F
7

Ran into an old detailer at the gas station and he dropped some truth on me

He said all those expensive ceramic coatings aren't worth it if you don't fix the paint first. Told me about a customer who spent $1200 on a coating over swirl marks and came back furious 2 months later. Anyone else have their paint guy push back on the coating hype?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
park.miles
park.miles1mo ago
12 year detailer here. Clear coat matters first, coating just locks in what's underneath.
2
shanef34
shanef341mo ago
Spent $1200 on a ceramic coat for my 10 year old Civic last year. Now I've got swirl marks with a shiny, expensive gloss over them.
1
ray_williams
ray_williams1mo agoOG Member
I read a post from a pro detailer who said ceramic coatings on older cars with clear coat damage just make the flaws pop more. The coating adds depth, so any scratches underneath get magnified instead of hidden. Might be worth looking into a light polish before layering more protection on top.
1