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      01-15-2020, 10:41 PM   #1
flybigjet
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Ceramic coating-- are they equal? Recommended brand?

Guys--

I'm doing research on ceramic coating for my M2C for when it arrives.

The plan it to take it directly from the dealer (with the transit material still on) to the PPF installer. I've been using the same one for 15 years, and I like their work-- they use SunTek as the PPF material.

Once they're done (wrap of front clip, hood, a-pillars, front of front & rear quarters, rockers, etc.), I'm going to get the car ceramic coated.

The problem? There are dozens if not hundreds of ceramic coaters in Denver, and they all use a different product-- from "off the shelf" to "proprietary blends".

Additionally, they tend to have at least three tiers-- and the pricing seems to be.... flexible?

So, a little help?

I'm thinking ceramic coating on the car (which goes OVER the PPF I believe?), wheels (taken off of the car first), and brake rotors.

How do I pick a ceramic coater? And is there one type/brand that is head and shoulders above the rest?

Thanks-- there's a ton of contradictory information on this!

R.
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      01-15-2020, 11:26 PM   #2
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In my opinion, the installer is more important than the product. I'd talk with an installer you feel comfortable with and see what they recommend. I personally have CQuartz Professional and am very happy with it.
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      01-16-2020, 02:50 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHaze View Post
In my opinion, the installer is more important than the product. I'd talk with an installer you feel comfortable with and see what they recommend. I personally have CQuartz Professional and am very happy with it.
Really good advice.

A ceramic coating is pointless if the proper prep work isn't done. This means the paint being as clean and free of imperfections to allow the coating to properly bond to the paint. After that there is no magical coating out there that will last forever. Proper/consistent maintenance is key by keeping the car clean and topping it off with something to boost the coating periodically.

Stick with top brands and you will be fine. Gyeon, Carpro, Modesta, Gtechniq, etc.
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      01-16-2020, 04:58 PM   #4
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I had my car PPF'ed and coated with Modesta BC-08 in Chicago and then we moved to Denver in August and bought a new Acura RDX for my girlfriend. I shopped around the area and actually went to Sigma Kore where they did the PPF and used their proprietary ceramic coating (the 5 year one). Since I suspect you may be considering Sigma Kore too, here is what I've observed:

Modesta BC-08 on LBB M2:
- Top of the line brand perception, even the Sigma Kore guys had told me when we dropped the RDX off that BC-08 is realllly good.
- Looks great when clean, seems to dirty up easier than the RDX (might be color related)
- Doesn't bead as well as the Sigma Kore, in my opinion
- 2-3 year coating

Sigma Kore 5yr Coating on Apex Blue Pearl RDX:
- Hydrophobic properties are really strong. Seems stronger than the Modesta for sure.
- Seems more difficult to dirty up, again this might be totally subjective since this car is a darker blue
- 5 year coating (supposedly)
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      01-19-2020, 05:19 AM   #5
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Have you asked your PPF installer for a recommendations?

Totally agree that the installer makes a difference. I don't believe there is anything complicated to putting it on, you can do it yourself, but it's about having the right tools and the discipline to follow all the steps to completion. Guys who do it for a living are just going to be better at it and some will be better than others. Get a couple of references and look at their work.

I went with Nanolex Si3D HD. The installer had the car for a full week but most of that time was letting it cure. About 20 months later and an unknown number of washes, it's still sheeting and beading water.
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      01-19-2020, 07:34 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dtmurf View Post
Have you asked your PPF installer for a recommendations?

Totally agree that the installer makes a difference. I don't believe there is anything complicated to putting it on, you can do it yourself, but it's about having the right tools and the discipline to follow all the steps to completion. Guys who do it for a living are just going to be better at it and some will be better than others. Get a couple of references and look at their work.

I went with Nanolex Si3D HD. The installer had the car for a full week but most of that time was letting it cure. About 20 months later and an unknown number of washes, it's still sheeting and beading water.
I have asked him, but his answer wasn't completely helpful (e.g. "I like this guy's work better, but I like this other guy's product better").

The thing that's.... bothering?..... me is that the couple installer's I've reached out to in the local area say that they'll be done with the car in a single day, or will do it in my garage in an afternoon.

Which doesn't really gel with what I've read here (i.e. cure time over several days, multiple steps required, etc.). When I detail my car myself, it takes an entire day-- and I'm not color correcting the paint or doing a multi-step process on top of the regular detail steps.

Hence the need for research. I'm not quite sure what's the right answer yet.

R.
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      01-26-2020, 10:31 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flybigjet View Post
Guys--

I'm doing research on ceramic coating for my M2C for when it arrives.

The plan it to take it directly from the dealer (with the transit material still on) to the PPF installer. I've been using the same one for 15 years, and I like their work-- they use SunTek as the PPF material.

