Ceramic Coating

[boatyhacker]

I've had my e89 about a month now and a detailer came today, to wash, machine polish, and finally apply a ceramic coating to it.

It wasn't particularly cheap and we'll see how it stands up to the elements & time, but right now I think the shine is gorgeous and I'm really pleased with how it has come out.

 

[buzyg]

Looking good. 8)

 

[Z4M-2006]

He washed, machine polished and ceramic coated it in a day?

 

[boatyhacker]

About 10 hours from start to finish?

 

[Dave 2 dogs]

That’s looking really we’ll

 

[ph001]

Do you know which ceramic coat he applied? Been very disappointed with ceramic costs from personal experience, and tried a lot of them...from the cheapo chinese ones to the top end Gtechniq.

 

[Beeacon]

Really nice! Just need to keep it in tip top condition now to get the most out of it! I use a top up coat that sits over the top and helps the hydrophobicity (Gyeon Cure).

Mine coated with Siramik SC15 (I think) and topped up with Gyeon Cure.

 

[chrisgreen]

Do you know which ceramic coat he applied? Been very disappointed with ceramic costs from personal experience, and tried a lot of them...from the cheapo chinese ones to the top end Gtechniq.

the off the shelf ceramic coating are pants, the only ones to get are those you available to pro detailers and need training on how to apply etc. different league

 

[idej_z4]

Do you know which ceramic coat he applied? Been very disappointed with ceramic costs from personal experience, and tried a lot of them...from the cheapo chinese ones to the top end Gtechniq.

the off the shelf ceramic coating are pants, the only ones to get are those you available to pro detailers and need training on how to apply etc. different league

Interesting...I used the Carbon Collective stuff last year and it is still going strong. I watch quite a lot of the White Details videos and it does seem like you can pay crazy money for these so got to assume the quality is on another level, but to say the off the shelf stuff is pants seems a bit harsh?

 

[chrisgreen]

horses for courses really - i didn't find that it offered a materially better finish or durability than a regular off the shelf sealant (sonax BSD or carplan supergloss is what i've used before).

 

[ph001]

the off the shelf ceramic coating are pants, the only ones to get are those you available to pro detailers and need training on how to apply etc. different league

horses for courses really - i didn't find that it offered a materially better finish or durability than a regular off the shelf sealant (sonax BSD or carplan supergloss is what i've used before).

This is my experience too. I've tried everything except the Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra (the one they won't sell you)... and spent many hours doing some very comprehensive prep before application just to make sure it was being done EXACTLY as per instructions. Overall experience is poor - doesn't even seem to make the finish any less vulnerable to swirls and scratches. My conclusion is the only one that might be worthwhile is the Ultra but then I'm not going to pay the several hundred pounds to have it applied to find out.

 

[idej_z4]

horses for courses really - i didn't find that it offered a materially better finish or durability than a regular off the shelf sealant (sonax BSD or carplan supergloss is what i've used before).

I use the Menzerna one in between full details and that is pretty good, doesn't last as long as the ceramic coatings though. I recently tried this on my daily (which doesn't get much love) and it lasted about 1-2 weeks during winter before the protection wore off:

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/p-s-bead-maker-paint-protection

 

[Thrustyjust]

Detailer next door to my office uses these products
https://www.coatingfarm.com/

 

[boatyhacker]

I spoke to several detailers and as much as anything else it was the detailer's willingness to stand behind his work that swung it for me. He used products from a company called "Robornes" - and was their "3 year" product.

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating of course, and I'll keep an eye on how it stands up to the elements and report back on what I find.

 

[Jaw]

I find results do vary. The professional stuff I use, personally I've found to give great results in terms of sheen and protection as long as the paint is prepped thoroughly, ie cleaned, primed and free of damage etc

Off the shelf, I've had good results with Pyramid Car Care's ceramic coating too, treated one of my cars a year ago and is still super easy to clean and swirl free*

*full disclosure, one of my businesses used to re-sell it, but still found it to be a good product

 

[Angelus666]

I think people look at ceramic coating in the wrong way.....surely these are better used for a daily driver that you just want to keep mostly clean. The industry has fooled everyone into thinking your paintwork needs 20 hours of machine polishing before you apply it....what a load of rubbish.

If you love your car, enjoy the ownership process and will weekly wash by hand and care for it then it makes more sense to use waxes and glazes. You can strip these of, try a different product and keep your costs much lower....and if you get a scratch or ding, you'll probably want to sort that asap. You'll then need to firstly strip the coating to ensure consistency of finish and then spend loads reapplying the coating. No one with a very expensive classic car would ceramic coat it.

However, if you only want your car to be clean as quickly as possible so it's presentable (and not bothered by scratches of dings) then it makes much more sense to apply a ceramic coating. Am I wrong...?

 

[Z4M-2006]

Why on earth would you apply ceramic coating over damaged paint?

The idea of a ceramic coat is to protect whats underneath,so if the paint is badly prepped or scratches,swirls and mars are left in then its just sealing them in.This will just show up at the end of the application..

I would suggest that if leaving the defects in the paint wouldnt bother you,then there is no point in having a protective coat in the first place?

There is of course a huge difference between a quick buff over to enhance the look of the car and full paint correction,both in time and cost.

 

[Angelus666]

The point here is that you're applying it to a car that won't get a load of care or love (so if it has a few marks before applying it that's ok)....but the key point is that it potentially reduces the wear and tear impact that daily driving delivers. During your ownership, it makes life easier with the cleaning process and then keeps the marks down when it comes time to sell it on. You could easily ceramic coat your car for £100.....not the crazy £1000+ that pro detailers make you believe you need to have, like somehow it won't bond if you don't do this first.

Why anyone is paying £1500 for a ceramic coating on a cheap Z4 baffles me.... :? Why not just use that money to buy a better car...?

A decent wax delivers a better level of shine and depth on a well-prepped car.

 

[Thrustyjust]

My car isnt perfect in its finish and never will be unless it has a complete repaint . I have refined the paint to a point that all marring and swirls are gone, but there are still deep scratches, which to remove , would potentially make the paint so thin, would cause more problems than solving. So, to put a ceramic coat at a point I am happy with , will make my life easier in cleaning and help to reduce to chances of swirls and marring in the future for a while , to mean I spend less time polishing it and more time enjoying driving. I cant comment on how the long term benefit of the coating will make to my car, as I have only just finished the work tonight and have only had the car 2 weeks . But refining the paint has made it look on another level, so with a protection cover of ceramic will hopefully prolong this look

 

[Angelus666]

That’s exactly it’s key benefit. It’s been marketed in such a way to make you think it can only be used when your paint has had a 2 day refinement....