GLASS CERAMIC / NANO COATED PAINTWORK
Discussion
Looking at buying a car which has had a GLASS CERAMIC/NANO TECHNOLOGY COATING applied to the paintwork.
As I understand it this will maintain a high gloss, swirl free finish to the paintwork for an extended (indefinite?) period?
What is the situation if I want to apply a PPF to the car to protect against stone chips?
As I understand it this will maintain a high gloss, swirl free finish to the paintwork for an extended (indefinite?) period?
What is the situation if I want to apply a PPF to the car to protect against stone chips?
Need to name the brand and sub-brand (Siramik, Gtechniq, etc.).
Coatings (not sealants or waxes) can last anywhere from 3 months to 2 years (in British weather).
All coatings are thinner than a human hair, so don't expect miracles from them. You will still get stonechips, swirls and scratches, no matter what the salesman / marketer / fanboy tells you.
Coatings (not sealants or waxes) can last anywhere from 3 months to 2 years (in British weather).
All coatings are thinner than a human hair, so don't expect miracles from them. You will still get stonechips, swirls and scratches, no matter what the salesman / marketer / fanboy tells you.
topjay said:
Ceramic is just a bit more durable against scratches rather than a miracle product, there is no problem putting ppf on the top of it, just a bit more prep to make sure it sticks properly
Jay my experience has been that PPF onto any synthetic coating will have adhesion issues, the prep has always been to remove the product completely which can of course be tricky and time consuming. Interested to hear of other methods of prep less involving? Cheers
PAUL500 said:
Made up fancy sounding names with no relation to the contents of the product. Just another detailing product that may last a bit longer than others.
Snake oil.
If it were that good, the cars would come out of the factory like it.
Economies of scale, and cost... you could make a similar argument about pretty much any piece of upgraded tech that you can buy for a car.Snake oil.
If it were that good, the cars would come out of the factory like it.
Detailing is a very labour intensive job, I can see why a manufacturer wouldn't bother with nothing more than a machine polish on a brand new car if a customer has already bought the car anyway and it won't be bad enough in isolation to care. A decently detailed car can (and often will) look better than new.
I just don't get "detailing".
Get car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
Get car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
Ferruccio said:
I just don't get "detailing".
Get car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
Car to look atGet car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
Car to drive
Depends why you bought it. I would get paintwork revitalised before selling though. You buy with your eyes, then everything else.
Ferruccio said:
I just don't get "detailing".
Get car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
A waxed/coated car is easier to keep clean, as the dirt and water sticks to it less - watch the water bead on a waxed car, and you'll see what I mean.Get car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
but yes, you are correct, cars are meant to be driven.
PAUL500 said:
Made up fancy sounding names with no relation to the contents of the product. Just another detailing product that may last a bit longer than others.
Snake oil.
If it were that good, the cars would come out of the factory like it.
I'm sorry, you are so far wide of the mark here.Snake oil.
If it were that good, the cars would come out of the factory like it.
They genuinely do offer a scratch RESISTANCE and reduction in general wash swirls but won't protect you from dragging knifes across the surface or sticking it in a bush.
I had Cquartz UK on my own vehicle and it was going strong 8 months later, where as an ordinary wax such as Autoglym HD wax or FinishKare 1000P or Collinite 476s would have stopped showing signs of protection after 2-3 months.
Ferruccio said:
I just don't get "detailing".
Get car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
Here's the £10/£15 local car wash job.Get car "detailed". (Probably pay more than you paid for your first car.)
Go for drive.
Er........car is now undetailed.......
£10/15 at the local car wash.
Or do it with the kids, a hose, a bucket of car shampoo and a chamois leather.
Or don't bother at all.
A white Countach looks absolutely fantastic with a bit of mud on it from the country lanes.
And the Lamborghini Club UK used to give out a trophy each year for the most squashed flies on a certain defined area of the front number plate. One of my proudest possessions.
Or other poor wash job with the "chamois".
