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It's not about how shiny you can make a car, almost any decent product can do that. It's about long-term paint protection and getting your weekends back without endless detailing.
I like the sound of that! I remember a time not too long ago when I would put a new coat of Liquid Glass or Zaino (or the latest flavor of the month) on my cars every single month. A few years ago I bought my own orbital buffer and started doing my own paint correction and realized just how much work it is and also the fact that every time you touch your paint you're introducing the possibility of more scratches and swirls. So now I actually prefer to spend as little time as possible working on the paint, so once a year I'll do a quick once over with the buffer, throw on another coat of protection and then I'm done for a year. I have quite enjoyed being able to spend more time driving and less time detailing! That's another reason I got away from owning a black Corvette! When I trade up from my C6 to a C7 I definitely plan on getting it ceramic coated!
Today's ceramic coatings have made even black cars easy to maintain without swirls.
I simply use a low-pressure power washer and plain water to spray it off, followed by a quick blow-dry with an Air Force Master Blaster. I rarely have to touch the car at all.
A smallish cardboard box flew up from oncoming traffic and my dumbo ear driver's mirror caught it pretty good. Left some bad looking scratches on the mirror. Thanks to the ceramic coating, they were just some scuffs that wiped right off.
With a ceramic coating, what often looks like a swirl or clearcoat blemish is, more often than not, in the coating and can be polished out in a couple of minutes. The ceramic protected the clearcoat.
Nano coating is the newest innovation in the field of auto detailing industry. It provides you best protection for car both interiors and exteriors. Ceramic paint coatings helps to cars vehicles maintain just like showroom shine. Ceramic paint coating maintain to prolong the looks and usefulness of car vehicles.
Nano coating provides a strong and protective surface to the cars and its ensures that original coating of the car should be maintain. It protects great deal of damage without showing any ill-effects on the body of the car.
Ceramic paint coating much better than an ordinary paint coating, protecting the surface of the vehicle. The new coating is fused to the surface of the automobile and is not dislodged by vibrations or external force.
Anyone in the Dallas Texas area have a program like this? I think I'd pull the trigger on this...
Scott Hair did mine. Good job, reasonable price ($800), came to my house and did it in my garage while I was at work.
Nick Chapman is another level of paint correction (wet sanding, etc), you need to take the car to him, leave it there and pay about 2-3x as much, but you'll have damn near show car quality finish. I'd honestly pay it if it was for the pain of driving out to BFE, leaving my car there 3 days, etc.
I own a part-time detailing business and use C.Quartz and C.Quartz UK ceramic coatings. I wanted to jump in and comment on a few things. I can turnaround multiple detailing jobs by the time I complete 1 ceramic coating job. It is lengthy job but the end results are mind blowing. The amount of time spent on proper paint correction, and providing a high gloss polish (I use Carpro Essence) then I have to use Eraser to wipe down the whole car to remove any oils or chemical left on the paint before application. I then by hand use a 2"x2" suede with a foam applicator to apply to a small section (2ftx2ft) and then the skill is recognizing the "flash" time. If you buff off too quick, you fail to fully coat that section of paint, if its too late you streak, haze or smudge that section. This must be done to an entire vehicle. That is why this process takes so long. Then there is the second coating that must be applied 45 minutes after following the same process. You see where this is going right? If you know how to polish and have the proper equipment sure you can do it yourself. It will probably not look as good as a professional application but it will provide protection.
One comment said you can slap the coating on a good car yourself like wax, trust me you can try that but without the proper paint correction and paint preparation it will not bond to the car as well as look like hell. I have seen $300 ceramic coatings at car shows and it is so noticeable it stands out like a sore thumb.
A professional coating of C.Quartz should last 2-5 years if probably maintained. Never wax the coating or claybar it. Use a gentle soap, my customers receive samples of Reload spray (It is an SI02 gloss spray) and Reset car soap. I also have a Jeweling polish that I use on top of the ceramic to provide an enhanced gloss while repairing any minor damage to the coating. A garaged car will make the 2-5 year coverage.
