Looking to get ceramic coating

[BigTex13]

FlashBack from Dallas Paint Correction is an easy to use coating with a long dwell time so it is very forgiving with install and is easy to use in hot and/or humid temperature.

DPC Flash-Back Paint Coating - 50ml

[email protected]

dpcdetailing.com

 

[sixracer]

I get that the DiY is a good deal but you all need to factor in the effort to DiY it. I used to detail the hell out of my cars when I was single. Now between kids soccer games, other hobbies, and honey-dos I see why some - including me - pay for the service.

Having wax undercoating and ceramic done next week on my 2024 PW.

 

[bcbouy]

i just did my powerwagon and the wifes tesla.i didn't bother with paint correction.the truck is 4 years old and is showing that it's used as a truck,and the wifes car is almost new.i did them both myself.2k? not a chance.it's very simple to diy.it just takes some time.wash with a good quality neutral soap,clay bar,wipe down with mineral spirits and apply the coating.so worth doing.just a couple days ago the cars were covered in road grime.just a quick powerwash with just water and the grime slid right off.great in winter when it isn't worth soap/wax washing.

 

[Treburkulosis]

14 months in on Undrdog Pro+ here. Excuse the dirty garage its been a busy week detailing.

 

[markabby]

Just got a quote for $2k for a 2500 bighorn for a “level 2” ceramic coating. Dude really didn’t seem like he wanted to talk to me but may be he was busy? There’s what’s included. Is this reasonable, what should I ask? Also it has a 5 year warranty whatever that means he didn’t really speak much smh

that process is about right before they apply the ceramic coating. I've checked places near me and that similar to whaat they tell me they have to do. However, you can always tell a vehicle that was treated...they do look nice.

Never had mine done, what i didn't like was they would tell your insurance company that you have a ceramic coating now. To me, it would be just another means for them to raise your rates.

My second thought was why would i want to spend 1.5k to 2k just to trade it in or sell to someone else? Would i ever recover that money? My wife has trained me to be a cheapskate over the years.

But, i think some of thee other posts about doing it yourself was a good idea.

 

[nlambert182]

There's a BIG difference in a DIY ceramic coat kit vs having a professional do it. I have a friend that owns a detailing business here in town and he does the 5 year coating on these trucks for ~$2k.

That $2k covers a few additional things (including a lot of labor) that most DIY coatings and spray's don't.

Decontamination, paint correction, etc...
GTechniq pro ceramic coating (5-yr)
A full owner maintenance kit (includes wash, ceramic spray, etc...)
A yearly free maintenance wash, inspection, and touch up (if necessary) for the 5 year period, and always includes another maintenance kit.

$2k seems like a lot, but I've seen this coating in action on my boss' Porsche and that thing looks brand new even after rain. He's in year 4 and nothing sticks to it. I've done the ceramic sprays, etc... and water and debris doesn't leave the paint the same way even if I try it right afterwards. I'm not paying for it on my Ram but I have considered it on her Armada.

I may coat hers myself, but I also have the expectation that it will not be of the same quality as a professional coating. But... likely good enough for my needs.

 

[BigTex13]

Keep in mind too that regardless of who puts on the coating, DIY or Pro, if you do not maintain the coating with regular washing and dedicated toppers the coating likely wont last for the advertised length of time.

 

[Treburkulosis]

There's a BIG difference in a DIY ceramic coat kit vs having a professional do it. I have a friend that owns a detailing business here in town and he does the 5 year coating on these trucks for ~$2k.

That $2k covers a few additional things (including a lot of labor) that most DIY coatings and spray's don't.

Decontamination, paint correction, etc...
GTechniq pro ceramic coating (5-yr)
A full owner maintenance kit (includes wash, ceramic spray, etc...)
A yearly free maintenance wash, inspection, and touch up (if necessary) for the 5 year period, and always includes another maintenance kit.

$2k seems like a lot, but I've seen this coating in action on my boss' Porsche and that thing looks brand new even after rain. He's in year 4 and nothing sticks to it. I've done the ceramic sprays, etc... and water and debris doesn't leave the paint the same way even if I try it right afterwards. I'm not paying for it on my Ram but I have considered it on her Armada.

I may coat hers myself, but I also have the expectation that it will not be of the same quality as a professional coating. But... likely good enough for my needs.

