DIY ceramic coat worth it and how?

[MoparFin]

I have just recently been reading about ceramic coating. I have seen some of the DIY kits and was wondering if they are any good? I don't have 2k laying around that I can go have someone do my truck for me. Are the $80-100 kits worth it? What is the process? What products would you guys recommend?

I have a 2018 Express, Brilliant Black pearl, blackout package.

 

[S0CAL]

@quietpeen just did his -- it is amazing. @AdamsPolishes is what he used. I am going to do my wheels first and then look at doing my rig. I believe AdamsPolishes is 9H hardener.

 

[Kinetic]

Which one specifically are you considering using? They're not all created equally and the prep is very important to it's longevity so don't skimp on that portion of it. Also remember that most if not all coatings require at least 24 to 48 hours of cure time before they can get wet and about a week before you can wash it, so keep that in mind as well.

 

[quietpeen]

@quietpeen just did his -- it is amazing. @AdamsPolishes is what he used. I am going to do my wheels first and then look at doing my rig. I believe AdamsPolishes is 9H hardener.

I did just do mine Prep is the biggest part. You want to paint correct the whole truck the best you can because once you apply the ceramic all imperfections are "locked" in. I did the work over a about a week(not working on it every day) but i do have over 20 hours into it. My process was wash, clay bar, 3 step paint correction, decontaminate, apply ceramic coating, and lastly apply Ceramic boost. I basically used all Adams Polishes products. I can not comment on longevity of the Adams ceramic coating because it hasn't been on 2 weeks yet. However I have been a user of Adams products for years now and highly recommend it. So far the truck looks amazing and the ceramic coating appears to be just as hydrophobic as the Ceramic Pro that I paid to have installed on my Charger.

 

[MoparFin]

Which one specifically are you considering using? They're not all created equally and the prep is very important to it's longevity so don't skimp on that portion of it. Also remember that most if not all coatings require at least 24 to 48 hours of cure time before they can get wet and about a week before you can wash it, so keep that in mind as well.

Not really sure...open to suggestions! The 24-48 hours cure may be a problem though, cause I do not have a garage right now.

I did just do mine Prep is the biggest part. You want to paint correct the whole truck the best you can because once you apply the ceramic all imperfections are "locked" in. I did the work over a about a week(not working on it every day) but i do have over 20 hours into it. My process was wash, clay bar, 3 step paint correction, decontaminate, apply ceramic coating, and lastly apply Ceramic boost. I basically used all Adams Polishes products. I can not comment on longevity of the Adams ceramic coating because it hasn't been on 2 weeks yet. However I have been a user of Adams products for years now and highly recommend it. So far the truck looks amazing and the ceramic coating appears to be just as hydrophobic as the Ceramic Pro that I paid to have installed on my Charger.

What is involved in the paint correction and decontaminate? I have a Charger also, 2012 SE with 120k on it. We drive a lot, LOL

 

[Kinetic]

Not really sure...open to suggestions! The 24-48 hours cure may be a problem though, cause I do not have a garage right now.



What is involved in the paint correction and decontaminate?

There are products like Reload that will help mitigate your situation and prevent water spots during the curing time.

Paint correction is the polishing and compounding to remove swirls and scratches from the paint to prepare a perfect as possible foundation for the coating. Decontamination is the process of removing contaminants from the paint that would otherwise cause the coating to not bond well with the paint, causing it to not last as long as it possibly could. This includes claying, products like Iron-X, and removing any polishing oils with rubbing alcohol or products like Eraser. You would decontaminate the paint first, then polish, then remove the polishing oils, then apply the coating. It's a long process but worth it.

 

[quietpeen]

Not really sure...open to suggestions! The 24-48 hours cure may be a problem though, cause I do not have a garage right now.



What is involved in the paint correction and decontaminate? I have a Charger also, 2012 SE with 120k on it. We drive a lot, LOL

the paint correction is starting off wtih clay bar then using a correcting compound to get as many of the imperfections out of the paint.....scratches, swirl marks etc. Next step is a less aggressive cleaning polish followed by a round of polish. the decontamination is just a spray to get all left over polish, oils, etc. off the paint so its clean for the ceramic to bond(It's basically spray on wipe off)

 

[MoparFin]

the paint correction is starting off wtih clay bar then using a correcting compound to get as many of the imperfections out of the paint.....scratches, swirl marks etc. Next step is a less aggressive cleaning polish followed by a round of polish. the decontamination is just a spray to get all left over polish, oils, etc. off the paint so its clean for the ceramic to bond(It's basically spray on wipe off)

Machine or by hand?

