Ceramic Coating. To coat or not to coat?

Should I get ceramic coating on my Mach-E?


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Kamuelaflyer

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I'm not going to argue with you. I'm just going to say you're wrong. I know that's a harsh statement to make and I'm sorry for that but this is something I have enough experience in to know it to be absolutely true.

I have years of experience detailing, using these products, having customers return, measuring paint depth before and after corrections, seeing my ceramic coatings left in containers dry out to their hardened state, doing my own scratch tests on them.

I've bought and restored vehicles, owned 28 of them. I'm certain I could take my halogen and/or sun lamps to your Mazda and show you the swirls that you didn't see. Lighter colored vehicles will be exceptionally good at hiding the concerns.

Watch the video above with an open mind and then re-read your post.

For additional posterity:
Well stated. This is all like religion though, you're not going to convince those in another camp with facts. :)
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DaMeatMan

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Just going to leave this right here.





Lastly if your "facts" come from some marketing mumble jumbo on the back of a bottle, or from some guy in the detailing services industry trying to sell you a service or product, maybe that's not the most reliable source of information.

On the other hand if someone states a fact like PHYSICAL abrasion in (any form) micro or otherwise, comes from PHYSICAL CONTACT with your paint. Well that's just based in plain old physics and common sense, not to mention there is no monetary incentive there to lead you astray as it's literally FREE advice requiring nothing more from you than good old common sense and restraint.

But hey, like you said these topics come down to "religion" for most folks. That said you might want to rethink which camp your sitting in.. ie. The one selling you something based on your belief that it's doing something that's contradictory to science and physics, or the one that is rooted in scientific fact and common sense.

Once you get into things like these coatings you are essentially committed to a never ending cycle of more coatings, and paint correction (a process that literally involves removing a small layer of paint or sealant material to even out the surface).

Lastly if you want to rebuttal with a vid showing side by side comparisons of some dude slapping down some magical force field coating on the car, and then setting the hood on fire, or throwing a bunch of debris on it and watching it all just magically wipe off, without talking about what the surface PAINT looks like underneath after rubbing that stuff in... well then enjoy the show.. because that's all it is.
 
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phil

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If you don't want to spend a lot of money, you can easily do it yourself with a quality product and about 4-6 hours of your time. Definitely need to prep and don't skimp.

Wash and dry car.
Strip off any wax or other coatings.
Clay bar.
Clean.
Ceramic Coat.
What is the difference between Step 1 and Step 4? Or are they the same thing?
 

Kamuelaflyer

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What is the difference between Step 1 and Step 4? Or are they the same thing?
Clean the residue of the polish/clay bar (etc) off. This involves a diluted alcohol wipe down or something similar.
 

Scooby24

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Just going to leave this right here.





Lastly if your "facts" come from some marketing mumble jumbo on the back of a bottle, or from some guy in the detailing services industry trying to sell you a service or product, maybe that's not the most reliable source of information.

On the other hand if someone states a fact like PHYSICAL abrasion in (any form) micro or otherwise, comes from PHYSICAL CONTACT with your paint. Well that's just based in plain old physics and common sense, not to mention there is no monetary incentive there to lead you astray as it's literally FREE advice requiring nothing more from you than good old common sense and restraint.

But hey, like you said these topics come down to "religion" for most folks. That said you might want to rethink which camp your sitting in.. ie. The one selling you something based on your belief that it's doing something that's contradictory to science and physics, or the one that is rooted in scientific fact and common sense.

Once you get into things like these coatings you are essentially committed to a never ending cycle of more coatings, and paint correction (a process that literally involves removing a small layer of paint or sealant material to even out the surface).

Lastly if you want to rebuttal with a vid showing side by side comparisons of some dude slapping down some magical force field coating on the car, and then setting the hood on fire, or throwing a bunch of debris on it and watching it all just magically wipe off, without talking about what the surface PAINT looks like underneath after rubbing that stuff in... well then enjoy the show.. because that's all it is.
My facts come from personal experience. Your reference videos are not supporting your argument of never touching your paint to wash it. Your reference videos are referencing not touching your paint at points not related to washing your vehicle, which is 100% correct but not the argument you made. IE: just running your hand over the paint dry.

