[ksoze]

Ceramic Pro just completed. Carbon Black. Looks better than when new (4 weeks ago).

[Tyresian]

Originally Posted by ksoze

Ceramic Pro just completed. Carbon Black. Looks better than when new (4 weeks ago).

I'm debating doing Ceramic Pro, which "level" did you go with, Bronze, Silver, or Gold? And what did it cost?

The closest detail shop that does Ceramic Pro quoted me at $1200 for Silver and $1700 for Gold. I can't stomach the $1700.

What pisses me off is he quoted my buddy 2 months ago on his Tesla Model 3 at $900 for Silver and $1600 for gold. Guess even with the 230 being cheaper and a coupe with less surface space there is still a BMW tax? (Being that both cars would be going in brand new)

[originalgoods13]

Originally Posted by ksoze

The fact that the ceramic coating can only be removed via wet sanding should say something about its function and durability compared to waxes.

I can remove it using a DA polish plus some mild cut like orange foam pad and some good product like Meguiar's 105 or Menzerna Fast Gloss.

Never_Enough , just do some research and it is really tough to weed through the BS or the Marketing Strategy some of these products offer. Do you ever wonder what the thickness of these coatings? It will not prevent swirls and scratches.

I am a detailer enthusiast and it pains me when people spend thousands of dollars on products and services when you can do it yourself with a good sealant like a $25 Menzerna Powerlock (my favorite) or Sonax Polymer Net Shield and an hour of your time.

Since your vehicle is new, I would wait until you're not satisfied with your paintwork before performing paint correction and spending copious amount of money on "ceramic" coatings. Ceramic is a marketing term most of these coatings advertise. Chemically, it is similar but won't coat your vehicle with a layer of ceramic glass you normally see with your naked eyes.

I bet if you place a vehicle with an expensive coating to one with a good quality wax or sealant, you would not be able to tell the difference.

I have seen worse where the vehicle is coated with paint protection film (PPF) like 3M or XPel or etc and apply ceramic coating ON TOP of the PPF.

It's a money grab, but hey, it sells.

[maniz]

I am a detailing nut and have a plethora of products and tools. I put a ceramic coating on my wife's SUV late last summer at the end of a 4-day detail. It looks fantastic and repels water very well. Although I still have 80% of the bottle left and my variable cost of putting it on the M4 would be $0, I didn't then, and still don't plan to do so. I just don't see the need.

You see, the only point of having a coating is to have a "set it and forget it" product. Once you install it, then for the life of it, any other product you put on top will affect its intended performance (water repellency, gloss, static charge etc.) which may or may not be a bad thing, but it can make the coating unnecessary IMO. You are stuck in the coating manufacturer's ecosystem for their sacrificial SiO2 layer an approved soap, rinseless wash, or QD. On my wife's SUV, that is fine as it is large and cumbersome to detail so the sped-up wash process made possible by the coating works well.

I for one, love detailing enough that the twice weekly detail on my car is better served by the other products in my ever-growing collection and the car's relatively smaller size makes it quick to detail regardless.

You can decide which direction you want to proceed in.

[Our03z4]

Mine is getting done next week. Wheels off, interior detail, windshield super cleaned and coated and 5 year product for $1050, takes 4 days. Worth it to me since I never wax my cars and it needs correction done. The guy sends pics throughout the process. He did my friends car and it looked pink before the process but now it's a hot red again.

[Greer]

I am about to get ceramic coating on my M5, any more feedback on this from you detail pros?

[omasou]

Originally Posted by TheRussski

You can get a cquarts for like $85 per bottle..that should last for couple years, you’re probably spend the same on wax

Once the bottle is open, it starts to crystallize, right?

[xander_g]

Worth every penny. I get compliments very often. Also, whenever my detailer works on my car, people always ask what type of wax it is lol.

[Our03z4]

Dropped the car off tonight, excited to see how it looks!

[quick]

If I could afford it, I would. The problem is the part of the country I live in, they charge high and do a crappy job.

Applying the ceramic coat is not an issue, the problem is the proper prep work, the paint correction.

I have since started correcting the paint on my black E55 myself and I am loving the process.

