Thread: Ceramic Coating Car and or Wheels.... Opinions, thoughts...Coffee Talk..No big Whoop

personally i think its a waste of money.
i prefer polish,glaze, then megs 2.0 sealant.

Those who think its a waste of money have probably not tried out any kid of ceramic coating. I am not talking about spray coatings because those don't compare to a true resin based coating. With that said a coating is not for everyone.

Be sure to do some more research about coatings. You have to remember that they are not impervious to scratches and swirls. Improper washing like taking them trough a drive through car wash will scratch the finish. So if you take you car through one of these then don't bother spending to get the work done. Stick with a cleaner wax if you are doing that.

Coatings will however last longer than a wax or sealant. All types of protection will need some sort of upkeep. Coatings also have a better self cleaning effect. Coatings do have the tendency to develop water spots.

Also a coatings durability is going to vary depending on how it is cared for and the type of environment it is exposed to. Expect about 18-24 months. If a coating claims 5 years, then cut that by 50-60% to get a more realistic longevity claim.

The price is high because you are paying for the labor to have the car polished or compounded and polished.

Coating wheels is a must. Again it will still require some sort of agitation during the washing process. Brake dust will stick to it is not properly maintained.

Head over to Autogeek and Autopia and you will see more of my posts regarding coatings.

Originally Posted by Pete67

Thanks for feed back. Do you have a brand preference for that stuff ?

for what i mentioned:
meguiars ultimate polish Meguiar's(R) Ultimate Polish, 16 oz.
the m205 is great if you have a da buffer Meguiar's(R) M205 Mirror Glaze(R) Ultra Finishing Polish, 32 oz.
meguiars M7 mirror glaze show car glaze.Meguiar's(R) M7 Mirror Glaze(R) Show Car Glaze, 16 oz.
the #3 machine glaze is great if you have a da buffer.Meguiar's(R) M3 Mirror Glaze(R) Machine Glaze, 16 oz.
then top with 2.0 sealant Meguiar's(R) M21 Mirror Glaze(R) Synthetic Sealant 2.0, 16 oz.

the darker the color of the car the more each step shows what its doing.
oh- before starting, i clay bar the entire vehicle,which that i have used different ones. im gonna be doing a complete detail in a couple of weeks and trying chemical guys. but the megs sold at wally world and such are good,too. so are the mothers clay bars, imo.
https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

hand washing is quite a bit more gentle on the finish than them beat it scratch it car washes. those things are dangerous- get a muddy vehicle going through before ya and a lot of the dirt can be in the "soft cloths" that wipe and beat the vehicles causing halos from lots of scratches

Originally Posted by Pete67

Thanks for feed back. Do you have a brand preference for that stuff ?

for what i mentioned:
meguiars ultimate polish Meguiar's(R) Ultimate Polish, 16 oz.
the m205 is great if you have a da buffer Meguiar's(R) M205 Mirror Glaze(R) Ultra Finishing Polish, 32 oz.
meguiars M7 mirror glaze show car glaze.Meguiar's(R) M7 Mirror Glaze(R) Show Car Glaze, 16 oz.
the #3 machine glaze is great if you have a da buffer.Meguiar's(R) M3 Mirror Glaze(R) Machine Glaze, 16 oz.
then top with 2.0 sealant Meguiar's(R) M21 Mirror Glaze(R) Synthetic Sealant 2.0, 16 oz.

the darker the color of the car the more each step shows what its doing.
oh- before starting, i clay bar the entire vehicle,which that i have used different ones. im gonna be doing a complete detail in a couple of weeks and trying chemical guys. but the megs sold at wally world and such are good,too. so are the mothers clay bars, imo.
https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

hand washing is quite a bit more gentle on the finish than them beat it scratch it car washes. those things are dangerous- get a muddy vehicle going through before ya and a lot of the dirt can be in the "soft cloths" that wipe and beat the vehicles causing halos from lots of scratches

dont need to try out a coating kit to know. just have to read replies like your own AND what the OP stated:

I try to keep it well cared for and maintained. I Have the local unlimited car wash complete package which seems to have done well by me. However, I just recently discovered ceramic coating. Seems like a pretty interesting option.

My concern is the constant upkeep to maintain shine . I am also concerned about the possibility of having to Re -coat car again in another five years once coat wears.


with that said, i wont push ceramic coatings on someone thats going to be running a vehicle through a car wash- its a waste of money.

now, if someone had a trailer queen and hand washed or had a detailer maintain their car-i would recommend it.

Originally Posted by Pete67

Thanks for all the info. Knowing what to get will give more confidence moving forward.

Just a follow up on some of those recommended products.

Ultimate Polish is a good polish. It is actually derived from M205 meaning same abrasives just less of them. Ultimate Polish also offers more polishing oils which will fill some defects and will darken the paint slightly more compared to M205. M205 on the other hand is more versatile and does a good job. M205 is also easier to wipe off as something has changed with the most recent version of ultimate polish.

I would skip M7 and M3. M7 was actually designed for single stage paints unlike today's modern day base coat/clear coat. M3 is older polish and uses diminish abrasives unlike the newer products (ultimate polish, M205) which use non-diminishing abrasives. A bit redundant and not needed if you invest in one of the two newer polishes.

M21 is a good sealant. It is not the most durable or longest lasting form of protection. It was actually Meguiar's first product into the sealant market. If you wish to get stuff locally just get NXT 2.0 as M21 2.0 is the same product. Ultimate Wax is actually a sealant and it uses new polymers to make it glossier, more durable and longer lasting that M21/NXT.

If you like you can step up to newer technology then take a look at the new Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax. It is a synthetic product that is ceramic infused and contains a little wax. It is the most durable protection in the consumer line. Real nice application and no need to let it haze like M21. Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax is not a coating and applies like M21/NXT and ultimate wax. Pair it with the new hybrid ceramic spray detailer for a nice 1-2 punch.

Proper hand washing is always key.