Got my JL ceramic coated today

[Supercharged]

I'm an IGL authorized installer so needless to say I costed my JLU with IGL quartz plus. Ceramic coatings are great but not bulletproof as some companies have marketed them. $500 is a great price for a ceramic coating. Opti Coat is pretty good stuff for a consumer product. Jeep.looks great!

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[BrntWS6]

never need to worry about swirl marks again makes this worthwhile.!

All the reading i have done people say it does not prevent swirl marks. everyone i have talked to about it says you still have to take care when you wash the car. Wipe only in one direction and keep the cloth clean after a good wash. Also really helps to use a leaf blower to dry.

 

[Sorbs]

All the reading i have done people say it does not prevent swirl marks. everyone i have talked to about it says you still have to take care when you wash the car. Wipe only in one direction and keep the cloth clean after a good wash. Also really helps to use a leaf blower to dry.

I've had mine for 3+ years and run it through the car wash on a regular basis. No swirl marks compared to my other vehicles without the protection. Now, if you take sandpaper to it, that's another story. The leaf blower is helpful instead of using a towel to blow off the soap/water residue. It has little to do with protecting the coating.

 

[BrntWS6]

I've had mine for 3+ years and run it through the car wash on a regular basis. No swirl marks compared to my other vehicles without the protection. Now, if you take sandpaper to it, that's another story. The leaf blower is helpful instead of using a towel to blow off the soap/water residue. It has little to do with protecting the coating.

Leftover dirt or dust is 5,000 grit (or whatever) thats what causes the swirls. When you towel dry it can cause them if the car is not washed well, leaf blower is a good solution to stop potential swirls.

You said "no swirl marks compared to your other vehicles," is it less or none at all compared to the others? I can see the car wash not causing swirls if its touchless and you do not towel dry after. There was a big thread on this over on the LS1tech forum and while people loved the ceramic and it gave a great shine to the car, they said swirls would reappear. I was going to try it until i read that.

 

[5280]

Im waiting for time in the garage to apply the ceramic I picked up from Adam's Polishes. Good to hear good things

 

[Seven-gill]

We are having the protective film done on Thursday then the ceramic coating on Saturday! THEN I will drive it. Until the ...it’s sitting lovely in the garage!

 

[Supercharged]

We are having the protective film done on Thursday then the ceramic coating on Saturday! THEN I will drive it. Until the ...it’s sitting lovely in the garage!

Smart move

 

[bumpit]

Leftover dirt or dust is 5,000 grit (or whatever) thats what causes the swirls. When you towel dry it can cause them if the car is not washed well, leaf blower is a good solution to stop potential swirls.

You said "no swirl marks compared to your other vehicles," is it less or none at all compared to the others? I can see the car wash not causing swirls if its touchless and you do not towel dry after. There was a big thread on this over on the LS1tech forum and while people loved the ceramic and it gave a great shine to the car, they said swirls would reappear. I was going to try it until i read that.

If your swirls coming back I'd imagine they never left or they've just been put on since it was done. A coating wont give your car immunity to scratches and swirls. Coatings are great but there is a lot of marketing bs to watch out for like hardness scales and some of the longevity claims. I've used several of them and would highly recommend them but like anything else do your homework.

Opticoat is a great option that's pretty easy to use and looks great.

 

[BrntWS6]

Cleaning your car improperly will cause swirls no matter what coating is on it. I see guys at car shows spraying on detailer mist and wiping away like crazy, makes me cringe. I would think a better place to put your money would be a xpel film or something similar. Ceramic just seems like a complete waste to me.

 

[JimmyDoom]

I had mine ceramic coated about 2 weeks ago and it came out great. This coating only cost me $350 and came with a 1 year warranty. He had others that where more expensive and came with a 2 year warranty, but he said they will all need maintenance eventually and nothing is permanent....obviously. I'm very happy with the way it came out and will probably have him do it again in the spring

 

[IronScott]

Talked to a local guy who comes highly recommended and he said he would need my Jeep for 3-4 days. Is that normal? His shop is nearly an hour away and I'm not inclined to give someone my JL for that long unless it's totally worth it. I work from home, so this won't be driven a lot of daily miles but I do plan on getting off-road. Just not sure if ceramic is worth the time and cost.

 

[JimmyDoom]

Talked to a local guy who comes highly recommended and he said he would need my Jeep for 3-4 days. Is that normal? His shop is nearly an hour away and I'm not inclined to give someone my JL for that long unless it's totally worth it. I work from home, so this won't be driven a lot of daily miles but I do plan on getting off-road. Just not sure if ceramic is worth the time and cost.

I know there are different types of ceramic coatings you can have done and some may be more involved, but 3-4 days seems kinda crazy, I would never do that. I dropped mine off Friday night and he brought it inside a heated garage and washed it. Then on Saturday morning he went to work on it and had it done by noon time.

 

[IronScott]

I know there are different types of ceramic coatings you can have done and some may be more involved, but 3-4 days seems kinda crazy, I would never do that. I dropped mine off Friday night and he brought it inside a heated garage and washed it. Then on Saturday morning he went to work on it and had it done by noon time.

Thank you for your response. I feel like the time is a bit ridulous as well. I’m not even sure if the cost is worth it. This is not a show vehicle for me.

 

[Supercharged]

What brand is he using? Most recommended 24 before exposure to rain and up to a week to fully cure. If he is doing paint correction he may be taping edges and plastics as well.

When I do ceramic coatings ask for the car to be dropped off early morning so I can wash, clay, wash, paint correction, wash, blow the vehicle dry, panel wipe, then I can apply the base coat which will take 1-2 hours depending on the size of the vehicle. The base has to cure at least a few hours before the topcoat is applied. Then stay dry for 24 hours.

 

[IronScott]

What brand is he using? Most recommended 24 before exposure to rain and up to a week to fully cure. If he is doing paint correction he may be taping edges and plastics as well.

When I do ceramic coatings ask for the car to be dropped off early morning so I can wash, clay, wash, paint correction, wash, blow the vehicle dry, panel wipe, then I can apply the base coat which will take 1-2 hours depending on the size of the vehicle. The base has to cure at least a few hours before the topcoat is applied. Then stay dry for 24 hours.

Thanks for your detailed response. Looks like he uses FeynLab. Another installer I’m looking at uses GTECHNIQ and IGL. They are supposedly a more expensive installer but I’ve not gotten a price from either as they want me to bring in my Jeep and I’ve not had the time yet.

I’m still not positive I want it done. Seems to be a lot of good maintenance required and I’m not great at doing that. I’d rather be riding and driving than washing. Plus it seems you can’t use a touch car wash and I have access to free washes through a bay that has some sort of rubberized tentacles that touch the vehicle (not a traditional spinning brush).

Thinking a sealant and some PPF may be a better option for me.

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