Ceramic Coatings

[Acylum]

I know there are a lot of knowledgeable car guys on here and I couldn’t find a previous thread. I’ve used Collinite Insulator Wax for a long time and been pretty happy with it. But that’s applying it 2x/ year and being very detail oriented about the application, keeping the vehicle maintained, etc. The intriguing thing to me about ceramics is the claim they last for two years.
So my questions would be:
What is your experience?
Why is there such a range of prices (is it a case of you get what you pay for)?
How difficult is the process?
Are the claims about longevity, etc actually observed?
One of the most attractive things is no white smears on dark trim, can be applied to glass, plastic lenses, etc.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

Last July I applied a ceramic product called CQuartz to my black car. I did all the prep work.....clay bar, machine polish, wipe down, all that, and applied 2 coats of the ceramic. Kind of disappointed that it was only really effective for about 8 months, and this spring it's certainly lost much of the water sheeting effect it had right out of the gate. I might have been too conservative with it during application though as I was concerned about high spots and not being able to flatten it back out during the flashing and wipe down process. Maybe I should have put more than two coats on also, who knows.

I have a bottle of their Reload product and am going to try to reinvigorate it with that at some point soon. I had figured I would need to reapply it after about a year or so anyway so no big deal.

CarPro Cquartz 50ml Kit - Ceramic Coating Finish

Surprisingly, I've heard really good things about Turtle Wax's ceramic spray on product. I might try that out at some point.

Turtle Wax 53409 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating - 16 Fl Oz.

 

[usedcarguy]

I have not used any of these ceramic products myself, but I've been around long enough to see and use pretty much every non-wax alternative that's hit the market in the past 35 plus years. From the dealer sold Auto Armor and other teflon based products, the polymers, the nano's, quartz, etc., I've used most and seen them all. Ceramic coatings are the latest evolution

Whatever the products, the claims are always the same...lasts a really long time, and offers protection waxes do not. I find these claims dubious at best. Everything wears off and wears off far quicker than claimed. The Auto Armor types of products even offered warranty protection against bird droppings or tree sap, etc. etching paint.

As for the massive discrepancy in pricing, 95% of it is a marketing decision to con people into believing that a product is superior because it's expensive. Auto Armor's model was to use the massive price to pay the occasional warranty claim that would arise.

There is a great paint protection product that offers superior UV protection. It's called clear coat and it's part of your factory finish. Beyond that, if it's a vehicle you really care about, use clay to keep the surface clean and apply whatever makes the water bead. As long as it beads, it will be easy to clean. My preference is products that are easy to apply and don't turn white when they dry.

Just my $.02 until something comes along and proves otherwise.

 

[BigTD]

Ceramic coatings really are a you get what you pay for. How long one lasts is both a product of the actual coating and the amount of prep you put into the application. Ceramic coatings are not a simple apply and forget about it. They still require that you maintain them. I've had two vehicles which had high end coatings applied to them, and both were applied by a professional detailer. Unless a person truly understands how to properly maintain and care for a car's finish to keep it as glossy and swirl free as possible, then a ceramic coating is a waste of money. Too many people get a ceramic coating applied, then improperly hand wash their vehicle, or run it through a swirl-o-matic wash then wonder why the coating doesn't last or looks like garbage after a few months. Don't ever pay for a dealer applied coating. They simply have no idea what they are doing. Great auto detailers are few and far between. The really good ones cost money.

 

[dmclone]

I've been using the Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions stuff for a little more than a year. So far so good. Over the years I've used a ton of different products.

Zaino
Klasse
Blitz
Nu-Finish
And a few others

To be honest, there is not a lot of difference for me.

#1 I don't run my cars through any kind of car wash. Yes, touchless won't scratch your car but your sealant won't last as long.
#2 I use a garage
#3 Using a porter cable to get a good clean base is key for me. People always take pictures after they've applied sealant their cars but you should get that great shiny look before you apply these products. These products are there to protect that look.

On the flip side, I use to be super anal about keeping my vehicles clean. Now that I've gotten older and no longer drive sports cars, I care less and less.