Opinion about ceramic coating?

[SOP]

100k+ last Cadillac ICE makes this truly special for me... plus the paint on my SS was the only let down for me. You could sneeze and it would chip. So maybe I'm just a bit spooked.

I got away with just a front end PPF on my GT350. Everything looked perfect still after 5 years so that's what I may do again for the 4BW

 

[robert270]

I'm bringing my 4bw in for a full front ppt and a mid-tier ceramic coating this weekend. Very limited driving till then. The shop uses ceramic pro. The mid tier has 4 layers of 9H and 2 layers of top coat. That should hold up really well and look great.

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

I'm bringing my 4bw in for a full front ppt and a mid-tier ceramic coating this weekend. Very limited driving till then. The shop uses ceramic pro. The mid tier has 4 layers of 9H and 2 layers of top coat. That should hold up really well and look great.

I am planning something similar. Can you share the cost you've been quoted?

 

[robert270]

I am planning something similar. Can you share the cost you've been quoted?

Sure. ~1700 for the ceramic and about the same for the ppf. So under 3500. The ceramic includes the calipers.

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

Sure. ~1700 for the ceramic and about the same for the ppf. So under 3500. The ceramic includes the calipers.

Hmm, ok. Thanks for the metric!

 

[VagonLove]

I am getting the entire exterior of my 5BW ceramic coated (no PPF) this week with Gyeon Quartz. $2k including prep detail, machine polishing, all painted surfaces, windshield, plastic trim, and wheels. I'm in the Washington DC area so prices tend to be on the higher end in general.

 

[ericwilliamstevenson]

I am also planning to do ceramic without PPF..

 

[SOP]

I am also planning to do ceramic without PPF..

Good luck to you guys and lucky you aren't as anal as I am. I just sold my 11k mile Prius and that front end was peppered, and I couldn't stand it. I did my best to stay away from trucks and big rigs kicking up rocks. I'm definitely going to get pissed at that happening on a Blackwing.

 

[ericwilliamstevenson]

Good luck to you guys and lucky you aren't as anal as I am. I just sold my 11k mile Prius and that front end was peppered, and I couldn't stand it. I did my best to stay away from trucks and big rigs kicking up rocks. I'm definitely going to get pissed at that happening on a Blackwing.

rock chips didnt bother me as much as the line where the ppf ended on the hood of my last car from the previous owner.. If you do PPF, definitely do full panels and dont stop mid hood, pillar, or fender.

 

[SOP]

rock chips didnt bother me as much as the line where the ppf ended on the hood of my last car from the previous owner.. If you do PPF, definitely do full panels and dont stop mid hood, pillar, or fender.

Definitely agree. If anyone does decide to do PPF, none of that half assed 1/4hood crap. Full custom bulk wrap front end. If not that, then pre-cut with extended edges that will wrap around the edges. If you cheap out and search for the lowest bidder, you will get what you pay for. Namely PPF that barely reaches the edge of a panel and stops. It will be very obvious that you are a cheapskate who skimped out.

 

[therustytrombone]

Dropped mine off at the detailer yesterday: Login • Instagram

 

[BrakeFade]

Going to have Xpel applied to front bumper cover, the piece above the grill, and side mirrors. Then, I’ll clay it and apply Nova Lustre myself. Absolutely love Nova products.

 

[TheShark]

The nice rides we have enjoyed have lived a combination of garage queens and me, at the time, enjoying taking care of them. That is not the case anymore - we live in a high rise now and I've lost interest in hand washing and waxing. Nor does time allow for the frequent outsourcing of washing at a detail shop. We never did ceramic or PPF, but am now considering it for ease of aesthetic maintenance. By ease, I mean a car wash - we use a combo of traditional touch and touchless on leased cars we really don't care about. That won't be the case with the BW. I initially thought ceramic, but that's out as between the harsh chemicals and physical contact, it just won't last. So, on to the full PPF option. Does anyone have experience with PPF and car washes? Research reflects the really easy and lazy way I want does not exist, so just looking for the next best option.

 

[SOP]

The nice rides we have enjoyed have lived a combination of garage queens and me, at the time, enjoying taking care of them. That is not the case anymore - we live in a high rise now and I've lost interest in hand washing and waxing. Nor does time allow for the frequent outsourcing of washing at a detail shop. We never did ceramic or PPF, but am now considering it for ease of aesthetic maintenance. By ease, I mean a car wash - we use a combo of traditional touch and touchless on leased cars we really don't care about. That won't be the case with the BW. I initially thought ceramic, but that's out as between the harsh chemicals and physical contact, it just won't last. So, on to the full PPF option. Does anyone have experience with PPF and car washes? Research reflects the really easy and lazy way I want does not exist, so just looking for the next best option.

On top of whole car PPF, only thing I can think of is having a reputable high quality mobile detailer come to you who knows how to wash your car properly and throw on a quick coat of spray wax each time if you want your car looking it's best. No matter if you have them come out often or not your paint will be pristine underneath... For the most part.

PPF does not protect from UV rays, as it will let it pass through so panels with PPF or not age the same. This is important when it comes time to replace it and you don't have any color difference. This is why having some kind of regular paint sealant/wax on it is important still. Had ceramic coating on PPF before and it did help with keeping it clean, but I think a high quality, easy to do spray wax will be enough.

Also unless your car is heavily swirled, you can just decontaminate the paint before PPF as it will cover small imperfections negating a full paint correction. Unless you want the absolute last percentages of shine.

 

[Dirto-93]

Had a license plate get kicked up off the ground by the car in front of me while on the highway. Wasn't able to avoid it and it did some damage. Luckily, the PPF did it's job and protected the matte paint, but I will need to replace the 2 plastic grill sections. Unlucky...

 

[SOP]

Had a license plate get kicked up off the ground by the car in front of me while on the highway. Wasn't able to avoid it and it did some damage. Luckily, the PPF did it's job and protected the matte paint, but I will need to replace the 2 plastic grill sections. Unlucky...

View attachment 8457

When you consider how close your CF splitter was to getting ruined, you got extremely lucky.

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

I paid a material deposit, perhaps optimistic I'll see my car soon.

I am doing Expel on the front clip(hood, mirrors, bumper, fenders), tucked edges, paint correction on the whole car for $2500. The Ceramic would have put me over budget at $4k, so I am doing the Ceramic myself.

 

[SOP]

I paid a material deposit, perhaps optimistic I'll see my car soon.

I am doing Expel on the front clip(hood, mirrors, bumper, fenders), tucked edges, paint correction on the whole car for $2500. The Ceramic would have put me over budget at $4k, so I am doing the Ceramic myself.

Whoa, what? Professionally applied ceramic coat, the cost is in the paint prep and correction, not the actual coating itself. Why the hell are they charging you $1500 JUST for the coating itself? What brand coating is it?

 

[DecadenceFTW]

Whoa, what? Professionally applied ceramic coat, the cost is in the paint prep and correction, not the actual coating itself. Why the hell are they charging you $1500 JUST for the coating itself? What brand coating is it?

I had a much higher number in mind for my stuff, so hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised? Think what I priced out for full car ceramic and ppf was like $7,500.

 

[SOP]

I had a much higher number in mind for my stuff, so hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised? Think what I priced out for full car ceramic and ppf was like $7,500.

You're bay area right? What's the shop name