Paint protection (ceramic coating)

[Michiganman]

So I traded in My 2023 Wildtrak for a new 2024 Braptor. Yes I love it. Anyway it gonna be a pavement princess for a few years and I want to protect the paint. The Dealership want me to do the Ceramic coating, which last 7 years they say. I have looked a little in doing a clear Wrap but the place I went to quoted me north of 5 grand. Was wanting some input of everyone out here and their Ideas and experience's. The Ceramic is gonna cost $900. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Sponsored

 

[Lak34ers]

So I traded in My 2023 Wildtrak for a new 2024 Braptor. Yes I love it. Anyway it gonna be a pavement princess for a few years and I want to protect the paint. The Dealership want me to do the Ceramic coating, which last 7 years they say. I have looked a little in doing a clear Wrap but the place I went to quoted me north of 5 grand. Was wanting some input of everyone out here and their Ideas and experience's. The Ceramic is gonna cost $900. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Ceramic for around 1k is a good deal as long as they do proper prep which is polish/buff to make it mirror perfect prior to putting on the ceramic. PPF is nice but 5k+ is the cost. Darker the color the more ceramic and ppf make sense! Mine is black and I'm glad I did PPF on front/hood/front fenders and ceramic the whole thing.

 

[JAD67428]

I’d do it for that price, mine was $ 1500 an only a 5 year warranty. p.s. make sure that includes a paint correction service also, prep is key.

 

[BeachTiger]

I'd avoid dealership coatings. They are usually inferior quick application products. There are some dealers of high cars that do or outsource professional work, but most ordinary dealers are just ripping you off. Either have a pro do it or consider some DIY solution like Can Coat.

 

[CalvinT]

I just had my Badlands ceramic coated. I'm extremely pleased. I thought about PPF, but it eventually needs to be removed and replaced. Ceramic coating just wears off after a while. And it can be touched up with little hassle.

I wouldn't go through the dealer. All they're doing is adding mark up to the price without giving value in return. Find a local shop, talk to them about what they offer and what their service entails.

The shop I went with (Bob Moses) did a paint correction and iron removal. They also did the windows, MIC top and grill. I did not have them do the wheels. Cost was $1300. I got a 6 year warranty, which includes applying ceramic to any body panels that get repaired/replaced due to accident. They also made sure I understood how to maintain the coating, gave me a bottle of spray cleaner (400) and bottle of soap for a foam cannon (800ml). Both made by the company that made the ceramic coating. I doubt you'd get that level of service going through a dealer.

 

[NCWildtrack]

Ceramic for around 1k is a good deal as long as they do proper prep which is polish/buff to make it mirror perfect prior to putting on the ceramic. PPF is nice but 5k+ is the cost. Darker the color the more ceramic and ppf make sense! Mine is black and I'm glad I did PPF on front/hood/front fenders and ceramic the whole thing.

Ceramic will not last unless you gently hand wash. Commercial car washes will scrub it right off.

Doesn't seem like a big deal but...

 

[CalvinT]

Ceramic will not last unless you gently hand wash. Commercial car washes will scrub it right off.

The shop told me not to go to a car wash unless it's touchless. They also told me to use a leaf blower to dry my Bronco.

I found a local touchless car wash that uses RO water for rinse. Costs $6 for a basic wash. It's the only car wash I dare going to because of my Trailrax rack.

 

[BadmansSAS]

Jesus Christ just wax it once a year.

 

[PabloG]

Have a browse at pan the organizer’s YouTube channel, he’s got some great content about the ins and outs of ceramic coatings, their maintenance and even doing it yourself, if you’re up to it.

 

[CMillBronco]

Or do the Ceramic yourself once a year for $15!

Amazon.com: 303 Products Spray & Rinse Ceramic Sealant – Quick Ceramic Coating – Water-Activated SiO2 Formula – 6 Months of Protection – Water Repellent Ceramic Spray – Easy to Use – 16 Oz (Pack of 1) (30262)

 

[J-Lugster]

Don't get the coating from the dealer. It'll be a low budget product and a low budget prep.

Get it done afterwards if you feel you need it.

I've been through the whole coatings phase and I'm over it.

For my money the PPF is the way to go.