One last thing about warranty. Unless your actual detailer offers you a direct warranty most of it is marketing BS from the manufacturer of the ceramic. I even came close to switching brands in August to offer, 3/5/lifetime warranty coatings. The issue is the customer has to battle out warranty with the manufacturer and if you do not follow the maintenance they will not honor warranty. I will likely lose that customer or they will talk about their experience to other people. Keep in mind to "re-apply" a coating I have to treat the car like it never had a coating, meaning a full correction all over again. Do you think I am going to burn 1-2 days for free? So I stick to the proven C.Quartz ceramics and I have 3 vehicles. Two have Ceramic, and one has a sealant so I can show my customers my work and they can make informed decisions. I also use C.Quartz UK version for daily drivers as it is a thicker coating than regular C.Quartz. Anyway here is a picture of my c7. Just a regular picture out and about not a staged photo. My car is always the shiny car at the track, even during rainy track days. Get the coating. Don't ask me about Xpel though I have a customer with a Lamborghini that it is yellowing, peeling and it is not "self-healing".
Last edited by SFCTeach; Nov 30, 2017 at 07:46 AM.
Reason: few errors to fix
I agree with most here. I was a sealant with wax on top guy but quite happy with Cquartz. Paint correction IS everything. If you are not good at it or not comfortable wet sanding - take it to a pro.
I took the GF's new hyundai - spent about 1/2 a day wet sanding and buffing and after the Cquartz it came out amazing. She's one of those that barely washer her car so it's a must have.
Think I paid less than $100 for the Cquartz but again a full day in paint correction.
That's what I paid for Cquartz Finest with three stage paint correction. My favorite thing I've ever done to the car. Cannot describe how well the car shines now!
If you're anywhere near NW Arkansas, go see Jason at Jason's Pro Detail. You won't regret it!
IMO, it didn't even really reduce the amount of dust on there much, but it made cleaning it off a sinch. You can just hose most of it off. I just spray sonax, let it sit for 2 minutes and pressure wash off. I doubt I'd even need to pressure wash, but there can be some stubborn pockets of dust in corners and groves that can build up. I can't remember the last time I used a wheel brush - and this includes the weeks where I go to the track running very aggressive race pads and don't change them out till the next weekend.
You barely even need to use soap to wash your car anymore. I have definitely just taken my small $90 electric pressure washer to car and taken it for a spin when I was in a time cramp but wanted a clean car. It doesn't work after a big rain storm when the dirt is "caked on" but if it's been a dry week (common in Texas), pressure washing works just as well as soap washing. The only downside is drying- you don't want to just rinse and hand dry because you'll probably scratch/swirl up the paint. That's more or less the only reason I use soap and rag- so I can hand dry.
Last edited by village idiot; Dec 1, 2017 at 02:47 AM.
Just makes it a little easier to wash off. I have it on my wheels. For me it was a waste. I still have to clean the wheels just as much as before.
Have to ask what coating you are using? I have been using Ceramic Pro Wheel and Caliper and have, as my customers also have, seen a major difference in brake dust on the wheel.
Had a BMW 4 series come in with the wheel blacks with dust, customer complained that one week after washing they would look like that. I did two coats of CP, and barely any dust at all anymore and it just rinses off.
I have seen it on many, many cars we have done.
If you just put one coat on try a second coat. Some products are a bit edgy on working and need more than one coat to be effective.
Have to ask what coating you are using? I have been using Ceramic Pro Wheel and Caliper and have, as my customers also have, seen a major difference in brake dust on the wheel.
Had a BMW 4 series come in with the wheel blacks with dust, customer complained that one week after washing they would look like that. I did two coats of CP, and barely any dust at all anymore and it just rinses off.
I have seen it on many, many cars we have done.
If you just put one coat on try a second coat. Some products are a bit edgy on working and need more than one coat to be effective.
You will get better results using Carpro DLUX wheel and trim coating. It is designed with withstand higher heat for brakes, and wheels. I used it on our F150 grill (huge plastic) and that thing looks clean, shiny and brand new all the time. Bugs fall off hardly ever stick to it. My wheels cleans so easy with it. The brake dust is always going to hit the rims, but on non-coated wheels you have to scrub them.
I ordered ceramic coating and have tried it on several of my other vehicles before I put on the vette. Amazing product and if your ride has good paint and needs no or little correction it is relatively easy to install.
So you can do paint correction then a shinecoat/your choice, then a clear bra that'll last 10 yrs.
If this costs less than/same/a bit more than ceramic, why do ceramic?