You also get a quality product as well. Us detailers wont use the joe blow coating on amazon. We have to put our name on it so we will use a very good product. The coating only locks in what is underneath it. So if you don’t don’t do paint correction you are going to see all of the scratches and swirls. It costs only due to the hours we spend getting it right. I have had panels fight me for hours. Doesn’t matter my price is my price. The really good ceramic coatings that we use are several hundred dollars per bottle. If you have ever put on a real ceramic coating Cquartz Professional, Cquartz Finest Reserve, or any Modesta coating it’s not easy and it takes so much time. You basically dedicate a day to just that. Yes, you are right things like rain run off like crazy. It can be filthy and still look clean. If you do not wash it correctly and maintain it with maintenance spray it will fail quickly. Coating is just like your skin and the spray is its lotion. Like your skin if you let it get dry it cracks and fails. Its the same thing with your coating. Let it get dry and it will fail. Then its the age old question. Does the coating actually last what is advertised or is it the spray that has SI02 in that keeps it looking like its still working…

 

[nlambert182]

I used to have a side business detailing at the same time my friend that I mentioned above did. I chose to get out of it to focus on my career and the kids while he turned it into a massive business. He is well known in the industry now, and while I don't keep up with the industry like I used to, I believe 100% that if he says it works and it isn't the same, that it isn't.

 

[Treburkulosis]

I used to have a side business detailing at the same time my friend that I mentioned above did. I chose to get out of it to focus on my career and the kids while he turned it into a massive business. He is well known in the industry now, and while I don't keep up with the industry like I used to, I believe 100% that if he says it works and it isn't the same, that it isn't.

100% agree here. Meguiars and Chemical Guys sold out. I was really sad when Meguiars followed the CG idea. I still use 105 and 205. I was using 101 until it was discontinued on a very hush level in 2023. Only certain people knew and I was one of them. The industry is always evolving. I use one Meguiars product regularly and I have for 23 years now. M40 has never changed since it was introduced. I just ordered another gallon of it. My go to products are Koch Chemie mainly for compounds, certain cleaners, and their glass cleaners are the best. I do offer their Ceramic Coating C0.02 which was what was on my ram and is on my Camaro. I use Angel wax as well I just removed some really deep scratches out my wifes Jeep last week. Undrdog for my Water Spot Remover, Iron Remover, Quick Detailer, Elixir for my non coated cars, and there coatings for my clients that want an excellent coating, but are new to the coating game. Carpro for most of my Ceramic Coatings. Professional, Finest Reserve. I also love a lot of there cleaning products as well. Then there is the all mighty Shine Supply. Either you know them or you don’t Jeremey is a great guy. Like Undrdog its a family run business. He has some of the best products on the market. I would say 75% of my detailing cabinet is this company. Its excellent. Prices are great and their soaps are great and are the best price.

 

[nlambert182]

I use a lot of Shiner's (not Shine Supply) because they're a locally owned/manufactured product. I've always had good luck with those. They don't make a ceramic coating though.... too bad. Their other stuff has been great over the years.

I use Meguiar's to wash my camper though. Does fine for that purpose. One that I don't like at all is Griot's. For whatever reason it doesn't seem to do anything in terms of foaming or actually cleaning.

 

[Jas34]

Every time I park at a Walmart and spend time at my cabin on a dirt road I'm happy I just wax mine . No paint correction, no expensive 2k coatings, no dealership paint sealer rip-offs...just a wax job now and then (and I never buy black vehicles...I did have one once and one of my horses tasted every panel on the truck the week after we brought it home. Black vehicles are just bad luck).

That said, I am very good with a buffer and use an orbital to lay down wax on some of my toys, like my 35' sailboat and my camper trailer, but I've never been too picky on the cars. Everything we have looks like some shade of brand new most of the time so I'm not changing up my old habits anytime soon.

And for the detailers, my post isn't meant to insult you. I get it that people love to part with their money for a great looking vehicle. That's another ball game, and you have to provide a great service for your customers. At that level, product matters and labor is expensive. I'm just cheap, and do things myself. My vehicles wouldn't look noticably better if I changed up what I do or spent the big bucks on coatings to put on myself.

 

[nlambert182]

I'm with you for the most part. Even though I have all of the gear and used to do it... I just wax my Ram, and not nearly as often as I should. I may do some minimal paint correction if necessary but I tend to just stick with white vehicles and some good wax.

But I do try to keep my wife's car tip top shape for her and in all honesty some of that is so that I have to tend to it less. Wax works fine for me because I stay on top of it but for her.... anything to make my job less painful is a win.

 

[Buddy]

A large % of vehicle owners put fuel in their rides and every once in awhile go through a drivethrough car wash. They get the deluxe with 3 soaps and wax and that is their detail. I admire anyone that puts time to their ride. Wash and wax? Thats good enough and anything beyond that is all a plus. I am deep into it, but it's my hobby. Some have golf, or whatever, I dove into detailing. But I say good on anyone willing to wax and beyond.

