Ceramic Pro and detailing AMA

[Pocketsand007]

Hey everyone! My name is Ian and I am an installer for ceramic pro. The leading product for keeping your car paint protected! I’ve seen a few threads about ceramic and thought I’d lend my advice for such a topic! I’ve been a ceramic installer now for little over 5 years and have worked on just about everything under the sun. Please ask me anything about ceramic, ceramic pro, or just detailing in general!

Disclaimer: I am not being paid to Promote any product or service, I’m simply here to help and give advice to others. I will try and answer everyone’s question throughout the day.

Fun fact: The photo with the ceramic pro product 9h is there to let you know that I am an official installer. Only installers or those that work for an official ceramic shop can purchase 9H or any other ceramic related product.

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[AZ_BRONC]

I picked up my Bronco Friday, have it in at Hyer Quality Detail here in Tempe, AZ, which is a well respected shop. Just doing 8mm XPEL wrap on entire front end, full hood and fenders right now. I used to be the porter in a Lincoln-Mercury dealership as a kid 35 years ago detailing the vehicles but a lot has changed. I typically use the easy Turtle Wax spray ceramic every 6 months after a good wash, minor paint correction and clay bar.

What is the difference between that simple solution, which adds about 20 min to my work on the detail, and the higher end stuff?

 

[Rick Astley]

If you were dead-set on using a chemical coating that physically bonds to the paint, then why not just use Zaino and save $300-2,000? It's been updated and is everything "ceramic" coatings do, but without the danger or worthless silica powder.

Is the word "ceramic" really the secret word to unlock my wallet?

Full disclosure: I'm not a Zaino rep and also am not trying to make a profit off any of this. But am genuinely curious why Ceramic products are so highly touted.

 

[Pocketsand007]

I picked up my Bronco Friday, have it in at Hyer Quality Detail here in Tempe, AZ, which is a well respected shop. Just doing 8mm XPEL wrap on entire front end, full hood and fenders right now. I used to be the porter in a Lincoln-Mercury dealership as a kid 35 years ago detailing the vehicles but a lot has changed. I typically use the easy Turtle Wax spray ceramic every 6 months after a good wash, minor paint correction and clay bar.

What is the difference between that simple solution, which adds about 20 min to my work on the detail, and the higher end stuff?

Longevity and what the product actually protects. Turtle wax is a simple “ceramic” coating that’s wipe on wipe off. Though it’s easy to use it only really lasts for about 2-6 weeks depending on what climate you are in. Turtle wax also just sits on the surface of the paint whereas ceramic will lay in little valleys and pores of the clear coat/paint which doesn’t actually help with dirt, mud, and dust. Turtle wax also doesn’t provide UV protection for the paint.

 

[Pocketsand007]

If you were dead-set on using a chemical coating that physically bonds to the paint, then why not just use Zaino and save $300-2,000? It's been updated and is everything "ceramic" coatings do, but without the danger or worthless silica powder.

Is the word "ceramic" really the secret word to unlock my wallet?

Full disclosure: I'm not a Zaino rep and also am not trying to make a profit off any of this. But am genuinely curious why Ceramic products are so highly touted.

Great question! There are a lot “ceramic” coating out there you can use but having professional coat you vehicle is a whole different ball park. Ceramic pro is not something you can pick up off the shelf’s. Only certified techs can handle and coat your car. This means the only people who can handle that stuff had to go school/training for it. So the technique is completely different. Ceramic pro is specifically formulated to protect your paint from UV damage, minor scuffing and abrasions, it makes the paint smooth so there’s less surface friction, along with less surface tension/friction your car is hydrophobic so it repels water, mud, and dust*. It’s designed to not only make you vehicle look shiny and great but it doesn’t hurt the paint at all. Now I know the price tag is high but really your paint is getting correct to look like the vehicle just rolled out of the showroom floor and you are getting you paint protect anywhere from 2 to 5 years.

 

[Murph914]

I got IGL’s Kenzo Kenzo ceramic coating. Wondering if you have any experience with it, and if you’d be able to compare it to other ceramic coatings?

Second question: When cleaning the car for a car show or after a quick trip what product should I use? Some have said any quick detailer. Then others have said quick detailer is useless and will just slough off immediately. Others have said just a dry rag, while still others have said you need to traditionally wash and shampoo. I even heard you have to use a “special” detailer with silica in it.

It’s frustrating when there’s no consensus and the industry is moving so fast that makes it impossible to keep up.

Than

 

[gryphon1231]

For legal reasons I’m going to decline to answer

but the youth of America really want to know!

