Quote:
Originally Posted by dan
I don't think I'm understanding. I thought this "ceramic coating" is just like a layer of wax or other protectant product like that. What would warrant a charge of $1700?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick M3
It's largely labor. Generally there would be a pretty substantial paint correct step prior to ceramic coat application, because otherwise what's the point?
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"Real" ceramic coatings are effectively thin layers of glass added over the car's paint. They are very hard and very smooth. They function as a sacrificial layer for swirls and light scratches that would otherwise directly affect the clear coat. They are also quite durable and can last over five years. If you want to remove one before it wears away, you would need to use a compound or polish and may need to use pads on the more aggressive side depending on which ceramic and how fresh the application.
For best results, you probably do something like this:
- Wash the car
- Use Iron-X or similar to remove iron deposits
- Decontamination/strip-wash
- Clay
- IPA wipedown
- Paint correction (either polish only or compound and polish)
You want to get rid of all the swirls and scratches you can before you add the ceramic coating because you do anything about them when they are under the ceramic
- Apply the ceramic (and it may be several layers with short of long drying/curing time between them
- Apply a topper (think sealant, but intended to work with the ceramic)
High quality ceramics are not cheap and many of them are created to be part of a proprietary system that locks you into that brand's shampoos and toppers. When you add it all up for a single application, you're probably looking at a couple hundred dollars. Double that if you also need to buy a polisher and pads.
Doing the whole thing takes a lot of man hours. If it's done at a detail shop with a staff and the car is left there for a few days (complete with IR lights to follow manufacturer curing guidance), it's probably getting near 20 hours of labor, some of it highly skilled (hopefully) but most of it low-medium skill.
The compounding/polishing takes care and skill. Current products make it hard but not impossible to fuck up modern clear coat finishes without being stupid. It can be a pretty quick step if the paint doesn't have scratches and swirls, but can take a little while if it has a lot. Newer will probably take less time and work than older, but new cars can deliver with pretty fucked up paint if the in house "detailer" washed the car with a dirty rag when being prepped for delivery or the car spent some time in the showroom or on an exposed outdoor lot before sale.
If that's what Alan's kid did and the work is high quality, it's a reasonable price for the labor and materials consumed. Whether it's worth it to spend that money for someone to do the work for you is a different question.
If it was a solo mobile detailer that did some of that work in the driveway outside the house in a single session, yeah, that would be outrageous.