[Flexhorn]

I just bought my red ZL1 yesterday and have been told I need to put a ceramic coat on it. The only ones I've found are from Adams for over $500! Any suggestions on other good brands for les? Thx

[Glen e]

Huh? Any coating is more or less than $100 , look at cquartzUK, or or any of the other ones mentioned here. Surf the autogeek store for scads of them. You should polish the car first.

https://www.autogeek.net/car-paint-g...-coatings.html

And you don't "need" a coating, there's many other ways to go that'll protect your car.

I see the Adams coating at $109…

http://adamspolishes.com/adam-s-cera...ml-bottle.html

[drfeelgood]

Glen knows everything about coating and polishing, so I would listen to him on this more than my own mother.

But, when they tell you, you NEED a ceramic coating, perhaps they are referring to the paper thin POC paint used on our vehicles. It is pretty bad, about the worse that I have seen on any of my vehicles (this is my first Camaro)

if you ceramic coat it, you should do at least a 1 stage paint correction first. All cars, even from the factory, come with imperfections in the clear coat, usually due to crappy towels used to wash the car at the factory and then the dealer.

Shining a UV light over a car, even on the showroom floor, will bring to light all of the swirl marks in the clear. The paint correction removes those swirls, and then the ceramic coat adds a nice mirror shine- / looks like it was just waxed appearance.

IF you go this route, you should then go to Glen's page and read on how to protect the ceramic coating with proper wash techniques. Gone are the days of drive through washes or even hand-wash car washes, as they are all using poor wash technique with dirty harsh towels that WILL scratch your ceramic coating.

[mikem2104]

like previously stated, NEED is a very very strong word. so many places try and sell ceramic coatings as something they simply are not!

do they protect your paint, yes. are they scratch proof and will they make washing your car as easy as rinsing, NO! they are not a magic bullet.

there are many alternatives to coatings out there that are very effective, it's a matter of preference and budget.

coatings are great, but far too many detailers sell them as something they simply are not.

[MoreSpeed]

I think with this paint, you might "need" ceramic coating. While it is not a silver bullet protecting against everything, it, with some strategically placed Xpel on the nose will protect you against most paint issues people complain about here on the forum.

The Camaro paint is water based and not particularly robust. No issue if you don't mind chips (which the ceramic coating doesn't protect against, but the Xpel does), or micro swirls (which the ceramic coating helps with - but still won't protect against washing with a rag full of rocks).

[Bluecyclone]

To add, I do the "correction" with a polisher then a 2 step paint sealant ResistAll Enviro/Guard 3.79L and then wax straight over with "Wild Cherry" from American Detail shop in Victoria,Tx. The sealant is made by Cal/Tex. This is one way to protect your paint twice a year.

[RedHot18]

I did a 5 layer Ceramic Pro along with Expel. I track the car once a month and the paint still looks amazing. Had it professionally done and it was around 3K, worth every penny.

[Can'tHave2MuchHP]

Nobody "needs" a Ceramic Coating. I don't know where you saw $500 for an Adam's coating either, they're around $100 for the kit but unless you know what you're doing, which judging by you asking this question in the way you did, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you have limited/no experience with this, then professional application and work will be well over $500 likely.

Prep is everything with a Ceramic Coating. Ceramic Coatings are a "semi permanent" coating. They will come off with time, but they will last 1, 2, 3 or more years depending on quality of product and application process. Your paint underneath needs to be perfect, smooth, and naked.

I was going to get my ZL1 ceramic coated but I think I'm going to try using a Sealant/Glaze/Wax method on it which will carry the car all summer. It's not going to be as hard/thick of a barrier as a CC (Ceramic Coating) but it will protect against bird droppings, road crap and the like as well as making it easier to clean the car at wash time. Speaking of wash time, if you spend all the money you need to get a perfect and protected, you'd better know proper washing and detailing habits. To learn all of this, a member ship on a true detailing forum will help as well as watching lots of videos. If you Ceramic Coat your car and then wash it with old pads, weak soaps, and detail it with junk Microfibers/towels, you'll swirl it all back up and have effectively wasted your time and money in getting it coated (CC will swirl, just not quite as easily as clear coat).

Consider the options. A Sealant/Wax might be all you need. Look into PPF (Paint Protective Films) like XPEL, Suntek, etc. What are you goals? What levels of detailing do you know and expect?

[Flexhorn]

Thanks for the comments and dogging me bc I used the word "need"! Geez! No, I'm not an expert obviously. I did wax it. I initially saw an Adams kit for $500 before I saw the $105 kit. I'll crawl back in my hole of ignorance and refrain from asking for anymore advice

[KirkH]

Learning to care for your car's exterior can be fun, addictive and rewarding. If you are interested in installing a ceramic coating yourself, it is very easy. The coating should cost about $50 for a bottle and you can usually get 2-3 coats (OR 2-3 cars,) depending on how you apply it. The coating won't stop scratches but it will stop etchings, water spots, etc and dirt does not stick as easily so the car stays cleaner.

Preparing the surface is the key. This requires washing, automotive claybar treatment, and machine polishing before installing the coating.

Check out youtube videos by Autogeek and Mike Phillips. Mike Phillips is the foremost expert in detailing, former director of training for Meguiar's.

I really enjoy polishing my Camaro, and I ended up turning it into a business in my retirement.

[JB'sZL1]

Originally Posted by Flexhorn

Thanks for the comments and dogging me bc I used the word "need"! Geez! No, I'm not an expert obviously. I did wax it. I initially saw an Adams kit for $500 before I saw the $105 kit. I'll crawl back in my hole of ignorance and refrain from asking for anymore advice

Take a second look at the post and read it generically. I don't read it as an attack on you, but as a description of ceramic coatings, and their degree of necessity on a paint job.

Most guys here are not dinks. They're here to share their experiences and learn.

[SSport16]

Is you car going to be garaged? Sitting outside for long periods of time? If yes on the garaged part and no on the outside for long periods of time, then I would say no. Check out paint sealants, especially silica based ones.

[Can'tHave2MuchHP]

Originally Posted by Flexhorn

Thanks for the comments and dogging me bc I used the word "need"! Geez! No, I'm not an expert obviously. I did wax it. I initially saw an Adams kit for $500 before I saw the $105 kit. I'll crawl back in my hole of ignorance and refrain from asking for anymore advice

Nobody dogged you, as JB said, read it generically, there's true advice.

[drfeelgood]

Originally Posted by Flexhorn

Thanks for the comments and dogging me bc I used the word "need"! Geez! No, I'm not an expert obviously. I did wax it. I initially saw an Adams kit for $500 before I saw the $105 kit. I'll crawl back in my hole of ignorance and refrain from asking for anymore advice

def not an attack on you at all. What I (and others) was trying to say is, don't let someone sucker you into thinking you need a ceramic coating. There are alternatives. I did a ceramic coating on mine because our paint is not very good, as mentioned, it is a thin water based paint. personally, I feel it definitely NEEDS something (expel, ceramic coating, good sealant, etc.) I went with ceramic coating and expel on the front bumper