Paintwork ceramic coatings

[Deekay]

I was wondering what views there are regarding professionally applied (or the home DIY applied variety) ceramic coatings for paintwork. I thought considering the type of use and abuse a camper van gets, ceramic paint protection would be ideal. I know it is not cheap especially when applied by a specialist approved / accredited company, but may protect residual values going forward and ensure the paint is in tip top condition. Less washing too which might be useful on longer trips. Any thoughts?

 

[Big Ted]

I'm a huge believer of ceramic coatings, regardless of the car or it's use.
Keeps the paintwork looking great, easy to wash, wheels are simple to look after & if you do the glass properly, it makes for a relaxed drive in the rain with no wipers.

I've posted a couple of pic's in to some threads in the past.

Cleaning tips for your Cali

They are looking nice :thumb Are you sure about this, they can be a twat to get off lol

vwcaliforniaclub.com

and

Paintwork TLC.

I managed to dodge some clouds the other weekend and set to work on sprucing up the paint work on my Cali. It’s not that is was in awful condition, but I knew I could get it to a better standard. My process. Rinse with water. Snow foam and let it dwell. Rinse Snow foam again but this time...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

There's a fair few others too, with equally nice shiny piccies.

In summary, preparation is the key piece of work for this job.
The Cali is a huge beast & a full job can take 2 days work, depending how far you want to go.
It's easy enough to do as a DIY'er, just take your time & maybe practice on another car 1st!
I rate the GTechniq product range, if you search on YT you'll find loads of beading & sheeting videos.

I've not had my coating on this Cali long enough to comment, as it was a lockdown project, but I know my 20k miles a year Volvo looked great 18 months after I coated it & still beaded nicely.

DIY v Professional - For sure I believe the pro's will do a very good job on the paintwork, with some OCD people in the trade, but you'll pay handsomely for the service. Personally, I'd never pay for Main Dealer paint work protection, as I suspect they slap it on to existing paintwork with little to no prep & charge top dollar for cheaper products.
Not sure if you'll ever see any return/protection on the investment.

 

[Deekay]

Thank you, very informative. Thanks for taking the time. I think that's made up my mind. Kind regards, David and Helen.

 

[CamperFam]

As Ted said - dont go for dealer provided tlc. I know from experience that quite often it'll be the bare minimum and isn't always the real thing. The work and effort involved in properly detailing a normal sized car equates to £600 of labour alone if done property, not including products or the time to apply ceramic coat. Dealer prices and their usual prices would give them a big loss if they actually did it properly.

It's relatively easy to do, but my personal tips:

- Avoid direct sunlight/hot days and windy days (shade or garage is ideal). You dont want the product(s) either cooking or drying too quickly.
- Wash the car thoroughly, as well as drying it thoroughly
- Only use the stated amount
- Always follow the instructions
- 24 hours after completing the ceramic coat application, apply the wax. Any earlier and the coating may not have cured.

 

[Deekay]

As Ted said - dont go for dealer provided tlc. I know from experience that quite often it'll be the bare minimum and isn't always the real thing. The work and effort involved in properly detailing a normal sized car equates to £600 of labour alone if done property, not including products or the time to apply ceramic coat. Dealer prices and their usual prices would give them a big loss if they actually did it properly.

It's relatively easy to do, but my personal tips:

- Avoid direct sunlight/hot days and windy days (shade or garage is ideal). You dont want the product(s) either cooking or drying too quickly.
- Wash the car thoroughly, as well as drying it thoroughly
- Only use the stated amount
- Always follow the instructions
- 24 hours after completing the ceramic coat application, apply the wax. Any earlier and the coating may not have cured.

Thank you for this. We know a local guy who has a good reputation. When we eventually get our hands on our Cali we are taking it straight to his place (Detail Shack, Preston Lancs) for for assessment of the existing new factory paint before it gets contaminated. Whether we go ahead will depend on price. Apparently there are two levels of hardness / guarantee on offer. You may have guessed I have some research yet to do but Youtube seem to have plenty of material. Thanks again.

 

[T6 CFO]

Thank you for this. We know a local guy who has a good reputation. When we eventually get our hands on our Cali we are taking it straight to his place (Detail Shack, Preston Lancs) for for assessment of the existing new factory paint before it gets contaminated. Whether we go ahead will depend on price. Apparently there are two levels of hardness / guarantee on offer. You may have guessed I have some research yet to do but Youtube seem to have plenty of material. Thanks again.

Had mine done from new Jan17. Still just needs a wash and shammy and it’s like new. Make sure you ask the dealership not to give it a clean as it’s only extra work for the detailer.


Mike

 

[HectaTheSpecta]

As hard as ceramic coatings make out, the paintwork surface still needs taking care of as it can still mar and scratch depending how youre cleaning your car.

PPF is possibly a better solution Depending on what you’re protecting but i usually PPF an entire front of a vehicle I purchase

 

[kurienp]

As hard as ceramic coatings make out, the paintwork surface still needs taking care of as it can still mar and scratch depending how youre cleaning your car.

PPF is possibly a better solution Depending on what you’re protecting but i usually PPF an entire front of a vehicle I purchase

Warning - possible thread hijack. Apologies in advance

@kkp0897 - do you have PPF on the entire front bonnet or just the lip/tip of the bonnet. I am getting PPF done from Monsterwraps in Southampton. I need to take a decision on full front bonnet or just the tip/lip (of course, including the front bumper etc). Any inputs appreciated. The other parts for PPF are 1. the handle cupe, 2. above the four wheel arches and 3. also the rear panel below the awning winder.

