I've searched some previous threads but did not find a lot of information. Someone gave me a price for ceramic coating of $1200 for the car, wheels, and calipers. The wheels are chrome aluminum. My question, not about the price, but is it worth getting done and is there anything I should be cautious of? Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

I don't know much about it but there are several corvette owners here in Az that are inquiring about it. I do hear the ceramic coating lasts about 1 year and then must be redone. I can't swear to this though.

 

^^^^ One application of ceramic coating can last several years.

 

^^^True that. Especially if the car is garaged and properly cleaned. I highly recommend a ceramic coating as soon after purchase as practicable. Especially if you have a darker color as it will greatly reduce swirling.

 

That's a fair price if it includes a decent "paint correction" or polish to remove all clear coat swirls prior to coating installation. Even new cars have swirls. That's about what I paid for both, and the coating was CQuartz Finest.

The hydrophobic qualities of today's ceramic coatings are amazing, nothing sticks and it's great protection. Even though it's said they last at least a year, they will last a lot longer if your car is garaged, and you can use regular paint protectants on top, which will make them last years longer. Mine is almost a year old, and sheds water the same as the day I picked it up after installation.

 

I really like my ceramic coating. I don't have a feel for whether or not $1200 is a reasonable cost. I will say that you can buy the machine polisher, the needed prep materials, and a quality ceramic coating to coat it yourself and still have some $$ left over. It does require a bit of time and effort to prep the car, but isn't too bad to do it. I don't know that I would pay $1200 to get it done, but I would do it all over again to buy the needed equipment and materials so that I could do it myself again, if I was starting from scratch, but I enjoy doing that kind of stuff.

 

The key thing being the paint correction. A quality paint correction can take an entire day. Mine was also around that price, and I love it.

 

This might help you. I am getting my 2017 C7 GrandSport delivered in April. I received 2 quotes from a reputable Nano Ceramic shop in Quebec, Canada. One quote was for 5 years - the other for lifetime of the vehicle. See details below (quote is in Canadian Dollars)

- - - - - - - - - - -

"For the Ceramic Pro 9H:

5-year warranty package - $750, taxes included.

Includes full wash, prep, decontamination, prepping polish, sterilization of the paint.
1 layer of the 9H protective ceramic coating
1 layer of the "LIGHT" top coat (glossier finish, and better water repelling properties)
All exterior glass including mirrors and moon-roof (when applicable) are coated in a glass-specific coating to repel water.
Wheels receive a wheel sealant and semi-permanent tire shine.

Lifetime warranty package - $1260, taxes included.

Includes everything from 5-year warranty, but ads an additional 3 layers of 9H base coat before the final top coat, increasing the thickness, smoothness and durability of the protection.

Both options come with a maintenance/wash kit, and I will personally show you how to use it.

In order to maintain the warranty, an annual inspection is required at the yearly anniversary of the coating's application. To be lenient with people's schedules, Ceramic Pro America authorizes up to 30 days after the anniversary to come in for the inspection. The inspection is a fixed rate of $100, and includes a full wash with nano-coating specific soap; designed to strip everything off of the coating and bring it back to it's proper bare state. If contamination is present, it is taken care of at no extra cost. A visual inspection is then carried out to ensure the coating has not worn down prematurely and that it is still doing it's job. If premature wear is found, a re-application is done at no extra cost.

The only time an extra cost would occur is if the vehicle has been scratched/damaged and or repaired and the coating needs to be buffed/removed and re-applied to an entire panel. Usually, with a written quote from myself, insurance companies will also cover the cost of re-application. In the unfortunate even of a complete loss, with the invoice, insurance companies may also reimburse the total amount for the replacement vehicle.

Please note that warranties are non-transferable if the vehicle is sold, and will drop to the following lower tier if an inspection is missed (life-time falls to 5-year, and 5 year falls to 2-year). The warranty only covers damage to the clear coat of the vehicle caused by acid rain, chemical spills (common chemicals, not industrial ones), bird droppings and bug guts - as long as the vehicle is properly maintained. This means if a bird poops on the vehicle, it must be washed within a reasonable amount of time. If it goes many weeks or months without being washed, then that is considered neglect and the damage will not be covered by warranty. "

 

My CQuartz application has lasted 18 months at this point, and I plan on having it redone at about the 24 month mark in the spring. Best addition I have made to the car.

