In my case, is having a pro do a ceramic coating worth it?

[JimShaw]

I would love someone knowledgeable let me know whether a ceramic coating by a pro is needed or what I am now doing is fine

I have a 2022 M3. The front of the car has been PPFd and its color is Tesla white.

I am considering having a pro do a ceramic coating for the cost for $1000 using Shine Supply's Beadlock Marine ceramic.

I drive about 10,000 miles a year and when not driven, it rests in a garage.

I'm anal about keeping my car clean. I wash about 2-3 times a month (if the weather has been bad, it could be more. I live in So. Calif.) and I use what pros use to do a wash (microfiber, ONR, etc, etc.)

After each wash, I use a ceramic spray (TEC582) either as a drying aid or after the car has been dried. That means I use a ceramic spray 2-3 times a month.

I hope I have given you an idea how I treat the M3.

In your opinion, will having a pro do a 5 year warrantied ceramic coating still be worth the ???? considering what I now do to protect the paint?

 

[Tdriver]

You don't need a pro to wax your car but to do it right you need an orbital to apply it for the best finish. I live in the desert, not much rain but lots of hot sun and dust. If the car gets dirty I wash it with cold water spray, no soap. The ceramic holds up much better than plain wax and last much longer. I go a year with out a redo. Available from several brands on Amazon. Usually around $25-30. $1k is crazy for what amounts to a wax job. Forget the sprays.

 

[JimShaw]

You don't need a pro to wax your car but to do it right you need an orbital to apply it for the best finish. I live in the desert, not much rain but lots of hot sun and dust. If the car gets dirty I wash it with cold water spray, no soap. The ceramic holds up much better than plain wax and last much longer. I go a year with out a redo. Available from several brands on Amazon. Usually around $25-30. $1k is crazy for what amounts to a wax job. Forget the sprays.

It's not a "wax job". It's ceramic coating and I do not have the expertise to apply pro-ceramic.

It takes hours of buffing and prep to get the car's paint, rims, glass ready for ceramic. The pro I have talked to applies two layers. I know the ceramic he uses costs about $145 for a very small bottle with approx. 2-3 oz.

 

[Soul Surfer]

It's not a "wax job". It's ceramic coating and I do not have the expertise to apply pro-ceramic.

It takes hours of buffing and prep to get the car's paint, rims, glass ready for ceramic. The pro I have talked to applies two layers. I know the ceramic he uses costs about $145 for a very small bottle with approx. 2-3 oz.

I think @Tdriver meant that the “application” of the ceramic, is quite similar to getting a good and thorough wax job.

 

[joebruin77]

Personally, I think the answer depends on how important is maximum paint appearance and protection to you and whether or not you have the time or interest in doing a ceramic coating yourself.

Applying a ceramic coating is relatively easy. The "hard work" is the prep work. If the professional detailer is doing a lot of paint prep and polishing and you want your paint to look its absolute best (and you don't want to do this yourself), then it may be worth it to you.

If your paint is in decent shape and doesn't really need polishing, then you could apply a consumer grade ceramic coating yourself. For example, Gyeon Cancoat Evo or Gyeon Mohs are supposed to be very user friendly and easy to apply coatings. You would save a lot of money doing it yourself.

That said, if you are applying TEC 582 2-3 times a month, you really may not need a coating. TEC-582 doesn't last nearly as long as a ceramic coating. But since you are applying it so often, it may not be necessary. A professional coating would probably look a bit better than TEC582 alone, but only you can decide if that difference is worth $1,000. TEC 582 may very well be "good enough".

Finally, if you are going to have a professional coating installed, I would do a bit of research on the Shine Supply coating the detailer is recommending. I am not familiar with Shine Supply's professional coatings, but I have NOT been impressed with their consumer level products. I personally would steer clear of Shine Supply coatings and do a bit of research about the best professional grade coatings on the market.

 

[JimShaw]

Personally, I think the answer depends on how important is maximum paint appearance and protection to you and whether or not you have the time or interest in doing a ceramic coating yourself.

Applying a ceramic coating is relatively easy. The "hard work" is the prep work. If the professional detailer is doing a lot of paint prep and polishing and you want your paint to look its absolute best (and you don't want to do this yourself), then it may be worth it to you.

