Ceramic Coating and/or Paint Protection Film?

Getting my first Taco delivered to the dealership soon and making final decisions about what will immediately get done to the truck. It’s hot here so tinting is a must. But I’m still unsure about ceramic coating and/or paint protection film... I would get them professionally installed.

I know they’re best to do when the truck is brand new, but I’ve never had either done, so I’ve done a lot of reading here on the forums about both. The general goal is to protect the truck and help ensure its longevity/value. Willing to pay for that, though if either/both of these aren’t a good value for the money, I’m happy to save my money for other things.

I live in Southern Arizona where the desert sun is intense, and I don’t have a garage or carport, so protection from UV/sun and elements feels important. I’ve never done any paint protection of any kind on a vehicle before, but I’ve always had white/light-color vehicles and they’ve held up pretty well. But my truck will be red, which seems like it needs more protection? From what I’ve read, the ceramic coating could really help with the UV protection. That’s the primary appeal of the ceramic coating - looks/convenience are secondary, but also intriguing.

Are there any downsides to ceramic coating? I know it’s not the miracle cure that some installers promise, but I’ve read that it keeps the paint looking great and makes washing an easier process, which would be helpful as honestly I just don’t wash my vehicles very often. Would dust still stick as much to the ceramic coating? It’s so dusty here, as soon as you wash a car, it’s covered again. Hence not washing often Lol

I’ve read that water spots are way worse with ceramic coating - which is a concern, given that my truck will also live out in the rain during monsoon season. Is there any chance the ceramic coating makes the truck look dirtier because of the rain and all the regular dust? Also, I’m sure this is sacrilege Lol but sometimes I use an automated car wash - would I be able to do that with the ceramic coating? Or maybe because of the coating, I wouldn’t really need to anyway, so it’s more of a moot point.

And then, if I understand correctly, paint protection film is about scratch and chip protection. I drive on dirt roads and highways, so lots of stuff flying up from the road. Wondering if it’s worth the investment to do paint protection film? And if so, I assume it’s better to go through a reputable local place than the dealership? Concerns are about how long it lasts and if it starts looking crappy and flaking off because to the dry air and heat of the desert.

Would appreciate any feedback, experience, or input you all have. Also, I tried searching for a thread on this - feel free to point me to a previous discussion if it exists and I somehow missed it.

Edit to add: I am planning to get whatever I choose done by professionals. I am, at best, a novice at detailing lol

 

I had my truck professionally glass coated by the simonize team before taking delivery at the toyota dealer. Imo, there is no downside except the cost. Its protected against all the elements plus sap, and bird poop which it gets plenty of. No paint chips yet either like i got on my tundra's hood and sides. I was told it never needs washing or waxing after its coated. A good rain storm wash's any of that crap away. So far it still looks great going on the 3rd year. As far as dirt roads i travel to, and back a total of 4 miles on my semi improved dirt road every time i take my truck to reach the asphalt highway. There's now lots of loose gravel where the town filled in some big muddy holes this spring. If i was going to get paint chips that would be a spot.

 

I park my truck in a garage every night, but I live in Texas and when I drive to work I don't have covered parking. Much like Arizona, the sun/heat can be a real mother. I had my taco ceramic coated a few months ago, back when I hit 1yrs old. It was my bday gift to the truck. It looks great and was worth the money I spent.

Just like you, I run my truck through the automated car wash. I did it before the ceramic coating and I've done it after. The water does roll off a lot faster when it rains or when I wash it. It helps it look cleaner longer and (seems to) dry faster.

Last week we had a major thunderstorm roll through my area. I was driving around in it so my truck was covered in rain. I parked the truck in the garage and the next day when I backed it out my neighbor saw me and said "I see you parked your truck inside so it wouldn't get wet!" I got out and looked, and I couldn't find any water, water spots or dirt on it.

Here's what it looked like RIGHT after I had it done:

 

Ceramic coating is awesome. I have PPF (front end) and ceramic on top. This is when it was done.

 

Absolutely no question PPF is way more durable than ceramic coating, but it also costs at least 2 times more.

I did ceramic coating twice on my truck. Took me 8 hours the second time because I did 2 stage cut polish.

I still have pin striping from wheeling but it’s very minor. Im sure it would’ve been worse without ceramic coating. It’s definitely not a miracle product but it works very well and can be applied yourself if you are experienced detailer.

If you want best paint protection than PPF Is your answer.

 

Looked into PPF as it is more protective than any coating but the cost is just insane and I couldn’t justify it. I went with a ceramic coating and had it professionally installed, it’s called IGL Kenzo and it’s been over two years now and still works as it should. Professional grade ceramic coatings are not sold to the general public and are only sold to certified detailers so anyone doing their own ceramic coatings at home are not getting the same professional product but a lesser diluted version I would assume. If professional ceramic coating is applied wrong and let cure the only way to remove it is with a wet sand or aggressive buff. To maintain the ceramic coating warranty you have to get it maintained and pay for a full detail from the place you got it done or another certified detailer of that product which is pretty pricey.

 

I recently took the plunge into ceramic coatings, did a 2 step cut and polish, applied Cquartz UK 3.0 (2 coats). After the time, effort, and letting the truck sit in the garage for 7 days to cure I can honestly say I am unimpressed so far. Long story short: For me, the cost of the coating, consumables, and the time required for curing is not worth the advantage that Cquartz gives over a good sealant and routine care that I already do.

Short story long:

I paid $28 for a bottle of Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze (HGSG) in 2010, I still have half a bottle of it.
I also Have the Klasse All-in-one (KAIO), similar price, still have plenty of it as well.
With those products I kept my previous vehicle looking damn near new after one 2 step polish in 2010. it only went to shit after becoming a money pit and I stopped caring.

