Ceramic coating?? Any good? Cost? Opinions?? Etc

[JaxGtc]

I used the Adams Advanced Graphene Ceramic - 2 coats. It is super easy and very forgiving. The black light kit helps you make sure you have even coverage. Followed up a month later with Griots 3in1. Spray on, wipe off. On top of all that, every few months hit it with some Geyon Wet Coat when you rinse. Basically you have long-term protection and a couple of sacrificial layers.
All together you have spent about $200 and I will put it up against anything a dealer will sell you. It's not a lot of work, easy on and off. Plenty of youtube videos to help you.
A coating will not keep your car clean, but it will make cleaning it much easier.

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[coachoates]

New 2 door heritage owner. Looking at ceramics coating. Any good?? Worth it(got a quote for $1400)? Just looking for thoughts, opinions, etc.

Also one was proposed me has a 9 year warranty and is transferable if the bronco gets resold. Thoughts??

Thanks.

It’s awesome! But you will want to go the PPF route.

ceramic is better than nothing but PPF is worth the investment.

 

[Durangatan]

Worth the cost? Depends.

The very best shops doing this - those that have high-end Porsches, Audis, McClarens and Lambos in their bays spend hours paint correcting. The factory finish of the vehicle is brought to a glass-like shine. Then the ceramic is applied. That hand finishing is where the cost lives.

I've had a few of my vehicles ceramic coated by SigmaKore in Denver. They come out looking AMAZING! They look amazing after a wash. However they do not have the deep luster - the shine that looks 3" deep on my winter driver. For that Vehicle I use a couple of Chemical Boys products. It gets waxed in October. I teach skiing and race all winter, wash it in spring, and the shine, and slipperness is still there. Vehicles that I have had ceramic coated just don't have that depth of shine.

I probably won't have a vehicle ceramic coated again. Certainly not the Bronco. Every Bronco that I have seen just has horrendous paint when compared to a high-end sports car. My Bronco will likely see a few trips to the power washer per year.

PPF if you really want protection, particularly against chips.

 

[telenerd]

I bought a Megirriues Ceramic Spray. Wash Bronco, spray and Rub on with fiber rag, rub off with clean fiber rag. Look at that shine! Only down side you have to apply often. But it makes a big difference off-road with grime not sticking as much.

 

[Just Rob Please]

I second @Durangatan words there. While I'll have mine paint corrected and a coat of the good ceramic juice, I'm only doing it because my son is getting good with it in his detail side gig and is doing it in exchange for a nice place to live while he's in college - my house

I have a Jaguar XK-R that is black with a lot of metal flake. After a very expensive paint correction and ceramic coat, it lost its depth. It looks amazing in the sun, but just today I was thinking how it looks in the shade has always been dull compared to the way it looked before. Does it protect? Yes. But it's not magic. You'd be better with a clear wrap in my opinion.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Ceramic is essentially long lasting, expensive wax.
It will not protect from physical damage (rock chips , scratches, swirl marks from contact type car washes or stiff towels, etc)
The possible exception being chemical type damage from bird droppings, hard water spots, etc etc etching the paint.

It does indeed help the cars stay a bit cleaner, longer.
I also makes the FAR easier to clean.
Pollen, dust that freely settles, etc seems to blow off, but stuff that gets wet and dries on will stay.

The stuff that stays will wash off VERY easily ... bug guts, the hazy mist that dries on after driving in the rain, etc.

For me the biggest thing is how long it will last.
Figure 2 or 3 years for most. Driving conditions and amounts will cause them to wear differently. Winter roads will abrade any topping eventually.
Considering the best sealants I've tried barely make it thru a season, if this stuff lasts 2 or 3 years, I'll be tickled silly.

I applied it myself, but I also do my own detailing/buffing/correcting stuff as a small hobby, so it wasn't a big ordeal for me.

So far , I'm loving it.

As noted numerous times, it is the paint correction that will make the car look gorgeous, not necessarily the protective coating. That is where the bulk of the cost will be.

Currently my favorite part about it, I coated the Method wheels and it seems NOTHING sticks to them over the last two years.
I use a low end pressure washer for car washes and whatever brake dust accumulates just sprays away, no wheel cleaner or nothing. Just a wash mitt on the outside surfaces.
I didn't get the body done until a few months ago, so I'm interested to see how well winter road grime washes away.

 

[DrewBronc21]

I haven’t done my Bronco but had full color correction and 3 year ceramic on my STi and it looks like a delicious piece of candy. I need to get it done again soon. Plan to do the Bronco eventually . I think it was like $1500. Water rolls off. Nothing sticks. It will protect it from sap, bird shit etc. but not scratches.

 

[Wardognal]

I am going to have it done the day I pick it up at the dealership.

 

[76to22]

$1400 is too much, and I've yet to see a ceramic coating last more than a year, if that. You're going to wash your vehicle more than once a year (I assume.) Ceramic coating is great for dirt/dust, pollen, water, tar, bugs, UV. The prep work though is what will determine if the coating will work or not, or how much shine you will have in the paint once applied. If water doesn't bead where ceramic has been applied, prep work (or not following ceramic application instructions,) was subpar. Same if the vehicle isn't showroom shiny afterward. Black paint is a little different and is easier to swirl/scratch because overall it is softer. But, if you can't get a black vehicle to "pop," detailing isn't your thing.

 

[330SMG]

Here is the downside. You can't paint a panel if it has any damage as small. You need to strip and repaint the entire panel.
Just something to think about.

 

[LC84]

My dealer had mine done for me before I took delivery. mine is a 2door also and I'm sure it’s area specific on costs too. If I remember right it was 800 For mine. I’ve watch pricing around here and it’s all over the place. A good one i think is worth every penny of the cost. I haven’t checked into it but if they offer one for the plastic on it I’d do that also.

About the same here for mine!

 

[BRONCeyeTIS]

I was cornered in to dealer applied ceramic coat which looked ok but i added another coat of chemical guys ceramic and the results are to my liking..its not hard t9 do yourself...pop a couple beers and do it yourself...

 

[615_Bronco]

I’m a buy a reputable product and diy it. I’m also in the wrong business if people are getting 2k to do a Bronco.

 

[TheeBullhead]

I had mine coated and loved it while it lasted. However, after its first Minnesota winter, it’s mostly gone and it’s not worth it to have it reapplied.

 

[Dimitar]

I’ve had Cermaic coating for 2 years now on my bronco. It definitely needs reapplying. I paid $700 or so to have the truck preppred and the coating applied. I will say it adds a little extra hardness to the paint so in theory it should add some minor protection in addition to the hydrophobic qualities. In practice my truck is still covered in chips from the garbage SAS tires and road debris.

No pin stripes though so there’s that’s. And I do wheel it quite a bit.

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