If your paint is in decent shape and doesn't really need polishing, then you could apply a consumer grade ceramic coating yourself. For example, Gyeon Cancoat Evo or Gyeon Mohs are supposed to be very user friendly and easy to apply coatings. You would save a lot of money doing it yourself.

That said, if you are applying TEC 582 2-3 times a month, you really may not need a coating. TEC-582 doesn't last nearly as long as a ceramic coating. But since you are applying it so often, it may not be necessary. A professional coating would probably look a bit better than TEC582 alone, but only you can decide if that difference is worth $1,000. TEC 582 may very well be "good enough".

Finally, if you are going to have a professional coating installed, I would do a bit of research on the Shine Supply coating the detailer is recommending. I am not familiar with Shine Supply's professional coatings, but I have NOT been impressed with their consumer level products. I personally would steer clear of Shine Supply coatings and do a bit of research about the best professional grade coatings on the market.

joebruin77

Thanks for the post

I'm in my 80s and feel this will be my last car. So, appearance and protection is important to me but I'm not able to able to do all that is required to produce a good pro like ceramic coating. That's why I use an excellent ceramic spray. It's simple, easy, no streaks and produces a very smooth, slick feel touching the paint

And Yes, because of how I treat the car wash, the paint is in excellent condition, no swirls or scratches. "That said, if you are applying TEC 582 2-3 times a month, you really may not need a coating", "TEC 582 may very well be "good enough"

That is exactly why I have posted my question. Will my constant application of TEC582 do the paint well enough that a pro-ceramic install is a waist of money? That was in my head and I wanted to see if others thought the same.

Thanks for your thought

 

[joebruin77]

joebruin77

Thanks for the post

I'm in my 80s and feel this will be my last car. So, appearance and protection is important to me but I'm not able to able to do all that is required to produce a good pro like ceramic coating. That's why I use an excellent ceramic spray. It's simple, easy, no streaks and produces a very smooth, slick feel touching the paint

And Yes, because of how I treat the car wash, the paint is in excellent condition, no swirls or scratches. "That said, if you are applying TEC 582 2-3 times a month, you really may not need a coating", "TEC 582 may very well be "good enough"

That is exactly why I have posted my question. Will my constant application of TEC582 do the paint well enough that a pro-ceramic install is a waist of money? That was in my head and I wanted to see if others thought the same.

Thanks for your thought

I had one other suggestion. Although TEC 582 is a great product, it is marketed as a ceramic detail spray. Although it can be used as a ceramic sealant (and some people claim it is mislabeled and should be considered more of a ceramic sealant), it is not as durable as other ceramic spray sealants and certainly not as durable as a ceramic coating.

I understand you don't want to spend money on a ceramic coating if it is not necessary and you don't want to install a ceramic coating yourself. Here is one other option. Every 3-6 months, you could apply a true ceramic spray sealant. This would be your main or base layer of paint protection. Then you can continue to do what you are already doing, using TEC 582 2-3 times a month. The TEC 582 will certainly give your base ceramic sealant a boost in terms of gloss and duration, but using the combination of a ceramic spray sealant as your base protection and the TEC 582 for maintenance will give you a bit more protection than TEC 582 alone. And any ceramic spray sealant is just as quick and easy to apply as the TEC 582.

Here are some recommendations for ceramic spray sealants:

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Sealant (I think they call it a ceramic spray coating, but it is not a "true" ceramic coating")

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-53409-Solutions-Coating-16/dp/B07XYPS3PS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1PNCPQ1I7CWD&keywords=turtle%2Bwax%2Bceramic%2Bspray%2Bsealant&qid=1706370673&sprefix=turtle%2Bwax%2Bceramic%2Bspray%2Bsealant%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

Griot's Garage Ceramic 3-in-1 Wax

https://www.amazon.com/Griots-Garage-10978-Ceramic-22oz/dp/B084F4DC92/ref=sr_1_5?crid=YV2L8HXZTJ2F&keywords=griot%27s+garage+ceramic+3-in-1+wax&qid=1706370799&sprefix=griot%27s+garage+3%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-5

Armour Detail Supply Ceramic Spray Sealant (My current personal favorite and the one I am using on my cars now. It is a bit more expensive than the others but it has a higher ceramic content and offers more gloss and protection than the other two):

Ceramic Spray Sealant

Introducing Ceramic Spray Sealant, a state-of-the-art spray sealant that provides unparalleled protection and shine to your vehicle. Infused with a high concentration of SiO2, this spray sealant is one of the most effective on the market and utilizes a unique blend of advanced polymers and...