Once they're done (wrap of front clip, hood, a-pillars, front of front & rear quarters, rockers, etc.), I'm going to get the car ceramic coated.

The problem? There are dozens if not hundreds of ceramic coaters in Denver, and they all use a different product-- from "off the shelf" to "proprietary blends".

Additionally, they tend to have at least three tiers-- and the pricing seems to be.... flexible?

So, a little help?

I'm thinking ceramic coating on the car (which goes OVER the PPF I believe?), wheels (taken off of the car first), and brake rotors.

How do I pick a ceramic coater? And is there one type/brand that is head and shoulders above the rest?

Thanks-- there's a ton of contradictory information on this!

R.
Kind of surprised your PPF installer doesn't offer ceramic coating services and is also unable to recommend one

In any case, I certainly agree with what has already been said before that the installer is more important than which brand of coating you use

Yes, the ceramic coating goes over the PPF

Most standard coatings can be applied be hand

The wheels and brake calipers (not rotors) should use a high temperature heat resistant variety

These coatings are typically applied with a spray gun

Another thing to possibly look into is Windshield Protection Film

I just had Prestige Maxxion WPF installed

It's a little pricey and probably won't last very long, but seeing as you're in Colorado where rock chips are so common it might be worth considering

Last edited by 2020M2Competition; 01-26-2020 at 10:32 PM.. Reason: Spelling
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      01-26-2020, 10:39 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VTBoss302 View Post
Kind of surprised your PPF installer doesn't offer ceramic coating services and is also unable to recommend one

In any case, I certainly agree with what has already been said before that the installer is more important than which brand of coating you use

Yes, the ceramic coating goes over the PPF

Most standard coatings can be applied be hand

The wheels and brake calipers (not rotors) should use a high temperature heat resistant variety

These coatings are typically applied with a spray gun

Another thing to possibly look into is Windshield Protection Film

I just had Prestige Maxxion WPF installed

It's a little pricey and probably won't last very long, but seeing as you're in Colorado where rock chips are so common it might be worth considering
My PPF had someone, but there was a disagreement about working the two businesses together (I gather), so they're between ceramic coaters at the moment. The other person he recommended does it at your home-- I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that as I'd think adequate lighting, cure time, access to proper tools etc. would make a difference.

On the plus side, my SA recommended someone and they seem very highly rated-- I just haven't had a chance to stop by yet to discuss with them.

I've got a lot of loyalty with my PPF guy, as I've been using him for about 15 years. But, he *is* spendy-- about $6k for pieces parts (a LOT of parts) and about $7.5k for a full wrap-- but their work is exceptional.

Might be able to talk him down a bit, maybe not.

Thanks for the input though-- much appreciated.

R.
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      01-28-2020, 05:57 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flybigjet View Post
Guys--

I'm doing research on ceramic coating for my M2C for when it arrives.

The plan it to take it directly from the dealer (with the transit material still on) to the PPF installer. I've been using the same one for 15 years, and I like their work-- they use SunTek as the PPF material.

Once they're done (wrap of front clip, hood, a-pillars, front of front & rear quarters, rockers, etc.), I'm going to get the car ceramic coated.

The problem? There are dozens if not hundreds of ceramic coaters in Denver, and they all use a different product-- from "off the shelf" to "proprietary blends".

Additionally, they tend to have at least three tiers-- and the pricing seems to be.... flexible?

So, a little help?

I'm thinking ceramic coating on the car (which goes OVER the PPF I believe?), wheels (taken off of the car first), and brake rotors.

How do I pick a ceramic coater? And is there one type/brand that is head and shoulders above the rest?

Thanks-- there's a ton of contradictory information on this!

R.
The biggest expense in a ceramic coating job is the prep. Since you are doing a PPF, you or your installer should thoroughly prep the car - decontamination, polish, etc and then apply the PPF. You can easily apply a ceramic coating to the PPF by yourself since all the hard prep work is or has already been done.
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      02-06-2020, 10:03 AM   #10
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Over the past few weeks I've ceramic coated my E92 M3 (Jerez Black), F30 328i (Jet Black) , and F87 M2 (Alpine White).

The prep is the most time consuming. Each vehicle I washed really well, clayed, then polished with a Rupes machine and Rupes polish to get all of the swirls out, then an IPA wipe just before applying the coating.

I used the Avalon King Armor Shield IX ceramic material. It's actually the easiest part of the whole process, taking only about 45 mins per car to apply. Easy on, easy off. I left it to cure in the garage for two days before driving them, and did not drive in the rain for the recommended time of 7 days.

Hopefully it lasts for a bit, but so far so good. If you have the time, patience and desire, its not very difficult to DYI.
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      02-18-2020, 08:05 PM   #11
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Ceramic Pro is worth considering. Color Graphics Colorado is one of our Certified Installers out there - they're a bit further north but i think it would be worth looking into.
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