D.I.Y. Ceramic Coating
Discussion
D.I.Y. Ceramic Coating
I’ve thought about having a ceramic coating on my 2016 white Cayman for some time now, but have been put off by the likely cost – around £1,000.I researched lots of products online and watched loads of YouTube videos, and eventually plumped for one in particular. Hopefully, what follows below will save some of you from having to sift through the plethora of detailing products for your cherished Porsche.
I had a couple of scrapes on my valences – curse those high kerbs! -- and Chips Away in Plymouth sorted them out on my driveway, which couldn’t have been more convenient.
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/o7D7iqmO[/url]
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Their operator, Lee, did a fantastic job. I had to wait about six weeks for the repair to fully harden before I could do any coating work, but I didn’t want to rush it and jeopardise his craftsmanship.
The first thing you have to do to prepare the car is to strip off any old wax and dirt. I have the Autobrite snow foam lance and only use their own snow foam product.
It really works well and after hosing down the car with water, the snow foam goes on and then you wait 20 minutes for it to work its magic.
Rinse off and get your two buckets ready for the wash. I used Chemical Guys’ Clean Slate wash. There are plenty of others but this one was fine. I then used a clay bar, and finished with a Meguiar’s oscillating machine, using Poorboy’s wax free polish. You must not use a polish which contains additives – especially wax. You have been warned!
When you’re ready to apply the liquid coating, you have to wipe down each panel, or part of a panel depending on how big the area is, with an IPA panel wipe alcohol spray. I used Mr Bling’s panel wipe.
I split the roof into halves and the bonnet into three sections, then the doors, wings, etc, and used a print of a generic car plan so I didn’t forget how far I’d got.
The IPA wipe is used just prior to each panel’s treatment, and take care when using this or you may end up seeing pink elephants!
After some research, I decided to use AvalonKing’s Armor Shield IX nano ceramic coating.
Their website contains a wealth of easy-to-follow instructions and videos, also their very fast response to emails is a reassuring bonus.
When it’s time to use the coating, have everything to hand and as the small bottle is easily overturned, designate a safe spot to put it down. Shake the bottle, and with the supplied small cloth wrapped around the sponge applicator, apply six or seven drops and wipe gently up and down and then across entire small area you’re treating to ensure it’s all covered. The cloth is a bit small and does get slippery, so it requires a little care not to drop it. But they give you three, so you can always use another.
You’ll know when the pad needs refreshing as it loses its slipperiness and starts to grab, so just put a few more drops on. Just make sure all the area has a very thin coating on.
Now you have to wait for it to start to dry. The instructions suggest some times depending on temperature, but working in a dry garage, I found it took about five or six minutes before it was ready to buff out. It’s tempting to spend that time just admiring the Cayman’s pristine bodywork, but I used the drying time to apply IPA on the next panel I’d be working on. When buffing, use REALLY LIGHT pressure. Just gently skim the supplied microfibre cloth over the surface – don’t try to polish it, just a light buffing can pick up any high spots or remaining wetness – and this will get the paintwork gleaming. After buffing, mark up your car diagram and move on to the next panel.
After finishing, I let it rest for a couple of hours, then reapplied the coating again to the entire car, to give it the recommended two coats. You don’t need to use the IPA again. I found that one bottle of the ceramic coating was sufficient to treat my Cayman twice, and though I didn’t treat my wheels, there was some left over so perhaps I could have done them too.
Getting this treatment right is not a quick job, but it’s worth taking the time to be methodical over it. Here’s how long each step took me, excluding the repair job:
Foam 45 mins
Dewax 45 mins
Clay 1 hr
Polish 3 hrs
CC(1) 1 hr 15 mins
Wait 2 hrs
CC(2) 1 hr
So about 10 hours in total, and the cost, excluding my snow foam lance, machine polisher and pressure washer, was about £100. A fantastic saving from an anticipated £1,000, and after leaving the car in the garage for a week to make sure it didn’t get wet, I found the finish hardened into a glass-like covering. It feels so smooth and solid that I am delighted with the result. AvalonKing says it should work for at least two years, but if the car is garaged, I reckon it should last a lot longer.
Now when the car needs a clean, and after just using the snow foam, (unless the car is really dirty after a long wet drive), I usually don’t have to wash it with the shampoo as the snow foam appears to remove all the dirt. The shampoo I use now is Poorboy’s Super Slick Suds, which doesn’t contain additives or waxes. After a drive, any bugs can be removed very easily with a detailing spray and microfibre cloth.
So there you have it. It’s very satisfying to see the results – any rain or water just runs off the car. I think it was a job well done.
I’d be delighted to see any feedback you have about this review, and I hope it will be of some use to you.
