Ceramic Coatings vs Film

[Goodone]

I wanted to know if anyone had the 10H silicone ceramic added or the Film applied to the entire truck and what the cost and pros and cons might be?

 

[BowDown]

2 different applications for 2 entirely different situations.
Ceramic coat doesnt prevent rock chips, PPF does or at least mitigates them. Ceramic coat is meant to make washing easier, reduce occurrences of swirl marks and enhance gloss. The right PPF can also do those things.

Ceramic coat without paint correction is around $12-1500, with paint correction, close to double.
PPF an entire truck is around $4-5000 depending where you go/are

 

[SD Rebel]

If I had to do it again, I would have done front PPF, rocker panels and the lower rear of the bed along with ceramic coating the entire thing.

For certain films, it's highly recommended you ceramic coat was well, since certain film material can also be damaged by hard water spots and acidic bird droppings.

 

[Goodone]

Appreciate the feedback

 

[HSKR R/T]

2 different applications for 2 entirely different situations.
Ceramic coat doesnt prevent rock chips, PPF does or at least mitigates them. Ceramic coat is meant to make washing easier, reduce occurrences of swirl marks and enhance gloss. The right PPF can also do those things.

Ceramic coat without paint correction is around $12-1500, with paint correction, close to double.
PPF an entire truck is around $4-5000 depending where you go/are

You can get a caramic coating with 5-7 year warranty, including paint correction for under $1500. And paint correction should be included in any Ceramic coating package.

 

[Goodone]

You can get a caramic coating with 5-7 year warranty, including paint correction for under $1500. And paint correction should be included in any Ceramic coating package.

I have seen this, and also have read from Torque and others that no ceramic coating lasts more than 2 years even with a 10H hardness applied.

I would think ceramic washes and recharges from hand applications can help, but it all seems a bit much. I had a 3 year coating applied and it was failing in 6 months.
I think my issue was the person installing it was not trained well, but there is no guarantee anyone you use will do it right.

 

[SD Rebel]

Yeah, it's the application and product used. Using a quality ceramic coating, with the right methods along with making sure the surface of the paint was properly cleaned prior to application is key to the durability of the coating. Along with following the right curing period process.

If they don't use the right application process or left any polish residue on the surface, that will lower the durability of the coating. I've seen people apply a paint cleaner using a towel that they used to wipe off the polish a moment earlier.

 

[Trippi]

My truck is in now for PPF on the front bumper - and what was supposed to be Decontamination wash, machine cut and polish paint
enhancement process with polymer sealant and silica topcoat has morphed into pain correction. there were so many swirls and scratches once he got it under his lights he recommended the correction. The truck is brand new! Never even been through a wash...nice job Ram and the Dealer who probably hand washed it like a 2 year old trying to color.

 

[BowDown]

My truck is in now for PPF on the front bumper - and what was supposed to be Decontamination wash, machine cut and polish paint
enhancement process with polymer sealant and silica topcoat has morphed into pain correction. there were so many swirls and scratches once he got it under his lights he recommended the correction. The truck is brand new! Never even been through a wash...nice job Ram and the Dealer who probably hand washed it like a 2 year old trying to color.

Its not just Ram, every car made comes off the line needing paint correction, its just a matter of the new owner recognizing it or not.

 

[SD Rebel]

I've never seen a black car that didn't need correction, right off the truck. You have the factory polish after painting (to remove nibs or defects), normal handling, transport to factory, and the likely automated car wash at the dealership, plus the normal rinses and wipe as they sit on the lots gathering dust day to day, it's a lot of possible micro scratches, especially noticeable on black cars.

 

[Trippi]

I've never seen a black car that didn't need correction, right off the truck. You have the factory polish after painting (to remove nibs or defects), normal handling, transport to factory, and the likely automated car wash at the dealership, plus the normal rinses and wipe as they sit on the lots gathering dust day to day, it's a lot of possible micro scratches, especially noticeable on black cars.

