Paint protection... Should I or nah???

I wouldn’t, I got my truck ceramicly Coated by a reputable detailer in the area. It’s saved my truck from pin stripping several times and has made Washing my truck extremely easy.

 

I will never understand this concept, EVER....especially if your using your Tacoma as a street princess and just using your bed for occasional trips to Home Depot. If I had a Prius that thing will look immaculate every damn day in my driveway because things I own I take care of. If your off-roading frequently and actually using as intended I can see why you wouldn't do it, I would probably wrap my truck...

Nice to see other Tacomas being coated! Compliments everyday!

 

It was worth the money and peace of mind for me.

 

What brand of ceramic coating do you use? I've been wanting to try this on my vehicles but am still sticking to premium wax a few times a year. Does the ceramic coating provide better protection or just lasts longer than wax? I like to keep my vehicles very clean and maintained.

 

Depends on which brand you get. I got Nanoshine and it has a 10 year life span. It elimates the need for wax. It also makes washing a lot easier. I can wash my truck in 30 minutes with 3d pro dry wash.

 

Hell no. Is a cash grab. Dont fall for that shit

 

You would be in the minority if you did. Having said that, I did ! Full Nose, Head Lights / Fogs, Full Hood & Fenders, Mirrors, Full Roof - Suntek 10 year.

Mines a mall crawler, garaged to boot ....

Ed

 

I turned down paint protection, interior seat protection, and undercoating.

Interior seat protection was laughable, as if the gray cloth needs to be treated like it's a Ferrari or something. Scotch guard and/or seat cover works well for me.

When I drove off the lot, the truck had swirl marks from washing. Made me glad I didn't trust them to put "paint protection" on it.

And FWIW I've seen Fargo too many times to fall for the undercoating protection.

 

Just wanted to thank everyone for the input. Think it is clear that there are better options to protect my investment.

 

Wash/wax/sealant will always be a great option. I have ceramic pro and saves a lot of time washing and it's great if your car/truck is parked outside. Most of the time you just powerwash and/or foam cannon and blowdry and it's clean again. Handwash maybe 1-2 time a month.

Been 7 months since this video and it's still going strong.
https://youtu.be/s4_hMd0xRK8

 

I used wax for years, Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax No. 845, to be specific. It's a great wax and really tough, but the ceramic coatings with nanotechnology are amazing.

I'm not a professional detailer but I like to keep my vehicles looking as good as possible. And they get hammered pretty good and will never spend a day in a garage.

I've used a few different coatings but the ones I've had the best luck with are the Pinnacle line of coatings:

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Coating V2. This is new and specifically formulated for paint/clear coat so the only vehicle I've used it on is my truck. It's doing very well so far.

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Surface Coating: I've used this stuff on just about everything. Headlight lenses, off road light lenses, paint, glass, I even put it on my cell phone screen, entune screen, gauge cluster cover, etc. It really is magic stuff.

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Glass Coating: This is specifically formulated for glass. I use it on my windshields. Makes the glass much more resistant to pitting and the rain sheets off just like with rain x but without the mess. And makes the bugs clean off much easier.

I did my son-in-laws FJ a couple years ago. It was in dire need of some love so I buffed out all the scratches and stains and coated it. He says it looks as good now as the day I did it and he doesn't baby it by any means.

It's very easy to apply the ceramic coating. But like I said before the prep work is critical to getting the stuff to work. I would recommend getting an orbital polisher. It can be done by hand but it would be a lot of work even on a new truck. It's critical the surface is clean. I mean really clean. If you think you have a clean truck, put your hand in a plastic bag (baggie) and lightly rub the surface. It needs to feel smooth to apply the coating.

 

I said the same thing. However, you will find it a pain in the ass. Hairs and dust kept getting under the bra. No matter how hard I cleaned, I just couldn't get shit from not getting under it. Also. Working around the corners and edges was a pain. I just went to a shop that did my entire front end for 700$ Well worth it. You will see...

 

Thanks for the heads up. My step dad has an auto body paint shop that is climate controlled so I might try it there.

 

I noticed on my black SR5 it has little specks of paint missing all over the sides. Resembles being shot with a shot gun. My truck never has been on a gravel road and only drive it on city streets unless I need to drive to another nearby town. Toyota has thin, soft paint.

 

My mom had ceramic coating put on her Tahoe and it looks amazing 1500 bucks for the whole vehicle and lifetime warranty. A local high end detail shop did it for her.

 

I agree with the others here...take it to a pro for these sort of things. I have found the dealer tends to provide bare minimum services that the common customer has no idea about. Shops who specialize in this stuff deal will likely have a few solutions to this as well.

 

I took my truck straight to the local XPEL PPF shop when I picked it up from the dealer. It’s a no brainer for me. I’m 30k miles in and not a single rock chip. I’m in south Texas and our highways are pretty rocky. I have my truck to haul my bikes and look good. The PPF was worth the money to me. I would suggest taking it to a local shop and not the dealer though.