nuttymiss

My new SQ5 just arrived and I’m wanting to keep it clean and scratch free for as long as possible. Does anyone know of a good installer in the Orlando FL area? I’d also be open to feedback regarding the advantages, disadvantages, and any experiences you’ve had with this or other protective options/products.

CarSwami

I too am interested in hearing about experiences with Ceramic Pro and Opticoat Pro protective products. I want to have one of these two coatings applied to my new Q7 and would like to hear some first hand experiences. One of the local installers who does both is recommending the Ceramic Pro because it gives "more bang for the buck". He said that that is what he had applied to both of his cars. So with very little else to go on, I'm tending to go with his recommendation. But any advice that I can get on this forum will also be very helpful. Thanks.

CarSwami

Glisse

A ceramic, or nano coating, is a fluid which contains silicon oxide suspended in a resin. When applied, the solvent/resin quickly (very quickly) evaporates, the silicon oxide oxidises on exposure to air to form a very thin (3 micron or so) layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2) which is quite hard. Silica is quite common - it is quartz, in sand (although sand can be many elements), and a key ingredient in glass, of course.

Regardless of the brand name, they all work the same way. I have read that the base chemical comes from one supplier in Taiwan, but don't know if this is correct. But I would not agonise too much over differences between brands. Men in white coats trying to look like Albert Einstein is more about marketing puffery than reality There is also a lot of internet shilling going on in this category. Any of the major players that have been around for a while will be offering broadly similar products.

The benefit of ceramic coatings is that they protect the paint surface for longer than other sealants. Which is great for people who want minimise the time spent maintaining the car's finish. Most swirl marks and fine scratches come from washing a dirty car, as the dirt particles are being ground against the clear coat by a cheap cloth or nylon bristle. Wax can wear off quite quickly, depending on the quality of the wax and what cleaning detergents are being used on it. Anywhere between 1 wash and 4 months. A ceramic coating will last somewhere between 1 and 2 years before needing further treatment or attention. Maybe 5 years, if it is kept in a garage and never driven.

But there is a downside. Because the very thin layer is very hard, it cannot be polished. It has to be sanded off. Which will take part of the clear coat off with it as well. The car has to be perfectly detailed before it is applied to remove all scratches and swirl marks. Using a detailer that gets this part right is far more important than which brand of ceramic coating he is using.

It also means that if the car is scratched (ceramic coatings will resist swirl makes, but they are not scratch proof), you will need to remove the coating on that panel (at least) via aggressive sanding, then polish the scratch out, then reapply the coating.

It is also the reason that for many people, it is better to have a professional apply the coating. As mentioned, the solvent flashes off quite quickly - anywhere between 30 seconds to two minutes. After this, you can't get the coating off other than sanding the panel. So even though it isn't hard to apply, it needs a good technique - it isn't easy to see where it has been applied or where spots have been missed (depending on paint colour). It also needs to be applied in a clean, dust free environment, and needs to cure for at least 24 hours before being exposed (this can be accelerated by using infra red heaters), and it can take around a month to reach peak hardness.

So the goal should be to find a very reputable and experienced car detailer, who will perform the appropriate degree of paint correction BEFORE applying the sealant coating. He/she will wash the car, strip off the wax, polish the paint, wash the car, then apply the coating. The last step is the smallest, in terms of time. The variable is in the polishing step. Even a brand new car will have some marring on the paint, and this can vary a lot from car to car. Decide whether you need to achieve a 100% perfect finish, which may take quite a few hours of polishing using two grades of polish, or just a simple light polish which may be one hour of work. As for which ceramic coating they recommend, that will depend on which one they are most familiar which, or which one provides the highest financial incentive for them to use - but that's not particularly important if there isn't much price difference in the coating cost.

benjaminnicholas

Glisse had a fantastic post on this.

In addition, make sure you compare warranties on the product and that it's being applied by someone who is authorized by the manufacturer. Many detailers offer coatings but aren't 'certified' by Opticoat, Ceramic Pro or CQuartz, making any future warranty claim null & void.

Personally, I went with CQuartz Finest Reserve:

https://cqfinest.com/services/cquartz-finest-reserve/

FermatP

CarSwami, if you're close to DC/MD/VA area, I would definitely recommend All American Paint Protection out in Rockville, I'm getting my SQ5 done there (Suntek Ultra PPF / Ceramic Pro for Wheels/brake calipers/ full car Ceramic Coating / All glass windows/windshield). Brett is the owner and he's got a top reputation within the area (Tesla / Audi / Porsche Dealerships in the area all refer their clients to him, have been for past 5 + years). My experience dealing with him has been top notch. He's not the lowest price or the highest price if you shop around, but work wise there are few with his obsessive attention to detail, something I really appreciate in people working on my car. You may be satisfied with the work, but he wont let it go until he's satisfied.

Give him a try and see what you think.
FermatP.

CarSwami

Hi Fermat

Thanks for the strong recommendation. I do live in MD so Rockville works well for me. But I have a question for you. When I visit AAPP's website, it does not say anything at all about Ceramic Pro protection. It only talks about the clear bra which is not what I am looking for. I will give Brett a call today to chat, but I'm wondering why his website says nothing at all about Ceramic Pro if he is so well known. I also do not see him listed as a certified dealer on the Ceramic Pro website. What gives?

Thanks for your help.

CarSwami

benjaminnicholas

If he's not listed on the corporate website, I'd pass.

CarSwami

I gave Brett a call yesterday and he is recommending a coating called GTechniq Crystal Serum over the Ceramic Pro or Opticoat. He also acknowledged that his website does not contain any information about any of these products that he is says he can apply on my vehicle. I got the impression that he was trying to sell me the GTechniq over the other two because he is not listed as a certified dealer for the others. In a way that is understandable, but I have not been able to find much information comparing GTechniq to the other two products. On the other hand, there is a lot of information comparing Opticoat and Ceramic Pro.

I hope Fermat will chime in with his insight about AAPP and Brett, but as of now, I'm inclined to agree with Benjamin's suggestion and go with a detailer who is certified to apply Ceramic Pro or Opticoat. I've also asked my Audi dealer for his thoughts on these products.

CarSwami

FermatP

Hi CarSwami,
Wanted to wait till I got my car before I gave a reply. Just got my car, yea, I did go with GTechniq coating (Like I mentioned in previous post, wheels / brake calipers / wheel wells / all windows/ and pretty much the entire car coated (got clear bra for the front). I've had a chance to wash it once and can attest to the fact the water just beads off and the paint is just way better looking (given mine is darker - Moonlight Blue Metallic), really satisfied with the work from AAPP. And they are on the approved detailers list on the GTechniq website -- https://usa.gtechniq.com/detailing-service/
Fermat.

CarSwami

Hi Fermat

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately, since I did not hear from you for a couple of days, I went ahead and put down a deposit with a certified Ceramic Pro detailer also located in Rockville. He had a promo going that I decided to take advantage of. But I negotiated a deal with him to get my $$ back if I had a change in plans. So one more question that I have for you is this: do you know what the differences are between Ceramic Pro and GTechniq? I have not been able to find a whole lot about how GTechniq compares with any of the other coatings and was wondering what made you choose it over the others? Was it the reputation of AAPP? Thanks for your help.

CarSwami