 

[quietpeen]

Machine or by hand?

machine.....I have a porter cable random orbital

 

[Pull Ya]

While all this prep sounds like a lot of work--and it is--the importance of these steps can not be overemphasized. It is more important than the doing the coating itself!!!!! If you try to short cut the process your results are going to be disappointing. IMHO this is why you pay so much for a ceramic coating job---the preparation--while the coatings themselves ain't cheap to buy--the time preparing the surface is the most time consuming. Look at the results that "quietpeen" posted if you want an example of how to do it correctly!
Jay

 

[quietpeen]

While all this prep sounds like a lot of work--and it is--the importance of these steps can not be overemphasized. It is more important than the doing the coating itself!!!!! If you try to short cut the process your results are going to be disappointing. IMHO this is why you pay so much for a ceramic coating job---the preparation--while the coatings themselves ain't cheap to buy--the time preparing the surface is the most time consuming. Look at the results that "quietpeen" posted if you want an example of how to do it correctly!
Jay

This and I’m not going to lie and say I got every scratch out because I didn’t, but I did make them a lot less noticeable. Also I got rid of all the little scratches and any swirl marks

 

[MoparFin]

Its brand new, bought it with 10 miles on it although I have 2k on it already, so its pretty limited on scratches and swirls. I have only washed it once actually.

 

[quietpeen]

Its brand new, bought it with 10 miles on it although I have 2k on it already, so its pretty limited on scratches and swirls. I have only washed it once actually.

That helps but under a good light you will most likely see more imperfections than you think.

 

[MoparFin]

How is this one? Friend of mine used it on his Mercedes and recommended it.

https://www.amazon.com/CarPro-Cquar...33313040&sr=8-3&keywords=cquk+ceramic+coating

 

[MoparFin]

Found a local guy that said it would be about 700-800 for just the paint to be coated with McKee's 37 products. extra $100 each for glass and wheels. Thoughts?

 

[quietpeen]

How is this one? Friend of mine used it on his Mercedes and recommended it.

https://www.amazon.com/CarPro-Cquar...33313040&sr=8-3&keywords=cquk+ceramic+coating

cquartz is on of the more popular brands.

 

[quietpeen]

Found a local guy that said it would be about 700-800 for just the paint to be coated with McKee's 37 products. extra $100 each for glass and wheels. Thoughts?

to me that is too much for a DIY ceramic coating. After you add in the windows and wheels you are at $1200 for a possibly 2 year coating. My car has a 5 year warranty with professional level ceramic and it didn't cost much more than that.

 

[MoparFin]

to me that is too much for a DIY ceramic coating. After you add in the windows and wheels you are at $1200 for a possibly 2 year coating. My car has a 5 year warranty with professional level ceramic and it didn't cost much more than that.

Guess I could have wrote that better. $100 for all 4 wheels, $100 for glass. Then 700-800 for the paint. He said its a 3 yr. Mckee's 37 is a DIY product?

 

[quietpeen]

Guess I could have wrote that better. $100 for all 4 wheels, $100 for glass. Then 700-800 for the paint. He said its a 3 yr. Mckee's 37 is a DIY product?

From what I see it is.....it can be bought on Amazon.

Honestly only you can answer how much money spent is worth it to you. What is your time and effort worth in dollar value say twice a year for 3 years cleaning, polishing and waxing your truck(maybe more being black)?

 

[MoparFin]

So here's my thinking. I have back problems, washing a vehicle is now pretty hard for me, especially one this tall. Its either cut the grass or wash A car for one day, cause after either, I am done for at least the rest of the day. I have 2 cars to maintain. So, for the most part, my vehicles get washed in the automatic car wash near my house, no touch. I will take a chamois to it when I get home to remove any water spots etc.

Anything I can do to make it easier to keep clean and look nice, I would like to do. So, my choice is spend a bunch of money to have someone do the ceramic coat or suck it up for a weekend and do it myself. I am leaning towards doing it myself because of the cost. It will be a whole lot easier to get my wife to let me spend $90-100 even $160 to do it myself than spending a grand.

Normally I will wax my vehicles every other month. How much after care if there with ceramic?