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I have clear bra and ceramic coating and can only echo the good points others have made.
I've got the entire front clip of my car covered with clear bra and don't forget to do the black A-pillars; they scratch easily and clear bra really protects them well. Also, rear view mirrors and just in front of the rear tires.
Do the Xpel on front facing parts of the car and rear brake ducts, worth every penny. I did the CquartzUK product and getting ready to redo it again. It only needs to be polished and buffed to a shine to remove the coating, then start again. You can do this every couple years to keep it looking new and protect the paint. It makes cleaning the car so much easier and the shine is undeniable. Your other choice is waxing it often. I was that wax person until I took a chance on doing ceramic coating. I am now a believer in ceramic coating and will continue it. The prep is important and it does take time but then you won't have to wax for years, just buff with a detail spray (like using Reload) to maintain it.
Last edited by SLEEKVET; Dec 21, 2018 at 11:09 AM.
From the video, it appears that a power washer to remove the film is unnecessary. I'd hate to think of using one on my Z. Does anyone that uses Road Warrior think it superior to 3M defender?
Climate impacts? Ohhhh geeze. Here we go! Get that crap outta here! Is global warming going to wear the coating off your vehicle's finish??
climate = heat, cold, sun, rain (and what’s in the rain)and those events cycling over a long term. The same things that impact your vehicle’s finish. How will the ceramic coat stand up over time vs the paint without it?
I live in Bullhead City, AZ. The temperature is what drove me to ceramic coat. We see temps in the 120's. Wax melts at 110. Enough said.
There is a category called paint sealants that are synthetic based and can also endure those temperatures and are much easier to apply and maintain than ceramic coatings. They are less expensive and you can apply them yourself too. I have found Jescar Powerlock to be very effective and produces an amazing shine. It has been highly rated by detailing professionals.
Applying ceramic is not difficult. The work is correcting the paint before applying ceramic. Doing small areas at a time and allowing the ceramic to flash is the key. I used 2 coats of CQuartz on the body and 2 coats of DLUX on the wheels. Then followed with Reload. The shine is incredible and the wheels stay clean a lot longer. The total cost for me was under $200.
Applying ceramic is not difficult. The work is correcting the paint before applying ceramic. Doing small areas at a time and allowing the ceramic to flash is the key. I used 2 coats of CQuartz on the body and 2 coats of DLUX on the wheels. Then followed with Reload. The shine is incredible and the wheels stay clean a lot longer. The total cost for me was under $200.
Applying ceramic can be tricky. Temperature and humidity will affect how you apply. If you take too long to level the applied layer and the coat flashes you can get stuck with an uneven mess. Some ceramics are worse than others, I have seen cars that have been layered with Klasse sealant and looks as good any ceramic coat out there. Preparation is important for both. Application of the coating is much more tricky with ceramics.
I went with Pinnacle Black Label Diamond coating on my new 2019 vert. I am fortunate enough to be friends with Mike Phillips of Competition Ready TV fame and caught him on a day when he was "bored" right before the holiday. We even snuck the car into the Autogeek Garage to work on her. We took the car through the complete process to achieve the best possible result. Wash > clay decontamination (you'd be surprised how contaminated new paint is) > polish to correct paint > pre-coat paint prep > ceramic coat. Doing it right is a commitment and took the two of us close to 5 hours to do the paint, glass, wheels. The results are stunning and well worth the effort. I will post a complete step by step breakdown in the coming weeks..
yeah baby...now you talking...Mike's here!!! whoo...hoooo!!! Hey Mike. Hope you had a great Holiday down there in Port St. Lucie. Could you share with us what coating you used on that Ray? As always looks great! Look forward to giving my money to Autogeek this year. Just need to find out what coatings are you recommending for our Vettes this year.
We took the car through the complete process to achieve the best possible result. Wash > clay decontamination (you'd be surprised how contaminated new paint is) > polish to correct paint > pre-coat paint prep > ceramic coat. Doing it right is a commitment and took the two of us close to 5 hours to do the paint, glass, wheels. The results are stunning and well worth the effort. I will post a complete step by step breakdown in the coming weeks..