I paid $90 for a 50ml Cquartz UK 3.0 kit, plus like $50 for carpro suede towels, another $20 or $30 for extra applicator towels, So it cost somewhere around $200 for the coating vs. like $60 for 2 of the best products (KAIO and HGSG) I have used. Which would be fine CQUK3.0 outperformed HGSG in the way that I expected.

Performance:
2 coats of HGSG gave me 8-12 months of protection easily, the application was wipe on/wipe off, and keep it dry for 8 hours. Wash and detail as normal and no problems, Water would not stick to the HGSG while driving (bone dry by 40mph) and sheeted very nicely. the surface felt very slick when clean.

2 coats of CQUK3.0 and a top coat of reload were easy to apply but required a minimum 24 hours with no rain/water to cure and 7 days to "fully cure". I did that despite the inconvenience. after the coating was cured, I noticed the paint did not have a slick feeling that I have come to expect After the 7 days were up I took the truck for a drive, parked in in the driveway for some rain and then took it for another drive, still had water droplets clinging to the hood at almost 70mph. and water spots are definitely an issue with the coating compared to the HGSG.

Washing:
HGSG was easy to maintain and dirt did stick to the HGSG similar to most other sealants or waxes.

CQUK3.0 is very impressive, after an initial pressure was with treated/filtered well water, I switch over to RODI water and a ph neutral shampoo. Not even thick shaving cream like foam wanted to stick to the coated surfaces and the wash was very easy. I then added another layer of Reload, still getting the same lame performance in rain. My gripe is that the coating requires dedicated products for maintenance washes to keep the coatings integrity, such as reset, and CarPro recommends Reload every 4-6 months, which seems to lessen the benefit of "less maintenance" that coatings are marketed with.

Conclusion:
If i were to start over again, I would save the money and go with HGSG and my normal methods of washing, boosting quick detailers, and not throwing away MF towels that I paid good money for.

 

I use this:

$16 Turtle Wax 53409 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating, Incredible Shine and Protection for Car Paint, Extreme Water Beading, Safe for Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, RV's and More, 16 oz. (Pack of 1)

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-53409-Solutions-Coating-16/dp/B07XYPS3PS

Super easy to use and both of my vehicles (Tacoma and Highlander) stay clean. Whatever dirt does get on the vehicle just rinses off with rain. You can use it on plastic too. I'll never go back to a normal "wax" product again. I did two coats on each vehicle (each coat about a day apart) and I've got more than half the container left over.

I didn't do anything special prior to application except ensure that the paint was clean and dry. I also found that spraying the product on a clean rag and using that as the applicator worked better than spraying it directly on the vehicle. My cost so far....$6 and my labor.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-white-tacomas-post-them-up.393669/page-474

 

^^^^This for the win^^^^
Follow directions - two coats and repeat yearly or more often.

 

Thanks, that’s helpful. Don’t think my dealership does the glass coating, so it won’t be as easy as your experience. I’m inquiring with local reputable places about options for ceramic coating and/or PPF.

 

This was super helpful, thank you. Do you have to do any specific detailing maintenance or anything to maintain it or maintain its warranty?

 

Looks good - and in the same color as my truck, so extra helpful for me. So, to clarify, you did some PPF just on the front end? And then ceramic afterward on the whole thing? I know PPF is really expensive so I’m wondering about just doing the front/the most critical parts. But then could I do the ceramic coating all over after that?

 

The detailer who did it for me, told me "Don't drive it through the drive-thru car washes and get it re-sealed in 2 - 3yrs." I had the guy do a wax/polish before he did the ceramic coating, and that got all the swirl marks out of the paint job. I'm going to get that done once a year from now on, and get the ceramic coating done as needed (maybe in 3yrs). For both stages combined I paid around $900.

 

I hear you on the expense of PPF being hard to justify. If I do it, I’d just do the front, most important parts of the car.

As far as ceramic coating, one of the local places I’m looking at offers “Ceramic Pro” or the IGL line, so this is really helpful, thank you. I definitely want to get everything done by professionals. I have no illusions about my own detailing ability and don’t want to mess with a brand new truck! I’ll make sure to ask about what’s required for the warranty. What have you had to do to maintain yours?

 

The warranty is honored as long as you go back annually for their maintenance package, they charge $250 and detail interior and exterior and look over the ceramic coating and may apply a top coat is what they said. I chose IGL just based on the reputation from people in the area but I had also looked into ceramic pro.

 

You might considering viewing youtuber Project Farm on this subject. You may find his results interesting. Not complicated to DIY.

Best Ceramic Spray Coating? Mothers vs Meguiars, Epic Elements, Adams, Ehtos Pro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYxKQwZah1s

 

There is a huge difference between store bought especially spray ceramic coatings and professional grade ceramic coatings. The retail versions are not as strong, not as hydrophobic, and degrade faster and easier than professional grade coatings.

 

If you haven't seen that video, I think you'll be surprised. That video is what got me to get the turtle wax hybrid solutions months ago and it's still going strong. Paying ~$100 for all the needed stuff (all the different wash chemicals, clay bar, etc) and DIY once a year isn't bad at all.

 

The turtle wax spray ceramic is great. But have to be realistic. It's not going to actually stay on for a year. Mine lasts about 3 months before needing another application. Which is way longer than the butter wax I was using before. I really like it.

 

Don't use the film it will yellow over time and look really bad. I removed mine and just use a great wax and now it looks so much better.