IMG_0905-3 by Fat Bear Photography, on FlickrAnd here is a pretty light enhancement all things considered. From memory it was Dodo Juice Lime Prime on a medium polishing pad and wiped down with IPA.
IMG_0907-4 by Fat Bear Photography, on FlickrOnce the vehicle is looking in a better state it can be protected and then given a safe 2 bucket method wash and dried with soft fluffy MF towels once a fortnight and it will remain looking as such for 12-18 months in most cases.
Here's my 458 getting done last year
After it had been done all I needed to do was the whole 2 bucket wash and it came up looking like that every time. I didn't drive it in the winter though.
After it had been done all I needed to do was the whole 2 bucket wash and it came up looking like that every time. I didn't drive it in the winter though.
Durzel said:
Here's my 458 getting done last year
After it had been done all I needed to do was the whole 2 bucket wash and it came up looking like that every time. I didn't drive it in the winter though.
Looks awesome. After it had been done all I needed to do was the whole 2 bucket wash and it came up looking like that every time. I didn't drive it in the winter though.
The problem some people don't seem to get is that you can take pride in the appearance of the vehicle AND enjoy driving it..they aren't mutually exclusive. Just makes it easier to wash when you do want it clean.
PAUL500 said:
Made up fancy sounding names with no relation to the contents of the product. Just another detailing product that may last a bit longer than others.
Snake oil.
If it were that good, the cars would come out of the factory like it.
It's really not the case Paul.Snake oil.
If it were that good, the cars would come out of the factory like it.
Sure, there are some products out there that don't do what they claim, but there are many that will surprise you.
The coatings I use are a 9H rating, in respect, a hard automotive paint -BMW Mercedes-Benz and such -will be 4H at most.
The coatings can only be removed with abrasion. Wet sanding and/or heavy compounding.
The chemical resistance will prevent acid etching from dodgy car washes, acid rain and things.
UV protection to stop the paint fading in the sun.
Graffiti resistance, always handy.
As well as years and years of protection.
But back on topic - find out which coating is on the car as some will have anti adhesion properties which will prevent the PPF bonding properly.
100 IAN said:
Looking at buying a car which has had a GLASS CERAMIC/NANO TECHNOLOGY COATING applied to the paintwork.
As I understand it this will maintain a high gloss, swirl free finish to the paintwork for an extended (indefinite?) period?
What is the situation if I want to apply a PPF to the car to protect against stone chips?
The coating can be removed so I would not worry about that. The most important thing is if the car has any stone chips. (Even the tiniest ones less than 0.5mm)As I understand it this will maintain a high gloss, swirl free finish to the paintwork for an extended (indefinite?) period?
What is the situation if I want to apply a PPF to the car to protect against stone chips?
The PPF will highlight any chips you see so the paintwork needs to be in very very good shape. We see this kind of thing regularly.
Regards
G
I was not dissing detailing, a well turned out car is always great to see, what I was addressing was the made up names to make the expensive products sound impressive.
Nano - one billionth, of what in these products to make them so costly?
Ceramic - hardened by heat, not they are not!
Any product that is wiped onto a surface will simply abrade off over time, whether it be by rain, the sun etc, some stick more than others but have nothing "nano" or "ceramic" in their make up.
That is the snake oil element I was referring to.
If a product could be applied to automotive paint that resisted the elements far better than the paint itself then that would be applied from new.
All aftermarket products have a finite life, which is not based on the scale of cost, marketing adds the perceived additional value, not the quality of the goods.
Nano - one billionth, of what in these products to make them so costly?
Ceramic - hardened by heat, not they are not!
Any product that is wiped onto a surface will simply abrade off over time, whether it be by rain, the sun etc, some stick more than others but have nothing "nano" or "ceramic" in their make up.
That is the snake oil element I was referring to.
If a product could be applied to automotive paint that resisted the elements far better than the paint itself then that would be applied from new.
All aftermarket products have a finite life, which is not based on the scale of cost, marketing adds the perceived additional value, not the quality of the goods.
Im just getting PPF fitted to the front end only on a new car, and having Gtechniq Crystal Serum applied everywhere else (er, on the car).
