Ceramic Coating - DIY

[Cam.CL.S7]

Good afternoon folks!

Has anyone applied a ceramic coating to their vehicles or wheels? I'm considering doing it since spring is right around the corner and i think it would be a great weekend project to do a full paint correction and ceramic coating. Any tips if anyone has done it before would be greatly appreciated! Also people who have it, is it worth it and would you do it again?

[shoe3k]

Good afternoon folks!

Has anyone applied a ceramic coating to their vehicles or wheels? I'm considering doing it since spring is right around the corner and i think it would be a great weekend project to do a full paint correction and ceramic coating. Any tips if anyone has done it before would be greatly appreciated! Also people who have it, is it worth it and would you do it again?

I do it myself on all my cars. It takes a lot of patience and practice to get it right and the most important step is the prep work, which involves getting rid of iron particles, light swirls, old wax, etc. You will need to invest in a good orbital buffer (such a damn time saver). I wouldn't jump right into a ceramic coating since they can be less forgiving, especially for newbies. I would recommend the Klasse All-In-One (Pre-step) and then the Klasse sealant glaze before jumping into ceramic coats.

http://guidetodetailing.com/detailin...car-wax-guide/

[Bassler]

Many multiples worth it, but for me this is a job best left to professionals.

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[zcspec]

Having coated several of my past vehicle, I can offer you this advice...how well the product works and looks, is very dependent on the amount of time you spend on the prep work BEFORE laying your first coat of which ever coating product you decide on.

- wash, claybar, ironX, wash/rinse/dry, paint correction, polish, decontaminate the paint, ceramic coat, buff...

You will be very sore.

[Cam.CL.S7]

I do it myself on all my cars. It takes a lot of patience and practice to get it right and the most important step is the prep work, which involves getting rid of iron particles, light swirls, old wax, etc. You will need to invest in a good orbital buffer (such a damn time saver). I wouldn't jump right into a ceramic coating since they can be less forgiving, especially for newbies. I would recommend the Klasse All-In-One (Pre-step) and then the Klasse sealant glaze before jumping into ceramic coats.

http://guidetodetailing.com/detailin...car-wax-guide/

Thanks for the honesty, from watching Youtube vids it doesn't look too bad but i guess it can go bad really quick and i would hate to destroy a car like ours. I've detailed cars while in college for a few years so the buffing and polishing stages don't bother me and I've detailed all of my older cars. i just love the hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coating, also my car is black and i need a wash every 50 miles

- - - Updated - - -

Many multiples worth it, but for me this is a job best left to professionals.

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Thanks for the heads up, i might practice on my bike first or something else less expensive.

[Cam.CL.S7]

Having coated several of my past vehicle, I can offer you this advice...how well the product works and looks, is very dependent on the amount of time you spend on the prep work BEFORE laying your first coat of which ever coating product you decide on.

- wash, claybar, ironX, wash/rinse/dry, paint correction, polish, decontaminate the paint, ceramic coat, buff...

You will be very sore.

I'm not familiar with the ironx, ill need to do a lot more reading. thankfully we got about 22-24 inches of snow here in Minneapolis so it wont be garage weather for a few more weeks!

[Barritia]

By the time you buy the kit to do it your self you may as well get a pro to do it. Plus you can’t buy the ceramic coats the pro’s use which are much better than the store bought versions.

I have bought all the kit a few times over but next time I’m sending it to a pro and spending my weekend on the beach or in the pool.

[BrianVan]

Even products from autogeek.net? They get lots of positive reviews, (the ceramic products). Watching the vids and you tube does take some prep work, but who doesn't love to buff out their car. I realize we all can't be mechanically inclined or like to work with our hands, but for the drivers who also wrench on their cars I don't see a huge skill gap if you put in some effort. I'm eye balling ceramic this year on an Ice Silver. Hopefully it turns on like liquid glass was poured on it.

[Bassler]

Don't get me wrong, I love to wrench/mod/detail, but I have such limited time for stuff like that these days that I'm much better off paying experts who do it all day long and warranty their work.

Just had my car coated for the 3rd time in 2 years. As a daily in New England it seems to be the right thing to do at the end of winter.

