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I'm thinking about getting this done on my '14...For those who have had a paint correction/ceramic coating done, how would you rate your experience? How much does it cost? Would you do it again, or recommend it to others, and if so/not, why? tia.
The price i got for a lifetime ceramic job with no paint correction.Just prepping the paint it was around 1200.
No thanks,Wax once a year and a couple washes,Dun
Had both done paint correction and ceramic coating. Paint was so,so from factory. I have AW so I wasn't expecting Mirror like finish but to my surprise it looks outstanding.
Are you currently dissatisfied with the finish / condition of your paint and if so, why ?
No, not originally...when the 14s first came out a lot of people on this forum were complaining about the paint..maybe I was just lucky, but I had no complaints...however, almost 5 years later there are the inevitable small nicks, scrapes and scratches that are unnoticeable to everyone else but me....also, to be honest, I have not had the time to detail her like I did when I first got her. I have been looking at examples of paint correction and ceramic finish and they look fantastic...however, I am a natural skeptic, so I was soliciting real world opinions from those who did it rather than vendors.
Had both done paint correction and ceramic coating. Paint was so,so from factory. I have AW so I wasn't expecting Mirror like finish but to my surprise it looks outstanding.
Expensive coatings still require maintenance! You cannot get around this. I am sure there are professional detailers that will hustle you the line of all theses expenses services for your car’s finish and at the same time use plain old waxes on their own vehicles at home and be just as happy with their results. I know this for a fact. I personally use Carnuba wax every 2 months during the warm season and my finish looks just as good as any ceramic coatings costing hundreds of dollars. I don’t mind reapplying waxes every 2 months. They are easy to apply and remove. Coatings still have problems with water spotting as well as grit, pollution, and stones. You also need maintenance coats too. You still need to wash and dry them. There is really no magic bullet when it comes to maintaining a car surface other than applying PPFs.
Expensive coatings still require maintenance! You cannot get around this. I am sure there are professional detailers that will hustle you the line of all theses expenses services for your car’s finish and at the same time use plain old waxes on their own vehicles at home and be just as happy with their results. I know this for a fact. I personally use Carnuba wax every 2 months during the warm season and my finish looks just as good as any ceramic coatings costing hundreds of dollars. I don’t mind reapplying waxes every 2 months. They are easy to apply and remove. Coatings still have problems with water spotting as well as grit, pollution, and stones. You also need maintenance coats too. You still need to wash and dry them. There is really no magic bullet when it comes to maintaining a car surface other than applying PPFs.
Did you have Paint Correction done on your car? I see you live in VA, so do I, and I am looking for a recommendation for a shop that can do the paint correction. I am not worried about the Ceramic Coating, for as you said, I don't mind waxing it myself.
I use all Pinnacle Black Label Prorducts on my 2014. I especially use their Diamond Surface Coating which is a ceramic coating that creates an extremely glossy finish.
Did you have Paint Correction done on your car? I see you live in VA, so do I, and I am looking for a recommendation for a shop that can do the paint correction. I am not worried about the Ceramic Coating, for as you said, I don't mind waxing it myself.
Customs Wheels Boutique. Talk to the owner Tuna. He specializes in installing Llumar which is identical to Suntek Ultra (10 year warranty). He might be one of the best in the business PPF installer and recognized as such. Search online for his website. He is located in Fredericksburg. He has many clients that come from all over the mid-Atlantic to his shop. You see just about every excotic you can think of at his shop. He does a lot of custom wheel sales and a good portion of his business is installing PPF. He is really good at what he does and takes pride in his work. Give him a try and you will be pleased.
No, not originally...when the 14s first came out a lot of people on this forum were complaining about the paint..maybe I was just lucky, but I had no complaints...however, almost 5 years later there are the inevitable small nicks, scrapes and scratches that are unnoticeable to everyone else but me....also, to be honest, I have not had the time to detail her like I did when I first got her. I have been looking at examples of paint correction and ceramic finish and they look fantastic...however, I am a natural skeptic, so I was soliciting real world opinions from those who did it rather than vendors.
