Ceramic Coating - worth it?
 

I've read most of the ceramic coating threads that I could find on here, but I'm still on the fence about spending the money. Is ceramic coating truly worth the cost?

I talked to a local shop who said their product is "a 10h on the hardness scale making it as hard as a diamond once cured." He also said it requires sandpaper to be removed, unlike opti-coat ,Ceramic pro , and CQuartz "which all can be removed with compounding with a polisher" (his words). Comes with a 9 year warranty. The quote was $2700 for a CCSB. Truck is brand new, so I imagine prep would be very little.

Is that price in line with what others have paid?

That's a big pill to swallow for sure. I thought about doing the Ceramic Pro on mine, couldn't justify the >$2,000 CAD cost...did a CarPro Essence sealer instead. I do a clay, polish and wax twice a year...good enough for me.

I'd like to know how they are holding up on our trucks. I shopped around and decided to hold off for now. You can purchase the ceramic coat kits and install it yourself to same some money. Have them perform the paint correction and follow the steps for installing the ceramic coat.

When I was shopping around I was quoted $2500 initially, I said "Hell No!!", he called me back with a "Better Quote" and he said $1700. A lot of the money is charged for the labor. Most of the kits that I saw were less than $300.

I wax my truck roughly 3 times/year using a can of wax that probably lasts a couple of years at a cost of ~$25. After almost 6 years old the paint still looks like new.


If I had a painted front bumper I would consider it on the bumper only.

So I've been doing research on ceramic coatings for just about a year now. I plan on getting a 2019 black Lariat and I want to keep the paint swirl free and looking new for a decade. What I've learned is that it is a great product that can produce great results. It will not last a fraction of the time the installers tell you it will, and you will literally pay 30 times more for someone to apply than doing it yourself.

As far as the longevity, it depends on 1,000 factors, but it won't last the 5 - 10 years that installers claim unless you're using the greatest product in the world and the car never leaves the garage. I would expect to get a solid year to year and a half out of a coating for how we use our trucks that are kept outside and in the elements as long as they're washed regularly and have a booster or maintainer applied every now and then.

As far as price, you can get Gyeon Mohs for under $90 and apply it yourself. It's easier than applying a wax. There are also boosters and maintenance products that will enhance the gloss and longevity of the product.

Disclaimer: All of this information is knowledge I've gather over a year of researching. I have not actually applied a ceramic coating myself and have not tested the longevity on my vehicle first hand.

If you want some good information on top level detail products check out Esoteric Car Care channel on YouTube. Great products and great information from guys who detail the rarest and most expensive cars in the world.

i say if you have a garage to keep your truck in for a few days so it can cure properly then i would suggest saving a few bucks and do it yourself. Ive seen a few how to vids on YouTube about the stuff. Either way you go about it, make sure post some before and after pics!

I looked into Ceramic Pro, it was a lot of money, needs yearly maintenance to maintain the warranty which was a lot of money and it was "suggested" not to go through car washes, if this stuff is so great why do I need yearly maintenance and why should a car wash hurt it, seems like snake oil to me, at least for the prices around my area. I wax regularly using spray wax which is super easy and so far she still looks like new

What would it cost to repaint the places the ceramic coating would protect? I suspect less than $2,700.

I am very happy with my cquartz after 3 years. Water still beads, super easy to wash/dry. I would recommend it to anyone and will have it on all my vehicles. However the price for a pro to do it is outrageous. I bought the product for $50, did all the prep and application myself. That's my suggestion. Plenty of videos on YouTube explaining it.

I had it done to both of my trucks. My DW F150, and my F350. It really looks like it's freshly waxed every time it gets washed. I only use the cheapo wash without all the extra's and its awesome. On the big truck I had the windows done, and am wanting to get the wheels done to keep the brake dust down to a minimum. We had a heat wave last weekend (had 38 degree temps) so I made the DW take them both to the carwash to get the salt off, and like I said, still look brand new. I think I only paid about $1000, but I am in Central Iowa, and things seem a lot cheaper here than other areas, and the guy that does it, I have known since high school, and he is the leading Auto Detailer in Des Moines. If anyone wants it done, and is around here. I would for SURE recommend him.
My 2cents
Casey

That's some really great insight. Supposedly, the coating I'm looking at has a 9 year warranty with no required maintenance or fee. Therefore, if it breaks down before then, I would expect a new application. So, I'm thinking of it as $2700/9 years = $300/year. If you're buying the materials yourself for under $100, but reapplying annually, then the extra cost for my time could potentially be justified.

Buddy has his 5th Gen 4Runner done for a whopping $800 and it looks amazing. I got a quote for my truck and he said $1800. I am considering it, but other mods keep taking precedent lol.

Ah
 

not worth it. Do it your self our just pay person to wax your truck twice a year. Just a way getting people away from their money. I was once a year and my two trucks look great. 2000 GRAND sound like snake oil

Your math and logic make perfect sense and I agree that would be the best deal, but I guarantee you it will not last 9 years and hopefully your applicator will still be around and will honor the warranty when it needs to be redone.

Your price is on point with what I see most places. I couldn't be happier with having it done on my truck. Its black so makes a big difference. In my opinion those of you that are trying to justify the cost are missing the point.

You can get the ceramic coating done - immediately and for the next 2-3 years your truck has a spectacular finish to it. No swirl marks, cleans easier and stays clean longer.

You can wax your car every 3 months and spend less money. Waxing your car in the long term is bad for the paint. Paint and Clear Coat is only so thick. Also in-between waxes your trucks finish isn't going to be perfect.

Lastly you can get things repainted. An entire truck is going to cost tons of money (more than ceramic coating) to get redone. This paint job likely isn't going to be as perfect as the factory job unless you are spending 10k plus.

The purpose and point of ceramic coating is you are basically adding a new clear coat layer to your vehicle. You can get it redone over and over and over and never worry about affecting your paint. In between the 2-3 years of re-coats your truck will always look smooth and swirl free. Your truck stays cleaner longer and when you do clean it, cleans off a lot easier.

You aren't paying to have ceramic coating done as an alternative to not waxing or repainting something. You're having ceramic coating done to have a smooth and clear finish day in and day out. To lengthen the life of your factory paint.