JMills

Ok--Looking for advice/opinions/Pro-cons on putting this on my new , Longbeach red Z07! Applied by a local shop---used him for a variety of things for years-trust him, but want advice before I give him the go ahead!


Thanks Guys
Jmills

C5Longhorn

I've put a paint coating on my car and am happy with it. It drastically cuts down on the maintenance. The point to focus on now will be making sure you have good washing and drying techniques.

Also, a coating helps protect the paint but doesn't offer the protection of clear film, just so you are aware.

Rick

ronkh57

Ceramic pro is a great coating........

BUT, the detailer applying it is the most important part since prep is the key.

Who is it?

Midnight08

Just underscoring the point about the prep. Most people that get this kind of treatment think great things, but fail to realize that the primary benefit is coming from the prep work, not the coating. Some of these coatings can have more durability that many waxes, but how you maintain the car after ANY real surface work has a direct impact on the look, and durability after the work is done. In truth, many people use soaps to wash their car that will strip off most protective products, be it a glaze, wax, or sealant. So, it's important to be as informed as possible whatever protection one chooses for their car.

Grzldvt1

I do Ceramic Pro at my detail shop. As already stated, prep is 90% of the work for any coating.
Did he give you an idea of how many 9H coatings they will do, and what they are warranting?

JMills

Five year warranty . One coat of 9h and one layer of high gloss I'm told!

JMills

Is one coat enough?

Thanks
Jmills

N2DEEP

I currently looking to have this done to my car as well. What is the going rate to have this done to our cars?

Grzldvt1

By my standards it is a bit iffy, for 5 years I do 3 coats of 9H and one coat of Light, with an annual inspection, that does not mean I bilk you for the price another coat.
The first coat covers everything, but as we have discovered doing our own cars, you get high spots and missed spots. The second coat gets the missed spots, and the third is simply a coat to make sure we have enough depth to protect the paint for the 5 year period.
A vast majority of my Ceramic Pro peers, do one coat. If they stand behind one coat without forcing you to pay for more, every year, then you are good to go.
On an annual inspection I look for major swirls, scratched, parking lot scrapes, etc. If the top coat is clean and still beads water, you are good to go and come back next year. If the top coat is a disaster, then I give the customer an option, but will void the warranty, if there is strong evidence of abuse to the finish and they are not willing to pay for a refresh.

capevettes

Do these ceramic coatings provide any more shine than Zaino Clear Sealant followed by Z8? I know your shop has used Zaino in the past with success based on your previous posts. I am not lazy and love to detail but am curious on the comparison in shine.

Gunrun

i had ceramic pro lite and ceramic pro put on my car.

paid $1250 with the tint. 1 coat each of ceramic lite , ceramic pro, and the windows and wheels were done.

ILLUSHN

You beat me to it. I was going to ask the same thing when I got to the end of the thread. I'd like to know how (or if) you use it WITH Zaino?

Grzldvt1

This is a tough question for me to answer, let me lay a foundation first. If a customer wants Ceramic Pro, so be it and we do the car, if they are looking for the absolute best coating to bring out the paint highlights, we discuss Zaino versus Ceramic Pro. Both products have their advantages and we make a recommendation based on the customers needs and desires.
IMO, the Zaino Clear Seal shine is equal in shine, with Ceramic Pro providing more longevity and easier maintenance.
However, Clear Seal, brings out the highlights of certain paints more so than Ceramic Pro. For instance we did a Denali yesterday that was the Pearl White. Clear Seal/Z-2/Clear Seal simply brought out the "pearlessence" in the paint, way more than Ceramic Pro would have. The customer was simply blown away by the look.
Bottom line I prefer Clear Seal/Z-8 on the metallic's and pearls. Clear Seal adds incredible depth and highlights to the metalflake/pearlessence in the paint that I have not seen any other product do.
Creating a look, well beyond just the shine is what I do. It is all about bringing out the best properties of the paint that the manufacturer was trying to create and understanding which products(Zaino/Ceramic Pro) will do that for that color.

rkj427

GREAT RESPONSE

there are benefits to both traditional waxes and coatings..............

trade-offs too.............. it really does depend upon the use the vehicle will see, the expectations of the vehicle owner, and costs associated with both methods.......

C5Longhorn

Interesting, I didn't realize you could layer the CS and thought it was always the last step product.

Rick

Grzldvt1

See question 15 on the Clear Seal information sheet.
What I found in my shop is doing multiple coats of CS, especially on the pearls and metallics brings out an incredible look that is hard to describe.
CS seems to really bring out the essence of the pearl and makes the metalflake in paint pop out.

Choreo

Me too!

I know we are a bit off-topic here, but I have always used Zaino CS as "final" layer over multiple layers of Z-2 and Z-5. I see in the instruction sheet that you reference that it can be used as a "base" coat. Wondering what would be the advantage to using CS vs Z2+ZFX as a base following correction? Sounds like you may do that?

(My C5 is "black")

Grzldvt1

On your Black, I have not seen any difference by doing CS first.

C5Longhorn

Interesting, thanks for the follow-up.

Borntorun04/17

As of today I have a 2017 GS coming on order it's Blade Silver . I enjoy detailing and car is used for cruise nights , shows, fun drives. In the past I have always used Blackfire products, but thinking of changing to Zaino products. After wash , clay , what Zaino products would you suggest and in what order. I like a deep wet looks , that's for any suggestions you can give. Thanks Dave