SWS
I’ve thought about having a ceramic coating on my 2016 white Cayman for some time now, but have been put off by the likely cost – around £1,000.I researched lots of products online and watched loads of YouTube videos, and eventually plumped for one in particular. Hopefully, what follows below will save some of you from having to sift through the plethora of detailing products for your cherished Porsche.
I had a couple of scrapes on my valences – curse those high kerbs! -- and Chips Away in Plymouth sorted them out on my driveway, which couldn’t have been more convenient.
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/o7D7iqmO[/url][
Their operator, Lee, did a fantastic job. I had to wait about six weeks for the repair to fully harden before I could do any coating work, but I didn’t want to rush it and jeopardise his craftsmanship.
The first thing you have to do to prepare the car is to strip off any old wax and dirt. I have the Autobrite snow foam lance and only use their own snow foam product.
It really works well and after hosing down the car with water, the snow foam goes on and then you wait 20 minutes for it to work its magic.
Rinse off and get your two buckets ready for the wash. I used Chemical Guys’ Clean Slate wash. There are plenty of others but this one was fine. I then used a clay bar, and finished with a Meguiar’s oscillating machine, using Poorboy’s wax free polish. You must not use a polish which contains additives – especially wax. You have been warned!
When you’re ready to apply the liquid coating, you have to wipe down each panel, or part of a panel depending on how big the area is, with an IPA panel wipe alcohol spray. I used Mr Bling’s panel wipe.
I split the roof into halves and the bonnet into three sections, then the doors, wings, etc, and used a print of a generic car plan so I didn’t forget how far I’d got.
The IPA wipe is used just prior to each panel’s treatment, and take care when using this or you may end up seeing pink elephants!
After some research, I decided to use AvalonKing’s Armor Shield IX nano ceramic coating.
Their website contains a wealth of easy-to-follow instructions and videos, also their very fast response to emails is a reassuring bonus.
When it’s time to use the coating, have everything to hand and as the small bottle is easily overturned, designate a safe spot to put it down. Shake the bottle, and with the supplied small cloth wrapped around the sponge applicator, apply six or seven drops and wipe gently up and down and then across entire small area you’re treating to ensure it’s all covered. The cloth is a bit small and does get slippery, so it requires a little care not to drop it. But they give you three, so you can always use another.
You’ll know when the pad needs refreshing as it loses its slipperiness and starts to grab, so just put a few more drops on. Just make sure all the area has a very thin coating on.
Now you have to wait for it to start to dry. The instructions suggest some times depending on temperature, but working in a dry garage, I found it took about five or six minutes before it was ready to buff out. It’s tempting to spend that time just admiring the Cayman’s pristine bodywork, but I used the drying time to apply IPA on the next panel I’d be working on. When buffing, use REALLY LIGHT pressure. Just gently skim the supplied microfibre cloth over the surface – don’t try to polish it, just a light buffing can pick up any high spots or remaining wetness – and this will get the paintwork gleaming. After buffing, mark up your car diagram and move on to the next panel.
After finishing, I let it rest for a couple of hours, then reapplied the coating again to the entire car, to give it the recommended two coats. You don’t need to use the IPA again. I found that one bottle of the ceramic coating was sufficient to treat my Cayman twice, and though I didn’t treat my wheels, there was some left over so perhaps I could have done them too.
Getting this treatment right is not a quick job, but it’s worth taking the time to be methodical over it. Here’s how long each step took me, excluding the repair job:
Foam 45 mins
Dewax 45 mins
Clay 1 hr
Polish 3 hrs
CC(1) 1 hr 15 mins
Wait 2 hrs
CC(2) 1 hr
So about 10 hours in total, and the cost, excluding my snow foam lance, machine polisher and pressure washer, was about £100. A fantastic saving from an anticipated £1,000, and after leaving the car in the garage for a week to make sure it didn’t get wet, I found the finish hardened into a glass-like covering. It feels so smooth and solid that I am delighted with the result. AvalonKing says it should work for at least two years, but if the car is garaged, I reckon it should last a lot longer.
Now when the car needs a clean, and after just using the snow foam, (unless the car is really dirty after a long wet drive), I usually don’t have to wash it with the shampoo as the snow foam appears to remove all the dirt. The shampoo I use now is Poorboy’s Super Slick Suds, which doesn’t contain additives or waxes. After a drive, any bugs can be removed very easily with a detailing spray and microfibre cloth.
So there you have it. It’s very satisfying to see the results – any rain or water just runs off the car. I think it was a job well done.
I’d be delighted to see any feedback you have about this review, and I hope it will be of some use to you.
