Ceramic Coating

[TrainMan]

I use this. Apply to clean vehicle, wait 24 hours. Apply 2nd coat. Supposedly lasts a year. You can also use it on the plastic parts, and even the windows. It's certainly easier to clean now.

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[Cliff89]

If your jeep has defects like swirl marks, water spots you'd be needing paint correction. If you're going to do that and plan to do other cars, buying a dual action polisher is a good investment. but for a diy, before you ceramic coat, it all depends on prep. Application is easy but preparation is where you need to decide if you are willing to learn and invest your time to do it all. It is all worth it, when you see the results.

 

[BAT]

Well I just did mine this weekend using the Chemical Guys process. I washed and stripped off all the old wax, etc and had some water spots but I removed those using water spot remover, clay bared the whole truck then wiped down again with treatment to try to remove all the last elements of stuff on the truck. Then proceeded to put on coating of Hydro Charge and Hydroslick. Truck looks fantastic but won't be doing any of that again. To much work for something that might last 6 months. I know its not the real deal Ceramic coating like the big detailers do.

Its actually curing right now still. Will take a photo later

Decided screw it. Its a jeep and I bought it to get dirty and possibly stay dirty. So now just going to be washing, waxing using the Turtle wax wet sprat wax.

I know a lot of folks keep raving about the beading but honestly all I have gotten from water beading on my truck after it rains or if the sprinkler wets it is a lot of water spots when the water dries since it doesn't roll off the truck

 

[Andrew05LJR]

Do yourself a favor and follow a few in this thread. Avoid spray "ceramics" as a coating, its not. A true ceramic coating is very easy to do and is a great experience with a very rewarding result

Buy a Porter Cable Dual Action polisher kit, with pads. $150 or so
Bottle of Meguiars Ultimate Compound
Cquartz UK 3.0 kit with Reload and Eraser
Carpro Ironx

All in you'll be around $300. You'll have a decent polisher thats easy to work with and the selection of pads. The Ultimate compound is a diminishing compound, which means it'll correct and polish leaving little to no residue. It'll give great results while being EASY to work with. Bottle of Eraser to remove waxes left behind from compound. Go to town with Cquartz UK. Reload is the topper and will give excellent gloss to the ceramic.

Im recommending this to you being a novice as everything is EASY TO WORK WITH. Take your time and enjoy the process. Plenty of good videos out there on proper technique. Keep you polisher speed lower but move your arms slower to avoid burning the paint but creating enough heat to correct.

EDIT: Looks like you already did it.

 

[BAT]

Do yourself a favor and follow a few in this thread. Avoid spray "ceramics" as a coating, its not. A true ceramic coating is very easy to do and is a great experience with a very rewarding result

Buy a Porter Cable Dual Action polisher kit, with pads. $150 or so
Bottle of Meguiars Ultimate Compound
Cquartz UK 3.0 kit with Reload and Eraser
Carpro Ironx

All in you'll be around $300. You'll have a decent polisher thats easy to work with and the selection of pads. The Ultimate compound is a diminishing compound, which means it'll correct and polish leaving little to no residue. It'll give great results while being EASY to work with. Bottle of Eraser to remove waxes left behind from compound. Go to town with Cquartz UK. Reload is the topper and will give excellent gloss to the ceramic.

Im recommending this to you being a novice as everything is EASY TO WORK WITH. Take your time and enjoy the process. Plenty of good videos out there on proper technique. Keep you polisher speed lower but move your arms slower to avoid burning the paint but creating enough heat to correct.

EDIT: Looks like you already did it.

Yea I know its a temporary thing will see how long it last before wearing off. Have seen some folks say it last about 6 months but none have said it will last the year that the manufacturers claim.

 

[Riccochet]

I've got Adam's Graphene coating on the way. Going to see how that holds up.

The DPC Shield ceramic coating on my truck is still working after a couple years. I do maintain it every month.

 

[Gladman]

For a DYS product I use 3M Auto Synthetic Wax Protectant - # 39030.
I have it on my GC, applied it when new 14 months ago and it still beads the water like it did when first applied. And that is driving through 6 months of winter in central Alberta.
Cost about $ 30.00 for 473ml, and my own labour which I enjoy anyway. Can do windows, lights, fenders, and box liner with this also. The windshield is the only area that needs a new application every 6 months or so depending on what you drive through.
I will do my new Overland HA when it gets delivered with this product.