I expected better being that I ordered it...but it will look mint when I get it back.

 

[bigdodge]

I expected better being that I ordered it...but it will look mint when I get it back.

nothing special by ordering only getting what you want

 

[Trippi]

nothing special by ordering only getting what you want

Special enough that it wouldn't have had time to sit on a dealer lot to be subjected to the elements...rain snow kids cleaning them off. If that's out of the equation I would not expect a brand new vehicle to come with swirls and scratches. But now I know better that's just the way they make and handle em.

 

[bigdodge]

Special enough that it wouldn't have had time to sit on a dealer lot to be subjected to the elements...rain snow kids cleaning them off. If that's out of the equation I would not expect a brand new vehicle to come with swirls and scratches. But now I know better that's just the way they make and handle em.

what the truck goes through before it gets to the dealer, it is amassing more are not damaged
this is what my special order truck went through.
driven off assembly line.
driven to back lot.
driven to train car and if loading lots of train cars has to go through many autoracks (train car carrier) to reach is traveling spot. my truck was on a train with 80 other autoracks.
driven off train car.
driven around lot to parking spot before truck picks it up to be delivered to dealer
driven off truck at dealer.
driven into dealer garage to get prepped.

and all kinds of weather on its trip to me

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[SD Rebel]

Special enough that it wouldn't have had time to sit on a dealer lot to be subjected to the elements...rain snow kids cleaning them off. If that's out of the equation I would not expect a brand new vehicle to come with swirls and scratches. But now I know better that's just the way they make and handle em.

That's a good point about not sitting there for too long at the dealership. But I suspect even one automated dealership wash could create enough scratches to show on a black car. It's just a hard to maintain color. It picks up and and shows things that you would never notice on almost any other color.

After owning one black vehicle, I told myself I will never do it again.

 

[Darksteel165]

My black Ram didn't have any problems no swirls.
Custom order and told them DON'T TOUCH IT.

My Black Silverado?
Yep. Some swirls but also horizon scratches. Only had 18 miles on it but was also at 2 dealerships and sitting for 6 months before getting purchased and I think it went through quite a few carwashes, and not touch free ones at that.
Did I ever remove them? Nope because it looked fine from a distance with no orange peel or anything else.

 

[SD Rebel]

My black Ram didn't have any problems no swirls.
Custom order and told them DON'T TOUCH IT.

My Black Silverado?
Yep. Some swirls but also horizon scratches. Only had 18 miles on it but was also at 2 dealerships and sitting for 6 months before getting purchased and I think it went through quite a few carwashes, and not touch free ones at that.
Did I ever remove them? Nope because it looked fine from a distance with no orange peel or anything else.

That's amazing, no swirl black paint, didn't thick that existed except after hours of paint correction. But there are like 50 shades of black, I've owned dark grey colors that seem to resist showing defects, so maybe certain black paints aren't that bad?

 

[boogielander]

As someone who had ceramic coating on his previous vehicle, I can tell you that you need a maintenance wash to rejuvenate the coating at least once a year.
In addition, you also need to use ceramic coating friendly car soap when washing.

Ceramic coating is not something you can just have it done and forget about it; it is like another layer of clearcoat that is stronger but still require maintenance.

With what I do with my truck (offroading- muds, dust, occasional small rocks and stones) I am going with PPF this time since PPF is supposed to be easier to take care of in my case - I can just rinse whatever is on my film off without worrying about rejuvenation or anything like that. Just replace the film when the time comes.

 

[Darksteel165]

That's amazing, no swirl black paint, didn't thick that existed except after hours of paint correction. But there are like 50 shades of black, I've owned dark grey colors that seem to resist showing defects, so maybe certain black paints aren't that bad?

The Ram's black does have metal flake in it so it isn't 100% black but I do know there are no swirls in it still even to this point a year later. Never taken a polisher to it only hand wash and touch free automatics. I did apply some spray ceramic before last winter by hand.