Detailing poll

[RDATLTE]

Was about to pull the wheels to do ceramic coating…. Where are the jacking points?? I can’t find anything for the ct5 only cts..

They’re not in the owner’s manual?

 

[BenBaad]

 

[BenBaad]

This is who I’m using. Hyer Quality Detail in Tempe, AZ. Probably going full send, not sure if I’m doing full or just track PPF. Also not sure what % tint I plan to do, or what the interior protection entails, and if it’s worth it.

 

[mkrup]

Picked up from the detailer after ceramic coating this afternoon. If anyone has doubts about if they should do ceramic coating, I think this might change your mind. My dad is the most bah-humbug, don't-buy-any-of-the-addon-BS guys on the planet and this had him thinking that he should bring his car in. The detailer took a bunch more photos and will probably post them on social media, I'll link them when they go up--figure it's worth giving him a plug for an excellent job.

Edit: They actually just posted it

https://www.facebook.com/CeramicProGreaterBoston/posts/1468937526809168

If you're in the Boston area, I highly recommend these guys. The owner is clearly passionate about his work, and they do a fantastic job.

 

[Scalarrthu]

This is who I’m using. Hyer Quality Detail in Tempe, AZ. Probably going full send, not sure if I’m doing full or just track PPF. Also not sure what % tint I plan to do, or what the interior protection entails, and if it’s worth it.

Those prices seem pretty reasonable. If I can’t find someone comparable in Vegas I might be reaching out to them to spend 2650 of my hard earned dollars.

 

[Texas Draped]

Not sure if it would take away the visual effect but I'd like to PPF the Dark Emerald Frost

 

[RDATLTE]

Not sure if it would take away the visual effect but I'd like to PPF the Dark Emerald Frost

Not if you use the correct product made for it. I wouldn’t get that color without doing 100% PPF because of the difficulty in cleaning it without damaging it.

 

[Texas Draped]

Not if you use the correct product made for it. I wouldn’t get that color without doing 100% PPF because of the difficulty in cleaning it without damaging it.

I'm guessing the film could be either gloss, satin, or matte ? Still very excited to see the frost. Fingers crossed, that color comes out to be a banger

 

[RDATLTE]

I'm guessing the film could be either gloss, satin, or matte ? Still very excited to see the frost. Fingers crossed, that color comes out to be a banger

You definitely don’t want to use gloss. That would negate getting that color in the 1st place. Some products that I’m aware of are XPEL Stealth and STEK DYNOmatt.

 

[BenBaad]

Not sure if it would take away the visual effect but I'd like to PPF the Dark Emerald Frost

One of my buddies had a matte Black Widow and he tried wrapping it. The guy doing it couldn’t get it done, and it ended up peeling off. He might not have been the most reputable guy either so
Also, not sure how PPF applies vs a wrap

 

[Texas Draped]

Same concept. Peeling would not be affected by paint type. That is a result from poor craftsmanship

 

[ajamils]

What kinda quotes are you guys getting for tints? I reached out to Tint World and they quoted 299.99 (Supreme) , 399.99 (Ultimate) and $250.00 for Windshield. It's been few years since I got my car tinted but to me these seems high. What do you guys think?

 

[Texas Draped]

What kinda quotes are you guys getting for tints? I reached out to Tint World and they quoted 299.99 (Supreme) , 399.99 (Ultimate) and $250.00 for Windshield. It's been few years since I got my car tinted but to me these seems high. What do you guys think?

What does Supreme or ultimate, mean? You should figure about $120 for 2 windows. Ceramic options are like double

 

[ajamils]

What does Supreme or ultimate, mean? You should figure about $120 for 2 windows. Ceramic options are like double

Details are in the link I provided above.

Car Window Tinting | Vehicle Glass Tinting | Tint World

Want your car’s window tinting done right? Leave it to the pros at Tint World! For more than 40 years we have been the leader in vehicle glass tinting.

www.tintworld.com

 

[jwolf99]

So with my impending delivery set for Friday, I am ready to schedule my ceramic coating. I am leaning to IGL Kenzo based on reviews and pictures. The IGL approved detailer that I connected with is also pushing me on Fireball. Not a much content (reviews, pics, etc) on it as they seem to be relatively new to US market where most of their existing base seems to be in Asia and Australia/NZ. Also have another detailer that uses Jade coatings, also limited info available.

Anyone have any experience with any of these? I need something that, with proper maintenance, will stand up to the elements (driven 5 or 6 days per week, mostly local, ~4-5k miles per year).

 

[John]

So with my impending delivery set for Friday, I am ready to schedule my ceramic coating. I am leaning to IGL Kenzo based on reviews and pictures. The IGL approved detailer that I connected with is also pushing me on Fireball. Not a much content (reviews, pics, etc) on it as they seem to be relatively new to US market where most of their existing base seems to be in Asia and Australia/NZ. Also have another detailer that uses Jade coatings, also limited info available.

