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I have been looking into ceramic coatings and the benefits. Most pictures show dark colored cars to show the contrast and shine, but my car is white. I am wondering if it's going to shine more than if I simply used a good wax and use a da to put it on. I need paint correction one way or the other, there are a lot of swirls that need to go.
Anyone with a white car have ceramic coating applied? What are your impressions?
Ceramic coating is way more than just a shine. It is paint protection for 12+ months. Yes it will shine, and yes it outshine any wax out there. I just got my Designo Cardinal Red ceramic coated just a few weeks ago, and waiting on my Polar White ceramic appointment in the next week to come up. I can show you the after on the white color. But as you said it is amazing on darker shades also.
There are various types of ceramic coating. Some are much better than others. Some last a couple of years and some are semi-permanent. High end coatings including labor are typically north of $2k. How the car is prepared and the product applied are the most important aspects. A great product applied poorly looks bad. If the car isn't prepared properly there can be semi-permanent swirl marks and blemishes. There are some specific threads that discuss ceramic coating.
Because of the cost, I guess for those of us who lease and expect to return the car at the end of the lease, this does not make much sense?
I apply Meguiar's Ultimate Wax products (synthetic wax) every couple of months when I clean my car. Once the finish is prepared the first time it only takes a few minutes to maintain it. That said, the only dirt/dust in my area comes from white quartz sand. It doesn't stick to the car.
My e300 is silver. I did it myself as the car was new with no contamination on the paint. Cost $87 for CQuartz 3.0 on ebay and took a day, be sure you do wheels to block brake dust from corroding the finish. Just be sure to not have any water marks or else thay are sealed in for a long time.
average cost of a ceramic coat is 1-2k. Products alone with everything needed for prep. As someone already mentioned will cost you 200-500$. So yes you could save 50% doing it yourself. But there are variables to having it done correctly.
I apply Meguiar's Ultimate Wax products (synthetic wax) every couple of months when I clean my car. Once the finish is prepared the first time it only takes a few minutes to maintain it. That said, the only dirt/dust in my area comes from white quartz sand. It doesn't stick to the car.
I’ve driven mu car on a 800 mile weekend roadtrip with several rainstorms on the way. Once I got home the car still looked clean or like it was just detailed. Wax is good, and I was the type to wax my cars every few months along with quick wax bi weekly. There is absolutely no comparison to Griots, Car Guys, or Aero cosmetics. These are premium waxes, but will not come close to properly applied cermaic coat. This is after 800 mile roadtrip as stated. Not a dust spec or water spot or bug splatter in sight.
I had a ceramic coating applied to my BMW when I bought it new. There is no discernible difference compared to my E300 with synthetic polish. I used Liquid Glass LG-100 but it is costly at $27 for 16 ounces before I switched to Meguiar's G18216 at $15 for 16 ounces. Real wax such as carnauba only lasts 4 to 6 weeks in the Florida sun if well cared for.
I gave my car it's first detail yesterday. After washing and clay bar, when I looked across the hood there were a million swirl marks. I tried Meguires ultimate polish on the DA, it cut a lot of the scratches out, but there were still a ton, I moved up to Meguires ultimate compound and it did a better job. I was able to remove about 60% of the swirls. At that time I was beat and put some NXT wax on the entire car. While it looks good, I now know that I am not good enough to be able to get the car close to the condition it would need to be for a ceramic coating. With the time I spent on the hood, I can't imagine doing the entire car, would take me days and probably would never be as good as a professional could do.
For me, this is a good case of appreciating professionals. While it might cost $1-2K, I have an appreciation for the amount of prep work that needs to be done. Time to pony up and pay the piper.
Someone gave you car a "going over" with an electric polishing wheel. Ugh! I was actually surprised there were no marks on my car when it was delivered. I used a UV spotlight to check the paint. I got the idea from RickInHouston when he posted about the paint swirls he found on his newly delivered car.
That is why I did my car when it was brand new from dealer..There were no swirl marks to deal with. I just had to remove a few water marks and no brake dust on the wheels to clean off.
Last Nov., I had my C300 (not the 2007 in my Signature, but my present 2015 C300) done with CQuartz ("UK" version). As the name implies, the "UK" version gives more protection. It cost $315 at Arlington Auto Detailing in Belmont MA. That included a medium-level interior detailing (leather seats preservative, etc.) and a "reload" several months later. I finally had that done a few weeks ago. Before, I had sometimes envied Toyota Corolla finishes. Now, my cay's finish is not the equal of Lexus finishes, but it is appropriate to a luxury car. My C300 is Iridium Silver, so I cannot get a photo showing that "wet look." CQuartz is not advertised to last 10 years, but it is advertised to last "up to 2 years." Best of all for me, I have had to wash the car only once since last Nov. That was to merely wash off salt. I live in an elderly housing facility, so my car is not garaged. Now, dirt just doesn't stick to it. This includes the wheels, which were also treated.
Originally Posted by 2thfxr
My e300 is silver. I did it myself as the car was new with no contamination on the paint. Cost $87 for CQuartz 3.0 on ebay and took a day, be sure you do wheels to block brake dust from corroding the finish. Just be sure to not have any water marks or else thay are sealed in for a long time.
Originally Posted by suby01
average cost of a ceramic coat is 1-2k. Products alone with everything needed for prep. As someone already mentioned will cost you 200-500$. So yes you could save 50% doing it yourself. But there are variables to having it done correctly.
The first quote here is my report is my report last July on the thread "Just had a ceramic coating applied...(PIC HEAVY)". The link next to my name will take you there. There is much more information on that thread.
My C300 is Iridium silver. The detailer told me in advance that I could not expect a "wet look." His price included the all-important clay bar treatment. My CQuartz ceramic coating was applied 11 months ago. Dirt still does not stick to it. My car is not garaged (in New England), and I have washed it only once (last spring to wash off the salt). It still looks as if it has just been washed.
In July, I installed aftermarket wheels that have a very intricate pattern. The extra cost to do them was $100.
I had ceramic coating done on my new car and so far it has been OK but bear in mind your cars finish will still be vulnerable to water marks, etching from bio deposits like bird droppings and stone chips. The coating is great for keeping the car looking cleaner but that's all really. You will still need to keep an eye on it.
Instead of ceramic coating, some of my friends use combinations of cheap treatments ( synthetic waxes ) + Car Pro reload to finish their cars to give a similar level of hydrophobic protection for much less $$. They say the finish lasts up over 6 months and you don't fall into the vicious OCD trap of being afraid to wash your car in fear of removing the coating and always planning when next to shell out more $$ for the top up.
As your car is white, it is inevitable you will get some stains from time to time some of which may etch into your coating so you may find yourself paying for for cleaning and top ups.
If money is not an issue, get the coating and enjoy having a gleaming car. If money is tight, there are other ways to keep your car looking as good for much less.
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