armourdetailsupply.com

 

[JimShaw]

Fantastic

Thanks for letting me know

The Armour Ceramic Spray Sealant is out of stock at Armour right now. I've put my name in so when back in stock, I'll get notified

It looks like I might be able to use it as I use the TEC582

I'll keep you in touch

Thanks

 

[JimShaw]

joebruin77

Found a test between Armour Ceramic Spray sealant vs TEC582

Armour won

 

[joebruin77]

joebruin77

Found a test between Armour Ceramic Spray sealant vs TEC582

Armour won

Armour Detail Supply also makes a ceramic detail spray too called Amplify and would probably be a more equivalent "apples to apples" comparison to TEC 582. I have tried Amplify and, like TEC 582, it increases gloss and feels super slick under the towel as you wipe it off. I would be curious for someone to do a comparison between the two. I have no formal way of measuring it, but I think Amplify provides a bit more gloss and a bit more water beading than TEC 582. Amplify smells great, but man the scent of TEC 582 is addictive. I love its pina colada like smell.

TEC 582 is a bit cheaper compared to Amplify (As of today $43 per gallon vs $49.99 per gallon). But I suspect Amplify does have a higher ceramic content and there are ways of getting a discount on the Armour Detail Supply website. I think they give 10% off if you join their mailing list, 15% off if you post a review with a picture, and 20% off if you post a video review.

Here is the link to Amplify:

AMPLIFY - Detail Spray

Introducing Amplify, a Si02 infused detail spray formulated to deliver unrivaled slickness and gloss. As its name suggests, Amplify's innovative formula is designed to elevate the slickness, gloss, and protection of any existing coatings, sealants, or waxes to new heights. Unlike other detailers...

armourdetailsupply.com

 

[Kairide]

Since your car is PPF’d you wouldn’t have any paint prep to do before applying ceramic coating. That would have already been done before the PPF was applied. If you have hydrophobic PPF, then ceramic coating is a waste of money. All you would need to do is clean the car and the PPF should retain a glossy look. You could always wipe it with no rinse car wash containing wax as well to add to the shine.

 

[joebruin77]

Since your car is PPF’d you wouldn’t have any paint prep to do before applying ceramic coating. That would have already been done before the PPF was applied. If you have hydrophobic PPF, then ceramic coating is a waste of money. All you would need to do is clean the car and the PPF should retain a glossy look. You could always wipe it with no rinse car wash containing wax as well to add to the shine.

The OP said that the front of his car had PPF, which I am assuming means his car has a partial PPF. So depending on the condition of the non-PPF covered paint, some prep work might still be needed.

Although there are some PPF's on the market that have a hydrophobic layer built in, most regular PPF's do not and still benefit from having a ceramic coating applied. But I did recently hear that Xpel will only honor their PPF warranty if their own Xpel brand ceramic coating is applied on top of their PPF. So anyone who is considering applying a ceramic coating on top of a PPF should make sure it won't void the warranty.

 

[JimShaw]

Armour Detail Supply also makes a ceramic detail spray too called Amplify and would probably be a more equivalent "apples to apples" comparison to TEC 582. I have tried Amplify and, like TEC 582, it increases gloss and feels super slick under the towel as you wipe it off. I would be curious for someone to do a comparison between the two. I have no formal way of measuring it, but I think Amplify provides a bit more gloss and a bit more water beading than TEC 582. Amplify smells great, but man the scent of TEC 582 is addictive. I love its pina colada like smell.

TEC 582 is a bit cheaper compared to Amplify (As of today $43 per gallon vs $49.99 per gallon). But I suspect Amplify does have a higher ceramic content and there are ways of getting a discount on the Armour Detail Supply website. I think they give 10% off if you join their mailing list, 15% off if you post a review with a picture, and 20% off if you post a video review.

Here is the link to Amplify:

AMPLIFY - Detail Spray

Introducing Amplify, a Si02 infused detail spray formulated to deliver unrivaled slickness and gloss. As its name suggests, Amplify's innovative formula is designed to elevate the slickness, gloss, and protection of any existing coatings, sealants, or waxes to new heights. Unlike other detailers...

armourdetailsupply.com

I will definitely take a look and see I can find a video Amplify vs TEC582