To ceramic coat or not to ceramic coat?

[joebruin77]

Couldn't you just get the whole car repainted for less money? lol

That is a valid point of view. Some people just don't feel like the cost of PPF is justified, especially if you are only going to keep the car for 2-3 years.

However, when people talk about getting the car repainted for less money, there are couple points to keep in mind:

1) PPF has self-healing properties. And as long as the PPF is not torn, it can self heal over and over again. If you get your car repainted, the paint can get scratched or chipped again. I have a buddy who had his car repainted. It was in the body shop for a week. The day after he brought it home, he got a couple rock chips in it.
2) If you get a panel repainted, the body shop has to repaint the adjacent panels as well to blend the paint. So the process can cost quite a bit of money and it can take several days.
3) I have had two separate incidents in which my P3D was hit in a parking lot. In both instances, the PPF was torn. But the paint underneath the PPF was not damaged. My PPF installer had his Paintless Dent Repair guy remove the dents and then he replaced the PPF. Each time, the cost was around $125-$150 and it took all of 2 hours.
4) Some people claim that damaged PPF is not covered by insurance. In both of my instances, my State Farm car insurance covered the cost to replace the damaged PPF.

 

[drpheta]

Couldn't you just get the whole car repainted for less money? lol

I'm not doing the PPF or ceramic coating. Just not worth the money to me for a car I'll drive 2-3 years and replace.

Quality paint job costs a lot if you want it to look clean without orange peel, overspray, and the factory color. It's doable, but that's pricey. On top of that it'll get scratched again after a paint job from debris, so I don't get to enjoy the lifetime of the car looking clean and being easy to keep clean. I need to apply wax every month or so, clay it and polish, etc.

My PPF Ceramic also included paint correction. So, it looks amazing most of the year as long as I hose it down. It's easy to clean, cause I just need to hose it down and wipe on occasion. After a rain it looks better than most cars in my area that receive a normal wash.

My headlights and fog lights won't pit from road debris. Neither will my bumper, fender, A pillar, mirrors, or rocker panels - the areas that I had PPF applied.

So, while I could have my car resprayed, the amount of work to keep it looking clean and silky is far more difficult than paint correction and PPF + ceramic

 

[enemji]

Pretty much decided I was going to get my new M3P ceramic coated to make washing easier and having it always look freshly waxed just after a wash and watched a vid on youtube from a detailer who said if you are only going to keep the car 3 years or so it's not really worth it. Not sure how long I will keep it but seems like if you only keep it 3 years or 6 years it would still be nice to have it done for easier washing and such. Thoughts?

I just get a $5 car wash every now and then. Worth it!

 

[Uchavez]

Hey everyone could use some help. I got a quartz seal on my 2022 M3 last week and wanting to get a rear spoiler but am concerned if the adhesive will stick to the quartz seal, has anyone experienced this?

 

[thesmokingman]

Hey everyone could use some help. I got a quartz seal on my 2022 M3 last week and wanting to get a rear spoiler but am concerned if the adhesive will stick to the quartz seal, has anyone experienced this?

Remove the coating where you plan to mount the spoiler, then redo prob covering spoiler etc after install.

 

[Unclepaul]

All the non commercial car wash options seem like kind of a wash (Pun intended).

Simply two bucket wash your car when it gets dirty. Work as you go, and as desired.

Two bucket wash, then wax when desired. Work as you go and desired.

Two bucket wash, then Ceramic when desired. Work as you go and desired.

Ceramic professional coating when new. Pay up front and get long lasting results. Cleaning as you go easier.

Professional paint correction and Ceramic when new. Best look, most expensive. Cleaning as you go easier.

PPF installed after paint correction, plus ceramic on top. Most expensive, but adds resistance to chips and light scratches. Often needs to be removed totally for lease returns.

All these processes tend to give similar results. You can spend a lot of $ and time up front, and get lasting results, or just wash when desired to keep a nice looking car.

White and Silver stay clean looking the longest. Little gain from the full processes.
Black and darker colors get the greatest benefit from professional services, frequent washing and polishing.

Getting White (free color) will save you a couple thousand $ up front and be the easiest to keep clean at little cost. Occasional two bucket wash will keep it looking presentable.

 

[Unclepaul]

The body protects the components and occupants.
The primer protects the body.
The base coat protects the primer.
The clear coat protects the base coat.
Professional paint correction enhances the clear coat.
PPF protects the professional paint correction and clear coat.
Wax protects the top coat.
Ceramic protects the top coat longer (maybe)

High end shine enhancement products and processes protects and enhances the Ego

 

[Uchavez]

Remove the coating where you plan to mount the spoiler, then redo prob covering spoiler etc after install.

What is the best way to remove the coating?

 

[thesmokingman]

What is the best way to remove the coating?

How did you get it on there in the first place? Did you pay a shop to do it the first time? The process to remove is the same process of prepping the paint to apply it.

 

[ss71]

Use a Magic Eraser on the trunk edge where the adhesive tape for the spoiler will go and then a clean with Isopropyl Alcohol before you install the spoiler. Super easy and exactly what I did.

 

[Uchavez]

Use a Magic Eraser on the trunk edge where the adhesive tape for the spoiler will go and then a clean with Isopropyl Alcohol before you install the spoiler. Super easy and exactly what I did.

Did buy use a after market spoiler? If so is it still on good? I have not received it yet but its on the way. I called a few shops and they said they will not install it as in the past there has been too many customers complaining that don't fit right or fall off. Now I dont know if i should return it or use it.

 

[Uchavez]

How did you get it on there in the first place? Did you pay a shop to do it the first time? The process to remove is the same process of prepping the paint to apply it.

I have not installed it yet, it ordered on amazon arriving this weekend. I called a few shops for the install and they refused to install it due to too many customer complaints after the install. Dont know what to do now.

 

[ss71]

Did buy use a after market spoiler? If so is it still on good? I have not received it yet but its on the way. I called a few shops and they said they will not install it as in the past there has been too many customers complaining that don't fit right or fall off. Now I dont know if i should return it or use it.

Yes. I got one from RPM Tesla that is extremely similar to the OEM and I installed it myself. So far so good after a few months.

 

[enemji]

Use the 3M primer 94. The adhesive will stick like you would not believe it.