 

[HectaTheSpecta]

Warning - possible thread hijack. Apologies in advance

@kkp0897 - do you have PPF on the entire front bonnet or just the lip/tip of the bonnet. I am getting PPF done from Monsterwraps in Southampton. I need to take a decision on full front bonnet or just the tip/lip (of course, including the front bumper etc). Any inputs appreciated. The other parts for PPF are 1. the handle cupe, 2. above the four wheel arches and 3. also the rear panel below the awning winder.

One of my cars is half front end but includes wing mirrors , headlights and bumper. I got some extra bits done too where the paint is prone to ‘road rash’ like the fronts of the rear arches. I also got a bit done over the top of the bumper where it meets the boot in case passngers drag items out of the back of the car but it sounds like you got it covered, no pun intended.

my other car is full front end but in hindsight half front end would’ve sufficed for me but depends if you can live with seeing a line across the bonnet where people mistaken it for a scratch.

the difference in price were £450 and £1300 but I guess the front end of an Audi S3 and RS3 have more real estate than the front end of a van so would expect the coverage to be cheaper. Also I ensured the Paint work was detailed (cut only) reputable guy I know BUT not polished as the PPF bonds better because if it is polished then you run the risk of the PPF not sticking very well.

not sure what you’re being charged but definitely worth shopping around as there’s many in the business that do it. The chap who did mine was local to me in Essex (Chigwell to be precise) but has now moved to south of Gatwick so would be a bit further to travel for me for future cars.

hope it helps.

 

[kurienp]

One of my cars is half front end but includes wing mirrors , headlights and bumper. I got some extra bits done too where the paint is prone to ‘road rash’ like the fronts of the rear arches. I also got a bit done over the top of the bumper where it meets the boot in case passngers drag items out of the back of the car but it sounds like you got it covered, no pun intended.

my other car is full front end but in hindsight half front end would’ve sufficed for me but depends if you can live with seeing a line across the bonnet where people mistaken it for a scratch.

the difference in price were £450 and £1300 but I guess the front end of an Audi S3 and RS3 have more real estate than the front end of a van so would expect the coverage to be cheaper. Also I ensured the Paint work was detailed (cut only) reputable guy I know BUT not polished as the PPF bonds better because if it is polished then you run the risk of the PPF not sticking very well.

not sure what you’re being charged but definitely worth shopping around as there’s many in the business that do it. The chap who did mine was local to me in Essex (Chigwell to be precise) but has now moved to south of Gatwick so would be a bit further to travel for me for future cars.

hope it helps.

Thank you.

 

[66tim99]

A great illustration of the effect of paint correction
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNsdKCtLREO/?igshid=1cn613qjcer4w

 

[willwander]

A great illustration of the effect of paint correction
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNsdKCtLREO/?igshid=1cn613qjcer4w

Looks much better but probably half the clear coat now gone.

 

[66tim99]

Looks much better but probably half the clear coat now gone.

Factory clear coat? Then that’s replaced by a ceramic coating?

 

[willwander]

Factory clear coat? Then that’s replaced by a ceramic coating?

Clear coat is actual ‘paint’ or lacquer that is removed to the depth of the scratches, in order to polish them out. Therefore the ‘paint’ on the vehicle is now thinner. You can only do a deep paint correction like that a couple of times, before you run out of clear coat and need a respray.

Ceramic coatings are only microns thick, it provides a hydrophobic layer allowing dirt and water to run off, but only provides minimal protection. It will not replace the clear coat that has been removed.

 

[66tim99]

Clear coat is actual ‘paint’ or lacquer that is removed to the depth of the scratches, in order to polish them out. Therefore the ‘paint’ on the vehicle is now thinner. You can only do a deep paint correction like that a couple of times, before you run out of clear coat and need a respray.

Ceramic coatings are only microns thick, it provides a hydrophobic layer allowing dirt and water to run off, but only provides minimal protection. It will not replace the clear coat that has been removed.

Azuri tell me The paint correction process removes 3 to 5 microns of clear coat. Average clear coat depth is 150 microns. Ceramic coating then applied and guaranteed for 9 years.

 

[paul_f]

The beginning of this video has some good diagrams of what is done

 

[westfalia]

The beginning of this video has some good diagrams of what is done

Informative video on how the car valeters have advanced,
i had to give up watching when he kept saying fick and fin

 

[Moakesy]

Azuri tell me The paint correction process removes 3 to 5 microns of clear coat. Average clear coat depth is 150 microns. Ceramic coating then applied and guaranteed for 9 years.

Those are the guys I used for my van. Very happy with them.

 

[WelshGas]

I wonder if the Royal Vehicles have a ceramic coating applied?

 

[Joker 1299]

I wonder if the Royal Vehicles have a ceramic coating applied?

Doesn’t Autoglym have a Royal warrant? Prince of Wales if I remember rightly.

 

[ArunAlec]

Doesn’t Autoglym have a Royal warrant? Prince of Wales if I remember rightly.

Think I’ve seen him doing a review on his YouTube detailing channel!

 

[Peter Guiton Cali]

Just wondering if anyone has recommendation companies for ceramic coating or Grafene coating in the south west of England

 

[westfalia]

Here's an interesting vid about coatings.

I've always waxed my van each year, apart from some stone chips
it still looks mint.

 

[HectaTheSpecta]

Just wondering if anyone has recommendation companies for ceramic coating or Grafene coating in the south west of England

If you’re Essex Based the definitely would recommend Rob Leys at https://www.gleammachine.net/

Rob has nearly 20 years experience in the world of Detailing and works on many high end cars as well as accredited / insured. Honest sound guy and has worked on my cars of previous. I didn’t take my cali to him as opted for PPF for the front end

 

[WelshGas]

No coatings or PPE. Kept outside 24/7. Monthly wash during summer with bucket and hose. Polished Spring and Autumn. Auto shine Wash &Wax and Nano Spray Polish.

Does need a Wash now though.