Is Ceramic Coating worth it ?

[watchbuzz]

Gonna DIY too, whats your ceramic coat workflow like?

sorry I missed this… I am a novice. So…
Detail/wash
Claybar (most important part)
Polish (basic 2 in 1, just to get the luster)
Ceramic coat

I try to garage it for 24 hours. I have used a few of the off the shelf products. Adam’s is pretty easy. Gyeon is the fav of many detailers.

FWIW, my SR5 came with some port applied protection that was bundled with maintenance etc. it was $599 and I refused to pay for it. They still couldn’t remove it from the car. In my experience with whatever they applied… it ads protection equivalent to a good wax. Not much more in terms of beading etc etc. I have been topping it off with Adam’s Graphene spray and that has made a big difference.

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[Dario]

100% not from the dealer. Getting a good detailer to ceramic coat it or doing it yourself is an option. In my experience it's not worth it. But for you (and others) it could be.

If you're never going to use another UV protection/water repellant like wax or synthetic sealant on your car again, a coating may be a good idea.

If you're going to use a spray-on-wipe off wax/sealant every few weeks, the coating is really going to add no value. The sealant is going to doing all the work repelling water.

Most coatings needs some maintenance. Most coating companies have a "warranty" that requires maintenance on the coating or require that you is a "topper" periodically. What the hell is the point of a "topper" over a coating. If I'm going to a spray-on-wipe-off product over a coating, I could coat your car with water and show you how well it's working because it has another product on it.

My advice: if you're not going to use another product and you live in a fairly dry environment, a coating my be a good idea. You can get the same result for much less money by putting a good spray-on-wipe-off product on your car every 3-4 months. This takes about 10 minutes to do.

 

[get.outside.75]

This is what I have done to my car and the shine and bead is remarkable.

Within the first week:
Turtle Wax Hybrid Pure Wash
Turtle Wax Ceramic + Graphene Paste Wax
Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating (2 coats)

After washing and drying:
Turtle Wax Ceramic Wax 3-in-1 Detailer (I get too many water spots with the wet wax on Underground)

Reapply the Ceramic Spray every 6 months and reapply the wax every 12. When the time comes, polish and clay bar but don't need it yet.

For about $100, you have a solution that will work for few years. I did 2 coats of ceramic spray on my 4runner and my wifes Accord and still have enough for another 2 coats (at least on her car).

Just last week I had a "car guy" buddy over for beers and when we walked through the garage he asked my when I got it ceramic coated.

 

[Yoli]

I just got a 8 year, 100K Toyota protection plan for not quite half of what you were quoted for warranty. Not sure why you would do extended warranty or ceramic coat on a 3 year leased vehicle.

I'm curious where you got your Toyota extended warranty from? I know that some dealers are offering at it huge discounts, but the one that I usually use for the last 19 years doesn't sell to OR residents.

 

[shine]

... You can get the same result for much less money by putting a good spray-on-wipe-off product on your car every 3-4 months...

Any recommendations for a good spray-on-wipe-off product?

 

[Dario]

Any recommendations for a good spray-on-wipe-off product?

Most of the ones you will try will be good. Griot's 3-in-1 works well and is one of the longest lasting sealants I have tried. There are likely several other newer products out that are good. I stopped testing sealants a 2-3 years ago due to a lack of time.

Some others that are also excellent and will last 4+ months based on my testing:

• Ultima Spray Wax
• 303 Graphene
• Nanoskin Glass Molecule (hard to find, applies a little differently, but excellent)
  Nanoskin Graphene
• Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax

 

[Tarekith]

Another vote for Griots 3 in 1, easy to apply and lasts about 8 months here. I like the Meguiers hybrid ceramic as well, but find it’s more difficult to remove without high spots/streaks.

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