[twooaksdesign]

Had some questions for anyone thats gotten ceramic coating done on their cars before. I get the appeal and all that my questions are more around how much should it cost ballpark, on a F150.

and how long does it last? and anything special to know about washing the truck and that kind of thing, like does washing it wear it off faster?

 

[Fryballin]

Had some questions for anyone thats gotten ceramic coating done on their cars before. I get the appeal and all that my questions are more around how much should it cost ballpark, on a F150.

and how long does it last? and anything special to know about washing the truck and that kind of thing, like does washing it wear it off faster?

My understanding is it can cost as much as $1500 on a vehicle. I only paid $460 for my Lightning with providing the materials, but apparently that is extremely cheap for a ceramic coating. I’ve been told it can last as long as 3-5 years. I think there’s a maintenance coat to be applied like twice a year. And as far as I know just normal automotive soap is fine for regular washes. I’m very pleased with mine so far.

 

[twooaksdesign]

nice thanks for the information.

 

[obz]

Ceramic coating is fairly easy to do yourself with a little elbow grease. Honestly, professionals charge a lot for something you could probably do on your own for about $200. I've ceramic coated every car I've owned for the last few years and it holds up exceptionally well. The key is to prep your paint appropriately. Depending on the car you might need to do a 3-stage correction/polish or potentially just a polish. The paint will dictate that. On my brand new Tesla's I always do an aggressive polish with my DA (and sometimes a mild compound) depending on the paint then prep the paint with a ceramic prep spray and apply the ceramic. All in normally takes me about 6 hours, but well worth the end result. DO NOT expect it to magically protect your paint from scratches and scuffs. It will NOT do that. It will however make it much easier to wash and clean. Stuff just doesn't stick to it as easy. Make sure you've got realistic expectations. I would estimate about 3 years is about right for durability depending on your locations, weather, etc. I live in the Rockies and the salt takes a toll on ceramic coatings but once they fail you just polish and reapply. I get about 3 or so years out of mine.

 

[MicahO]

My experience on many cars over the last few years very much reflects what @obz posts above. With these trucks specifically, especially the early trucks, preparation is going to be really important. Mine is a 5/8 build that sat outside in Michigan for a few weeks before making its way East. While the dealer did a good job of washing, the hard water spots on the paint were significant, so the truck needed a serious cut and polish to get it ready for any type of protection. My truck was a very early delivery, so I suspect a number of these trucks will need paint correction even more than mine did.

With ceramic coating, preparation is key. Anything you lay the ceramic over top of is sealed in there for a long time. Take time for preparation, and you'll be happy with the end-product.

 

[SteelTerp87]

Ceramic coating is fairly easy to do yourself with a little elbow grease. Honestly, professionals charge a lot for something you could probably do on your own for about $200. I've ceramic coated every car I've owned for the last few years and it holds up exceptionally well. The key is to prep your paint appropriately. Depending on the car you might need to do a 3-stage correction/polish or potentially just a polish. The paint will dictate that. On my brand new Tesla's I always do an aggressive polish with my DA (and sometimes a mild compound) depending on the paint then prep the paint with a ceramic prep spray and apply the ceramic. All in normally takes me about 6 hours, but well worth the end result. DO NOT expect it to magically protect your paint from scratches and scuffs. It will NOT do that. It will however make it much easier to wash and clean. Stuff just doesn't stick to it as easy. Make sure you've got realistic expectations. I would estimate about 3 years is about right for durability depending on your locations, weather, etc. I live in the Rockies and the salt takes a toll on ceramic coatings but once they fail you just polish and reapply. I get about 3 or so years out of mine.

Can you recommend a brand, etc for the coating? I would be interested in doing this myself

 

[obz]

Can you recommend a brand, etc for the coating? I would be interested in doing this myself

Any name brands are going to be pretty similar. I prefer to use Wolfgang PROFI ceramic coating. It's really easy to use and level so this has always been my goto - lasts as long as the other major players too. GTechniq, cquartz, gyeon and the like are good ceramics too. I can't say I've got much experience applying, but they've gotten pretty good reviews.

 

[Simsonic]

Please, please, please do the ceramic coat yourself. It’s easy, fun, and cheap. I’ve been detailing my, my friends and families cars for two decades, so I know what I’m doing.

Total cost= $30

1) wash the Lightning

2) clay towel the Lightning (any on Amazon will do). You can use regular car wash soap with the clay towel. Rinse it off.

3) use Meguair’s ceramic spray. Follow this guys advice for the first “base” coat (starting at 4:50):

4) then just use a top spray and wash of the ceramic spray and every few months like this:

5) enjoy