 

[Rick Astley]

Great question! There are a lot “ceramic” coating out there you can use but having professional coat you vehicle is a whole different ball park. Ceramic pro is not something you can pick up off the shelf’s. Only certified techs can handle and coat your car. This means the only people who can handle that stuff had to go school/training for it. So the technique is completely different. Ceramic pro is specifically formulated to protect your paint from UV damage, minor scuffing and abrasions, it makes the paint smooth so there’s less surface friction, along with less surface tension/friction your car is hydrophobic so it repels water, mud, and dust*. It’s designed to not only make you vehicle look shiny and great but it doesn’t hurt the paint at all. Now I know the price tag is high but really your paint is getting correct to look like the vehicle just rolled out of the showroom floor and you are getting you paint protect anywhere from 2 to 5 years.

Exactly, so it's Zaino but without the silica powder to potentially damage the paint underneath.

 

[ctandc]

If you were dead-set on using a chemical coating that physically bonds to the paint, then why not just use Zaino and save $300-2,000? It's been updated and is everything "ceramic" coatings do, but without the danger or worthless silica powder.

Is the word "ceramic" really the secret word to unlock my wallet?

Full disclosure: I'm not a Zaino rep and also am not trying to make a profit off any of this. But am genuinely curious why Ceramic products are so highly touted.

I've used Zaino. Back when you had to call and talk to 'em - I think his name was Sal? Thing is, a GOOD chunk of ceramic cost is PAINT CORRECTION. And as the ZAINO guy himself told me years ago - "Don't buy my stuff if your paint doesn't look great. Because if it's got flaws, our stuff will make them easier to see...it magnifies the good and the bad."

Go price a good paint correction. That's a strip wash. Iron removal (rail dust......nasty stuff), and cut, buff, polish.

It's labor intensive.

That's BEFORE anything is put on the paint.

I do my own stuff...but to compare Apples to Oranges is ridiculous.

 

[Pocketsand007]

Exactly, so it's Zaino but without the silica powder to potentially damage the paint underneath.

Though ceramic pro has Silica in it they specifically made it so it doesn’t harm the paint underneath. Weather you maintain the coating or not. The 9h from the photo is the base coat so it’s going to be a stronger than top coat but when we put top coat over 9H the chemicals bond so the paint doesn’t get ruined.

 

[Pocketsand007]

I've used Zaino. Back when you had to call and talk to 'em - I think his name was Sal? Thing is, a GOOD chunk of ceramic cost is PAINT CORRECTION. And as the ZAINO guy himself told me years ago - "Don't buy my stuff if your paint doesn't look great. Because if it's got flaws, our stuff will make them easier to see...it magnifies the good and the bad."

Go price a good paint correction. That's a strip wash. Iron removal (rail dust......nasty stuff), and cut, buff, polish.

It's labor intensive.

That's BEFORE anything is put on the paint.

I do my own stuff...but to compare Apples to Oranges is ridiculous.

He is 100% correct. Most of that charge is labor and actually correcting the paint. If we just put the ceramic on a uncorrected car it magnifies and highlights everything. It’s also designed to not come off without a LOT of effort if we need to correct the car.

 

[ILoveTacos]

What's your recommendation for someone wanting to go the DIY route? 303 Graphene and Turtle Wax Ice Seal and Shine seem to be reviewed well. Apart from it not lasting as long or providing as good protection vs your product, is there any harm one could do to their paint if they did something wrong? This is my only hesitation. Thanks for the input.

 

[Pocketsand007]

I got IGL’s Kenzo Kenzo ceramic coating. Wondering if you have any experience with it, and if you’d be able to compare it to other ceramic coatings?

Second question: When cleaning the car for a car show or after a quick trip what product should I use? Some have said any quick detailer. Then others have said quick detailer is useless and will just slough off immediately. Others have said just a dry rag, while still others have said you need to traditionally wash and shampoo. I even heard you have to use a “special” detailer with silica in it.

It’s frustrating when there’s no consensus and the industry is moving so fast that makes it impossible to keep up.

Than

In the ceramic and high end detail world we call that ceramic product consumer grade. Though it shares some properties as ceramic pro they aren’t as long last and they tend to fail faster. To answer your second question a clean microfiber towel(s) and some 3m waterless wash and wax (see picture). Though I’d recommend taking it through a touch less car wash if you don’t want to spend that kind of money then the waterless wash and wax will do just fine. If you are talking interior than any APC (all purpose cleaner) will work. Chemical guys makes a great APC.

 

[Pocketsand007]

but the youth of America really want to know!

* looks around* PASS

 

[Pocketsand007]

What's your recommendation for someone wanting to go the DIY route? 303 Graphene and Turtle Wax Ice Seal and Shine seem to be reviewed well. Apart from it not lasting as long or providing as good protection vs your product, is there any harm one could do to their paint if they did something wrong? This is my only hesitation. Thanks for the input.

As far as? Are you looking at correcting the pint on the vehicle or just looking at putting a sealant on it? I’d recommend correcting the paint first with 3M 3D1 with a yellow/orange pad. It works well to get defects out of the paint and it has its own polymer sealant in it. If you go that route then I’d look into a good random orbital polisher and how to videos on the techniques of using the DA polisher.

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