Ceramic Coating?

[Hammer1]

I have always waxed my vehicle 3 times a year and I take pretty good care of it. Would like some input about ceramic coating and weather it's worth it or not?

 

[Cmoar]

I have always waxed my vehicle 3 times a year and I take pretty good care of it. Would like some input about ceramic coating and weather it's worth it or not?

Check out this thread. There are a lot of good comments in that one, and multiple other threads.

https://5thgenrams.com/community/th...gs-is-this-a-good-deal-what-did-you-pay.3700/

 

[troutspinner]

I have always waxed my vehicle 3 times a year and I take pretty good care of it. Would like some input about ceramic coating and weather it's worth it or not?

Worth it or not is a really hard thing to determine and a very individual thing. It’s like asking someone whether they hand wash or go through a car wash. Each person has their wants and needs.

My truck is ceramic coated, I like how easy it is to clean, how the water runs off of it for easy drying and that it looks like it just left the detailer after a simple wash. This is the first vehicle I’ve had it done to so time will be the ultimate decider if I would do it on the next truck.

 

[Micko24]

How much did t cost you for the ceramic coat?

 

[troutspinner]

How much did t cost you for the ceramic coat?

$950

 

[TurdFerguson]

I really want this done, but I don't want to do it without paint correction. The orange peel in my finish is much worse than my 2011 was. Also there are some whirls that I assume came from the dealer. I would lose my mind if I spent 3k+ for correction and ceramic coat and then got a ding or a rock.

 

[Cmoar]

I really want this done, but I don't want to do it without paint correction. The orange peel in my finish is much worse than my 2011 was. Also there are some whirls that I assume came from the dealer. I would lose my mind if I spent 3k+ for correction and ceramic coat and then got a ding or a rock.

That is what I went through. The place I had mine done at included paint correction in the price of the application. It looks better than the day I bought it. But, like @troutspinner, this is my first vehicle with a ceramic coat and I just don’t know how they hold up long term. I got the Gtechniq Ultra with a 9 year warranty, and it honestly looks amazing.

 

[troutspinner]

I really want this done, but I don't want to do it without paint correction. The orange peel in my finish is much worse than my 2011 was. Also there are some whirls that I assume came from the dealer. I would lose my mind if I spent 3k+ for correction and ceramic coat and then got a ding or a rock.

Typically the price includes paint correction. Just check with your detailer.

 

[Hammer1]

Typically the price includes paint correction. Just check with your detailer.

What do you mean by paint correction? Getting all the orange peel out? My paint looks like my 13 year old daughter did it.

 

[Biga]

I can't imagine getting the organge peel out without losing a significant amount of your clear coat.

 

[Dontfront82]

Yea my orange peel is pretty bad also, sadly hard to repair.. I am interested in the ceramic coating tho..

 

[troutspinner]

What do you mean by paint correction? Getting all the orange peel out? My paint looks like my 13 year old daughter did it.

Scratches, blemishes, etc. Orange peel is a different beast and could actually require repainting.

 

[TurdFerguson]

Yes on all counts.

 

[Neurobit]

I can't imagine getting the organge peel out without losing a significant amount of your clear coat.

100% correct. Requires wet sanding, which will seriously diminish your clear. I would not do this.
Orange peel doesn’t bother me, as long as the surface is free of holograms and swirls.

 

[Lakewake]

That is what I went through. The place I had mine done at included paint correction in the price of the application. It looks better than the day I bought it. But, like @troutspinner, this is my first vehicle with a ceramic coat and I just don’t know how they hold up long term. I got the Gtechniq Ultra with a 9 year warranty, and it honestly looks amazing.

Agree, there are cheaper ways to go, but the Gtechniq Ultra is amazing. So glad I went with it.

 

[1997pgt]

I actually own a detail business and use Gtechniq's line of Ceramic Coatings (Including their 9 year CSU), if anyone has any questions about ceramic coatings in general just let me know, happy to help. As with most things 90% of how it holds up is in the prep work. I purchased a new 19 RAM a few months ago and coated it immediately, was amazed at how much worse the paint was from the factory (Delmonico Red) vs the 2016 RAM Laramie i had before (Luxury Brown Tintcoat), was quite sad to say the least.

 

[surfingcrna]

I've heard many conflicting stories about how they hold up in weather like Florida. Hot, sunny, massive downpours etc on a truck that stays outside. The alternative is frequent sealing versus the ceramic, especially when you factor in the up front cost of the ceramic. What are your thoughts?

 

[1997pgt]

I've heard many conflicting stories about how they hold up in weather like Florida. Hot, sunny, massive downpours etc on a truck that stays outside. The alternative is frequent sealing versus the ceramic, especially when you factor in the up front cost of the ceramic. What are your thoughts?

Actually that's where the Ceramic Coatings really come through, the CSU 9yr is temp rated from -40 degrees Celsius to +250 degrees Celsius. There are probably hundreds of different brands/companies that sell/make/distribute Ceramic Coatings and they all vary in terms of quality, durability and warranty so i can't speak for them all but I've been using and applying Gtechniq's coatings for several years now without any issues and a lot of my customers (like me) are in the Military so they get PCS orders to the Midwest, Alaska, Florida etc etc and so far everyone's coatings have held up great. The 9 Year Coating that troutspinner put on his truck (9 Year Crystal Serum Ultra by Gtechniq) is their top of the line coating which is EXTREMELY durable. A lot of people have a misconception about ceramic coatings (as did I) that it's just another overrated spray wax that comes with a warranty the manufactures hope you'll never use, but the 9 year CSU is so durable that if you don't install it right or if you get a "high" spot and don't remove the excess in time it has to be wet sanded off with 1500 grit sandpaper. It is acid and swirl resistant and is 3-4 times as hard as your factory clear coat (10h hardness vs 2-3h for factory clear coat). It adds a lot of gloss to the factory paint and is extremely hydrophobic (nothing sticks to it) so it makes cleaning much easier/requires less cleaning. There are some limitations and trade offs with the ceramic though, you can't run it through a car wash (voids warranty) the main reason being some car washes are poorly maintained and can cause severe damage if say a lifted muddy truck went through before you and the "mops" pick up a bunch of dirt/rocks etc and then they hit your car going through, so hand washing or "touchless" car washes are a must. Also if you have to get paint or body work done you'll obviously have to get it re-applied. It is NOT however bulletproof, if anyone says any coating out there will flat out prevent chips or scratches they are lying, it's just not true. They are scratch and swirl resistant to an extent but not indestructible. The nice thing is you don't have to put any waxes or additional coatings on the vehicle for the entire time its coated (5 or 9 years) so while it's expensive upfront it's cheap if you think about annual costs (and time) over 5 or 9 years.

 

[surfingcrna]

Thank you