Sounds like you could use a paint correction first. Then follow up with either wax or ceramic. The expense is in the correction work. Take a few vacation days and do it yourself. You'll have the satisfaction of admiring your finished product .
I do detail vehicles on side...IMO if your going to coat you really should paint correct vehicle. Someone that does it will put light on it to refine all the micro marring that’s on the vehicle as well as getting the major stuff. Like Jbnick I use Pinnacle Black Label Products and many Meguires pro line. If you like to spend time with your car buy an orbital polisher and learn. Many Books and videos. It’s not that hard to get good results.
I would not not really give a price till I saw the vehicle. Correction can take many hours.....the coatings are also fairly easy to use but are expensive if you use good product. I have charged between 500-1000 based on condition and size.
you still have to use proper wash methods and care to keep in great condition. Nothing is perfect....good luck
Let me dive in here... Pro detailer in a high end part of Silicon Valley.
I do both Zaino and Ceramics.
So Ceramics are simply awesome, some are snake oil, no doubt, but it is where the future of paint coatings. Paint correction aka removing swirls is absolutely part of the deal. Otherwise you are locking in a mess with ceramics.
My own personal car has three different coatings on it to test them out. Drove though the center of the San Joaquin Valley with literally thousands of bugs hitting the car. The front and windshield were simply coated with dead bugs. When I washed it, they wiped off and did not leave an etching at all. That simply won't happen with any Carnuba or Zaino. I used a product called Glassparency on the windshield(think of it as a ceramic coating for the windshield) and the same thing, the bugs just wiped off.
Drove it in the rain, and the car still looked like it was just washed.
The "hydrophobic" qualities and I hate that word, is simply awesome. The self cleaning qualities of ceramic are nothing short of amazing.
Does it cost more, you bet, but the long term benefits are well worth it.
Last edited by Grzldvt1; Mar 26, 2018 at 12:57 AM.
I had paint correction, PPF and Ceramic Pro coating applied. I'd have it done again in a heartbeat. Yes, It was expensive. The ease of maintenance, piece of mind and how fantastic it looks has me completely satisfied.
Let me dive in here... Pro detailer in a high end part of Silicon Valley.
Does it cost more, you bet, but the long term benefits are well worth it.
Ok,I'm swimming...What is the cost of stripping and reapplying.Your into a thin coat of clear with the corvette.You will remove clear reapplying? Correct?
Coating does need to be reapplied.Final cost for the..SO Called Super Shine?
I believe the life time guarantee with a particular brand covers them re-coating once.I also believe that particular life time guarantee is a hoax to sell cause who keeps a vehicle over 2 coating times.
If they even last that long? No true lasting time either?
I did my own correction but look to spend 500+ on supplies and a good DA buffer. I did Wolfgang sealant and a coat of Megs carnauba wax over top. Looks amazing. I have enough to do all my cars for years and it is fun to do. I am a DIY guy, so all depends on how much time you have etc..
Ok,I'm swimming...What is the cost of stripping and reapplying.Your into a thin coat of clear with the corvette.You will remove clear reapplying? Correct?
Coating does need to be reapplied.Final cost for the..SO Called Super Shine?
I believe the life time guarantee with a particular brand covers them re-coating once.I also believe that particular life time guarantee is a hoax to sell cause who keeps a vehicle over 2 coating times.
If they even last that long? No true lasting time either?