 

[BAT]

Yea I know its a temporary thing will see how long it last before wearing off. Have seen some folks say it last about 6 months but none have said it will last the year that the manufacturers claim.

Well I can safely say it will not last a year and likely will not last 6 months. Its only been a few months and the beading is down dramatically and that is with using the Hydrowash as maintenance. So its pretty much not worth all the work or cost considering you can likely get the same effects using lower cost and less work

 

[Riccochet]

All the spray coatings are generally good for 3-6 months, on their own. I find them to be considerably easier than applying wax of any kind. Couple sprays in an applicator, wipe on, wipe off. Done. No rubbing or buffing of wax.

On the other hand these spray coatings are excellent toppers for ceramic and graphene coatings. They add durability, gloss and beading to those coatings, extending their life.

I put Adam's Graphene Ceramic Coating on my JT, followed up with Adam's Graphene Detail Spray after every wash. It's so easy to use and only takes like 5 minutes to go around the entire truck.

 

[jbehrn]

Anyone with any experience or feedback on ceramic coating. There is a place by me that comes highly recommended but man they ain't cheap. The 5 Year coating is $600 and they want to do a detailing and paint deal before the coating which they want to charge $400 for.

Not sure if its worth it or just use the stuff like Chemical guys or others sell for ceramic wax finish.

My truck sits outside in the Brutal South Texas Heat as well as the friking oak tree which likes to drop its sap and crap on the truck.

So just checking since its a good bit of money which I could do other stuff to the truck.

I know I’m really late to this thread, but I wanted to know if you got the coating done? I’m looking into it as well and the local price is $1400. Before I sink that kind of money I wanted to see what your experience was like. Who did the work?

After I purchased my Jeep I clay bared and then sealed the paint with Chemical Guys Jet Seal, followed up by a Carnuba wax top coat. This is my first Jeep and I’m surprised at the paint quality. I don’t take it through car washes and it shows a lot of the typical paint swirl marks although it’s never been through a car wash.

 

[BAT]

I know I’m really late to this thread, but I wanted to know if you got the coating done? I’m looking into it as well and the local price is $1400. Before I sink that kind of money I wanted to see what your experience was like. Who did the work?

After I purchased my Jeep I clay bared and then sealed the paint with Chemical Guys Jet Seal, followed up by a Carnuba wax top coat. This is my first Jeep and I’m surprised at the paint quality. I don’t take it through car washes and it shows a lot of the typical paint swirl marks although it’s never been through a car wash.

I didn't I tried to do a budget coating so to speak by doing the all the cleaning, stripping, clay bar, etc and then using the Chemical guys ceramic coating product. I know its not a true ceramic but for the cost figured would give it a shot. For the first few months the beading, etc was fantastic but its wearing off now.

 

[Riccochet]

I didn't I tried to do a budget coating so to speak by doing the all the cleaning, stripping, clay bar, etc and then using the Chemical guys ceramic coating product. I know its not a true ceramic but for the cost figured would give it a shot. For the first few months the beading, etc was fantastic but its wearing off now.

Have you been maintaining it with a topper?

Even the expensive 5-7 year coatings need to be maintained. They're not a once and done thing.

And we can buy what the pro's use. A lot of shops around me use CQ Quartz and charge a bundle for it. You can buy the same stuff from autopia for $60.

 

[jbehrn]

I didn't I tried to do a budget coating so to speak by doing the all the cleaning, stripping, clay bar, etc and then using the Chemical guys ceramic coating product. I know its not a true ceramic but for the cost figured would give it a shot. For the first few months the beading, etc was fantastic but its wearing off now.

Thats been my experience with the Chemical Guy products... they need a lot of maintenance!

 

[riplipper]

Resurrection of older thread.
Just purchased a new Gladiator sport, my 8th jeep over 48 years of driving.
Did a lot of research on DIY ceramics and the Mequire's spray on ceramic got some very good reviews from quite a few different sources. So I gave it a try yesterday. My jeeps live on the beach so salt air in the wind is BRUTAL and never ending.
I am way too cheap to go the "real" ceramic route and too lazy to do the DIY "real" ceramic so I am curious how well this works. Hell, it was so easy, I could apply it after every wash.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I know the prep is a ton of work but vital to the coating being effective.
Could you do it in sections? Hood one weekend? Doors another? Etc?

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