SWS
Very useful info (I'm thinking of getting one of my cars done) although your estimated price for a professional to do it seems high. I've been told on another forum that it should be £300-400 to get the car done (assuming no paint correction is needed). I am planning to take my car somewhere in the next few days for a quote so should be interesting.
I was considering doing it myself - but although your instructions are really helpful, I think the idea of 10 hours doing it (especially since I'd have to do it on the driveway) have convinced me not to!
I was considering doing it myself - but although your instructions are really helpful, I think the idea of 10 hours doing it (especially since I'd have to do it on the driveway) have convinced me not to!
Magnum 475 said:
I'd be interested to know how long this lasts.
We had my wife's car done when we first bought it. The coating has lasted just about 12 months, but is deteriorating now and really needs doing again. At this point, I'm not convinced of the benefits over regular polishing.
I've read a few threads, and the general opinion is that the (often claimed) 5 years is wildly optimistic. I got the impression 2-3 years was likely though - if I get it done and it only lasts 12 months I'll be pretty disappointed.We had my wife's car done when we first bought it. The coating has lasted just about 12 months, but is deteriorating now and really needs doing again. At this point, I'm not convinced of the benefits over regular polishing.
davek_964 said:
Very useful info (I'm thinking of getting one of my cars done) although your estimated price for a professional to do it seems high. I've been told on another forum that it should be £300-400 to get the car done (assuming no paint correction is needed). I am planning to take my car somewhere in the next few days for a quote so should be interesting.
I was considering doing it myself - but although your instructions are really helpful, I think the idea of 10 hours doing it (especially since I'd have to do it on the driveway) have convinced me not to!
there is always paint correction needed and you can pay £1k for that alone.I was considering doing it myself - but although your instructions are really helpful, I think the idea of 10 hours doing it (especially since I'd have to do it on the driveway) have convinced me not to!
prep is what you pay for on PPF and CC coats, the PPF and CC are cheap as chips, the cost is prep and the smaller/cheaper companies don't prep well enough hence cheaper.
Edited by Porsche911R on Monday 16th September 14:11
davek_964 said:
I've read a few threads, and the general opinion is that the (often claimed) 5 years is wildly optimistic. I got the impression 2-3 years was likely though - if I get it done and it only lasts 12 months I'll be pretty disappointed.
you can buy different levels of CC, some you have to machine wet sand off, some last 6 months but cost £40.again depends what you are after and how much you want to spend.
Porsche911R said:
davek_964 said:
In that case, the quote is likely to be far more than I want to pay.
It's not a Porsche, but for info I'll post what I'm quoted in the next few days.
just ask them what prep is involved when you phone.It's not a Porsche, but for info I'll post what I'm quoted in the next few days.
davek_964 said:
Magnum 475 said:
I'd be interested to know how long this lasts.
We had my wife's car done when we first bought it. The coating has lasted just about 12 months, but is deteriorating now and really needs doing again. At this point, I'm not convinced of the benefits over regular polishing.
I've read a few threads, and the general opinion is that the (often claimed) 5 years is wildly optimistic. I got the impression 2-3 years was likely though - if I get it done and it only lasts 12 months I'll be pretty disappointed.We had my wife's car done when we first bought it. The coating has lasted just about 12 months, but is deteriorating now and really needs doing again. At this point, I'm not convinced of the benefits over regular polishing.
Generally they last 2-3 years.
They will last 5 years if the car lives in a garage and done 2000 miles a year and is only washed with care.
If it lives outside and is washed every couple of weekends by you using a safe wash method and suitable shampoos then 2 years is very reasonable. This is inline with my exact expectations having coatings on my own cars.
xjay1337 said:
I have applied hundreds of coatings.
Generally they last 2-3 years.
They will last 5 years if the car lives in a garage and done 2000 miles a year and is only washed with care.
If it lives outside and is washed every couple of weekends by you using a safe wash method and suitable shampoos then 2 years is very reasonable. This is inline with my exact expectations having coatings on my own cars.
that's very hard to say as all the products are different hardness thickness etc.Generally they last 2-3 years.
They will last 5 years if the car lives in a garage and done 2000 miles a year and is only washed with care.
If it lives outside and is washed every couple of weekends by you using a safe wash method and suitable shampoos then 2 years is very reasonable. This is inline with my exact expectations having coatings on my own cars.
Autofinesse ceramic resin at £40 states
"The ultimate in long-lasting protection and gloss for your vehicles paintwork that lasts up to 12 months"
Crystal Serum Light
"comes with a 5 year guarantee"
"Crystal Serum Ultra"
9 year guarantee
also you can layer a "Hydrophobic Coating" over a CC to extend it's life.
