Is Ceramic Coating Worth It?

[TheGrayAero]

Is Ceramic Coating Worth It?


I repainted half of my 05 Saab 9-2x Aero due to the original owners not removing love bugs from the front end. Been thinking how am I going to maintain this in Central Florida with the heat and sun while also protecting the front end of the car from bugs and chips.

I'm pretty set on doing PPF (Xpel okay?) but I'm still hesitant on the Ceramic Coating. I'm not a professional detailer and don't feel comfortable doing it myself. I know my car is only worth $10-$12k even with only 33k miles so I know I don't want to invest a crazy amount into the car over time having to have it reapplied.

Originally I wanted to do Cquartz Finest but the local guy wanted $2k and thats not even doing the trim. More than I want to spend.

Another local offers Feynlab w/1 year $600, 3 year $800, 5 year $1100, 7 year $2500 and that includes the trim and cleaning the interior.


I know "Is it worth it" is a matter of opinion but I'd love some feedback or suggestions.

I've watched a ton of videos and the common thread is detailers saying it is 5/7/10 year but in reality it might only last 1-2 years depending on how well you maintain it. Who wants to pay for 5 years if in reality it only last 2?

Seems to be a lot of people offering this even as mobile detailers but I don't know if this process is really meant for someone doing mobile? I'm open to other brands and locations and what might be best for a daily driver in central Florida.

[Mike Phillips]

Since this is your first post...

Welcome to AutogeekOnline!


Hope you don't mind, I edited your post and broke up the one huge chunk of text into smaller bites so others will read it.

[Mike Phillips]

I'll let others chime in first and then I'll give you my take.

I will say that applying a coating is easy, no need to pay someone to do it for you.

[Desertnate]

My thoughts:

1. Yes, a coating is worth it. It has made maintaining my vehicles far less time consuming and they always look good. However, you must keep up on the washing and keep the vehicle clean in order to get the maximum effects they provide and longest durability.

2. While I'm sure the pro-grade stuff is far more durable, you might want to learn the whole detailing process and do it yourself!

[Chopper280]

I'll give you my opinion only on what I have used. We have 4 cars and 3 motorcycles and I like to do something different on each.

Polish Angel- If you can wax a car you can use this and be very pleased!
PBL paint coating- I was hesitant because of hearing of high spots. I did small sections at a time and rubbed it in till it disappeared. My red truck came out perfect.
Blackfire crystal paint sealant- I have a lot of this older product and use it in the house since newer products last much longer.
Don't be afraid!!!

[FrankS]

The paint or coating will get dirty over time, especially on a daily driver. So it should be decontaminated (iron remover and clay) and polished once a year, even if it's a light polish.

I think a coating that last a year or two is sufficient. A coating will give you the best protection. Unless you want to apply a wax or sealant every few weeks or months.

There are several good coatings that are very easy to apply. A couple that comes to mind are Pinnacle Black Label and McKee's 37.

[FUNX650]

Just a couple of “touch-points”:

First off:
•Ceramic Coatings won't provide anywhere
near the protection that Paint Protection Films
(PPF)/Clear Bras, or those black vinyl bras will.

-Note: I prefer the XPel Ultimate for PPF.


Secondly:
•IMO...Getting a vehicle Ceramic Coat(ed) is a
sign of commitment—a commitment to put an
end to any/all "bad habits" of improper car-care;
-and, also: to educate ones self on how best to
keep the 'Coating' in A-1 shape for its expected
service-life.


Bob

[RippyD]

First of all, what Bob said.

I'm fairly inexperienced, so factor that in. On my wife's Boxster, I wish we had used some soft of protection film on the front. Far more road rash than I expected. Coating does nothing to help with physical impact (arguable, but practically so).

My (limited) experience with coatings is that they work great in certain conditions: if your car doesn't get rained frequently and is garaged I could see them being very helpful. In my case I have 2 cars outside 24x7 that are driven in rain 7-8 months out of the year. This means a lot of road grime, which means a coating accumulates grime, which means it no longer repels water they way you would expect. You can clay a coating to restore the repellency, but also reduces the life expectancy of the coating to some degree and introduce marring. You can use a specific polish to get rid of the marring and/or clean the coating. Then you're essentially polishing your coating. So.... really?

At this point if you're polishing why not just polish?

For my garaged car that doesn't get driven much in the winter I may use a coating a again. For the others I'm using a sealant that lasts 6+ months and planning to do physical paint cleaning or polishing 1-2x per year (DA + light polish or paint cleaner product).

My experience with Polish Angel is that it doesn't hold up in the weather. There are more durable and less expensive coatings available. Others will disagree.

[Detail Oriented LLC]

@FUNX650, you always have the most well stated replies, concise thoughts, and helpful information.

I see a coating as more than an investment in the protection of the vehicle. If you take pride in your ride, and cant keep your hands off the paint, coat it and then use a good wax and sealant throughout the year ; )
If you want simple maintenance, and proper car care, coat it, and follow suit'

My coating did a lot for me, it was a mental preparation of the vehicle that I drive to work, family, and life tasks. When I work on an ambulance, I have already done the mental and physical prep (much like when i took 3 full days to correct and coat my truck) and I am ready to serve. For my family, I know that others note the extreme care I take of my vehicle, and that sets US apart. What more care are we taking of family and important life tasks?
It is a good feeling to still take pride in cleaning my vehicle, and in the fraction of the time when i must be prompt. or diligently when i do have time. The cost is so low compared to longevity.

[Kamakaz1961]

IMO a ceramic coating is worth it! Do I use it on my ride....NO. I use a great quality wax. Additionally, my ride is a garage queen. I COAT my friends car and a couple of others. The reason why is a coating can handle the environment and exterior elements better than any other product. That is of course, my opinion. My friend converted his garage into a storage/work area space and he really doesn't maintaining his ride. SAD but there are people like that. The coating will last longer and will handle the elements better. Additionally, if you prepped the ride correctly it will look ALMOST as good as a great carnauba wax (my opinion again).