Has anyone ceramic coated their truck? Saw an F250 SD in the parking lot that looked great. Got talking with the owner who had it done. I don't know much about it but his truck did look good. Thanks

 

I did it to mine, myself.
The key to a good ceramic coating is the prep. Make sure the paint is as good as you could get it. Decontaminating the surface and polishing to the best finish you can achieve is critical.
Also, use a good coating... there are many out there but they are not all the same.

 

There are already a few threads on this subject. Use the search function and you will find a ton of information as well as opinions on various DIY and professional coatings. I’m a fan of AvalonKing UltraShield IX, a DIY product.

 

I went the easy way, I used the Mequiars Hybrid Ceramic wax, I went with the more traditional version liquid wax that you apply with a foam applicator, rather than just the spray on and dry version, although now that I have done it with the liquid I have been using the spray on when I finish washing version to keep it up.

I have to say, it goes on so easily, wipes off as easy, and the truck looks unbelievable. The rain now cleans the truck, I have rapid red and even after a few weeks without washing it and a few rain storms the color just pops. What is really amazing is that you can get it on the black plastic and it not only doesn't turn white, it actually puts the protective ceramic coating on the matt plastic, it gets a little shinier, and the water beads up on it like crazy. So I coated all my plastic with 303 UV protection and then coated it all with the hybrid creamic wax, it looks fantastic, hopefully this slows down the inevitable gray death that all these plastic seem to suffer. I also used it to wax my Retrax Pro tonneau cover, it is powder coated, pebble finished matt black, and it came out looking fantastic, and the water is beading up on it like crazy as well. I did mine about two months ago.

I have to say, I find this stuff amazing, and at $17 for a bottle, really easy application, and amazing results, I can't see why I would spend the appreciable money to have someone do it "professionally".

 

yup just had mine done
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ver-owned.html

 

I was looking for your thread. That truck looks awesome! Not in my budget, I'm still in the camp of giving it a full detail once or twice a year and keeping up with hand washes and waxing in between. If you want to keep the truck looking good and don't want to pony up for a ceramic coating, it's a lot of work!

 

Prep is key. Removing the factory orange peel and ceramic coating make our trucks POP. Coated my Ram last year, and will be coating my 250 in two weeks when I have some time. I will be using the DIY consumer grade Adam's. Very user friendly, flashes quickly and won't have to do it for 2-3 years. Commercial grade stuff completed by shops will last 4-6 years, hence why more expensive.

 

The "ceramic" spray and liquid wax is not really a good comparison to a true ceramic coating. In both cases like said by others, prep is the key, and that is where the bulk of the expense goes when having a professionally applied ceramic coating done.
They also differ in longevity and level of protection. The $17 liquid or spray "ceramic" products have ingredients that enable them to market the products as a "ceramic" product but are only going to last months, not years like a true ceramic coating.

Thats not to say they arent good and dont provide great results, as you have experienced they can give excellent results, but they do fall short in comparison to a pro grade ceramic coating.

 

Had mine done with Ceramic pro two years ago and it looks and acts like I just waxed it . No regrets spending the money !!

 

I used the Turtle wax brand, have the car wash, liquid wax, spray detail and spray wax.. Have done it on all 3 of my vehicles in sig block, and hit my daughters car too. I did a clay bar on them first, then washed and waxed.. They look good.. truck is silver, car is white, and wifes car is black and it turned out nice. Turtle wax also has a spray wax/detail for black vehicles that I bought...

 

What happens after a few years with the ceramic coating? Does it flake or just get dull? If you don't want to redo the ceramic coating can you apply wax over it like a non-coated truck or do you have to remove it somehow first.

 

iA full genuine ceramic gradually loses its effectiveness similar to a wax, but over a much longer period of time with a higher level of luster and protection. I know for the product that I used it has to be polished off. Not an easy process when it was only applied a few months prior. Don’t ask me how I know...

 

I had my 450 done right after I bought it and can’t recommend it highly enough. Bugs and dirt wash off easily and it lasts so much longer than traditional wax and polish. It isn’t cheap, but IMO, well worth the investment.