Edited by Porsche911R on Monday 16th September 15:05
Porsche911R said:
xjay1337 said:
I have applied hundreds of coatings.
Generally they last 2-3 years.
They will last 5 years if the car lives in a garage and done 2000 miles a year and is only washed with care.
If it lives outside and is washed every couple of weekends by you using a safe wash method and suitable shampoos then 2 years is very reasonable. This is inline with my exact expectations having coatings on my own cars.
that's very hard to say as all the products are different hardness thickness etc.Generally they last 2-3 years.
They will last 5 years if the car lives in a garage and done 2000 miles a year and is only washed with care.
If it lives outside and is washed every couple of weekends by you using a safe wash method and suitable shampoos then 2 years is very reasonable. This is inline with my exact expectations having coatings on my own cars.
Autofinesse ceramic resin at £40 states
"The ultimate in long-lasting protection and gloss for your vehicles paintwork that lasts up to 12 months"
Crystal Serum Light
"comes with a 5 year guarantee"
"Crystal Serum Ultra"
9 year guarantee
also you can layer a "Hydrophobic Coating" over a CC to extend it's life.
Edited by Porsche911R on Monday 16th September 15:05
If you actually look into what the guarantee means (as I said, I must have done well over 100 professionally) it doesn't guarantee that it will "bead" or "protect" for that long. And is in fact so full of loop holes and get out clauses it's basically all marketing hype. When the occasional guarantee claim has come in usually it's because the user has not washed it for 4 months and it's been parked underneath a tree, or have had their wife or dealership "wash" the car for them.
I have nothing to gain by lying and as I said realistically on an enthusiast owned car doing 20k miles a year, 2 years of "life" (IE beading and ease of wash) is very good going.
If it's a 458 Pista living in a heated garage doing 1000 miles a year and only ever sees bone dry, salt free roads then you may well get 5+ years from it.
I got a quote today. Was told that they cost the car first and then a very light machine polish although I was told my paint is in very good condition.
It would include bodywork, wheels and brake calipers, glass - and leather treatment etc. inside.
Basic (single coat) was £695+vat.
Silver (two coats) was £795+vat I think.
Triple coat was £1050+vat.
It would include bodywork, wheels and brake calipers, glass - and leather treatment etc. inside.
Basic (single coat) was £695+vat.
Silver (two coats) was £795+vat I think.
Triple coat was £1050+vat.
xjay1337 said:
It's not really very hard given that most "coatings", and since I apparently have to be explicit, I am referring to glass or ceramic coatings. Auto Finesse is not a proper coating.
If you actually look into what the guarantee means (as I said, I must have done well over 100 professionally) it doesn't guarantee that it will "bead" or "protect" for that long. And is in fact so full of loop holes and get out clauses it's basically all marketing hype. When the occasional guarantee claim has come in usually it's because the user has not washed it for 4 months and it's been parked underneath a tree, or have had their wife or dealership "wash" the car for them.
I have nothing to gain by lying and as I said realistically on an enthusiast owned car doing 20k miles a year, 2 years of "life" (IE beading and ease of wash) is very good going.
If it's a 458 Pista living in a heated garage doing 1000 miles a year and only ever sees bone dry, salt free roads then you may well get 5+ years from it.
Cc don’t bead any way, that’s why you put something else on top !If you actually look into what the guarantee means (as I said, I must have done well over 100 professionally) it doesn't guarantee that it will "bead" or "protect" for that long. And is in fact so full of loop holes and get out clauses it's basically all marketing hype. When the occasional guarantee claim has come in usually it's because the user has not washed it for 4 months and it's been parked underneath a tree, or have had their wife or dealership "wash" the car for them.
I have nothing to gain by lying and as I said realistically on an enthusiast owned car doing 20k miles a year, 2 years of "life" (IE beading and ease of wash) is very good going.
If it's a 458 Pista living in a heated garage doing 1000 miles a year and only ever sees bone dry, salt free roads then you may well get 5+ years from it.
Also what is the auto finesse product ?
Not knowing , it’s states it’s a ceramic coat !
It seems none protect you you bird s
t or dead flies if left on either. Porsche911R said:
Cc don’t bead any way, that’s why you put something else on top !
Also what is the auto finesse product ?
Not knowing , it’s states it’s a ceramic coat !
It seems none protect you you bird st or dead flies if left on either.
Cc don't bead? Sorry I don't understand .Also what is the auto finesse product ?
Not knowing , it’s states it’s a ceramic coat !
It seems none protect you you bird s
t or dead flies if left on either. The AF one it's a faux ceramic coat. Will contain a lower percentage of the active ingredients. Designed to be easier to apply. Not that i think any are hard anyway really.
Mine is fine with flies etc left on it!
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