Negatives

[818M3]

What are, if any, the negatives when it comes to ceramic coatings?

[EstrlM3]

Cost.

[818M3]

Do they really last 5 years?

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by 818M3

Do they really last 5 years?

No

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Needs to be polished off if you want to remove it for a different one, wrap, paint correction ect

[Paz1]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

No

Then how long does it last ?
Warranty for silver package is 5 years, so what’s that mean then ?

[MPoweRo]

I had it (opticoat) on my last car and it was doing pretty well after four years spending most time outside with a car cover and driven 5k km/yr.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by pgarbul1

Then how long does it last ?
Warranty for silver package is 5 years, so what’s that mean then ?

It depends how you take care of it and the conditions of the environment. Neglect and improperly wash a coating and it won't last long regardless of the advertised warranty.

[m3driven]

What will happen if the coat starts wearing off? Can you tell from an angle?

Would I have uneven wear?

[818M3]

Originally Posted by m3driven

What will happen if the coat starts wearing off? Can you tell from an angle?

Would I have uneven wear?

That's a good question I am asking too. Visually would we see the coating starting to deteriorate over time?

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by 818M3

That's a good question I am asking too. Visually would we see the coating starting to deteriorate over time?

Probably see decrease in water beading. Just good washing technique and layer it with a sealant or wax once in awhile and it'll probably last the life of the car. My goal with the coating is just to decrease the number of times I need to get a paint correction and decontamination to keep the clear coat as thick as possible.

[Eric S]

Coatings reward proper maintenance...there is no way around it.

Proper maintenance for Modesta Coatings (what we install)
Wash regularaly and properly
use M2 blast once a month, or more if so desired (this is like a spray sealant replacement DESIGNED for Modesta coatings)
Use M4 smoke as a coating reconditioner to reset the coating properties every 6 months.

Simple as that.

You don't want to add a bunch of spray waxes, or sealants, or random quick detail sprays with "protection". If you do that, you are going to lose the effects of the coating itself because the LOOK, PROTECTION, FUNCTION, AND CHARATERISTICS take on whatever is sitting on top. So if you have Modesta BC04 on the paintwork (extremely good depth and glassy look, harder than most other coatings), you will get very easy cleaning effects and fast water removal behavior
Now, if you were to start loading up the surface with sealants like Menzerna powerlock, or spray waxes, or QD sprays, the effects will not be the same, water behavior will not react the same, and the end look might actually get muted over time. We have seen it where a client complained about the look not being there, and the water wasn't falling off the car in the past. I told him to purchase the maintenance products from the start, but he didn't want to as he thought all products were the same. They are not. He eventually came in, we did the maintenance process for him, and the look returned, the water behavior returned, and the guy was happy...and left with the maintenance kit this time around. Come to find out, he was using a spray wax every single week, and a sealant wax once a month on top of the coating. This was the wrong approach.

Again, Coatings reward proper maintenance. We recently saw a car that was coated 2.5 years ago with one of the more common coatings. While the owner just wipes it down, and there are very little swirl marks in the paintwork, the look is dull and slightly hazy. He is coming back for a minor polishing and Modesta BC04 because we applied it to his other car and he was blown away saying the other coating never had that same look to it. The coating currently on his car did its job for the lifespan of the coating, 2 years. He is looking for a better looking, longer lasting, less maintenance coating...BC04 is the ticket. Here is a video of a 4 month old coating application of Modesta BC04. Simple citrus cleaner applied to the front end and a pressure washer is all that is needed. The client used m2 blast every 2 weeks, and the day before he left on the trip. The car came to us 2 weeks after the trip ended (he didn't want to wash it as it was very dirty).

There are differences in each of the coatings and their lifespan, end look, function, durability, and protection. None are the same, and some are similar overall, and few are different for the better.

Coatings are designed to add a sacrificial layer of protection for your clear coat. They are not permanent by any means. They are a product meant to be diminished, so they will need to be polished away and re-applied over time. Some last longer than others, some look better than others, some are more durable than others. They all serve the same basic function however. Lifetime warranties need not apply, you cant put a lifetime warranty on a products designed to diminish over time. Makes no sense unless profits are the main reason for the sale of the product rather than true protection and a clients best interest. Coatings make car cleanings easier and faster, allow fewer products to be used/purchased), and simplify the whole car care process.

[cwhands]

The biggest negative is that everyone and their mother has come out with their own labeling, flooded the market, and some have even resorted to BS marketing to boost sales.

The other thing is that you need to do your research. If you go to a "good enough" installer, you will almost certainly leave disappointed. If you use someone who isn't reputable, more likely than not you'll end up paying gobs of cash and being dissatisfied, and then spending EVEN MORE money than your initial investment because a proper installer will then have to correct it (lots of time) and start from scratch.

