Ceramic Coating For Your Car, Is it Worth the Price?

[VonSlingshot]

Originally Posted by SG56

I've had it done, would never do it again.

Google how to remove it...

It is not true that dirt doesn't stick to it.
touchless wash system won't get ANYTHING off of it.

it's not any shinier than a new car.

we do wraps and ppf and i didn't want either on my 911.
i wish i had done my research before i was sold the coating.

i'd rather wash every week, and polish once or twice a year. nope. never again.

oh, i managed to make nice scratches too, trying to wash off something. yes, my bad, but i think i scratched the actual coating. will try to fix that in the next day or two.

never. again.

+1
I had my Audi done with 9H as well as my wife’s Mazda.
If you enjoy washing your car, ceramic treatment makes the regular wash ever so slightly faster but those commercials are complete BS

Won’t ever do again.
Huge amount of cash flushed. I could have bought a lifetime supply of chemical guys detailing products for the cost paid for 2 vehicles treated.

[Zakalwe]

Car detailing is a hobby of mine. I enjoy giving my car the full treatment every few weeks and I know how quickly paint can pick up minor imperfections.

My personal take, backed up by no evidence whatsoever, is that the coating I had applied to my current car, which was new from factory, has made it both easier to wash and also easier to keep the paint pristine.

I've had my car two years and there is barely a swirl on it. Either that's because I'm an excellent detailer (disclaimer: I'm not) or the ceramic layer has helped in that regard. I will note for the record that every time I've detailed the car I use a silicone based sealant (CarPro Reload) as the last stage product, which has probably helped top up and enhance the protection gained from the original coating. If you don't take care of the paintwork properly then the benefit of a coating is lessened.

I will certainly get my next car coated. If you're not bothered about swirling or if you don't detail your own car, then YMMV about the value. It is expensive.

[Yoda_Eating_Pizza]

Originally Posted by beshannon

When I hang my watch out the window for 40-50K miles then I will protect my watch

I saw this on the freeway a couple of months ago. A fella was dangling his left arm with an unmistakable YG President bracelet, out the open window of his 750i.

I couldn't tell if he put tape or stickers on it, though.

[superdog]

I’ve found it is MUCH easier to clean.

For that alone it’s worth it. Spray, wipe, pristine.

Mine was recently all done before it came home from the dealership. For no swirls...priceless

[RichM]

I’ve had my last two new cars done. My current car was done with Gtechniq.

I still hand wash using the two bucket method and use my electric leaf blower to dry it. The best part is when I’m done with the wash, I’m done. The paint is super glossy and swirl free.

During the winter I washed it twice in the garage using Optima No Rinse. Still no swirls. I swear by it.

[rmlovett1]

It is a great addition to the ppf that was on my F car when I purchased it. Ease of cleaning was a great benefit, but being garage kept, not sur of the benefits outside of that.
I just had ppf put on my F-250 and plan on the C coating soon. I’m actually having the C coat put on the wheels this week, as this vehicle is outside.

[JasoninDenver]

I did CQ Quartz pro on my Audi Q5 five years ago. It is still going strong with beading with only annual refreshes of a touch up spray despite heavy road grime in Colorado winters. About a year in, a car detailing wash service put horrible swirls in. The CQ installer said it just hit the nano tech layer so wait until I do it again. It should clay out swirls and restore the original clear coat before another application.

I would not hesitate to do it on any behicle I wanted to keep more than 4-5 years.

[Dyim]

All my vehicles are naked.

[PJ S]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

...
About a year in, a car detailing wash service put horrible swirls in. The CQ installer said it just hit the nano tech layer so wait until I do it again. It should clay out swirls and restore the original clear coat before another application.
...

If the poor washing compromised the coating, then it’s highly likely to have gone through to the clearcoat too.
The only way to fix it is to sand the coating off, polish the clearcoat again, then re-apply the coating.
As for the clay bar – it removes embedded contaminants, such as brake dust, from paintwork, but won’t do a thing on swirl marks, which are scratches of varying severity.