I was specifically advised not to have film applied over the ceramic coating. As has been mentioned above, having film applied to a car thats not already 100% perfect is a bit of a waste of time in my opinion....you'd be better of with a decent detail, and maybe another application of coating.
I was specifically advised not to have film applied over the ceramic coating. As has been mentioned above, having film applied to a car thats not already 100% perfect is a bit of a waste of time in my opinion....you'd be better of with a decent detail, and maybe another application of coating.
PAUL500 said:
I was not dissing detailing, a well turned out car is always great to see, what I was addressing was the made up names to make the expensive products sound impressive.
Nano - one billionth, of what in these products to make them so costly?
Ceramic - hardened by heat, not they are not!
Any product that is wiped onto a surface will simply abrade off over time, whether it be by rain, the sun etc, some stick more than others but have nothing "nano" or "ceramic" in their make up.
That is the snake oil element I was referring to.
If a product could be applied to automotive paint that resisted the elements far better than the paint itself then that would be applied from new.
All aftermarket products have a finite life, which is not based on the scale of cost, marketing adds the perceived additional value, not the quality of the goods.
But your entire post claims that products that refer to being glass coatings or ceramic coatings are snake oil is not true.Nano - one billionth, of what in these products to make them so costly?
Ceramic - hardened by heat, not they are not!
Any product that is wiped onto a surface will simply abrade off over time, whether it be by rain, the sun etc, some stick more than others but have nothing "nano" or "ceramic" in their make up.
That is the snake oil element I was referring to.
If a product could be applied to automotive paint that resisted the elements far better than the paint itself then that would be applied from new.
All aftermarket products have a finite life, which is not based on the scale of cost, marketing adds the perceived additional value, not the quality of the goods.
I can put CQUK on a half a panel of your car and a regular wax on the other half and see how they last if you like.
Most coatings are actually si02 rather than ceramic which is maybe more of a marketing term.
They do offer improved scratch resistance.
I have never been brand affiliated or sponsored. And have used the products first hand.
Most of the claimed ceramic type coatings are actually the same just rebranded.
But they all out perform regular waxes and sealants by miles.
Unfortunately detailing is littered with products that make claims as your average "home detailer" (someone who likes cleaning cars as a hobby on their own vehicle) likes that sort of things.
Just found out the car has been coated in Opti coat Pro and it does look nice.
As it'll only do a couple k miles a year, and mostly in the summer, I've pretty much decided not to go to the trouble of removing the coating in order to PPF it.
Fingers crossed I don't pick up too many stone chips...wish me luck!
As it'll only do a couple k miles a year, and mostly in the summer, I've pretty much decided not to go to the trouble of removing the coating in order to PPF it.
Fingers crossed I don't pick up too many stone chips...wish me luck!
100 IAN said:
Just found out the car has been coated in Opti coat Pro and it does look nice.
As it'll only do a couple k miles a year, and mostly in the summer, I've pretty much decided not to go to the trouble of removing the coating in order to PPF it.
Fingers crossed I don't pick up too many stone chips...wish me luck!
Firstly congrats, truly stunning car in the perfect combination!As it'll only do a couple k miles a year, and mostly in the summer, I've pretty much decided not to go to the trouble of removing the coating in order to PPF it.
Fingers crossed I don't pick up too many stone chips...wish me luck!
Secondly, I would seriously reconsider and look at getting the PPF installed, for what is a relatively small difference in time and cost to remove the coating correctly.
Below is a picture of a near identical Scud (2010) that had PPF installed from new. The design of the PPF kit design (and film quality) wasn't as good as they are today and left a large unprotected area in the front airdam, what that does show though is just how much PPF protects the paint on these cars!
The paint is notoriously soft on Ferrari's and with the stripe you don't want to be repainting this in a year or two, for comparison this car covers an average of 3,000 summer miles a year....
You can see pitting in the filmed area all along the front face that would've left similar damage elsewhere had the film not been installed.
I'm currently servicing, repainting the bumper and having new PPF installed (a much better design!) on this car for the owner.
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