[louielouie]

Originally Posted by Eric S

Coatings reward proper maintenance...there is no way around it.

Proper maintenance for Modesta Coatings (what we install)
Wash regularaly and properly
use M2 blast once a month, or more if so desired (this is like a spray sealant replacement DESIGNED for Modesta coatings)
Use M4 smoke as a coating reconditioner to reset the coating properties every 6 months.

Simple as that.

You don't want to add a bunch of spray waxes, or sealants, or random quick detail sprays with "protection". If you do that, you are going to lose the effects of the coating itself because the LOOK, PROTECTION, FUNCTION, AND CHARATERISTICS take on whatever is sitting on top. So if you have Modesta BC04 on the paintwork (extremely good depth and glassy look, harder than most other coatings), you will get very easy cleaning effects and fast water removal behavior
Now, if you were to start loading up the surface with sealants like Menzerna powerlock, or spray waxes, or QD sprays, the effects will not be the same, water behavior will not react the same, and the end look might actually get muted over time. We have seen it where a client complained about the look not being there, and the water wasn't falling off the car in the past. I told him to purchase the maintenance products from the start, but he didn't want to as he thought all products were the same. They are not. He eventually came in, we did the maintenance process for him, and the look returned, the water behavior returned, and the guy was happy...and left with the maintenance kit this time around. Come to find out, he was using a spray wax every single week, and a sealant wax once a month on top of the coating. This was the wrong approach.

Again, Coatings reward proper maintenance. We recently saw a car that was coated 2.5 years ago with one of the more common coatings. While the owner just wipes it down, and there are very little swirl marks in the paintwork, the look is dull and slightly hazy. He is coming back for a minor polishing and Modesta BC04 because we applied it to his other car and he was blown away saying the other coating never had that same look to it. The coating currently on his car did its job for the lifespan of the coating, 2 years. He is looking for a better looking, longer lasting, less maintenance coating...BC04 is the ticket. Here is a video of a 4 month old coating application of Modesta BC04. Simple citrus cleaner applied to the front end and a pressure washer is all that is needed. The client used m2 blast every 2 weeks, and the day before he left on the trip. The car came to us 2 weeks after the trip ended (he didn't want to wash it as it was very dirty).

There are differences in each of the coatings and their lifespan, end look, function, durability, and protection. None are the same, and some are similar overall, and few are different for the better.

Coatings are designed to add a sacrificial layer of protection for your clear coat. They are not permanent by any means. They are a product meant to be diminished, so they will need to be polished away and re-applied over time. Some last longer than others, some look better than others, some are more durable than others. They all serve the same basic function however. Lifetime warranties need not apply, you cant put a lifetime warranty on a products designed to diminish over time. Makes no sense unless profits are the main reason for the sale of the product rather than true protection and a clients best interest. Coatings make car cleanings easier and faster, allow fewer products to be used/purchased), and simplify the whole car care process.

Thanks Eric, this information is incredibly helpful.

I don't have Modesta on my car and am unfamiliar with their line of products but do have a coating that I actively try to maintain. Doing some research on M2 blast, is it a silica based spray sealant? Based on the application process, and intervals that's what I would assume.

[Darth One]

Originally Posted by Eric S

Use M4 smoke as a coating reconditioner to reset the coating properties every 6 months.

M4...smoke...?

i have a shelf full of M2 but never heard of M4...is that something that you installers typically do when the vehicle comes back for a refresh? or should i just buy it and do it myself every 6 months...?



thanks for the incredibly detailed reminder of the maintenance regimen, btw

[Wmf80]

Waste of $

[Eric S]

Originally Posted by wreckedmyf80

Waste of $

not really.

And to be honest, 95% of the cars that we do get coatings. We have waxed only about 5 cars this year...3 were prep for sales, 1 had no budget after the massive correction price, and a 488 owner simply said "I probably wont have the car long enough, Ill do it on the next one"

[radiofrequency]

I concur with everything said below by Eric S. I've always had my cars coated AFTER appropriate paint correction, (even brand new cars). The paint correction is what makes your car pop, not the coating (so much). I've moved up to Modesta as my go to brand. I've also have my wheels coated. Recently, I machine polished and corrected the wheels on my M4, and applied Kamikaze coating. Nice outcome, but a lot of repetitive work, and if you don't have the tools to do this, best to leave to the professionals. If I was in a position to have one or the other, I would simply have the paint corrected and clear-bra the entire vehicle, and skip the coatings, expensive, yes, but worth the piece of mind.

Originally Posted by Eric S

Coatings reward proper maintenance...there is no way around it.