I would strongly suggest that you take a deep breath and slow down. Applying coatings and “paint correction” today has become the new modern day equivalent of selling snake-oil. It is “not” rocket science. Also, I want to instill in you since you are a car guy, everything being sold here (except PPF installation) is something you can definitely learn easily and perform yourself. It won’t cost you a fourtune either. I would strongly encourage you to learn to detail your own car. You will get a lot of enjoyment in doing this, you will learn a lot, and you will be able to produce and maintain a show-car finish as good as anybody selling snake oil here. Trust me on this. I would recommend you try becoming a member at a detailers forum like the one I read called autogeek.net. The guy who runs this site and a well known detail business is a great guy, has a national reputation in the detail business and has been doing this for 40 years. You can learn so much from this guy Mike Philllips. He has loads of YouTube videos that take you through all the steps necessary to perform high level detailing without any BS hypeing of products. He can teach how to correct your own paint (if it is necessary) and how to polish, seal/wax, and maintain your car’s finish. I am not selling anything here. I just want to encourage you to learn more about doing your own detailing and not get ripped-off with somebody trying to sell you a thousand dollar paint correction, ceramic coating that you can do yourself at a fraction of the cost if you are motivated.Take the first step and you will find it will lead to a rewarding journey.
I just want to encourage you to learn more about doing your own detailing and not get ripped-off with somebody trying to sell you a thousand dollar paint correction, ceramic coating that you can do yourself at a fraction of the cost if you are motivated.Take the first step and you will find it will lead to a rewarding journey.
I,WE At the Forum appreciate your write up.I did spend sometime detailing.Buffed about 20 cars.Long time ago.
Paint was a lot of Enamel.Never burnt any edges.Came close on Silver.
Know about Black.Owned a few.Very Temperature Sensitive Color.
Guess these new orbital buffers seem to be effortless.Can't push them,let them do the work so to speak.
The C7 is a tricky Body.A ton of edges.Edges can F U up.Takes time to get the feel of the machine.The top of the front fender to hood seam.Has about 2 inch wide flat top.2 quick edges right their.Gonna need that small diameter machine for that and trimming around vents.
Do i sound professional yet?
So,ya need 2 machines to do your own car.Hopefully no blow outs on the clear coats.Wet sand first.Use a coarce pad to start.Then step down to a mild compound.Then a good polish,Then clean paint finish with alcohol,Then get body panel temperature Right.Then apply sealant,no streaking,small area's only.Buff to smooth-en.Let Dry..ENJOY
For how long?
Gonna get beat-up for knocking sealant down...HA
Just trying to relate what I Believe is just not a easy job.Need Practice before the Vette.Especially if you attack the orange peel.
Thanks again for the write up
I would strongly suggest that you take a deep breath and slow down. Applying coatings and “paint correction” today has become the new modern day equivalent of selling snake-oil. It is “not” rocket science. Also, I want to instill in you since you are a car guy, everything being sold here (except PPF installation) is something you can definitely learn easily and perform yourself. It won’t cost you a fourtune either. I would strongly encourage you to learn to detail your own car. You will get a lot of enjoyment in doing this, you will learn a lot, and you will be able to produce and maintain a show-car finish as good as anybody selling snake oil here. Trust me on this. I would recommend you try becoming a member at a detailers forum like the one I read called autogeek.net. The guy who runs this site and a well known detail business is a great guy, has a national reputation in the detail business and has been doing this for 40 years. You can learn so much from this guy Mike Philllips. He has loads of YouTube videos that take you through all the steps necessary to perform high level detailing without any BS hypeing of products. He can teach how to correct your own paint (if it is necessary) and how to polish, seal/wax, and maintain your car’s finish. I am not selling anything here. I just want to encourage you to learn more about doing your own detailing and not get ripped-off with somebody trying to sell you a thousand dollar paint correction, ceramic coating that you can do yourself at a fraction of the cost if you are motivated.Take the first step and you will find it will lead to a rewarding journey.
I haven't buffed or done paint correction (sanding the clear coat to eliminate Orange Peel) before purposely. I am familiar with the swirl marks, paint burns, going too far into the clearcoat..that can happen if someone isn't really Good at it, so i am not going to try this myself on my Vette. I am looking for a recommendation for someone in the Northern VA area that is reputable with the paint correction process (removing Orange Peel), so if you or anyone else here knows of someone I would be happy to hear about them. Thanks.
Paint correction/ceramic coating--worthwhile?
