Ceramic coating

Curious to know if anyone has had their vehicle ceramic coated? I'm contemplating it for my 4runner and wanted some feedback from anyone that has done it, or is a detailer/ceramic coater.
Also, if you've had it done, what did it cost you?

Thanks

 

I had ceramic pro done on my 15 and 16, was really nice, held up well, would recommend, expensive. Nano coating is still relatively new so not much long term experience. I decided to just go old school on my 17 with a yearly wax/sealant.

 

How much did it cost you, if you don't mind me asking?

 

My 15 I did 2 year coating for $550, my 16 I had 5 year coating done for $750.

 

Awesome, thanks! Did it do what it advertised? Repel dirt, water spots, etc?

 

Yep! Made washing my truck super easy.

 

You rock dude!
Thanks for the info

 

No prob, you wont be disappointed, there's a reason you see guys with Maseratis, Ferraris, Porsches, etc. ceramic coating their cars new. If you plan on keeping her for awhile its worth the investment for sure.

 

What I wanted to hear. I pay upwards of $400 for detail services. $750ish seems worth it if it'll protect for 5 years

 

Yep I think once every year you have to have it inspected to keep the warrantee.

 

Tons of info over on the Autogeek.com forum. "Coatings" are not all marketed as "ceramic"-- there are several different types of coatings. I wouldn't necessarily focus in on the "ceramic" descriptor. There are others that might fit your bill. I'm not saying ceramic isn't a good choice. Just that there are a lot of good choices. And coatings work well for some people. They're not bullet proof and maintenance free, as some might be led to believe. Nor do they necessarily provide the "best" appearance (not that that's what you're after).

This is by no means an exhaustive list. If I had to choose one right now, based on hours and hours of reading and research, I'd probably choose the Wolfgang or Opti-coat. Some are easier to apply than others, and paint should be properly prepped before application.

 

Yep. Which is why I'm sticking to the wash and wax routine that has been trusted and worked since my grandfather bought his first 64 mustang. I will say though ceramic dosen't have the same shine and depth like you mentioned. But it does do an amazing job from a protection stand point and it is is relatively maintenance free if you do your part in routine washing and touch up yearly.

http://ceramic-pro.com/en/shop/product-line/index/

 

Does this stuff feel slick when towel drying? Or is it grabby? I've read that some coatings are slick and some are grabby (I've also read that slickness isn't necessarily a factor in coatings' self cleaning ability).

 

Super slick, when first applied it looks like the paint is always wet.

 

I'd love to try a coating. But I also really like detailing my truck often and playing around with different products (sealants, waxes, spray sealants/waxes, etc). Longevity isn't really a concern. Can ceramic pro be topped with anything? Some coatings say don't top them, as it will affect the water/dirt shedding characteristics of that particular coating (which is, in part, why we apply them in the first place).

Your truck looks awesome.

 

Not sure, I never asked my guy. For me I'm like you, I'd rather baby it more and do the necessary paint protection/correction on a yearly/bi yearly basis than sealing the paint in a coating and forgetting. I've heard mixed ideas on ceramic type coatings (nano coatings) and just the regular wax/seal routine.

 

Will be testing CarPro CQuartz UK soon.

The key before you go down this road is knowing that you need to do the following steps to prep your truck before a paint coating can be applied:

Wash
Decontaminate
Clay
Paint Correct if needed
Polish
Prep for coating to remove any residual wax or oils

If you are not prepared to take all these steps or pay to have all these steps completed before a coating is applied then don't look at coatings.

Remember a coating is only as good as how well you take care of your Truck.

Don't expect a coating to last for 1 or 2 years if you take your truck through a car wash.

The overall detail industry is still reviewing coatings. You will find people who love coatings and you will find people who don't believe in coatings.

As I started in the beginning of my post I am getting ready to test CarPro CQuartz UK soon, I will be testing this on my company car, at the same time I will be testing AMMO NYC paint regiment on my Tacoma.
I personally am a little concerned still about paint coatings as when the coating begins to fail how much coating is left that I need to polish off before I can re coat the paint.
The one thing I am going to do before applying a coating is measure the thickness of the paint before I apply the coating and measure the paint thickness after the coating is applied so I can gauge how much coating is applied and when I see that I need to recoat the coating I should be able to determine how much coating I need to remove to get down to the original paint.

One thing that I have been reading about CarPro is if you apply there coatings and you need to touch up a area or a complete panel you can polish with essence and apply additional coating as essence is a primer for their coatings. They currently are the only company that I know where you can do this.

As you can see there is a ton of information that you need to understand about coatings. So before I would make the leap into coatings I would highly recommend doing the research up front.

The detail community is really pushing coatings as it is a great way to make additional money when they do a detail + they can sell a maintenance package to maintain and maximize the life of the coating.

I hope I helped provide you with a little information about coatings, there is a ton of information out on the web about coatings and there are new coatings coming out every day.

My final word of advise is do the research so you become educated to make a informed decision and remember that no coating is going to last for ever.

 

Thank you for your input! I have a detail guy that I've been working with and will definitely consult with him before doing anything. However, I was looking for a more unbiased opinion and you guys have been great with the info.

 

Do you happen to know how much the annual "inspection " cost?

 

Not sure. Sorry man.