Below are the before and after picture and having done it once, i would have ordered a bit more cutting polish to have gotten the desired results but I am fairly happy with the results. It still needs a sealer/wax > more shine/reflection

[quick]

Some how it won't let me attach it to the other reply

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by quick

Some how it won't let me attach it to the other reply

Very nice work. A final glaze and a sealant or coating and you'll be set. If you don't mind doing the prep, I actually prefer a sealant for better optics. You'll have to redo it every year or so depending on conditions, but they look better than full ceramic coatings, more depth, less artificial looking. I've applied both, for my own, well cared for cars, a synthetic sealant is my favorite. For my mom or less careful folks, I'd do a coating.

[GenXer]

Paint correction and preparation are the most critical stage of ceramic coating. If you can do that yourself you'll save a bundle.

I just drive a cheap $40K Bimmer and don't feel the need to spend that kind of money that will not protect against, hail, dents, debris, rocks etc. I'm also a fan of drive through car wash which you can not do with ceramic coating. I've tried Meguiar's "fake" hybrid ceramic wax and I'm getting an excellent result. Most dirt seems to hose right off.

I did this as soon as I bought my car and even clay the paint to get it smooth before applying. I didn't do what the manufacture suggested. But actually sprayed the product onto an applicator and applied it on the paint then buff off and left to cure overnight in a garage.

[Sean750]

Applied ceramic coating on my f36, previously used wax.

Bugs at the front seems to wash off more easily and also dirt at the lower body panels, right next to the wheel arches, is less sticky and cleans off more easily.

Also, because you need to apply this once a year or every 2 year, the risk of slight scratching while buffing is less. It sounds strange but with 4 or 6 times waxing every year you increase the risk of fine scratches (a single grain of sand in your buffing pad is enough) visible through the reflection of sunlight.

Just my 2 cts.

[LuvMyE92]

Refreshing it is to read opinions here that differ so much from the cool-aid that one has to drink on Porsche forums (for example) where they swear by "ceramic coatings". For me, a lot of it is just marketing b.s., like those products that "nurture and replenish oils in the paint".

Originally Posted by cxp213

Also, it's not "permanent" but more semi-permanent as it does wear off over time.

I guess if there's one take away, it's that he mentions that the ceramic coating will need to be sanded down, which is almost never advertised and seldom mentioned by those selling ceramic coating.

I've always wondered about that...

Originally Posted by originalgoods13

Do you ever wonder what the thickness of these coatings? It will not prevent swirls and scratches.

Measured in microns, it won't prevent much of anything, you're right.

Originally Posted by originalgoods13

I bet if you place a vehicle with an expensive coating to one with a good quality wax or sealant, you would not be able to tell the difference.

And this has always been one of my thoughts as well; it's really all of that "correction" (which is another misnomer) and polishing that makes it look good, not the coating.

Originally Posted by Sean750

It sounds strange but with 4 or 6 times waxing every year you increase the risk of fine scratches

It doesn't sound strange at all. Any time you touch the paint, either with a brush, sponge, towel or even air, you are scratching it.

And while I'm on a rant, it's not paint correction, it's polishing. There is no "correction" going on. Real correction is wet sanding before the clear coat. Anything after that is simply polishing the clear.

[TXSTYLE]

I'm a diehard Detail Guy and have a Porter Cable and tons of Meguiar's products. I've owned several black cars, silver, red, and white. I've seen a few cars with this treatment and I've tried it on my trunk.
IMO, it's gimmicky. I'll stick with: Clay Bar and good ol CARNUBA Wax.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

I'm a diehard Detail Guy and have a Porter Cable and tons of Meguiar's products. I've owned several black cars, silver, red, and white. I've seen a few cars with this treatment and I've tried it on my trunk.
IMO, it's gimmicky. I'll stick with: Clay Bar and good ol CARNUBA Wax.

You know that real wax lasts days in our heat, right?

Carnauba wax/Melting point
179.6°F
82°C

Your car paint will get hotter than that in the sun just about any outing in the summer. Try a synthetic, it will actually provide some protection through our summer and your clay and polish will hold up longer.

[2015F31]

I just did both my wife's 228 i and my 328 i wagon. A full paint correction was done on both then I used 2 coats of DPC Shield on them. I should have 18 - 24 months of protection.

