Best DIY Ceramic coating for a complete amateur?

[gatorfast]

I would love to apply a coating to my car to maintain that freshly washed look - but I have little to no proper detailing experience. Is there a ceramic coating out there that is super easy to apply and nearly impossible to mess up?

[danchee]

I used McKee's paint coating last year and it was a breeze to put on. They seem to have another version out this year called "Ceramic Coating" and to be honest I'm not sure what the difference are. The old version called "Paint Coating" still seems to be sold though. It was very easy to apply. Spray on, wait 30 seconds, buff off. Water still beads perfectly and power spraying water gets most of the dirt off. Foam up and light swipe cleans everything else off.

[9M71]

CSL is probably one of the simpliest and pretty much almost wipe on and wipe off.

[icegrill]

Originally Posted by danchee

I used McKee's paint coating last year and it was a breeze to put on. They seem to have another version out this year called "Ceramic Coating" and to be honest I'm not sure what the difference are. The old version called "Paint Coating" still seems to be sold though. It was very easy to apply. Spray on, wait 30 seconds, buff off. Water still beads perfectly and power spraying water gets most of the dirt off. Foam up and light swipe cleans everything else off.

I was also going to contribute about mckees. It's been a year and still beads 1/8" drops, very easy to apply also!

[AtlantisF80]

Cquartz

[jdgamble]

Watch some videos and buy any of the above. Also read some reviews on autogeek. They have a lot of options.

One note - prep is key in coating application. Is your paint in good shape? If it’s all swirled/scratched up, the coating will accentuate the scratches. Also, you need to make sure the paint is super clean, so you’ll need a prep wipe as well, like Carpro Eraser.

[Isj]

Originally Posted by 9M4N71U

CSL is probably one of the simpliest and pretty much almost wipe on and wipe off.

while CSL is easy to apply, it really needs proper prep work for it to work properly. The prep work itself may be too much for someone who's never decon or polished paint surfaces.

[gatorfast]

Thanks for the advice guys. Yea I am looking for as little prep work as possible too. I can do a detailed wash and clay but I don't have a DA and wasn't planning to do a paint correction or anything. Paint is in good condition overall. Of course there are a few swirls but not huge spider webs or anything. I don't need the paint looking 100% flawless, I'm really just looking to capture that freshly washed look for longer periods of time.

[9M71]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

Thanks for the advice guys. Yea I am looking for as little prep work as possible too. I can do a detailed wash and clay but I don't have a DA and wasn't planning to do a paint correction or anything. Paint is in good condition overall. Of course there are a few swirls but not huge spider webs or anything. I don't need the paint looking 100% flawless, I'm really just looking to capture that freshly washed look for longer periods of time.

Gotcha! In that case, ceramic washes/maintenance sprays may be able to help. Check out CarPro Hydro 2, its a wash + wax that will leave a layer of protection with sweet water beading characteristics and make the paint pop. Folks also use this to maintain a car that is already ceramic coated, but you can use it on one that isnt with almost equal results.

[gatorfast]

The Mckees is very intriguing. Has excellent reviews online and the vids make it seem super easy to apply.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

I would love to apply a coating to my car to maintain that freshly washed look - but I have little to no proper detailing experience. Is there a ceramic coating out there that is super easy to apply and nearly impossible to mess up?

You may want to check out AMMO products, specifically Reflex coating. It's not a ceramic coating technically, but because of that it is supposed to be very easy to use and it is not almost permanent (i.e. super hard to get off) like your typical ceramic or glass coatings. I'm not getting paid by Larry (who creates this stuff himself), but I know a friend who swears by his products and he's not into detailing much.

Ideally, before applying ANY kind of paint protection, you need to prep the paint by decontaminating it (iron & tar spray removers, clay bar which usually jacks up the paint) and polish of because of the said damage that happens when you're mechanically removing gunk embedded on the paint.

Now, issue with some coatings that are on the market now is that once you put a layer or two on, it can be very difficult to take off as they essentially lock the paint because they're so hard. So, when you run into some issues, e.g. during application or later in the future etched bird shit, water spots, etc., you'll have to do the process of decontamination and possibly light polishing all over AGAIN. It's a bit of a slippery slope. And you cannot keep buffing the paint forever or else you'll have no paint no mo'.

Also, there's a bit of a misconception that ceramic/glass coatings do not need any kind of maintenance... you still gotta take care of it, by using drying aids, spray detailers or products meant for "refreshing" the coating. That way, you're adding incremental layers upon layers of extra protection on top of the "main" couple of layers of whatever paint protection product you've put on there in the first place.