Here's how the detailer you've referenced recommends to wash your car. Now watch that and then re-read what I've told you.

Again, you're wrong. Your lack of experience is evident and you should not be giving recommendations. I'm correcting your misstatements as gently as I know how to.

 
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pt19713

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I'm really sorry but the best thing you can do for your paint is NEVER touch it. Just do touchless washes, and just leave it alone. These "protective coatings" basically start you down a path of creating micro scratches ans swirl all over your cars paint, that are particularly noticeable as your protective coatings wear off.
You do realize touchless washes are not good for the vehicle, right? You're pouring a hot alkaline solution on the vehicle, then an acidic solution. Both mix together in a chemical reaction, loosening the dirt. You're basically dropping bleach and acid on your car, which will strip any carnuba wax on the first wash. A consumer grade SiO2 might last 3-4 washes. Even a pro 9H coating won't withstand a touchless wash. Strip the protective layer leaving the paint unprotected isn't exactly the best for the paint. Bird etchings, bug gut etchings, acid rain, UV, etc all eating away at the paint.
 

DaMeatMan

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My facts come from personal experience. Your reference videos are not supporting your argument of never touching your paint to wash it. Your reference videos are referencing not touching your paint at points not related to washing your vehicle. IE: just running your hand over the paint dry.

Here's how the detailer you've referenced recommends to wash your car. Now watch that and then re-read what I've told you.

Again, you're wrong.

What's the overall message here in literally all of those videos? It's that PHYSICAL CONTACT is where the majority of paint damage comes from. He's showing good procedures to MINIMIZE damage when hamd washing your vehicle. But you know what goes a step further than that.

Not touching the paint!

Again, you paid good money for your car, and you can do whatever you like to it. But common sense atill applies here and if you avoid the very thing that damages the paint, such as TOUCHING THE PAINT, then your obviously far better off for it.

With that said you WILL still get damage from driving the car, from flying debris, rocks etc.. but no magical coating in the world will prevent any of that, and all they do is provide a sacrificial layer that can then be buffed down to even out the surface of the paint. When you consider the ongoing costs of all these coatings, you end up paying more than you would to have the whole car repainted. Which begs the question... what did you actually accomplish here with any of it to begin with when ongoing maintenance literally exceeds the costs of repainting the entire vehicle?

I don't want to be rude, but there is a quote that comes to mind here that goes along the lines of "a fool is easily parted with his money", and i think that applies here.
 

pt19713

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My facts come from personal experience. Your reference videos are not supporting your argument of never touching your paint to wash it. Your reference videos are referencing not touching your paint at points not related to washing your vehicle, which is 100% correct but not the argument you made. IE: just running your hand over the paint dry.

Here's how the detailer you've referenced recommends to wash your car. Now watch that and then re-read what I've told you.

Again, you're wrong. Your lack of experience is evident and you should not be giving recommendations. I'm correcting your misstatements as gently as I know how to.

I don't think you'll be able to convince the old school crowd of antiquated car care products.
I wasn't 100% on the idea of ceramic coatings but since I've been using an assortment of products, I've changed my stance. Even the consumer grade SiO2 sprays blow away the best synthetic sealants. Durability of most carnuba and synthetic waxes is roughly 2-3 months before they're completely gone.

Even with my car being garage kept, I'm only getting 4 months of durability without a topper. It's still there protecting, but it doesn't bead like it used it. Still much better durability than the older types of waxes. I just started using Tec582 so I'm going to see if that can get it to 6 months without reapplying.

Next year I'll probably try the Tec580 ceramic or Adam's graphene.
 

Scooby24

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I don't think you'll be able to convince the old school crowd of antiquated car care products.
I wasn't 100% on the idea of ceramic coatings but since I've been using an assortment of products, I've changed my stance. Even the consumer grade SiO2 sprays blow away the best synthetic sealants. Durability of most carnuba and synthetic waxes is roughly 2-3 months before they're completely gone.

Even with my car being garage kept, I'm only getting 4 months of durability without a topper. It's still there protecting, but it doesn't bead like it used it. Still much better durability than the older types of waxes. I just started using Tec582 so I'm going to see if that can get it to 6 months without reapplying.

