5 Year Ceramic Coat

[foo.c]

I did it myself using Adam's graphene kit and just did wash and clay first. Looks pretty good, I don't mind the factory orange peel.

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[iammacey]

I did it myself using Adam's graphene kit and just did wash and clay first. Looks pretty good, I don't mind the factory orange peel.

Orange peel isn't going away with paint correction. The cost of leveling paint is even more expensive, more time consuming, and from my perspective requires significant expertise. The amount of clearcoat removal would not be worth it to me.

I really like the results of GTechniq. The combination of CSL with Exo on top looks great and ensures a hydrophobic finish.

I'm still on the fence with Graphene products. I like Adams because under a light you can see it glow where it's applied. I've also used 303 Graphene. Both products are more forgiving than a true nanocoating, but don't last as long and the hydrophobic properties aren't as good.

303 also says you can apply over existing product. But I found that application to be less effective. The answer is to always decon and at least do a single stage polish.

Since you clay, I would definitely suggest the NanoSkin Autoscrub pad with some Glide. It works equally as well as claybar, but you can just rinse off the pad and reuse it as much as you want. It's a fantastic progression to physically decon the vehicle.

I also hear a lot of people say they wash, clay, protect. The claying process introduces it's on scratches to the finish as it removes contaminates embedded the paint. Following that step should be a 1 or 2 stage correction.

Whatever works for people and gives them the results they want, that is what matters. This is not meant to contradict anyone on their approach and what they find best.

 

[iammacey]

Agreed on the application. The ceramic coating was maybe an hour total, while the paint correction was around 20 hours. His shop had some excellent LED lighting to cover every angle in high detail. It was pretty cool to watch the paint come alive with every step.

The first time I decided to apply CSL myself was on the Fiesta. I washed it, washed it with decon soap, used the Nanoscrub, dried it, put it up on the QuickJack and then went to work correcting the paint.

Did a full 2 stage correction. I bought the car new and it's a 2017. It had sat for months on different lots, been washed by brushes from mobile detailers, and the paint was absolutely trashed. I knew this when I bought it.

Once the correction was finished, I went over the panels with Eraser to degrease and remove any polish residue and then went to work with CSL. Did my first area on the passenger side rear door. Apply, wait for it to cure, remove. Checked my work and then went over the remainder of the car. Apply, cute, remove.

When I finally finished I grabbed a light and that's when I realized. Not all of the coating was coming off. It has cured out in streaks all over the car. Under the glow of an LED flashlight it looked like absolute trash. Didn't even bother with the Exo.

The only way to remove the coating is to compound it off. So I had to go over the entire car again.

Lighting makes all the difference. I bought a set of ScanGrip lights and they have proven to be instrumental in checking my work. They also show every single flaw, no matter how good the car looks outside in the sun.

 

[sully09]

I would love to see the pictures from this who have done it themselves.

 

[foo.c]

Orange peel isn't going away with paint correction. The cost of leveling paint is even more expensive, more time consuming, and from my perspective requires significant expertise. The amount of clearcoat removal would not be worth it to me.

I really like the results of GTechniq. The combination of CSL with Exo on top looks great and ensures a hydrophobic finish.

I'm still on the fence with Graphene products. I like Adams because under a light you can see it glow where it's applied. I've also used 303 Graphene. Both products are more forgiving than a true nanocoating, but don't last as long and the hydrophobic properties aren't as good.

303 also says you can apply over existing product. But I found that application to be less effective. The answer is to always decon and at least do a single stage polish.

Since you clay, I would definitely suggest the NanoSkin Autoscrub pad with some Glide. It works equally as well as claybar, but you can just rinse off the pad and reuse it as much as you want. It's a fantastic progression to physically decon the vehicle.

I also hear a lot of people say they wash, clay, protect. The claying process introduces it's on scratches to the finish as it removes contaminates embedded the paint. Following that step should be a 1 or 2 stage correction.