I would have had my whole Bronco done if it weren't so damned expensive.

Just make sure with the PPF you go with an installer who has a decent reputation because a shoemaker can really screw up your vehicle with knife cuts etc if they don't know what they are doing.

With PPF you get the quality that you pay for. I've had to learn that the hard way in the past,

 

[GoHawks63]

Haven't read the full thread yet, so apologies if I repeat points already made.

First off you need to know what you're getting and not getting with a ceramic coating. As others have said, it is essentially a very high-end wax/sealant that if done right and properly maintained, will provide an amazing shine. Along with that it will help protect against environmental damage such as bug splatter, UV damage and etching from bird droppings.

However, it will not protect against stone chips, light scratches and swirl marks.

PPF will protect against minor stone chips (not rocks), light scratches and swirl marks. Higher end films can also "Self-heal" to an extent from these types of events just by parking it in the sun, provided that the film hasn't been torn or ripped through.

Having said that, you can't buff out stains or blemishes out of the film.

Now what you can do after having PPF installed is apply a ceramic coating on top of the film so you get the best protection from both.

Some lower priced shops will cut around the trim pieces. Leaving the edges visible and exposed.

I recently had a full body (minus the MIC top) PPF applied to my new 2024 WildTrak, including the grille and headlights.

When applying the PPF, the key is to leave as few exposed edges as possible as the edges over time will collect dirt, become more visible and potentially lift . In my case they installers removed most of the trim pieces (top, taillights, door handles, grille, emblems, etc.) and wrapped the edges of the film around the openings and then re-installed the trim pieces so the edges are covered and protected. I attached some pictures of the install process of my WT.

In my situation the installer used a film that the manufacturer claims is ceramic infused (STEK DYNOshield).

Not sure if it's my imagination, a placebo effect, the color (Cactus Grey) or if it's actually resistant to dirt adhering to the car, but I swear that even after a rain, the body panels look pretty clean, especially when comparing them to the bumpers and wheel flares.

Maybe it's also because I am comparing the color to my other two cars which are black.

My installer said the film is guaranteed for ten years at which time it should be removed.

If you were quoted upwards of $5K, then that shop is doing it the right way.

 

[ravenvoyager]

So I traded in My 2023 Wildtrak for a new 2024 Braptor. Yes I love it. Anyway it gonna be a pavement princess for a few years and I want to protect the paint. The Dealership want me to do the Ceramic coating, which last 7 years they say. I have looked a little in doing a clear Wrap but the place I went to quoted me north of 5 grand. Was wanting some input of everyone out here and their Ideas and experience's. The Ceramic is gonna cost $900. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I elected to have ceramic added to my purchase, just because I thought it would be better and because they have a guarantee on it. I’ve applied ceramic before and was highly disappointed. I’ve used Chemical Guys Carbon before and have had impressive results. A month after the dealership applied the coating which is just a spray on and wipe off, I was shocked that the soap from the soap cannon just sat there. Typically, I’m used to seeing the soap glide off after using ceramic, even after a year. This stuff was nonexistent, so I just ordered some carbon force and did it myself with the outcome that I was wanting. The dealer guarantees a second treatment if the initial one fails but what’s the point of it doesn’t deliver on the first try. It’s easy to do it yourself, just make sure you get everything off your paint before it cures, otherwise it would be next to impossible to buff off, so check it 3 times.

 

[Medicin3man]

I had a friend of mine, who does PPF and ceramic, coat by '23 Braptor the day after I took it home, which was October 2023. I hand wash it once every six weeks. The soap and water still just bead off as if the ceramic coating was just appiled. I have the 5 year coating.

I almost did a matte PPF on my code orange, but I didnt like the way it looked. Ceramic, for me, is a win. Only downside is, I have a couple of small rock nicks on the front of the hood, that you cant see unless you are really looking.

 

[20wenty]

The shop told me not to go to a car wash unless it's touchless. They also told me to use a leaf blower to dry my Bronco.

I found a local touchless car wash that uses RO water for rinse. Costs $6 for a basic wash. It's the only car wash I dare going to because of my Trailrax rack.

Have been eyeing a Trailrax rack -- is it recommended not to run those things through a car wash?

Sponsored