After my first wash on the wagon I used a 600 CFM blower to blow the water off the car. EVERY drop rolled right off with no streaks. I didn't touch a towel to the car and it was perfect.

If you have the time and energy, the DPC Shield is $40 a bottle and you can probably get 6 applications out of the bottle. I've been polishing my cars with a DA for 10+ years, so it was no issue doing a paint correction then applying the ceramic coating afterwards.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by 2015F31

I just did both my wife's 228 i and my 328 i wagon.

The cars look fabulous! Check back with us in 2 years and let us know how that treatment held up.

[omasou]

I purchased Gyeon Q2 Pure, Gyeon Q2 Rim and Gyeon Prep.

So far I have applied 2 coats of Gyeon Q2 Rim to a new set of BMW 763M rims. Being matte the inner barrels felt very rough/porous; obviously BMW didn't waste time buffing nor did I spend time "correcting". Anyway it seems to have "sealed" the barrels and hoping it will help cleaning. I'm very interested to see how much this really helps, especially since the metal flake from the brakes will melt into the finish. I'm also interested in how well it will hold up to Sonex wheel cleaner. The Gyeon Q2 Rim was super easy to apply, wipe on, wipe off. Not tacky, dust didn't stick in the product, nothing. If I can do this anyone can.

Once I get the car I plan to apply the Gyeon Q2 Pure. Hoping the car is as easy as the rims.

If it turns out to be snake oil, I'll only be out $150 for the ceramic products.

PS. I happened to be at the body shop the other day and ask them about ceramic coatings and surprisingly they gave them a thumbs up. Guess I'll see.

[pearlpower]

Paint protection and shine are like race cars and sex, every guy believes they are the best at it.

My treatment is either Cquartz or Nano Bond (cheaper) ceramic coating. 2 coats a day apart. Wait 1-2 hrs depending on weather, then Reload to protect. Cure 30 days, then 2 coats of Meguiar's Ultimate Wax for depth. Wait 1 week, then once a month spray and wipe of a combined Reload/H20 (50/50 mix) after a wash. Very deep and glossy. Again, for me this works, everyone has their own recipe. Generally you do not apply anything over a ceramic coat other than Reload or similar, but again I do it my way, care less what others think of it. And yes, I receive a ton of compliments. My X5M and F30 are the same red, which also stands out.

[New2Roundel]

I got the Jeep ceramic coated several months ago. So far so good. The vehicle is triple black (paint, wheels, interior) and after having several other black cars over the year, I was interested in trying out some options as opposed to just speculating on the value of something. IMO, I would know real quickly how effective ceramic coating is since even small imperfections are so visible on a black vehicle.

The caveat of sorts here is that since I realize that ceramic coating don't do much of anything against hardcore threats to paint, like rocks that get kicked up in the normal course of driving, I got the whole front of the Jeep PPF'd. The PPF and rest of the jeep also received a ceramic coating. My rationale for the ceramic coating was to put something on the jeep which will last several years to keep the paint looking fairly clean and resist (obviously not completely prevent) light scratches and provide a barrier for things like sap and bird droppings. And making the vehicle easy to clean is also a consideration.

I realize that ceramics are a temporary coating that is designed to sacrifice itself for things like road grime, bird droppings, etc. Obviously, if I felt the car was going to get pelted with these things, I probably would have just PPF'd the whole vehicle, but IMO, the occasional bird dropping or sap is just what this stuff protects from. I haven't really had sap or bird droppings to test out the durability with however---so I guess that's good. I have noticed that there are far far fewer microswirls after washing the car than I've seen over a similar time period with other black vehicles I've owned. We'll see how it goes.

Now, the BMW hasn't received nearly the same level of treatment since the paint was in worse shape than the Jeep. However, the BMW is garaged almost 100% of the time and isn't exposed to sun for very long. I have found that in this environment, the old school Menzerna FMJ works very well. Last time I applied this was several years ago and the car still beads up. I'm not someone who just buys products because they're new---so once I'm done with FMJ, I'll move up to something that's from the 21st century, lol. But for now, it does a great job.

The Jeep gets stored outside and the BMW gets the garage spot. Neither is daily driven, since I don't drive daily (or really ever for work), so it will be interesting to see if the ceramic lasts as long as I've been told (4-5 yrs if "we cared for").