1) It makes water bead up and slide off easily.
2) It makes cleaning the car (I use a waterless wash method) quick and fun.
3) It provides some protection from little dings (not rocks!) which is helpful.
4) Looks good on its own - you'll need something on top (like a wax) if you want it to look super shiny

I highly recommend it.

 

i have black and the ceramic. The shop sd a power wash is all you really need. Well even after a power wash i can still see the outline of some bugs n stuff. But that's me really, really looking...and tilting my head to catch the right light.

But straight out of the wash, it looks great.

 

You can contact Autogeek who is one of the Forum sponsors, for a complete rundown on the various coatings and application process.

 

I have CQuartz on my 2017 GS and it was worth every penny. Bugs just hose right off and it even gives minor scratch protection. You should use RELOAD every so often to keep the CQuartz "recharged". Doing so will prolong it easily to 2 years or more.

 

Save the $1200, get yourself a good polymer sealant and do it yourself. IMO ceramic is the newest gimmick on the block. But that's just me...

 

^^Polymer sealants will not last nearly as long as ceramic coating, I have used them both. It is a significant step up from polymers and is worth the cost.

Some of these products, ie: C Quartz Finest, can not be sold to the general public, only to authorized distrubutors/installers. Others, ie: Regular C Quartz, can be sold and self applied and it is an easy process if you have experience doing a proper paint cleaning/polish.

I'm sure when sliced bread came along there were a whole lot of people (geezers) that said it was a gimmick also.

 

I have my car XPEL'd but this summer I'm getting one coat of Opti-Coat and then two "Gloss Coats" on my car for $1400 in the spring. Without gloss coats it would have only been $900.

If It wasn't going on the XPEL it would have a 7-year warranty. But because it's on the XPEL I get none (as the XPEL has a 10 year).

I'm doing it to cover the lips, corners, and edges not covered by the XPEL as well as parts like the hood grill, side gills, quarter vents and rear vents (which don't get XPEL'd).

The guy says I shouldn't really have to wax it for 2-3 years after. I'll still put on my Zaino, but I know my car will basically be as protected as it can be.

 

I watched first hand coating being applied by the best detailer in New York City area. No mystery it is applied the same way regular wax is applied.. If your paint does not need correction and you have $300 bucks for the tiny bottle you can apply it all by yourself and save loads of money.

 

I'm not a geezer. (Yet) But I'm a practical guy who does his own detailing. I've seen ceramic coated cars. Can't tell the difference from the finished product on my car. It's my two cents. I'll do mine a few more times, but save a boat load of $$$. And since mine isn't exposed to nasty elements, it's just overkill to me.

 

To do it correctly it does take a good amount of work. So for the money people are asking. If they're doing a good job, it's well worth it.
I did my own with Wolfgang ceramic coating over the Fourth of July holiday.
And yes I am comfortable with paint correction, wet sanding, operating a dual action polisher, compounding and polishing, on both cars and boats.
Sealants were the last great thing, but there have been some great improvement in the industry with the new coatings.
It's not just about the shine, it's also about the extra protection you're adding to your paint, and the ease of getting the dirt off.
Living in a swamp. I drive on a dirt road daily.
I like the fact that when I'm in a hurry. I can hose down my car, dry it off with a leaf blower, and it's ready to go out.
The coating has only been on for six months now, but so far I am thoroughly impressed.
I do believe I will be sticking with this new technology.
My driveway:

 

Anyone in the Dallas Texas area have a program like this? I think I'd pull the trigger on this...

 

Great post, and yes, the prep (paint correction) before coating is everything!

I was a skeptic too, thinking I've been detailing, polishing, and waxing cars for years, but after living w/ CQuartz Finest for almost a year, there is no comparison w/ regard to the amount of protection and ease of care the new ceramics provide over the old-school stuff.

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.