Best product to protect paint

[keith4909]

I saw a ceramic product advertised on YouTube and it got me thinking what’s the best thing to keep the finish nice?

[dhutton]

Quality paint should not need ceramic protection etc imho.

My understanding is some of those ceramic products make repairs extremely difficult.

Don

[Tsaints1115]

I'll take a pass on ceramic. Anything that needs to be ground off to get to the paint is not for me. A film, maybe.

[camloops11]

To answer your question Keith, though I am not a professional detailer and a good clear coat does a decent job. Paint protection products act as a small barrier from the elements to your paint and are definitely worth it imo. Ceramic coating is essentially a liquid quartz material that leaves a thin barrier between the paint and the elements. When put under a microscope you are able to see a small barrier between the paint and the outside. Thus, it is an added layer of armour to the paint to help the clear coat remain perfect through the years. Though it is not a impenetrable force field like anything else, it can help extend the life of the paint greatly from I have seen. There are also thin plastic materials known as paint protection films which often are used from the factory and are another means of protection the paint from stone chips, road grim etc.

What Tracey above is referring to, is that at the end of the life cycle of the ceramic coating (say 5 years) the best way to remove the stuff is with a machine polish to get rid of it. Nothing to crazy you're not "grounding it off" and any reputable detail shop (not a dealer, dont recommend a dealer) should be able to accommodate you.



There are pluses and minuses to each products. Both offer better paint protection than clear coat alone. Do some research and actually talk to your local reputable detail shop if you want to have a DIY approach.

Just like body work if you choose the DIY approach to putting on the Ceramic coating yourself Prep is absolutely key. If you dont have proper prep then some areas of the ceramic coating will be not protected. It will require the paint to be absolutely clean (polished and completely free of any roadgrime, tar, oils etc) before applying the ceramic coating. Hope this helps to answer your question

Chris

[FORDvsCHEVY]

Agreed with above. I spend alot of time detailing and on detailing forums. Most ceramic coatings can be removed with a light or medium polish, usually a compound is not needed.

As for protection it depends on the car 100% ceramic is the best in a daily especially if it lives outside. Coatings have better self cleaning meaning less road film, dirt, dust, fallout, bug guts and even bird doody’s will stuck to your car. Makes it a breeze to wash.

It also last the longest. A typical carnauba wax 1-3 months depending on conditions. A good sealant 3-8 months, a coating typically 1-3 years. Their are professional grade coatings that claim longer but i’m not going that long without a polish and a light polish will remove or damage a coating.

If it’s a garage queen it won’t need that type if protection I would focus in the look of the LSP. Coatings are great but look “glassy” reflective. A nice ‘nauba looks better to me. Has more depth, glow.

[FORDvsCHEVY]

Quality paint should not need ceramic protection etc imho.

My understanding is some of those ceramic products make repairs extremely difficult.

Don

A ceramic coating is to protect that quality paint. Paint is finite so everytime you polish to remove scratches and swirls, quality paint will scratch and swirl, you are removing clear coat. Less you have to do that the longer it will last and better it will look.

If repairs do you mean fixing the paint? If so most whole panels if needing repair would have the whole panel repainted. You would need yo just remember which coating you had and re apply. Again a decent light to medium grade polish will remove most coatings.