Ceramic coating

Never done ceramic before and I am looking at this one. Would the 30ml bottles be enough or should I get the 50? Or is there a better brand. I have been watching videos and this one seems easy to do.

 

Adams is top notch but you pay for it.

 

Whatever you do, make sure you do all the prep work correctly.

 

That's a good brand, although I know nothing about that specific product. For a professional-level ceramic coating, I'd be hesitant to do it myself. Depending on the age and condition of your paint, prep could be a multi-day process. I'm not saying it's not possible to DIY, but to do it right requires some dedication. And some coating products can be finicky to apply.

I've had all mine done professionally. I'd rather they do it because then I get a warranty (Opti-coat) on the coating and someone who's willing to put the time and effort into doing it correctly. Yes, the cost can be up there, but I always factor in the time it saves me, with the application and down the road. I also understand that the entire process takes a few days.

With that said, I highly recommend a professional-level coating. It usually ends up being one of the best things I do to a vehicle. I consistently get folks asking me how I keep my paint so glossy and deep, how long I spend on cleaning it, etc. Truth is, I just wash and dry it correctly.

 

I would spend a lot of time researching this or paying someone. This ceramic coating stuff is good but as mentioned prep work is key to not to damage paint. I would not take the risk personally. I’d either have someone do it or like me stick with old school wax.

Old school wax is like a 4R more simple than today’s modern stuff . If it ain’t broke don’t fix it

 

Paint correction is pretty easy if you're patient and willing to learn. I typically just cut and polish then use Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic coat.
Its more like a synthetic wax rather than a true ceramic coating. But it works pretty well and its very easy to apply

 

Welcome back. How was the clink?

 

Thanks. Mod's don't seem to like political posts. Even funny ones...

 

You can always come back from a bad ceramic job but if you are doing the full polish instead of just decontamination, that's a bad idea without experience. Toyota isn't known for laying down thick paint jobs.

Wax is good too but I'm more a fan of spending a Saturday evening on cleaning and prep and all day Sunday doing the coating once every 5 years than 2-3 hours every six months.

 

Prep work shouldn’t be that bad just mainly clay bar my 4Runner only has 700 miles on it

 

I plan on using that twice a year on top so my coating will last indefinitely I hope

 

I would skip ceramic and go with Graphene Pro Flex Wax, or Ceramic/Graphene wax. It can be 1/2 the price and far superior IMO, especially since it can be touched up easily.

 

I like this product, just started using it on our vehicles. Very easy with nice results.

Way easier than old methods with better results.

 

I'm personally a fan of Wolfgang paint sealant, about to try the new Wolfgang SiO2 sealant. I've used the version 2.0 and then 3.0 for easily 20'ish years now and have had phenomenal results. Wash/dry/"wax" the truck 2-3 times a year, even better if you do one coat and then let it cure for a day then do a second coat. I've often looked at the ceramic coatings, but once I even briefly thought of the expense I disregarded it. My paint has always been outstanding so figured no need to change now plus I like actually doing the job. I'm sure ceramic is great, but I'm happy with what I've done for 2 decades'ish now.

 

Pay someone to do it - that way if there is an issue with it, there's a warranty behind it to stand on. I use Feynlab through my local installer, and he does a great job. They offer 1,2,3,5yr coatings, all with warranties. The only PITA is if you keep the vehicle outside without cover over it, you have to use their soap and hand wash once a week to maintain it. Car wash is fine (touchless & lowest grade wash no wax) to rinse off every once in a while, but the hand was helps maintain the coating.

 

At 700 miles, I'd agree. At 17k, there are a lot of little chips to address.

 

Your paint MIGHT be okay with a light polish. Hard to say. Toyota paint is notoriously thin and soft, so odds are it needs a little more work than you may think. My Tacoma (black) was horrible right off the lot. My 4runner (silver) was in pretty good shape. Although I'm well acquainted with the dealer, I got the 4runner from and I know they use and outside "detail" company to clean up their cars.

Anyway, find a nice powerful flashlight and get to looking.