Proper maintenance for Modesta Coatings (what we install)
Wash regularaly and properly
use M2 blast once a month, or more if so desired (this is like a spray sealant replacement DESIGNED for Modesta coatings)
Use M4 smoke as a coating reconditioner to reset the coating properties every 6 months.

Simple as that.

You don't want to add a bunch of spray waxes, or sealants, or random quick detail sprays with "protection". If you do that, you are going to lose the effects of the coating itself because the LOOK, PROTECTION, FUNCTION, AND CHARATERISTICS take on whatever is sitting on top. So if you have Modesta BC04 on the paintwork (extremely good depth and glassy look, harder than most other coatings), you will get very easy cleaning effects and fast water removal behavior
Now, if you were to start loading up the surface with sealants like Menzerna powerlock, or spray waxes, or QD sprays, the effects will not be the same, water behavior will not react the same, and the end look might actually get muted over time. We have seen it where a client complained about the look not being there, and the water wasn't falling off the car in the past. I told him to purchase the maintenance products from the start, but he didn't want to as he thought all products were the same. They are not. He eventually came in, we did the maintenance process for him, and the look returned, the water behavior returned, and the guy was happy...and left with the maintenance kit this time around. Come to find out, he was using a spray wax every single week, and a sealant wax once a month on top of the coating. This was the wrong approach.

Again, Coatings reward proper maintenance. We recently saw a car that was coated 2.5 years ago with one of the more common coatings. While the owner just wipes it down, and there are very little swirl marks in the paintwork, the look is dull and slightly hazy. He is coming back for a minor polishing and Modesta BC04 because we applied it to his other car and he was blown away saying the other coating never had that same look to it. The coating currently on his car did its job for the lifespan of the coating, 2 years. He is looking for a better looking, longer lasting, less maintenance coating...BC04 is the ticket. Here is a video of a 4 month old coating application of Modesta BC04. Simple citrus cleaner applied to the front end and a pressure washer is all that is needed. The client used m2 blast every 2 weeks, and the day before he left on the trip. The car came to us 2 weeks after the trip ended (he didn't want to wash it as it was very dirty).

There are differences in each of the coatings and their lifespan, end look, function, durability, and protection. None are the same, and some are similar overall, and few are different for the better.

Coatings are designed to add a sacrificial layer of protection for your clear coat. They are not permanent by any means. They are a product meant to be diminished, so they will need to be polished away and re-applied over time. Some last longer than others, some look better than others, some are more durable than others. They all serve the same basic function however. Lifetime warranties need not apply, you cant put a lifetime warranty on a products designed to diminish over time. Makes no sense unless profits are the main reason for the sale of the product rather than true protection and a clients best interest. Coatings make car cleanings easier and faster, allow fewer products to be used/purchased), and simplify the whole car care process.

[PorkchopExpress]

Originally Posted by EstrlM3

Cost.

100% agree. But, $2k on a 60-80k car? Easy, if it makes ownership easier and a gives a better experience.

I am on my 2nd ceramic coated car, and it seems to come down to prep work. There are detailers that don't cover ANY prep work other than washing the car (more than I expected when I called around, then said "oh well if you want something like that it will be $100\hr to prep it).

Then there were detailers that said "We cover up to X hours of prep work in this cost. If you want to go beyond that and you have a lot of paint corrections, it will cost X."

I had a brand new car that took 10 hours of paint correction (would have been $1000 of polishing just for prep work at some places). The finish was better than I had seen on a freshly detailed car, but the prep work was amazing. On the same car, however, the top of the trunk was missed. So it had a deep gloss, but all of the scratches and swirls from the factory came through. Needless to say, I didn't bring my M3 to this shop. (It's currently being done)

Personally, I believe it's going to be a longer discussion with the detailer to figure out what your total cost is going to be. If someone charges $2300 for 3 coats, but ALL prep work is covered, and their work is amazballs, then it is going to be a better deal than someone charging $1500+ $100/hr on a car with a lot of prep work to be done. And there's no way they can give you a quote for this over the phone, especially on a used car.

To me, it's like the older 3M vinyl protection sheets. Everyone kept asking if it was worth it. Now a days, a PPF is almost a must on a car that you plan on keeping for a few years. I'm not a professional like Eric S, but I won't have a car that doesn't have it (well, my Jeep doesn't, but it's a Jeep).

[Tommy L Garage]

I just did my car - you can do it for a fraction of the cost if you do it yourself. Below is my DIY video in case you are interested in tackling it

(Sound for the first 2 minutes is a bit off)

[F80Dreamer]

I’ve ceramic coated my last 3 cars by myself, and recently switched to CQuartz UK 3.0. Not 100% perfect results but pretty close. Cost me $50 and a Saturday morning.