Next year I'll probably try the Tec580 ceramic or Adam's graphene.
I correct the damage done by people that have these sorts of mentalities. Perhaps they don't see the iron contamination in the paint from day 1 riding on the rail. Or see the contamination that is removed via clay bar, or seen the progress pictures and the color difference before and after. When you have literally no experience, you don't know what you don't know. It's disappointing when those folks believe they know what they are talking about and preach common sense as though they had some.

And yes I'm practically only using ceramic sprays now for my own cars. They are so easy to use and provide the durability I need to get me through the year with my typical biannual detail.

I'm interested in trying the Adam's, I've give that a go in the fall. I've been using the Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic and it's done as well or better than some of the big name guys.

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DaMeatMan

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I don't think you'll be able to convince the old school crowd of antiquated car care products.
I wasn't 100% on the idea of ceramic coatings but since I've been using an assortment of products, I've changed my stance. Even the consumer grade SiO2 sprays blow away the best synthetic sealants. Durability of most carnuba and synthetic waxes is roughly 2-3 months before they're completely gone.

Even with my car being garage kept, I'm only getting 4 months of durability without a topper. It's still there protecting, but it doesn't bead like it used it. Still much better durability than the older types of waxes. I just started using Tec582 so I'm going to see if that can get it to 6 months without reapplying.

Next year I'll probably try the Tec580 ceramic or Adam's graphene.


Thank you kindly for helping to make my point.

1) These coatings do not last, and the cycle of applying and re-applying and money spent on these products never ends.

2) You specifically mention one of the greatest scams of all that is nothing more than a bunch of marketing junk. When you mention "graphene" coatings. Do yourself a favor and look up the definition of what graphene actually is, a single atom thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in an orderly honeycomb lattice that does not exceed 1 atom in thickness. That said the process of creating actual graphene in a controlled lab setting is difficult enough, not to mention that it cannot yet be created in any sort of scale for production. To think you can get this applied by hand from a concoction in a bottle is laughable! These "graphene coatings" are nothing more than a bunch if graphite (pencil lead) mixed in with a normal ceramic coating. When applied to the vehicle it is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE to create graphene layers, and what you have is clumps of graphite (pencil lead) that your simply wiping off and paying a fortune for.

So ya.. enjoy your religion!
 

Kamuelaflyer

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I don't think you'll be able to convince the old school crowd of antiquated car care products.
Sure you can, if they want to listen and consider the products, reviews, and real-world tests and evidence.

I live in a part of the world with stunningly high UV 365 days a year. My Tacoma was run through touchless washes and had a very high-grade Carnuba paste wax every two months for years. It's a mess. The Mach-e, the Raptor, and the Polaris Ranger all have ceramic coats on them, 2 professionally done and one a DIY (Avalon King). I also ensure the topper on those coatings is kept up too. Worth the cost? yes. Worth the trouble to maintain? Yes. Worth the effort on a DIY? Yes.
 

R7206

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Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about ceramic coating? My Mach-E should be here in a couple weeks and I thought the ideal time would be as soon as I get it.

Recommendations and suggestions would be appreciated.
Did mine the first weekend with Adam's. Deep wash, clay bar mitt, drying and application took about 2 hours. Recommend application inside garage with excellent light for best results. Very happy with ease of washing afterwards. I had to have my roof replaced and I did not put a coat on the new roof. You can certainly tell the difference between the coated and non-coated surfaces. There are plenty of great youtube videos for a DIY application and it isn't that expensive.
 

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If your looking for a unbiased , not paid off to post the review by the manufacturer. Look no further then Scott HD Reviews.
 

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I waited about 6 weeks than had the coating applied professionally. Paint required correction to take out swirls and minor defects from the factory. Final product is fabulous...shiny and rejects moisture far better than the waxes I have used over the years. I use a neutral soap and a foam cannon and my old leaf blower to dry with microfiber touch up. With the use of a SIO2 spray occasionally, the finish will last for years and show off the beauty of the car. Highly recommend the Ceramic Coating for these MMEs.

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