[Eldi Z]

Would appreciate inputs from the experienced here, before tanking the plunge:

1.) If Yea: Why so? How long does it last? What to be aware of before and after application? Which are the recommended brands / qualities / grades?

2.) If Nay: What is the reason and what practical alternatives are there (except films I.E Xpel/ Lumar, Etc.)?

[Captain J]

Yea.
It shines better than wax and is much easier to clean...especially bugs and crap after a road trip. As far as how long it lasts, I don't know. It was just done a month ago. Before application, your paint should be CLEAN. As in spotless. As in clay bar clean. No imperfections. The shop that did mine used Tec 580 Ceramic Coating.

[Chevyman2]

Yes it’s worth doing and there are to many factors which will determine longevity. Estimate to last at-least 1 year regardless of those factors as long as preparation of surface and applied correctly . I like opticoat and it’s very easy to apply but many brands on the market now . Obviously the professional grade strength is usually better than consumer grade strength.

[KirkH]

Scroll down there are several threads with pros and cons of coatings.

[indyz]

On my G37 it lasted a few years, they promised 5. No mx reqd. Back then, it was 500-600 bucks, now the same type runs 1500-2500.

Ridiculously expensive.

Not doing it anymore. Let the fad die.

I do claying, polish and sealant/coatings myself now, easy and cheap.

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by Eldi Z

1.) If Yea: Why so? How long does it last? What to be aware of before and after application? Which are the recommended brands / qualities / grades?
2.) If Nay: What is the reason and what practical alternatives are there (except films I.E Xpel/ Lumar, Etc.)?

My answer is a "Yes, but... "

Best solution, IMO is a combination of paint protection film and coatings. Do a good (tucked/wrapped/no-seams) self-healing film + a good durable hydrophobic coating on the paint. Film as much of the car as you can afford. Skip the ceramic on parts of the car with film. Do Ceramic+Hydrophobic coatings on the wheels.

With film, installer matters more than brand as long as you're using top-shelf self-healing film. Pay the extra $ to have them tuck all the edges, remove and film under emblems, heat extractor, etc.

With coatings, brand matters about as much (if not more) than the installer. Some ceramic coatings brands/types work with one coat, others need up to 10 coats for full effect. Some brands come with 7 or 10 year warranties... others 2 or 3 or none at all.

I've seen some bad water spotting on black cars with only a ceramic coating, no hydrophobic or sealant. Might as well not bother with the coating.

As far as service life, IMO a ceramic coating will last it's "rated" lifetime only if the car is a garage queen. You'll be lucky to get half the rated life if the car is a DD and/or overnights outside.

I'm at 10 months of my professionally applied Gtechniq Crystal Serum Black + Gtechniq EXO. Forward facing surfaces of the car are filmed w/ Suntek Ultra (hood, front clip, winshield surround, mirrors, rockers and rear to the body line). CSB+EXO were done on top of the film, which looks great, but is overkill. CSB carries a 7 year warranty and EXO is rated for 12-18 mos. The whole car still looks and coatings still bead water brilliantly. Found the best installer in the area, and paid a lot of $$ for what I got compared to others on these forums. But I'm glad I did.

For maintenance, I use one part Reload diluted into 5 parts distilled water for final post-wash detailing and as a quick detailer at shows.

Here's a pic taken about a month ago of water on the hood, which has Suntek Ultra, 2 coats of Gtechniq Crystal Serum Black, and one of Gtechniq EXO. This is just after a basic 2 bucket wash with Adams car shampoo and hose rinsed, right before blow dry. And no I do not wash the car in the sun, I moved it out of the shade for this pic

[Franko07]

First thing is that coatings do work, but not what i would use for a "show shine".

I coated my girlfriends Tuscan and have had to do nothing but rinse and dry it since i put the coating on.... this being said... its not as glossy as a good wax but it will keep it clean and maintenance free for the most part.

all the products it took to coat it would cost you around $500 from scratch if you were to do it your self, including buffer and polish.

i have around $150 in coating and did her car, 1 other and still have more than enough to do 1-2 more. i used Cquartz and Gliss on paint. Dlux on the plastics and wheels.

[indyz]

Disclaimer: I've not used protective film myself but I have heard good things from guys who baby their cars (i am not one of them) and always have glossy shiny vehicles.

I would spend money on a protective film before expensive ceramic coatings. More protection, and you can get the glossy look quite easily (DIY) without spending thousands or even hundreds of Dollars. Just MHO after spending all that money myself.

[Franko07]

Yeah as far as damage protection... a good film wins

[Glen e]

Coatings and film are two different animals, they do not interchange, nor do they compete with each other. A coating is to reduce paint from swirling and make it easy to clean. A film is made to stop rock impacts. Two totally different things. A Coating will not protect against a rock bash.

[Eldi Z]

Thanks for all the good input.
Since my car is black, I am undecided about ceramic coating it exactly because of all the negative remarks about water spots. I read a lot of good reviews about the Cquartz and it is available local to me too, but still....worried.
Maybe the best option is to mix & match ceramic and quality self-healing film (I.E. Xpel or Lumar?). For example, use film on areas in which rocks hurt the most (fenders / wheels areas) and front bumper / grill area.

[Franko07]

Originally Posted by Eldi Z

Thanks for all the good input.
Since my car is black, I am undecided about ceramic coating it exactly because of all the negative remarks about water spots. I read a lot of good reviews about the Cquartz and it is available local to me too, but still....worried.
Maybe the best option is to mix & match ceramic and quality self-healing film (I.E. Xpel or Lumar?). For example, use film on areas in which rocks hurt the most (fenders / wheels areas) and front bumper / grill area.

i put carpro Gliss on the Cquartz and i have avoided the water spots so far.

[Frankie18SS]

So when is the earliest you can ceramic coat a car? I've heard some people are careful applying things to new cars because the concern of the paint not being fully cured. Is there anything to this? Can you do a paint correction/ceramic coating right after delivery or would it be best to wait a couple months?

[Glen e]

Originally Posted by Frankie18SS

So when is the earliest you can ceramic coat a car? I've heard some people are careful applying things to new cars because the concern of the paint not being fully cured. Is there anything to this? Can you do a paint correction/ceramic coating right after delivery it would it be best to wait a couple months?

No......you can do anything to a car soon as you buy it. The paint is cured.