Ceramic coating thought?

i drive a ton of miles every year. i go over all sorts of terrains not just the pavement. i use the vehicle as a work truck in some instances. i have taken plenty of roadtrips and the PPF has withstood against rock chips and debris. in other words the vehicle i’m referring to is NOT considered a “grocery getter”.

i will state one of my solid personal life experiences. i had a Ram 1500 with no PPF and let me just say the front end had a ton of impact when i traded it in due to no PPF. from that day forward i heavily consider getting PPF on all my future vehicles.

 

A single can of turtle wax will never be emptied.

 

Yup. Materials have their limits.

Otherwise, you’d never be able to cut it.

 

We put 20k per year typically on each of our vehicles.

Let’s just say that our trade ins typically are gone within a week - and in one case, the salesman was the one who bought it.

Then again, even one of the local music shops knows they can quote me a trade in price on a musical instrument from a text because I take care of things well.

 

PPF is not indestructible. Is that your interpretation of my words or?

 

YMMV

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years Lol.

 

Graphene Pro Flex spray/wax has been incredible for me. Super slick and lasts way longer than any ceramic or Wax i have tried and it's easy to apply. It seems to prevent pinstriping too.

Graphene is definitely worth the try.

 

I use that stuff to spray the sidewalk leading to my front door. It helps prevent solicitors from reaching the door and bugging me.

 

Now I'm afraid to ask about clay bar and decontaminating the vehicle before applying ceramic coat. Maybe I'll ask in another thread. You guys are amazing! Love this forum!

 

Hello,

First of all, congrats on your new 4runner. I purchased mines new in May of 2023, and got tje whole exterior ceramic coated in June. Yes, it's total worth it if you want to keep your car exterior looking new. You can also coat your interior. I didn't do interior since my car is already new.

Now, what I love about cc is how easy it is to wash the vehicle. I only wash my vehicles by hand at home (in the shade only), and use a leaf blower to dry/blow off the water. The water slides right off the surface. It's incredible. No water spots whatsoever on the paint. I also use a micro fiber towel to wipe off any residual water. The paint is easier to keep clean after coating. Bird crap, and tree saps comes off easier.

However, ceramic coating does not protect your paint from paint chips. I already have several rock chips on the bumper, and a huge chip on my hood. : ( I recommend installing ppf on the front of your vehicle if you're worry about stuff like that. PPF may prevent the the rock chips. If I were to start over, I'd ppf the front end of my car, and then apply ceramic coating over it.

Cost - I'm from SoCal ( Long Beach area), and they're plenty of shops that offer cc and ppf here. I'm also a car enthusiast, so I only take my vehicles to shops I trust/used or recommended by good friends. I got quotes from shops like Polished Protection, Ceramic Pro, and Detail Union. Their price to ceramic coat a 4runner was starting at $1400, and if you need paint correction, the cost of that will be added as well. Full front end ppf starts around $2400 and full vehicle are around $6000.

Hope that helps!

 

Thank you!

 

You thought it was funny that I was doubting the strength of PPF.

And yes, I believe PPF may help in some situations, but it ain't like you're coating your car in kevlar or something that will prevent every issue.

There's a cost involved in PPF, and you need to consider the rate of return on your investment. For many cars that stay on the street, it isn't there if you behave in a prudent manner - especially since you can just pay to get things buffed out right before you sell it, if it even needs that. For off-road, if you're going on trails that are tree choked, you're going to need to cover virtually everything...and even then, you're going to have some stuff make it through - which again would mean getting a detailer to work it over right before you sell.

Does it help in some situations? Sure.

But all too often, the talk of ceramic coating and PPF reminds me of how people insist that going to the chiropractor or using cannabis in some form will literally fix everything.

 

I've been using the ceramic detailer and I'm very happy with it. I got in the habit from living in apartments and having to use gas station car washes, which would always leave water spots. It really beads the water up.

Yeah, sorry about that.

I don't think it's necessary if you're going to have it buffed. It's good to do occasionally, though.

 

This is a must. A serious must. Both vehicles I had ceramic coated, the detailer clay barred the entire vehicle. Even the windshield, windows, headlights and tail lights. Because dirt/debris/road tar/grime gets everywhere.

He used three big clay bars on my truck and used that ironite stuff (the kind that after you spray it, it turns purple).

Remember, the devil is in the details.

 

WOW! This thread went off of the rails fast.

Let me try and give some insight and clarification on ceramic coating and PPF. Hopefully, some of this helps.

Ceramic coating is applied and has different hardness ratings. It is designed to prevent clear coat etching from environmental hazards and some clear coat physical damage. Etching can happen from hard water spots, bird poop, bugs, etc. To clarify more on clear coat physical damage, it will help protect against swirl marks and light surface marks such as going through a brush car wash. It will not protect against rock chips or heavy surface scratches. Ceramic coating also requires upkeep after it has been applied. Is it worth it? That depends on the person. It is a great product and will significantly reduce wash and dry times, as well as keep a high gloss shine. A full decontamination wash and paint correction are recommended and should be done before applying anything to the clear coat. Don't skip this step. If you want to save money, you can do this yourself but it takes a long time. I spent 15 hours doing my multi-stage paint correction.

PPF can be applied in bulk or precut patterns. Bulk with wrapped edges is always going to be the preferred method of installation. It is designed to be an actual physical barrier added on top of your clear coat. It will prevent most rock chips and moderate scratches thanks to the self-healing properties of the new films. Now if a large rock jagged comes flying into your hood, it will dent it and possibly take out a chunk of PPF. PPF also needs to be replaced when damaged and/or when it hits its lifespan. Again, a full decontamination wash and paint correction are recommended and should be done before applying anything to the clear coat, including PPF. The upkeep on most PPF films is pretty minimal and reputable shops will warranty issues. Some of the newer high-end PPF films have hydrophobic properties built into them and they perform just like a ceramic coating would with repelling water. You can also add ceramic coating on top of PPF. Is it worth it? Again, that depends on the person.


If I had unlimited funds, I would do a full vehicle PPF wrap and ceramic coat on top. Unfortunately, that gets expensive and we are not driving $500k+ cars. Figure out your budget and do what your budget allows. If you're happy with the product and stay within your budget, you'll feel the value was worth it. If you overspend and increase your expectations, you will feel that you didn't get the value and it wasn't worth it.

 

I opted for having PPF put on the entire front end (front fenders, hood, bumper, tops of mirrors, headlights). Everything that faces forward and has a tendency to get hit be debris kicked up on the road is protected. I also had the door cups done to prevent finger nails scratches. Ended up costing about $1800. My first car for getting PPF but since I plan on keeping the 4R for 15-20 years I thought it was worth a try.

 

I remember driving back in the 80's and 90's how myself and so many others dreamed of the day when someone would finally find a solution to our automotive paint finish problems. I can't even count how many sleepless nights...........lol, just kidding. I have no recollection of that at all.

 

Wrong! Goo-Gone is harmful for any paint and for clear coats !!!!!
Just do it on a hot summer day. It pulls out easily once stretched, alcohol cleans after.

 

I researched this topic extensively and I'm just gonna keep doing what I've done on 3 BMW's, 2 Ford trucks and 2 4runners since 2001, wash, claybar, random Orbital polisher with Griots polish, Polymer wax. 2 times a year.

My 2010 4runner Limited still has a pearl-like reflection and intact clear coat after 206k miles.