 

[nlambert182]

I do it from a resale perspective. Let's be honest... very few keep a vehicle forever. My goal is to recoup as much of my money as possible if/when the time comes to get rid of it. Keeping a clean and well maintained vehicle keeps resale value up.

Wife's grandfather used to be a used car dealer. He once had a blue Ford Ranger that was a fantastic little truck mechanically, but the paint was starting to show some light oxidation, the carpet and seats had a few stains, and his "wash guy" just covered everything in slimy Armor-All. For 2 months he couldn't sell the truck and had a really reasonable price on it.

When he said he just couldn't sell it, I took it home and over the course of a weekend cut, polished, and waxed the paint, removed the upholstery stains, and then actually cleaned and protected all of the plastics with a quality product. The truck looked as close to new as I could get it. The interior looked almost brand new. He sold it on Tuesday for full asking price. After that, I became his cleanup guy on the side until he passed away.

Any time I've ever taken a vehicle in to sell, trade, etc... I've always gotten compliments on how it doesn't look used. Some take their vehicles in dirty and expect that the dealer or a private party doesn't "really" care because it will clean up. It's the first thing you see. Take care of it.

I also find that I want a new truck less often when I keep the one I have looking new.

 

[One Mile Up]

I wasn't too sure about the price of getting my truck professionally ceramic coated as I have never had any experience with it. I live in Colorado and talked to a local shop and they got me in for a paint correction (level 3? I think??) + ceramic coating (System X - 6 year).

I have a 2017 2500 Laramie 4x4 in white. The paint was in pretty good shape (or so I thought) going in --> but I wasn't really prepared for what I was about to see when I picked up my truck after he was done! My truck's appearance totally changed, I didn't think I'd be able to "see" a huge change due to it being white and that you can get away with scratches / scuffs a little easier with this color --> NOOOOOOPE. This was obviously due to the paint correction. HOWEVER, the shine / protection that the ceramic coating provided has literally BLOWN me away. I will never own another vehicle WITHOUT having this service done (as long as I can afford it!) ever again.

Just over a year later and I have people literally ask me all the time how I keep my truck so clean... answer??? -- Nothing. I don't clean it NEARLY as much as I should . The rain cleans my truck WAY more than it probably should! It just looks shiny and clean all the time (until you get up close ).

I paid $1,575 for this service. Would 1000% do it again.

SO, IMO --> I wouldn't do a ceramic coating UNLESS I had a paint correction done first.

 

[bcbouy]

I'm not saying don't pay someone.up here used trucks go for a premium,regardless.we also treat them like trucks,not porsches.anyone who lives rural knows...

 

[Treburkulosis]

I wasn't too sure about the price of getting my truck professionally ceramic coated as I have never had any experience with it. I live in Colorado and talked to a local shop and they got me in for a paint correction (level 3? I think??) + ceramic coating (System X - 6 year).

I have a 2017 2500 Laramie 4x4 in white. The paint was in pretty good shape (or so I thought) going in --> but I wasn't really prepared for what I was about to see when I picked up my truck after he was done! My truck's appearance totally changed, I didn't think I'd be able to "see" a huge change due to it being white and that you can get away with scratches / scuffs a little easier with this color --> NOOOOOOPE. This was obviously due to the paint correction. HOWEVER, the shine / protection that the ceramic coating provided has literally BLOWN me away. I will never own another vehicle WITHOUT having this service done (as long as I can afford it!) ever again.

Just over a year later and I have people literally ask me all the time how I keep my truck so clean... answer??? -- Nothing. I don't clean it NEARLY as much as I should . The rain cleans my truck WAY more than it probably should! It just looks shiny and clean all the time (until you get up close ).

I paid $1,575 for this service. Would 1000% do it again.

SO, IMO --> I wouldn't do a ceramic coating UNLESS I had a paint correction done first.

I actually got basically that same text message from one of my clients late last night. He owned a 14 F150 and his son has been driving it for a few years. I didn’t ceramic coat it, but I basically did a two step paint correction with a topper to give him the idea of what it would look like coated. He was shocked even 5 days later with how awesome it turned out.

 

[Treburkulosis]

I'm not saying don't pay someone.up here used trucks go for a premium,regardless.we also treat them like trucks,not porsches.anyone who lives rural knows...

Not everyone lives in the sticks. 75% of all trucks never get used for their intended purpose. That’s where there is a market for it.

 

[bcbouy]

75%. who knew.imagine that.75% of all trucks never towed a boat,travel trailer,utility trailer , orv/atv trailer,never carried a snowmobile,hauled a load of junk to the landfill,never carried anything in the bed,no transfer tanks,construction equipment at all,never been off road.never get used for snow clearing,never get used as a winter driver.that is a crap ton of grocery getters.sure you didn't mean 5 % ?