Whatever works for people and gives them the results they want, that is what matters. This is not meant to contradict anyone on their approach and what they find best.

The Jeep is my test vehicle for Graphene. I don't need perfect, but really good, cheap, and easy to use is checking all the boxes for me.

Adam's does recommend a polish before, but to the naked eye there weren't any scratches. I did this to make it easier to get the dirt off after getting off the pavement, and not to have a Jeep with a perfect finish.

 

[iammacey]

The Jeep is my test vehicle for Graphene. I don't need perfect, but really good, cheap, and easy to use is checking all the boxes for me.

Adam's does recommend a polish before, but to the naked eye there weren't any scratches. I did this to make it easier to get the dirt off after getting off the pavement, and not to have a Jeep with a perfect finish.

My Gladiator is the test vehicle for 303 Graphene as well as several other products I've used on it and removed. Very much a test vehicle for different products. Totally get that.

 

[iammacey]

I would love to see the pictures from this who have done it themselves.

This is my Fiesta ST when I finished the full process. One coat of CSL topped with one coat of EXO. Wheels are done with C5 Wheel Armor.

 

[dfwxjer]

The Jeep is my test vehicle for Graphene. I don't need perfect, but really good, cheap, and easy to use is checking all the boxes for me.

Adam's does recommend a polish before, but to the naked eye there weren't any scratches. I did this to make it easier to get the dirt off after getting off the pavement, and not to have a Jeep with a perfect finish.

I was going for ease of cleanup as well, plus fixing some pinstriping from a previous outing. I mean it's a Jeep so perfect isn't ever quite in the equation

 

[staying_tuned]

I CQuartz UK 3.0 everything after clay and correction. The gladiator is a great DIY canvas given the panels are easy to compartmentalize. Mother’s clay, menzerna 2500 on a medium/orange pad, wash -> isopropyl wipe down then ceramic on everything. Windows, trim, all of it. Keeps black trim black for years without that slimy/overly-shiny look.

Makes resetting to a better than new looking truck less than an hour after days on the trail/mud/etc. I just foam a few layers and pressure wash it down. Once every few months I’ll hand wash to get tar/old bugs etc. off that I missed.

 

[jbehrn]

I paid for a 3 year coating and was quite pleased with the results (I’ve got another thread with pictures). Cleaning the Jeep after the coating was a much better and easier experience.

A big part of what was done to my Jeep was the paint correction. As others have pointed out, proper paint correction is the key!

 

[Bbannongmu]

I got my Mojave ceramic coated last weekend using a 5 year crystal serum light coating.

The shop I went to was able to do a 2 stage paint correction to polish out some tree pinstriping and just did a heck of a job making my Jeep look better than new. It’s been a delight to power wash off grime, mud, and pollen.

Has anyone else professional ceramic coated their Gladiator?

I did ceramic coat. Definitely helps protect and keep my black Gladiator clean. I beat on it. Some occasional maintenance is required.

 

[Hamandcamo]

I would love to see the pictures from this who have done it themselves.

This is right after washing it, six months after I applied the coating. I've had it caked in mud/sand multiple times. I did it myself with the mcguiers diy kit as soon as i got it. Not sure how long it will last, but im assuming atleast two years.

 

[The White Rabbit]

Anyone have a clue on a good place in Houston to have this done?

 

[Chilli]

Wife had whatever paint treatment/protection that she had done on her AMG 2 yr back.
The MB dealer did the Jeep because we bought the Rubicon through this dealership.
Not sure the cost but sure it wasn't 2K.
Wife has bought a few MB from this dealership so I can believe they may have offer her a bit of a discount.
As far as the coating is concerned, it is fantastic. As said earlier the clean up after a day in the forest or dirty wet roads is a lot less time.
But the best advantage is w/o a doubt the pin stripping the other guys are earning doing the same trails, just isn't there.
The black plastic outside mirrors are showing a beating but not the paint.

The Jeep doesn't appear to be used as we use it.
The coating works. We see the money as well spent.

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