To ceramic coat or not?

[dc73pdsgt]

Thinking of ceramic coating my 2019 Laramie. Granite metallic color. Quoted $1400 including paint correction. Pros/cons and go!

 

[CheechDogg.0n37s]

Do it ... your car will be so much easier to clean ... My wife's Lexus is ceramic coated and it's a 2016 and the paint is still like new ....

If you have patience though do it yourself, it is not that hard .... I have been procrastinating with my truck but I will be doing it to mine in the next couple of weeks .... if you do it yourself you will only spend like $175 max especially if your truck is brand new and it needs no paint correction .. and even then if you want to save money do it all yourself ...

The cons? paying someone else to do it, too damn expensive for something you can do yourself ... it's not going to prevent scratches or even rock chips, but it will help your paint stay healthy against the sun and other crap ...

 

[Kinetic]

If you understand what it can and can't do, then it's completely worth it. Don't coat a car and then think that's it, you have a magic force field, don't need to maintain it, etc.

 

[bill-e]

Do it. Which coating? I just paid $1625 for my 2020. IGL Kenzo on the body, Eclipse on the plastic and chrome and wheels and GlassParancy on all windows. He also did my Gatortrax cover with something that's beading water.

I think it looks amazing.

 

[Pull Ya]

Most of the cost associated with a ceramic coating is the prep work, although some of the newer coatings can cost up to a couple of hundred dollars for the coating material alone. Do you garage park your truck or is it parked outside? Is it a daily driver? Once you coat it, car washes(Tunnels of Destruction) shouldn't be used, so do you have a place to hand wash your truck? As Kinetic said even a coated vehicle still needs to be properly maintained. The coating will protect the paint from the elements a lot longer than a sealant or wax will so in that respect it will be less work than waxing or sealing it a couple of times a year. It's a lot of money however IMHO well worth the expense. Research carefully when you choose someone to ceramic coat your truck. You can go to "autopia" which is a worldwide detailer website and ask for recommendations of installers in your area. They usually know who does good work and who are hacks.
Jay

 

[Graygoose]

Yes.....if you do, the daily/weekly clean up of the truck makes it so much less time consuming as well...driving rain, and it repels right off car.

 

[tron67j]

Not knocking those that have done this, but I am on the other side. I looked into this but all of my research steered me to a couple points. One, any imperfections you cover when applying could detract from the finish I was looking for. Two, it does not prevent swirling and scratches. Three, it requires constant cleaning and if something does happen that you need to buff out an area, you will have a possible noticeable difference in sheen. And four, if you make a mistake putting it on you have to wet sand it off. I decided against doing it, I can seal and wax cheaper and get same results. My truck is garage kept and I park in a garage, so made no sense at all. But wish you luck whichever you choose.

 

[ScLeCo]

Do it ... your car will be so much easier to clean ... My wife's Lexus is ceramic coated and it's a 2016 and the paint is still like new ....

If you have patience though do it yourself, it is not that hard .... I have been procrastinating with my truck but I will be doing it to mine in the next couple of weeks .... if you do it yourself you will only spend like $175 max especially if your truck is brand new and it needs no paint correction .. and even then if you want to save money do it all yourself ...

The cons? paying someone else to do it, too damn expensive for something you can do yourself ... it's not going to prevent scratches or even rock chips, but it will help your paint stay healthy against the sun and other crap ...

You MUST do paint correction first even with a brand new vehicle.

 

[Pull Ya]

Coatings do not have to be wet sanded off. They can be removed with a DA and a good polish. I agree a coating is not for everyone. You need to evaluate your circumstances. They ain't a miracle, but it's sure better than a wax that will only last and protect for a month or two.
Jay

 

[Graygoose]

Coatings do not have to be wet sanded off. They can be removed with a DA and a good polish. I agree a coating is not for everyone. You need to evaluate your circumstances. They ain't a miracle, but it's sure better than a wax that will only last and protect for a month or two.
Jay

agree, and manufactures make the application nowadays so easy, if you can wash your car, you can coat it.

 

[LeeD]

I detailed and ceramic coated both my Ram and my wife's Durango a few months ago. If you have a RO polisher it takes the brunt of the work out of the job. It is a time consuming job but well worth it in my opinion. I used Adam's ceramic spray and applying it couldn't have been easier. Much easier than a lot of waxes I've used in the past. My truck sits outside while our Durango is under a covered overhang. I love watching the water just run off of my truck in the rain. If we get a good heavy downpour my truck almost looks freshly washed when it dries. The Durango is pearl black and shows every speck of dust/pollen and I was thinking about washing it but then my wife ran to the store in some heavy rain and when it dried it looked good enough not to bother washing it.

 

[Pull Ya]

Hydrophobic and si02 products are fun to watch repel water---LOL
Jay

 

[rellekt]

Thinking of ceramic coating my 2019 Laramie. Granite metallic color. Quoted $1400 including paint correction. Pros/cons and go!

I did my wife's 2016 Volvo but I need paint correction and scratch repair badly. I just took it in for the $300 renewal coat :-(. On my 2019 Ram Beast 3500 dually, I decided to just use Jay Leno's Radiant. I used two coats and will go back and do it again in 6 months. It cost me $25 a bottle but I got both coats on with that bottle. And I did everything from body, glass, wheels, and black parts. My truck was pretty dirty and I needed to wash it. Instead the rain took care of it for me and it looked great, though I still need to wash it. In the future, I do not think I will take the wife's car back and just use the Radiant.

 

[Pull Ya]

One mistake that a lot of people make is putting the product on too heavy. It's surprising how far these products go. Usually, if you end up with streaks, you have put too much product on.
Jay

 

[Midnight Storm]

I will not be ceramic coating my vehicles.
I don’t find paint hard to keep looking great. Since the invention of si02 sprays, keeping your vehicles protected takes 10 minutes and costs $5 every few months.
Proper washing technique is the most important thing.

 

[Perferd]

Do it says me.

I'm doing it to my 2021 classic thats on order. I will be having it paint corrected first then ceramic coated. My truck is 100% black so I want to get it protected asap.

 

[Roader]

Do it. ceramic is worth the price it last longer it is better protection than waxes and the pros are your Laramie will have a nice reflective shin and it is easy to wipe off the dirt.

 

[Pull Ya]

Remember that a ceramic coating does not prevent scratches. If you plan on using a car wash(tunnels of destruction) you will be wasting your money on a ceramic coating--IMHO. You need to either hand wash your truck or use a rinseless wash after it has been coated. If you have to use a car wash I think you would be better served using a good polish/sealant and wax on your truck to protect the paint----and it will be a lot cheaper.
Jay

 

[Airmousam]

I had my last 2 black Mercedes and a black chevy truck professionally done with paint correction, and was very happy...yes expensive, but future cleanings are a breeze and the truck will stay much cleaner..I used touchless car washes or wash at home and they were always gleaming

 

[rotts4u]

I did mine myself with Carpro CQuartz and topped it with CarPro Gliss. Its been 14 months and still beads like crazy