year. Personally i just do a good sealant few times a year and my drying aid acts as a topper to keep it fresh. Also alot of the cost is the prep work
 

FirstTimeRamDriver

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This is my opinion after using professionally getting ceramic coating applied on 2 cars including the truck.

You still have to maintain them, regularly, put toppers on them, can’t use clay (highly debatable topic abut most agree to stick to chemical decon). Do they give some extra pop? Yeah. Is it worth 1200-1500 USD? No in my opinion. On my truck the coating failed, either due to me not maintaining properly OR put in wrong, whatever the case may be, recently I applied 2 coats of turtle wax ceramic spray coating, washed every week in summer with a topper , I see same results. Winter up here I try to wash it as much as I can but inside the garage without a floor drain you can only do so much. In spring I will do the routine maintenance of chemical decon and may be clay if needed and it’s all good. I have personally decided not to spend the obnoxious amount of money on coatings anymore. Every 2 years or so, I will either do a single stage compound/polish and get the so called consumer version of coating installed by me, or get someone to do the polish and do the coating myself.

Your mileage may vary.
 

Patriotmobiledetail

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Hi.
Ceramic coating is worth it.
But it isnt an end all be all
There are way too many videos out there that simply go above and beyond what a good ceramic coating can do.
The main problem is potential customers don't compare anything but 2 variables...longevity and price.
There is a lot more than that....maintenance of the coating...yes you still have to wash it...does it make it easier..absofreakinglutely.
Is it worth 1200 to1500 that depends
85 percent of proper longevity and adhesion is PREP PREP PREP same as a paint job.
You can use the best paint or coating but shifty prep will reduce clarity hydrophobic properties and longevity.

I do a ton of coatings and I don't charge 1300 unless it is a multi coating to include wheels on a dark truck

I had a special for 800 with wheels extended out here on THIS FORUM ..680 without for 6 hrs of paint prep clay bar and paint correction
And I got like 5 people...which surprised bc at my price point I should have gotten 25!
This was for cquartz or Adam's coating 2 plus yrs
The maintenance is easy handwash only...ceramuc safe soap...no harsh cleaners or brushes..
I mean thats the absolute minimum you should do anyway.
My point is if you are expecting ANY coating (the most expensive is modest bc07.which is like 10 yrs and needs curing lights and costs 3000 plus)
To perform so u never have to wash your truck
No. Thats a bunch of sensationalism on the internet
If i could manufacture a coating like that I wouldn't be typing this to you...I'd be in the middle of the Caribbean on my yatch.
;)

But i routinely go to many places to do coatings as long as there is the demand

Check out my reviews..I dont like to brag but my quality is on par or better w jobs 2 times more costly.

Good luck
Www.patriotdetailing.com
 
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maddog49

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No. Save your money for a paint correction and pro detail every couple of years. You still have to do all the same maintenance you would do if you wish and wax it so why bother.
 

UnloosedChewtoy

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For about $1500, there is a really well reviewed shop in my city that can do the Ceramic Pro with a 7 year warranty. 7 years would be my "lifetime" of the vehicle, as I'll probably trade it at around 5-6-7 years, so that works for me.

If my truck wasn't black, and was a silver or white or similar lighter color, I probably wouldn't do it myself. But for a pure black truck, I'm going to give it a try, see if it helps make washes easier and less stressful on the paint.
 

SilverNight2020

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Having not embarked on the ceramic coating option myself, I do feel like darker trucks will benefit from this more than lighter trucks. It seems that dirt rolls off much easier, therefore they look cleaner longer, and the shine is very impressive. If I owned a black truck, I would definitely get ceramic coating, but I am still on the fence about getting it on my silver truck. Having said that, there is a protection benefit to ceramic coating as well. And from what I understand, our paint is not the best in the first place.
 

thrillracing

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For about $1500, there is a really well reviewed shop in my city that can do the Ceramic Pro with a 7 year warranty. 7 years would be my "lifetime" of the vehicle, as I'll probably trade it at around 5-6-7 years, so that works for me.

If my truck wasn't black, and was a silver or white or similar lighter color, I probably wouldn't do it myself. But for a pure black truck, I'm going to give it a try, see if it helps make washes easier and less stressful on the paint.

Just so it’s clear, it’s 7-years if you pay them to keep your vehicle in good shape. You may still have to get a full detail and paint correction in that 7 years (likely yearly or bi-yearly). That being the case to me I’ve always wanted something that would last between full details. Now I detail it myself so that save a tone of money.

When it comes to ceramic I would never do anything over a 2-3 years. Just think how many times you’ll wash it get it detailed, and do you do any of the work.

I’m trying the Adams Graphene spray for this same reason. If it lasts a solid year I’m golden, as I’ll detail it again in that time frame.

This is just my 2-cents. The money being spent on detail is correction time and attention to detail. The coatings are all similarly priced, weather it’s 7, 5 or what ever years.


Hydro-Blue Laramie Lvl 2, Sport, Off-Road Group, Advanced Safety Group, Bed Utility Group, Pano, 3.92, E-Torque, Air-Suspension, Power Boards
 

SacRebel

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Personally, I have it done to all our new vehicles. If your truck is parked outside like most I can't imagine not doing it.
 

Bearman95

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Or you could go to Walmart or Amazon and get turtle wax ceramic coating spray for around $15. I put one coat of that on my truck which is black and normally spots after a rain shower. After being on for one week it came just a few drops of rain enough to get the truck wet and after drying there were hardly any spots on the black paint! It only took me about 15 minutes to coat the whole truck! Two coats is supposed to last one year per the instructions! I have no idea about the longevity but I do know that it only takes a few minutes to put a coat on! I always hand wash my vehicle and use a California duster when it gets dusty!
 

Timeless

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I've done it on my past cars but cannot bring myself to do it on this beast.

Decided to just use a good sealant and top with wax. Ceramic is great but certainly not going to remove the maintenance washes.
 

SilverNight2020

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To provide more detail, I did go purchase the TW hybrid ceramic spray, and I have been using it on my windows and windshield. The hydrophobic properties from this $15 product are amazing. I would probably go this route of applying it myself, rather than paying for someone else to do it. I know it won't last as long as the professional jobs, but I leased my truck so I don't want to spend that kind of money.
 

dutchman187

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I posted another thread of doing it myself earlier this year with Cquartz UK 3.0. Definitely is worth it to me if I am the one putting it down, as that makes the cost break out to more like 200 hundred dollars max accounting for the ceramic, decontamination, etc. I would never spend 1,500 dollars on it though. I've used sealants and various waxes for years and you definitely get more protection from ceramic, but it can still scratch with the normal culprits.
 

dutchman187

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Honestly if you aren't comfortable doing a ceramic yourself, but still want ridiculous hydrophobic properties that last a year or so AND is idiot proof to use, you should check out CarPro's Gliss. I used Gliss as a topper over my Cquartz, but it can be used as a stand alone product and it might be the easiest product I have ever used with great results.
 

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