Anyone have any experience with any of these? I need something that, with proper maintenance, will stand up to the elements (driven 5 or 6 days per week, mostly local, ~4-5k miles per year).

jwolf99,

I detail on the side and I have paint coated (ceramic is a general term for paint coatings, not all coatings are ceramic based) a lot of cars. I have not used either of those brands but both seem to get good reviews. Most of the coating brands on the market are pretty good these days I think you will be fine with choosing either one. The more important aspect is the detailers workmanship, especially if they are doing any paint correction before coating, which they should be doing. A very light polish or paint cleanser and prep wipe is necessary to get a proper bond between the paint and the coating. A proper bond, as well as proper maintenance, helps the coating last longer. Coatings are not an apply once and never wash your car or maintain it again solution. Coatings still need to be maintained to provide you with the best lifespan and reap all the benefits of the coating. You still want to clean off bird bombs and bugs as soon as possible. Pollen will still be a pain. If a vehicle is driven all year then generally spring time is best to decontaminate the paint. Iron removers and tar removers help clean the paint coating up after winter and get the coating back to it's full hydrophobic behavior.



Lets discuss PPF and paint coatings more since this thread is about those.

A few things that paint coatings are and are not.

Paint coatings will not protect from dings, chips, etc. This is a thin nano film, not armor. Only PPF is going to protect from rock chips and light impacts, like perhaps a light door ding. PPF won't help prevent a ding from a larger impact but it can prevent the paint from being scratched or marred allowing PDR to fix the ding/dent.

Paint coatings are not protecting your vehicle from scratches. That being said it is possible that a coating used on very soft paint can help make that paint more resistant to swirls (not scratches) but again, it's not armor. PPF would provide much better protection. All the 9H 10H diamond hardness crap is marketing BS. The hardness scale they use is pencil hardness, not Mohs scale.

Paint coatings are useful for having a long lasting layer of "wax" on the paint. I say wax because think of the old days when you wanted to shine up your car. You would spend a morning rubbing your favorite wax on the paint and removing it to look at the shine it revealed. A paint coating is really just a long lasting, more durable "wax." Too often I see people think it's like PPF. These are total different products. Paint coatings will give your vehicle a long lasting shine. Coatings generally will darken paint shades slightly as waxes tend to do as well. Coatings tend to have a brighter gloss, more candy looking. Depending on where you live paint coatings can have some not so great benefits. The great hydrophobic behavior looks awesome but it can lead to water spots. Some coatings resist spotting more than others but often times they make sprays to maintain coatings that act as sacrificial layers to prevent spotting in the coating. Some coating companies do offer water spot removal products as well. That's why some manufactures advertise both the water contact angle and the water sliding angle. The sliding angle is more important to help prevent spotting.

The big benefits of paint coatings:

Long lasting protection.

They make washing/drying a much easier and often quicker event.

They tend to offer some self cleaning. This doesn't mean you leave your car in the rain and it will look freshly washed afterwards. They release contaminants easier so they tend to look better after a rain or quick spray down.

I am a huge fan of coating wheels and painted brake calipers. Normally when I wash our cars I tend to do it weekly. With the wheels/calipers coated I can go a few weeks before I get all my brushes out to clean everything. Instead I can use my electric pressure washer and it will leave the wheels/calipers looking great. It's a huge time saver for me as the wheels take a lot of time to clean properly.

The paint coating does allow a touchless wash on a vehicle that is not really dirty. If it's been a dry week and our black cars are dusty I will just pressure wash them and blow them off with my backpack leaf blower and they look freshly washed. I also use a CRSpotless water deionizer since I have very hard well water. This doesn't leave the car perfect but it's close. It does allow zero chance of adding swirls verses using a quick detailer or (gasp) a car duster.

Paint coatings can be used on top of PPF and will increase the hydrophobic behavior. They do make PPF specific coatings as well.

Glass coatings are also fantastic. My favorite is Gtechniq G1 Clearvision Smart Glass.

Tire coatings are another great product. Tuf shine has been my favorite.

This isn't meant to be a guideline, just a quick (and most likely rambling) explanation to help members out. I think both products are huge benefits and use both on our vehicles. Keep in mind PPF does require some care as well.

I am debating on a full PPF or track style install if I ever get my Black Raven 5BW. My wife's black car has a track style install and there are pros and cons to full vs partial. No matter which I chose I will be coating everything, including the leather interior. (Yes, they make coatings for those too)

 

[rdollie]

Mine goes in for full car Xpel, ceramic and window tint ... i think about $7k all in. 4-5 days to complete.

I'm paying a little more for the same setup but it's through the dealer covered for life of new car warranty for the ceramic and the Xpel I was told is lifetime (I'll get confirmation when I drop the car for the appointment next week.)
They're supposedly going to ceramic coat the whole exterior BEFORE applying Xpel.

 

[Tall Steve]

I'm paying a little more for the same setup but it's through the dealer covered for life of new car warranty for the ceramic and the Xpel I was told is lifetime (I'll get confirmation when I drop the car for the appointment next week.)
They're supposedly going to ceramic coat the whole exterior BEFORE applying Xpel.

I'm no expert but I think PPF goes on first then ceramic......

 

[RDATLTE]

I'm no expert but I think PPF goes on first then ceramic......

I’m in complete agreement. I do not believe that the PPF would stick to a car already coated in ceramic. Additionally, I believe that Xpel warranty is 10 years.

 

[John]

100% wrong to coat paint before wrapping it with PPF. It will not bond properly. If they are indeed planning to do that then you need to find a new installer.