OT: Ceramic Coating on Vehicle

[SyonaraStanz]

Has anyone done a ceramic coating on their vehicle? If so, how well did it hold up for preventing scratches, swirl marks, etc.

Also, Jackson-area folks, any recommendations on a good provider of this service?

Many thanks.

 

[Dawgbite]

I bought a used motor home that had been ceramic coated, no idea of the brand coating. Worth it is very subjective but nothing will stick to it. I had some minor body paint work done on it to repair some chips and scratches and the paint wouldn’t stick to it. You could take your finger nail and scrape the paint off where they tried to blend it in to the existing paint. The shop had to sand it down to the primer to get new paint to stick. Bugs and road tar won’t stick to it. I honestly haven’t noticed any difference in water spots and swirl marks.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

I bought a used motor home that had been ceramic coated, no idea of the brand coating. Worth it is very subjective but nothing will stick to it. I had some minor body paint work done on it to repair some chips and scratches and the paint wouldn’t stick to it. You could take your finger nail and scrape the paint off where they tried to blend it in to the existing paint. The shop had to sand it down to the primer to get new paint to stick. Bugs and road tar won’t stick to it. I honestly haven’t noticed any difference in water spots and swirl marks.

Same. Dealer put it on when we bought our Airstream. We are supposed to wax it every year as normal maintenance, but the ceramic coating eliminates the waxing. Supposed to last 5 years and that part is TBD.

We have only had it for 1 full season, but it's super easy to clean and nothing really scratches it. Because of flooded roads at Yellowstone last year I ended up driving 50+ miles on gravel road detours. When we got home it was dirty as hell and rinsed right off and no scratches from all the rocks the surely hit it at least a little. And man the bugs come right off. Not sure how well it works on auto paint, but it's tìts on aluminum.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I had my older Tacoma and my wife's new 4 runner ceramic coated over 2 years ago and it definitely works. The guy I used is in Olive Branch and uses Shine Supply products. It's not just a one time thing though. If you really want it to shine and last, you have to give it a wash with right kind of soap and wipe it down with their detailing spray every couple of weeks. I bought a good amount of their products when we first had it done and stayed with it for about a year. It doesn't get the 2 week treatment anymore, in fact I didn't wash it from August until February this year. I had my guy do a quick detail on it and he was even surprised how it held up. Looked brand new when he finished.

 

[Dawgbite]

I'll tell you something to try first. Hydro2 is a polymer coating out of South Korea. Available on Amazon. They make a direct to surface, a concentrated, and a foaming wash and wax. It's good stuff for a fraction of the cost of ceramic. With the polymer alone you apply it with a pump up spayer and immediately rinse it off with a pressure washer. The more pressure the better it bonds. It's amazing stuff. I use the foaming wash and wax in a foam cannon to wash all my vehicles now, even the motor home. Spray it on, brush or hand wash, and rinse it off with the pressure washer. Its simple. I can wash/wax a 40ft Motorhomes in under an hour. Closest description I can come up with is Rain-X for your paint and it last six plus months.

 

[kramer_192]

Robinson Auto Detail - Brandon

Look at his work on Facebook. He does a jam up job and expects perfection from himself.

 

[MrKotter]

A ceramic coating isn't going to prevent swirls, scratches, etc. They are only 1-2 microns thick. They will keep your paint protected from the elements better than a wax or sealant. They're not hard to apply if you felt like saving yourself some money. The prep work just takes a little time.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

It's overpriced. It would be great if it was about a third of the price. Just go buy some Turtle Wax Ice and use it every 3 months or every time you wash since it wipes right off. Thank me later. Best shine you'll get and solid protection at a low price. It's pretty pointless to blow big money on a damn wax or coating you lazy bass tits.

 

[dorndawg]

I'd go with the Trucoat. See, they install it at the factory. Go see my man Jerry down at the dealership, he'll knock 100 bucks off.

 

[Car Ramrod.sixpack]

Ceramic coating will not do any thing for paint protection. I have applied cheap to expensive coatings from amazon with mixed results but the best I have used so far is the Griot's 3 in 1 ceramic wax. Once year I do 2 coats and after every wash I do a light coat while towel drying. Also there is a body shop in the Jackson area that the owner has his own coating that apparently does really well.

https://www.griotsgarage.com/ceramic-3-in-1-wax/

If you want to go down a rabbit hole on coating check out this guy's Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/@ScottHD/featured

 

[MrKotter]

Ceramic coating will not do any thing for paint protection. I have applied cheap to expensive coatings from amazon with mixed results but the best I have used so far is the Griot's 3 in 1 ceramic wax. Once year I do 2 coats and after every wash I do a light coat while towel drying. Also there is a body shop in the Jackson area that the owner has his own coating that apparently does really well.

https://www.griotsgarage.com/ceramic-3-in-1-wax/

If you want to go down a rabbit hole on coating check out this guy's Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/@ScottHD/featured

Agree, Griots 3 in 1 is pretty good. Jescar Ultra Lock is another that is pretty durable for a wax with SiO2. On a whim I tried Apex BC1 and so far it is very impressive.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

Cerakote finishes on firearms are real popular right now so they must be able to withstand some very hot barrel heat and strong muzzle blast. They have not been commonly used on firearms in large volumes for very long so who knows about long term durability but short term results have been very promising in every thing that I have read about it. Not sure how that might translate to vehicle durability but seems logical.