Not coating my '19?

[PBH]

So I picked up a new 1500 RAM over the weekend and I have been going back and forth on weather or not I should ceramic coat it. I am leaning towards no and here are my reasons...

• It's a lease - I mostly likely won't buy it after my term. Spending 1K+ on coating??? I'd rather not.

• Baby #2 will be on it's way, I need to shuffle my finances accordingly.

• Want a leveling kit, potentially bigger tires and Linex. This goes back to bullet point 2, I need to prioritize.

I have coated past vehicles, not all but some. My F150 before the RAM was not coated and to be honest, yes there where rock chips in the front of it but for the most part my regular regime of washing and detailing kept the paint swirl free and shiny. The rock chips I did get were manageable.

This is my first BLACK truck and yes I understand keeping it clean looking will be a challenge but I'm ready for that challenge. Every time I look out the drive way I get goosebumps with how good the BLK/BLK looks - I'm happy I went with this color combo.

Anybody else with a similar experience that did not get their trucks ceramic coated?

 

[chrisbh17]

Another option could be doing it yourself....save a lot of money that way (but it takes time).

At minimum I would think about at least some front end protection, in the form of paint protection film. At least keep the major chips off the hood/fenders if possible. Black vehicle with chips = lots of light colored dots which looks meh IMHO.

Dont forget, black is not a color, it's a full time job

 

[quietpeen]

being that it is a lease that you don't have any expectations on keeping I would not spend the money to have it ceramic coated. Like stated you can get a DIY ceramic kit and do it yourself. You just have to be willing the "invest" your time.

 

[joeygster]

Right off the bat......I'd never put a coating on a vehicle I was leasing.

Secondly, I gone through the phase of coating every vehicle I've owned for the last 7 years or so and I switch vehicles like I switch my underwear.

The last couple of vehicles I've not bothered after I realized that the coatings (done by professionals) are just not worth the money.

If you're looking for protection I find that the clear film (ie Expel) are much more worth the money......but again not for a lease.

 

[quietpeen]

first mistake is thinking of a ceramic coating as a protection coating against rock chips. For me the beauty of ceramic is that it is harder that the clear coat so it will resist more light scratches and swirling - but the main reason is as long as that coating is on there I don't have to worry about polishing and waxing anymore. In a few years with proper washing the vehicle will still shine like it has been waxed even though it hasn't.

 

[TXCOMT]

first mistake is thinking of a ceramic coating as a protection coating against rock chips. For me the beauty of ceramic is that it is harder that the clear coat so it will resist more light scratches and swirling - but the main reason is as long as that coating is on there I don't have to worry about polishing and waxing anymore. In a few years with proper washing the vehicle will still shine like it has been waxed even though it hasn't.

I appreciate that explanation...thanks!

TXCOMT

 

[Kinetic]

I would coat it if for no other reason than the ease of washing. It won't get dirty as fast and when you wash it you'll appreciate how much easier it is.

 

[co-pilot]

ahhh just throw a lift & some tires on it drive the hell out of it & enjoy................imo.... lol

 

[quietpeen]

ahhh just throw a lift & some tires on it drive the hell out of it & enjoy................imo.... lol

on the flip side a lift is a lot of money to put into a lease also. You can put the stock wheels back on if you have them but the lift sure isn't coming off

 

[co-pilot]

Agreed...........

 

[PBH]

ahhh just throw a lift & some tires on it drive the hell out of it & enjoy................imo.... lol

No lift, just a leveling kit for me.

I figure they won't give me much fuss with a level when I return it. If they do, its easier to return to stock. Also, I'll be keeping my stock rims/tires

 

[quietpeen]

No lift, just a leveling kit for me.

I figure they won't give me much fuss with a level when I return it. If they do, its easier to return to stock. Also, I'll be keeping my stock rims/tires

Ahh ok, yea there most likely won't be any issue with just a leveling kit

 

[PBH]

I'm gonna look into "potentially" doing some entry level DIY coating myself. Maybe for the front of the truck.

Has anyone had good success with certain DIY brands? I have no garage, so whatever I do would have to be done outside with mother nature during curing times etc.

 

[S0CAL]

Since it's a lease, is there no problem with Line-X being added? I get the no-lift, only level mantra.

 

[Pull Ya]

I think I'd opt for DIY coating. Black is hard enough to keep nice and IMHO anything you can do to minimize the amount of time and effort in keeping it looking good is a plus. If you want to see the results of what can be done DIY all you have to do is look at the recent posts by "quietpeen" as he walked us through the steps he took while doing a coating himself. The results are beyond amazing. As he said you first have to be willing to spend the initial time but in the long run I think it will save you a great amount of time and effort in continuing to try to keep that black truck looking good.
Jay

 

[PBH]

Since it's a lease, is there no problem with Line-X being added? I get the no-lift, only level mantra.

Nope, I've returned sprayed beds before with no issue. I asked the RAM dealer this time around too.

 

[quietpeen]

I'm gonna look into "potentially" doing some entry level DIY coating myself. Maybe for the front of the truck.

Has anyone had good success with certain DIY brands? I have no garage, so whatever I do would have to be done outside with mother nature during curing times etc.

if you are talking about DIY ceramic coat, unfortunately it has to sit for at least 24 hours to cure before getting wet unless you have big uv lamps to speed up the cure time. I used Adams Polishes Paint Ceramic Coating. Today we finally have some sun(I'm sure you got a lot of the rain also) so I'm going to really see my results and get some good pictures.

 

[quietpeen]

I think I'd opt for DIY coating. Black is hard enough to keep nice and IMHO anything you can do to minimize the amount of time and effort in keeping it looking good is a plus. If you want to see the results of what can be done DIY all you have to do is look at the recent posts by "quietpeen" as he walked us through the steps he took while doing a coating himself. The results are beyond amazing. As he said you first have to be willing to spend the initial time but in the long run I think it will save you a great amount of time and effort in continuing to try to keep that black truck looking good.
Jay

Thanks Jay.

 

[chrisbh17]

if you are talking about DIY ceramic coat, unfortunately it has to sit for at least 24 hours to cure before getting wet unless you have big uv lamps to speed up the cure time. I used Adams Polishes Paint Ceramic Coating. Today we finally have some sun(I'm sure you got a lot of the rain also) so I'm going to really see my results and get some good pictures.

Ive used the non-pro version of OptiCoat (Optimum Gloss Coat) and it works well even without 24 hours of cure time. No, you dont want it rained on 15 minutes after applying or to wash it the next day, but a few hours should suffice for light water exposure (per the mobile detailer thet I use when I want something professionally Opti Coated)

For ease of use I dont think anything beats the newer spray-on/wipe-off coatings, but they dont last as long as the traditionally applied (foam or suede cloth applicator) coatings. The good thing is that its easy enough to re-apply, so maybe people dont mind doing it every 6 months.

 

[Purplert]

There’s always the option of having a clear bra applied to the front end. Cheaper then ceramic coating and would help prevent those rock chips. Since it’s a lease and you plan on buying it out I wouldn’t spend the money on ceramic coating unless you were doing it yourself.


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