[Daveneezy]

A good friend of mine is a Detailer and I've learned a ton from him. There's no doubt that ceramic coatings are the real deal. I have had 2 cars coated over the last few years and the cost was definitely worth it. But if you want something that you can do yourself, don't want to break the bank and it being worth it... then use C2v3 by gtechniq. I use this as a boost for my coatings, I apply it at least twice a year and it makes a huge difference. I recently leased a new tacoma and didn't want to spend the money coating it, so I used c2v3. I did a wash, clay, ipa wipe down, then hit it with C2v3 about a month ago.

This is the truck this morning:

[Daveneezy]

I used 1 microfiber to apply and 1 to buff off, did 1 panel at a time.

[danchee]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

The Mckees is very intriguing. Has excellent reviews online and the vids make it seem super easy to apply.

I got a response from McKee's about the differences. The "paint coating" MK37-260 is being phased out and replaced by the "ceramic coating" product MKCS-100. They say the new formulation is even easier to apply and lasts longer. I have had great experience buying from these guys.

My process took a day to do. Iron remover, wash, clay using N-914 as lube, coating prep wash, N-914 as drying lube, then move car into dark garage to cool the paint. Clean with N-914 and dry each panel as I apply the coating to avoid dusts on paint. I would say it took about 6 hours total. Then let it sit overnight and apply second coat the same way as the first. I only did 2 coats, and the spray bottle has enough left over to do at least 2 more cars with 2 coats. Very good deal for sure.

[gatorfast]

I ordered the 260 formula and going to try it out. Planning to do an iron decontamination, wash, clay , then apply the coating.

[Detailers Domain]

probably the easiest go to ceramic coating to user with little to no experience would be Fictech One - 1 year ceramic coating -

1. make sure your paint is clean and as good as you like, meaning if you feel it needs swirl removal, remove them and prepare the paint.
2. spritz fictech one on the paint and buff off.
3. enjoy!


Fictech One

It will last up to 1 year with proper maintenance.

[henrylee]

Originally Posted by Daveneezy

I used 1 microfiber to apply and 1 to buff off, did 1 panel at a time.

wow great product!

[danchee]

Originally Posted by DetailersDomain

probably the easiest go to ceramic coating to user with little to no experience would be Fictech One - 1 year ceramic coating -

1. make sure your paint is clean and as good as you like, meaning if you feel it needs swirl removal, remove them and prepare the paint.
2. spritz fictech one on the paint and buff off.
3. enjoy!


Fictech One

It will last up to 1 year with proper maintenance.

Do you spray it on while car is wet or after drying? The instructions weren't too clear about it.

[bsmf8x]

Originally Posted by Daveneezy

I used 1 microfiber to apply and 1 to buff off, did 1 panel at a time.

Originally Posted by Daveneezy

A good friend of mine is a Detailer and I've learned a ton from him. There's no doubt that ceramic coatings are the real deal. I have had 2 cars coated over the last few years and the cost was definitely worth it. But if you want something that you can do yourself, don't want to break the bank and it being worth it... then use C2v3 by gtechniq. I use this as a boost for my coatings, I apply it at least twice a year and it makes a huge difference. I recently leased a new tacoma and didn't want to spend the money coating it, so I used c2v3. I did a wash, clay, ipa wipe down, then hit it with C2v3 about a month ago.

This is the truck this morning:

+1

Used this on my BSM m4 with no ceramic coat and the paint looks cleaner for longer no question. Also easier to dry after a quick wash.

Don't use too much though because it can streak.

[NCG80M3]

I used Proje' Car Care and it was my first time coating any car. It came out well for me.

[Nativetexan]

Curious if this method is okay to do on a car that has a lot of PPF & non PPF'd panels are in great shape. I have a 2018, so pretty new car.

1. Wash
2. Clay with light bar
3. Wash
4. Ceramic wax x 2
5. Spray wax

Am I really missing any steps in between 2 & 3 that are "mandatory"?

[thestimp]

Originally Posted by Nativetexan

Curious if this method is okay to do on a car that has a lot of PPF & non PPF'd panels are in great shape. I have a 2018, so pretty new car.

1. Wash
2. Clay with light bar
3. Wash
4. Ceramic wax x 2
5. Spray wax

Am I really missing any steps in between 2 & 3 that are "mandatory"?

no but you could possibly decontaminate the iron and other things with another substrate, claybar gets most but you need another chemical to remove harden chemicals.