“Ceramic” coats

[SteEnt]

Has anyone tried any of these products calling themselves ceramic, promising near 100% water and dirt repellency?
I would be tempted to try them as nothing beats that freshly washed and waxed look when it rains and the wipers swipe away the water beads with that oh so satisfying sound of the water bouncing off the chamoised screen.
But, sadly, it doesn’t last long.

So has anyone any experience of these other products?
Are they they real deal or a gimmick?

[Simmy]

Originally Posted by SteEnt

Has anyone tried any of these products calling themselves ceramic, promising near 100% water and dirt repellency?
I would be tempted to try them as nothing beats that freshly washed and waxed look when it rains and the wipers swipe away the water beads with that oh so satisfying sound of the water bouncing off the chamoised screen.
But, sadly, it doesn’t last long.

So has anyone any experience of these other products?
Are they they real deal or a gimmick?

yes they are good but very expensive as u need a full paint correction and polish before application .not cost effective on older cars check out the prices on car detailing web sites

[Markos01]

Yes. If you fancy a detail then you might consider a ceramic coating. From what I've heard from others they really like it and it means cleaning the car thereon is easier and quicker too. Lasts around 3 years IIRC. It's not a gimmick. I do know of one or two that have applied a ceramic coat themselves and they say it's not as difficult as detailers make out, but I imagine you'd need experience with a DA polisher at the very least if you wanted to apply yourself.

EDIT: If I was to get another detail in the future I'd consider a ceramic coat so the detailed finish lasts longer.

[domhart10]

I have some of this ceramic stuff waiting for time to put it on. Was just going to clean the car and wax it then pop this ceramic stuff on, is that enough prep before popping it on?

[I-S]

Wax goes on top of ceramic.

Putting wax on first will prevent proper adherence of the "ceramic" to the paint.

If you make a mistake with ceramic it can be very very difficult to remove from the paint - read, read and read some more about how to do it before doing so.

[domhart10]

ah ok thanks for that, my car has a few scratches and things so not to fussed about making it look imaculate just as nice as it can really so bought this stuff as it looked good.

So im right in thinking then shampoo and clean all the crud off and give it a huge rinse then do the ceramic then wax?

[Welton]

The ceramic coating goes over your 'prepared' clear coat, the only way is to have the clear coat machine polished to perfection and THEN seal it with the ceramic, otherwise you'd be sealing in all those swirls and imperfections.....

As an alternative I've recently tried Gtechniq C2 liquid Crystal with impressive results, I've tried all the Waxes over the years and this stuff is streets ahead in terms of longevity and ease of use, goes on as a clear fluid and appears to form a long lasting bond, washing is much easier. Best results would be after a clay bar treatment and hand polish.