Picking up my star white 350 tomorrow. What are you guys typically doing for an initial detail and do you think a ceramic coating is worth it?

 

Took delivery of a new Highlander last spring and that got an iron decon, clay, light polish and Gyeon Syncro Evo ceramic coating. This was my first time applying a ceramic and I have been super impressed with the durability and the ease of maintenance and will absolutely be using ceramic moving forward. I used to do a lot of hobby detailing many years ago with whatever was the hot ***** at the time (Zaino, Klasse and lots of others) and the ceramic just blows that stuff out of the water.

I bought my F250 used right before winter so other than undercoating it and washing, it has not gotten much attention. Once the weather warms up then I'll do the same iron decon and clay steps, but it will need a few extra polishing steps. Once that is done I plan to use Gyeon MOHS Evo coating. Since it is white I don't think it will benefit much from the second step in the Syncro product.

I do have to say even with as much as I like the ceramic, that if I couldn't do the prep and coating myself I would have a hard time paying for a "professional" ceramic application. Usually the product they are applying has a higher SiO2 % and will be more durable than the consumer grade products, but you're mostly paying for a lot of labor to get the paint perfect before it is applied.

 

Following, dealer want to put on something called Ultimar coating for $699, the salesman said it was more of a Teflon coating, but I *Think* I'd be more interested in ceramic. I'll be following this with interest....

 

Paint correction (not needed), ceramic coat, PPF and full tint was the first thing I did to my truck when it came home a couple of years ago. It is also Star White and back in the day Zaino was about the only thing that would make white really stand out. Now ceramic performs better than Zaino ever did. While it was pretty spendy up front I figured it was worth it to keep the truck looking good for a long time. The higher the SiO2 content the more it will cost, but it lasts longer.FWIW I used Gloss It in Las Vegas.

bob

 

I would be skeptical of anything the dealer offers. Dealership protection pkgs are usual over priced underperforming products.

 

I will do this also when I receive the truck but I haven’t gotten into the ceramic game yet. I’m hearing there are different “levels” of ceramic. One place mentioned a 6 month ceramic, 12 month and a couple year. Different materials or heavier application??

 

Basically the longer lasting coatings have a higher concentration of active ingredients. Ive seen 5 and even 7 year coatings advertised. As far as I know, to be covered for that period of time requires some sort of upkeep and inspection periodically.

 

if you use a ceramic coating, you should change your washing products to make sure they wont break down the coating.

I used this on my 66 vw. and its ridiculously easy to clean now. BEADLOCK PRO Ceramic Paint Coating - 30ml Kit – SHINE SUPPLY

 

Honda, did you put it on yourself?

 

I did. Also did full paint correction, it was a body off resoration so it was pretty easy to do on a stripped down body with no handles, trim or moldings..


applying is very simple. back and forth with the applicator pad. let if flash, level off, etc. they have instructions, not to mention his instagram is full of tips and videos. Our trucks probably need the bigger kit.

 

I plan on doing my own. Will be using Adam's Polish products. Use them on my bikes, F150. I like how they apply, ease of use, long lasting.
YouTube for some great in depth how to videos. Search for Adam's Polish, and these two detailers have some great information, reviews.
In the YouTube search bar:
Pan The Organizer
IAMJOSHV

 

If you have someone else do the work be sure they know what they're doing and have a quality product. I had my 250 done, the guy came to my house to do it, looked good when he left but had to have him come back 3 times to correct issues that someone doing it for a living shouldn't need to do. I'm also not near as impressed as most others here so I am chalking it up to the person who did mine along with the product used. Luckily I paid half or even a third what others posting in this forum did, so I guess you get what you pay for. If you're doing it yourself its a bit of a pain to fix any screw ups and obviously the biggest part of your time is prep so I'd say go slow with the prep and do it right so you don't have to fix it in a few days when you notice something wasn't applied quite right. I won't be paying for ceramic on any new vehicles we purchase in the future, will stick with what's worked for all my previous vehicles the last 25 years, good ole wash and then wax twice a year.

 

Clay bar and Blackfire One Step with a short throw polisher and a 5" yellow fine polishing pad.

 

Waxing is a waste of time in almost every part of the country.

I would definitely ceramic coat it. Not all ceramic is created equal and most do it yourself kits are far inferior to quality ceramic. Ive never seen a new vehicle that DIDNT need paint protection. They ALL do.

Always decline what the dealership is doing for you. It's all junk.

Call Bob Moses Ceramic Coating. no one does more ceramic coating then them. GUARANTEED.

Bob Moses Ceramic Coating (bobmosescc.com)

Call the phoenix location and talk with them. If Matt is around, pick his brain for sure. This will be the best decision you made.

 

100% Ceramic coating! You can do it yourself, be prepared to be able to fix mistakes, and redo it every couple years, or have it pro done with a 10 year coating. A good applicator will make the paint perfect before applying it, and they have the proper booth to do it in to prevent dust contamination. Also PPF on the nose, especially if you have a painted bumper goes a long way to protecting the finish. I did my 2018 F-150 2 months after getting it with a full treatment, paint correction, PPF application and 4 years later looked as good as it did when I bought it. I bought a 2019 F-450 in Agate black and did the same thing, except the bumper, the bumper is trashed and needs to come off, be stripped and repainted, then PPF. I went all winter without a bath and when the weather was arm enough washed it, left a ring of dirt in the driveway and the paint glistened, shined and beaded up like the day I first did it. Paint is still slick too. I still have the bed to do though, it will take quite a bit of work, but worth every minute of it.