For those of you with flat paint and who (like me) have been avoiding doing ceramic coating yourself, just do it!

After normal wash, a degreaser wash, rinse, letting it dry overnight, I then used Dr Beasley's matte paint cleanser followed by distilled water wipedown and then the matte paint (ceramic) coating. The product was recommended by the same professional that did the initial coating two years ago. Came out excellent. The sheen that had been lost since the last cleaning returned and the sparkle is back. That's what I like the most with Magno paint, the variable sheen allows the flakes in the paint to shine through in a very different way than a gloss paint.

And yes. like for any coating, pre cleaning is key. And yes, having a lift makes detailing so much easier. No more on your hands and knees cleaning....
And yes, the calipers were painted by the first owner to match the interior leather color. Over time that really has grown on me. Super unique and NOT CCB wannabe.

 

Turned out well

 

I’m wondering what ceramic coating to use for my new to me s63 with flat paint. What made you choose the Dr beaslys ceramic coating? The sheen looks great!

 

Tell me more about ceramics!

I’ve alway been told it’s hard to remove and repair when it scratches or swirls, so I’ve been scared and stuck to wax and seal since it’s so easy to remove and re apply if it swirls or I wreck it with a dirty wash mit or something.

 

I did spend a bit of time looking around. There are a number of products out there, but much fewer than for gloss paint since many (most?) traditional sealers won't work - they float out to make a nice gloss. Some other products look good as well but since I didn't use them I won't name them. Some are outrageously priced though.....
The basic paint on the E63 was in pretty good shape so no need for any major work (=paint correction).

And then I asked a pro. This guy that has done some paint corrections on my cars over the years (Unique car care in Andover). Rick is very well respected in the Northeast, Rick's shop
The trick with ceramic for flat paint is that it has to be a very thin layer, to allow the flat sheen to remain. If it gets too thick you either get glossy paint or uneven flat paint. Neither look good.
Rick recommended Dr. Beasleys, and I then read up a bit on them and realized they had a very good cleaner. It truly worked like a clay bar for normal paint. Removed all kind of deposits (including whatever prior coatings you may have, so you have to put something on the paint when done).
Truly - that was the fun part, doing the fist panel and realizing how the flat paint came alive before my eyes. And I started at the lower passenger side rear bumper (just in case it turned out ****ty).

Very easy to use since you don;t do any polishing or rubbing, literally just wipe it off. It then took about 2-5 minutes for the product to set and the sheen was perfect.

I'd recommend it. Also used very little - can do this two or maybe even three times with one bottle. The issue is the prep work, not the ceramic application....

 

Well, the ceramic bonds with the paint, so it can "only" be removed with a chemical remover (and long time wear and tear from rain, salt, sun, etc). But removal with the right chemical agent is easy - spray/wipe on, let sit, wipe off. Sealant does the same, to a lesser extent, and is usually thicker and hence fills in small swirls etc better.
The ceramic for flat paint is extra thin, so I think you will not scratch or swirl it without going right through and actually doing it to the clear coat. But it is super hard, so it protects from scratches (well, a little) and swirls. And o course the water beading and easy removal of bird poo and dirt.
To really protect from scratches you need the films (PPF). Cool thing is that ceramics go well on top of the film - both protects against UV and makes it bead. My hood and fenders are PPF and then look like new.

I think the real issues with ceramics is that if you do not do a good prep job, the coating will cover the fault and leave it there for 2 or more years. That's why you "should" do a paint correction before doing ceramic. Well , you should even if doing a sealant but you know that will wear off in 6 months or so. Hence, if you miss a few little black tar spots, or a small discoloration etc, you have a chance to do it again in 6 months.

In summary - if you have glossy paint and want to spend a couple of hours prepping the car - definitely do it (I have done that in the past). If you have flat paint - as outlined above - do it.
If your glossy car have scratches and the car needs a true paint correction - then I'd still go pro. You absolutely can do it, but the line between beautiful and "oh Fxxk" is thin with a buffer while polishing.
If your flat paint car have scratches and the car needs a true paint correction - then I'd 100% go pro. And sadly there is not much they can do since you can't polish a flat paint - it will go glossy. I'm sure the pros have a few tricks up their sleeve.