Ceramic coating advice
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 7,079
Likes: 1,922
From: DFW, Tejas!
I got mine done for $800. Granted, I didn't get endless polishing and paint correction, but it's good enough for me. It's nowhere near show quality paint due to orange peel, bit it definitely looks good.
I got one of the lifetime ones. We'll see how long it lasts. I will say that washing my car is beyond easy. I just pressure wash it and 90% of the dirt comes off. Then I just blast it with a foam cannon and do the bucket thing to get the rest off. Honestly, you don't even need that once a month though. I just got back from the track and pressure washed mine in about 5 minutes. Looks pretty good to me!
Also, it makes brake dust a non issue. Sonax + pressure wash = all gone.
My biggest thing is preventing swirl marks, and it definitely does that. Is it swirl mark proof? No, but nothing is. It will definitely do an incredible job at keeping swirl marks off.
I got one of the lifetime ones. We'll see how long it lasts. I will say that washing my car is beyond easy. I just pressure wash it and 90% of the dirt comes off. Then I just blast it with a foam cannon and do the bucket thing to get the rest off. Honestly, you don't even need that once a month though. I just got back from the track and pressure washed mine in about 5 minutes. Looks pretty good to me!
Also, it makes brake dust a non issue. Sonax + pressure wash = all gone.
My biggest thing is preventing swirl marks, and it definitely does that. Is it swirl mark proof? No, but nothing is. It will definitely do an incredible job at keeping swirl marks off.
Last edited by village idiot; Jul 15, 2017 at 07:25 PM.
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Racer
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 375
Likes: 62
From: lakewood ranch Florida
had my 17 gs black rose vert done professionally,took 4 days and cost around 2 grand,the finish is really amazing,when it gets dirty you just rinse it off then blow dry it,to me worth every penny,now i will say that when i had it done the shop asked me if i wanted the 3 year or 7 year treatment since i never keep my vetts longer than 3 years i opted for 3 years, the next owner will have to figure out what to do next
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,137
Likes: 3,176
From: Kannapolis MA.
thanks for all the advise! I just ordered this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TFE38A and just going to do it myself.
She Start's adding this and that.It's a investment to protect your cars paint.Yarda,Yarda.
So whats the total? About $2800..Ok.. Is that the Orange Peel Removal too..
No.We prep and clean the paint for the sealer and film..
Once you put sealer down you cannot add film. OK.
How much to Seal Only:About 1400..Does that include any buffing and polishing? NO..Any Orange Peel Wet sanded?..NO
So basically your just gonna wash and wash and dry and install the Sealer
Who the hell can't do that..Follow the instructions..
Guess it's the TIME Involved... That is the Cost...
OP:Keep us posted..Before and After Shot's..Please
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,583
Likes: 16,942
You clearly need to go somewhere else.
You can put film on top of ceramic coating which is exactly what my pro recommended and did. It's preferable to do it that way. XPEL only tells people not to do that because their more inexperienced installers have had problems, and that causes more problems for XPEL when they have problems. A very good installer will not have any problems filming over a ceramic coating.
Think about it . . . the coating is to protect paint not plastic. If you have to replace the film due to damage, you've lost your coating. If you have to remove the film, the ceramic coated finish underneath will still be pristine. The film is far more invisible and looks considerably better if the paint finish underneath is as polished and good as it can be.
More than a year later, my XPEL Ultimate wrapped car with CQuartz Finest underneath still looks perfect, and mine is a daily, all-weather, driver. There are no adherence problems if the installer knows what they are doing. I also had a complete paint correction done prior to the ceramic coating and film for about the same price your person quoted without the paint correction.
You can put film on top of ceramic coating which is exactly what my pro recommended and did. It's preferable to do it that way. XPEL only tells people not to do that because their more inexperienced installers have had problems, and that causes more problems for XPEL when they have problems. A very good installer will not have any problems filming over a ceramic coating.
Think about it . . . the coating is to protect paint not plastic. If you have to replace the film due to damage, you've lost your coating. If you have to remove the film, the ceramic coated finish underneath will still be pristine. The film is far more invisible and looks considerably better if the paint finish underneath is as polished and good as it can be.
More than a year later, my XPEL Ultimate wrapped car with CQuartz Finest underneath still looks perfect, and mine is a daily, all-weather, driver. There are no adherence problems if the installer knows what they are doing. I also had a complete paint correction done prior to the ceramic coating and film for about the same price your person quoted without the paint correction.
Last edited by Foosh; Jul 18, 2017 at 01:04 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 9,165
Likes: 4,011
From: 2019 CMG Z06/ZR1
^^^Exactly this
I got my car wrapped with Xpel after I applied the coating. (Gloss black, no metallic flakes for the installer to hide his screwups) and my installer told me that it's only amateurs that shouldn't wrap over ceramic coating. And he was right, my wrapped areas look amazing.
I got my car wrapped with Xpel after I applied the coating. (Gloss black, no metallic flakes for the installer to hide his screwups) and my installer told me that it's only amateurs that shouldn't wrap over ceramic coating. And he was right, my wrapped areas look amazing.
Last edited by LT4CMG; Jul 18, 2017 at 12:26 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,137
Likes: 3,176
From: Kannapolis MA.
I purchased this sealant:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/XTREME-NANO-...ADE-IN-USA-/25
Waiting on a question about the factory striping and PPF Being added after ME doing the prep and install.
Harmful fumes warning is telling me it has NAPTA In the product.I will search Detailing forums for anything bad about this product.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/XTREME-NANO-...ADE-IN-USA-/25
Waiting on a question about the factory striping and PPF Being added after ME doing the prep and install.
Harmful fumes warning is telling me it has NAPTA In the product.I will search Detailing forums for anything bad about this product.