Ceramic Coating??

Hey Guys!

I'm new to the Tacoma community and just bought a 2019 TRD Pro! I was wondering if any of you had used a ceramic coating on yours and if so, could you share your experience.

Appreciate it!

 

Yep. I have used 3 different coatings on 5 different vehicles. Highly recommend ceramic over a sealant or wax.

 

Just applied optimum gloss coat to mine this last Sunday. Looks great, will know how long it lasts with time.

 

I have been wondering this myself. I have the opportunity to get the Ardex stuff at a good price. Just curious as to what I would be getting myself into. I detailed vehicle professionally for years but got out long before this stuff came out. For those of you that have done it yourselves, what are your thoughts?

 

Never heard of Ardex but from the products I have used they are just as easy to apply as a sealant. They are pretty much a wipe on wipe off application.

 

It's this stuff. A friend of mine is a dealer for ardex. Says this stuff is great. Sent me a couple application videos, does look like its a wipe on and wipe off product.

http://registerautodetail.com/ceramic-coating.html

 

I have never used a permanent coating before.....

 

This thread sounds like an ad for Ardex. But still interested in seeing results.

@Murphinator your truck looks $.

 

I used Cquartz UK 3.0 on my 4Runner. I am very impressed with it.

 

Thank you! I know other ceramics are easy to apply also, but I like optimum products and gloss coat is so damn easy. Makes sense for me because I use their no rinse and other products and they all work together supposedly. I will find out soon enough how durable it holds up. Hardest part of install was polishing my paint. I don’t know if it’s all the layers of products I have used in the past but it was very difficult to get any correction done on it. I left most of the pin striping out of frustration, but they aren’t as easily noticed now which is good.

 

I like Gloss Coat a lot. Used it on 3 different vehicles. Good results.

What polisher/compound/pad setup were you using? Tacoma’s have relatively soft paint.

 

I have two griots polishers, one is a standard 8 mm throw and a 15 mm throw. Both with 5” vented/cross drilled backing plates.

So I started with lake country orange pad (waffle pad). I tried optimum hyper polish, then I tried a chemical guys polish, no cut and the paint wasn’t very clear either.
I moved to a wool pad, same results, so I tried a MF pad and same results. I then tried an aggressive yellow pad, still nada.
I ended up using griots “fast correcting creme” which is their most aggressive in their boss system, with the lake country orange pad, and I was finally able to get some clarity out of the paint. It didn’t remove as many defects as I wanted, but I was already committed to finishing gloss coat that day. I knew I should have restocked some m105/205. I just hate how much they dust so I try not to use them. I had good success before with m205 and an orange foam pad.

I really have no clue why the paint was being so stubborn. I was in my garage and paint temps were ~75 degrees and the polisher was heating it up to around 85 which is an acceptable margin I believe.

 

Cquartz UK 3.0.

 

I'm pretty satisfied with CarPro CQuarts UK 3.0. Easy on, easy off. Great durability and shine.