yonexyr

is the ceramic coating works and help the exterior paint?

LexusWest

I had Opti Coat Plus applied by an independent detailer about 2 months after I bought my new RX. No correction of the paint was needed so it took about a day to be applied. It is not a miracle "product" so to speak. Scratches etc can still happen. But it does add an additional layer of protection to your clearcoat and need some special care- handwash only.

GSFRX350

I couldn't see the value in it but also I like to polish/wax/protect my car myself and quite happy to do it. If you don't mind doing it yourself Meguiar's Fast Finish is a great product - after washing and drying the car you apply the product by just wiping on then buffing off the excess, very, very easy and gives a protection coat that looks excellent. Dirt, rain rinse off much easier but it does need to be done every 3 months or so, depends really on your environment.

Problem I saw with those coatings was you still have to be careful with them ( like LexusWest said), last only a few years but cost a mint, well here in Australia they do.

charley95

Adam's just came out with a Ceramic Coating Spray which would be easy for anyone to apply. I'm going to try it out this spring.

GunnyFitz

Not 100% sure I understand the question as stated. Are you asking if Ceramic Coatings help "protect" your exterior? If so - Most definitely (to an extent). The better choice for "Protection" would be having PPF done to as much of the car as you can afford! This Film provides the paint with an added layer that aids you by reducing the nicks and chips that occur over time. They also have "Self Healing" properties that enable the film to "reseal" itself after minor nicks happen. You can read about this until your eyes bleed, but based on what I read the most prevalent brands on the market these days are Xpel & Suntek (yes there are several others too-Im not self promoting here) Many choices can depend on the environment where you reside.

Regarding Ceramic Coatings - By now Im sure you've read enough to make your head spin! (If not, here are a couple good articles for you) Though this does not give you any true "physical protection" as a PPF would, it does contain many attributes us Lexus lovers wish to see. In fact, Ceramic Coatings are applied over PPF these days too (Speaking from experience) You will be blown away (no pun) at how fast water flies off the exterior = a cleaner car, so to speak. There are many more choices of this than there are in the PPF world, and as indicated within your Thread (and entire Detailing Section) they range from the DIY types, to extremely extravagant applications done by "Professionals" in the Car Care World! Though Im not one who does this for a living, Id like to think of myself as an "Amateur" Enthusiast who is capable of going further than the weekend warrior Wash, Wax, Buff. (Even received a very kind PM from a Forum Member here inquiring about how I maintain the level of cleanliness of my pristine RCF. to say the least, Im both proud and flattered to receive such a request) Like most of you, Ive tried more Brands and products than Id like to admit, spending thousands of dollars doing so. Once I find the product that works best for whatever Im doing- I generally stick with it until ready for something else. For instance: Prior to having my RCF covered w Suntek Ultra PPF, and Cquartz Finest Reserve Ceramic Coating - I was a huge fan of Pinnacle Products for all of my car care needs. I also found the Porter Cable 7424XP to be the most fool-proof means of minor paint correction and insanely productive polishing/buffing! Now that I have those two exterior applications that require a different type of approach to enhance their capabilities and lifespan - I moved to the GTechniq line of products for this. Therefore, one must adjust the way they care for their vehicle if adding either of these exterior applications. *In respect for all, I chose to only attach one photo. ALL of them can be found within my Build Threads.

On another note: I should note that when I first read about the "Waterless / Rinseless" Wash Techniques I thought it was absolutely insane! However, after much research (what I do w everything I purchase) I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Optimum ONR truly works. I even used this method on my wife's RX350 that came out brilliant! Its not something I do every time, but it really does serve as a great alternative when you don't wish to break out your pressure washer and all other gear. I mostly use a 2000psi PW, MTM Foam Cannon, GTechniq Soap, high quality microfiber towels (absolutely vital IMHO) and one of the best items I own for car care - the Metro Vac Master Blaster! - A pricey piece of gear, but well worth every penny when you find one on sale! Speaking of that- being Brand Loyalists to any particular product, we all have our Go-To source for purchasing this gear too! Though Ive made many purchases via Amazon Prime, I also use direct resources to obtain certain products at killer sale prices too. This Thread somewhat touches upon this topic of conversation. I know we all despise Email Spam, but once youre on the mailing list for these sites, you can often obtain discounts up to 50% -in this day, every single penny counts right? That brings me to another debatable point. When going w a Ceramic Coating - should one Do it Yourself, or have it applied by a "Professional?" This truly depends on ones financial situation and/or personal capabilities of the job. In my case, PPF is definitely not something you should attempt yourself unless highly skilled. With the vast array of Ceramic Coatings available to the public these days, one can certainly take this job on - after ensuring 100% that your finish has been seriously prepped before doing so! However, there are some Coatings that are not available to the general public, and can only be applied by a "Licensed" Detailer. The one I chose to have done over my PPF fell into that category. Twas a monumental investment for sure, but so is a new 80K Lexus too-correct?

My apologies for this novel of a reply to you Yonexyr - since this is all something I take a great deal of pride in, I often find myself hammering away at the keyboard. I know I went quite a bit off course on your inquiry, Sorry to all. In closing, the fortunate thing about Ceramic Coatings is that they are not something which is permanent to your vehicle. As with a good coat of wax and sealant, they can be removed with the proper products and a lot of elbow grease. On the other hand, PPF takes alot more to remove!! With proper care, I look fwd to several good years with the setup I had done (They all "guarantee" their products for so many years, but Id love to know if anyone has countered any manufacturer on their claims?) I intend on keeping my RCF for many, many years - therefore it made sense to me to have such extreme measures done to it. Not entirely sure if it was the PPF or CC, but the finish on my USB Paint looked so incredibly "deeper" and perhaps "darker" as well. You truly cant go wrong with a "quality" Ceramic Coating. The only challenge you face is which to choose from, and who applies it to your car. Whatever you decide, I wish you nothing but success my friend!

Semper Fidelis !

"Gunny"

AnthonyMJ

Excellent post, GunnyFritz. Thanks for thinking this through and presenting so well. I want to add a tip for those of us who can't afford to invest in the MasterBlaster (which is wonderful). This is a reasonable alternative. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B79BD6C/ The Amazon link is for convenience; you can probably pick it up at your local hardware store. At 600CFM, it is arguably more powerful, although it does not have the many hoses and convenient nozzle attachments that come with MasterBlaster. And you don't have all the fine control of those attachments. This tool is really more suitable to an overall exterior drying than to cleaning interior crevices and the like. I think professional detailing at least twice a year is the best way to take care of that anyway. The pros have all the right tools. (Disclaimer: I am not a detailer and cleaning the car is not my favorite job.)

GunnyFitz

Great point Anthony!!! Heck, even Leaf Blowers work good if used carefully!
Many thanks on the comment. Was afraid someone would say they fell asleep reading it, or puked in their mouth at some of my suggestions!

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

I think its worth the money to help protect the paint. This isn't to be confused with scratch resistance, or damage protection from a cart. big enough rocks can still scratch your paint even Xpel but that's obvious. I will say it helps the car against fallout and bird droppings. I have opti-coat on mine, and cquartz on interior.

4g63Rules

Thank you for the information Gunny! Excellent information there! I've read enough till I'm blue in the face! It's something that I'm sure will eventually make waxing obsolete.