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I ordered a C8 and expect delivery in the fall. I'd like feedback on the pros and cons of getting the car ceramic coated. I'm not that familiar with it and wanted some expert opinion on whether to get it or not. Thanks in advance
The silicone based ceramic is what I’ve personally applied to an Odyssey and E-350 sedan.
Pro: harder than clearcoat, so swirl marks from washing are very difficult to leave behind
Con: you don’t know when it’s truly gone (even if you leave an exposed swatch/smudge to gauge) so ‘years’ out of an application is impossible to prove full coverage of.
My opinion is if it’s within the budget, have it done by a pro every <18mo. (After the first time you would need a light polish ensuring you don’t seal anything in)
Much cheaper to do it yourself. Look at Adams ceramic products. I did my Lexus for about $150. And I will do my C8 when it arrives.
The ‘watered down’ spray bottles of ceramic is surely not the coating that lasts years and detailers charge $1200 per application for. It reads like you are confusing the two. True long-lasting 9H ceramic comes in a tiny glass bottle that will do 2+ cars and is VERY difficult to apply due to its ability to dry in with a bad buff. No driving the car (overnight if possible) and no water on the car for about 24hrs for max life of application.
The ‘watered down’ spray ceramics are diluted to be very forgiving in a misapplication and thus do not last as long.
That being said, if you are doing a spray ceramic (or even ceramic mid-cycle booster spray) a few times per year, your paint will love you (and it’s cheaper and it’s idiot-proof). Either way, a long term or short term coating on your clearcoat is the best thing you can do to prevent/deny swirl marks.
Had my 2020 C8 / Long Beach Red ceramic coated by a mobile professional detailer when I first received my car back in Sept 2020. It took him all day, some 8~9 hours and I must say the car has been a dream to keep clean. Well worth the cost to have the car's paint surface properly prepped and the coating correctly applied.
Just had him come by again to take care of ceramic coating my new Platinum Silver BBS Ci-R wheels. The OEM wheels were also ceramic coated and cleaning off the brake dust was a breeze.
The ‘watered down’ spray bottles of ceramic is surely not the coating that lasts years and detailers charge $1200 per application for. It reads like you are confusing the two. True long-lasting 9H ceramic comes in a tiny glass bottle that will do 2+ cars and is VERY difficult to apply due to its ability to dry in with a bad buff. No driving the car (overnight if possible) and no water on the car for about 24hrs for max life of application.
The ‘watered down’ spray ceramics are diluted to be very forgiving in a misapplication and thus do not last as long.
That being said, if you are doing a spray ceramic (or even ceramic mid-cycle booster spray) a few times per year, your paint will love you (and it’s cheaper and it’s idiot-proof). Either way, a long term or short term coating on your clearcoat is the best thing you can do to prevent/deny swirl marks.
I spent $000’s on having my 24 foot boat, Jaguar F-Type Coupe and even my Black Edition Honda Ridgeline ceramic coated by a professional shop. They all looked great and were easier to keep clean for a couple of years. In the 3rd year, I am seeing less protection. I have decided that the cost/benefit trade off isn’t worth the money for me. I will try the cheaper DIY spray on products a couple of times a year on my C8. FYI, my Corvette isn’t a garage queen, and I will average 8-12k miles a year. I don’t detail it after every drive...
That’s shadow gray metallic, SGM for corvette nerds.
It will never be GM confirmed, but I SWEAR this very last run of SGM is coming out more blue than any early C8 or C7 ever did. I feel like I’ve seen about 1000 pictures and videos on the net of this color for comparison.
Back on topic.....I’ll ceramic coat mine, but having done it before, I am NOT looking forward to it😕
Ceramic Coating