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[2wookies]

3 times in two years?! What coating are you using? Most should last at least two years.

[Barritia]

Even products from autogeek.net? They get lots of positive reviews, (the ceramic products). Watching the vids and you tube does take some prep work, but who doesn't love to buff out their car. I realize we all can't be mechanically inclined or like to work with our hands, but for the drivers who also wrench on their cars I don't see a huge skill gap if you put in some effort. I'm eye balling ceramic this year on an Ice Silver. Hopefully it turns on like liquid glass was poured on it.

Yes even from autogeek. The coatings the pro’s use have to be sanded off so if applied wrong will not be an easy fix. The coatings that are sold to consumers can be removed with panel wipe. Some are a little harder and require polishing to remove them but still not like the pro versions.

[Barritia]

Don't get me wrong, I love to wrench/mod/detail, but I have such limited time for stuff like that these days that I'm much better off paying experts who do it all day long and warranty their work.

Just had my car coated for the 3rd time in 2 years. As a daily in New England it seems to be the right thing to do at the end of winter.

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Are you sure your are getting it ceramic coated and not just a sealant?

Even the cheapest of ceramic coats should last longer than that. I first used crystal C1 and Exo V2 with silo seal as a top up every 6months and it lasted 3 years. Most panels still beaded very well but some more worn like the hood and front bumper so updated with crystal serum light and exo v3 which should last a bit longer this time. Car is always outside and washed without fail every weekend so it done very well at 3years.

If you are getting ceramic coated and it’s only lasting that long then it’s not being prepped correctly.

[Bassler]

My detailer developed his own product line with the chemists that worked on many of the name brands and he ended up buying the chemical company last year. 1st recoat necessary after the dealer both hit my bumper and microscratch/swirled it when they washed it, after being told explicitly not to, with a very dirty brush (dealer cut me a check for almost $3k). The recent one is because I didn't take care of it this winter and it was best to clean/decon/prep/coat it.

I get it back pristine and ready for a season of rinseless washing before back to winter mode.

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[2wookies]

My detailer developed his own product line with the chemists that worked on many of the name brands and he ended up buying the chemical company last year. 1st recoat necessary after the dealer both hit my bumper and microscratch/swirled it when they washed it, after being told explicitly not to, with a very dirty brush (dealer cut me a check for almost $3k). The recent one is because I didn't take care of it this winter and it was best to clean/decon/prep/coat it.

I get it back pristine and ready for a season of rinseless washing before back to winter mode.

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Without knowing all the facts or knowing your detailer something doesn’t add up. I installed CQuartz UK last year. Here in Nebraska they love to salt and brine the roads during the winter months, so I would take it to the “high end” car wash here in town that uses not the recommended soaps and other things. But first nice day this spring a simple CarPro reset wash with ironX and the coating came screaming back to life. No toppers or anything like that, just a simple decon wash. I’d hate to say it but to me, not knowing all the facts, it sounds like you may be getting the runaround.

[Prh]

I just put a coating on mine over the weekend, black pearl paint. Did this three years ago and it held up nicely for a daily driver in VA.

Most important step is paint preparation like others have stated.
Washed the car, sprayed IronX on lower panels, rinsed then went over with a Nanoskin blue pad (quicker alternative to clay bar). Corrected paint with Flex DA polisher with Menzerna 400 compound (very little dust), followed by a finishing polish and blue pad.

Before you put the coating on, you need to make sure all oils and polish are removed. I sprayed Car Pro Eraser on and wiped off with microfiber towels. You can make your own diluted IPA solution if needed.

Last, I applied Gtechniq CSL coating, same brand I used three years ago. Do small 2x2 section at a time, then wipe away with microfiber, wipe again with another clean microfiber. This is the easiest and quickest part of the whole process. You will need to keep the vehicle garaged for 12 hours while it cures.

I did the hood, roof, pillars and trunk lid a few weeks ago to break up the process.

Just did the doors, sides, front and rear bumper on C7 this past Sunday which took about 6 hours (most of that effort is paint correction, polishing). Glad to be done!

It’s a great coating that really beads nicely and keeps the car looking cleaner, makes car washes quicker. I could have probably gone another year on the previous coating but I wanted to polish out some minor scratches.

DetailedImage has a nice Detailing Guide for reference, great products and service.


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[Cam.CL.S7]

Thanks for all of the feedback gentleman! i think i'm going to do some major reading in the next few weeks then tackle it one weekend. i like detailing my cars so the whole prep process is the fun part imo. when applying the ceramic coating what is the consistency of it? It looks fairly viscous almost like quick detailer how you have to wipe it away after.

[BCT]

Just applied Nanolex SiShield to my wheels (HRE FFO1's) As the other post state, the actual application is the easy part. It's the prep that is the most labor intensive and time consuming. Purchased Nanolex Wheel cleaner and iron remover, Nanolex EX paint prep, and the SiShield from Phil at Detailer's Domain. Phil is a great resource and supporter of this site.

[Prh]

Thanks for all of the feedback gentleman! i think i'm going to do some major reading in the next few weeks then tackle it one weekend. i like detailing my cars so the whole prep process is the fun part imo. when applying the ceramic coating what is the consistency of it? It looks fairly viscous almost like quick detailer how you have to wipe it away after.

Crystal Serum Light (CLS) is very light in viscosity, little more so than water. Spreads very thin. Don’t let it set too long, wipes off very easy.


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[BrianVan]

My detailer developed his own product line with the chemists that worked on many of the name brands and he ended up buying the chemical company last year. 1st recoat necessary after the dealer both hit my bumper and microscratch/swirled it when they washed it, after being told explicitly not to, with a very dirty brush (dealer cut me a check for almost $3k). The recent one is because I didn't take care of it this winter and it was best to clean/decon/prep/coat it.

I get it back pristine and ready for a season of rinseless washing before back to winter mode.

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If all this hype around ceramic coatings as a "hard topcoat sealant", how did the dealer mange to micro scratch it from a basic car wash? Even if the brushes were dirty? Every car on the planet would be scratched to hell that runs thru a car wash that doesn't have a ceramic. I have to side with the other posters. If you're dealers "special blend" and self developed product line can't withstand a dealer carwash, I'd look elsewhere.

[lv2000]

Like others have said it’s like painting a car prep is everything to a good coating the coating installed makes it a lot easier to maintain worth the investment

[Bassler]

Appreciate the concern guys and i'd probably say the same thing if i were in your shoes. However there is much more to the story (happy to discuss over a couple beers but not typing it out) and I assure you all is good for me and my car. Really my point was that IMO the prep/coating process is best left to the pros that do it all day long and that a fresh coating is a thing of beauty.

And if you don't think the wash kid at a dealer can't fuck up a coated car, think again. It's just that most people wouldn't notice the damage they do or even know what to look for. Most people who let the dealers wash their car which is just asking for swirls but then again if you're letting them wash your car then it is already swirled. To take the example even further, the dealer i use (only when needed for warranty work) is a Magna Elite dealer. Yet they still managed to both hit my car in their shop, requiring a bumper respray and new xpel/coating, and washed it in a dirt crusted wash bay where they scratched/swirled the coating. They also told me that the motor mounts were fine when i took it to them telling them they were bad/leaking/throwing codes. I then had to throw a fit with the GM and owner of the dealer group to get them to agree that the mounts were bad and they would fix them.

[sikessr]

I’ve ceramic coated my Jet Black BMW M5 a couple of times and my white A6 once, just recently. I also coat my wheels. As already stated, all the work is in the paint prep. A ceramic coating can certainly be scratched. It’s designed for paint protection and as a sacrificial layer to get scratched (if it happens) and hopefully prevent your paint from being scratched. One thing I decided after much research and experience is that it really only makes sense to ceramic coat your car if it will only be handwashed. If you run it through automatic washes, the harsh chemicals and heavy abrasion from the dirty brushes will make your coating not perform optimally, and can wear it down much quicker and/or scratch and swirl. It does make handwashing and drying MUCH easier and a bit quicker. Sometimes you can even just do a foam bath and rinse with a pressure washer, such as in the spring to knock pollen off. It’s very helpful to get brake dust off and you don’t even really need a dedicated wheel cleaner for maintenance washes.


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