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      05-20-2019, 01:07 PM   #23
Neo1130
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Originally Posted by weez View Post
The paint should feel smooth and slick to the touch. It is known to take time to cure.
I've had a few cars coated and they always came back sort of sticky. Yes it was very smooth but I can't say slick at all. At least not as slick as a good high quality clay/wax job.
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      05-22-2019, 12:45 AM   #24
finalfantasyfan
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Many people like ceramic coating but I still prefer traditional polishing/waxing technique to keep my car clean. In term of gloss and reflection, nothing can beat newly waxed paint surface. Sealant and ceramic coating look good but not as good as wax. Ceramic coating will definitely provide the longest protection among all three. In term of hardness, ceramic coating is also the best protection against scratches.
However, due to the hardness of ceramic coating, it is also where the problem is. It is almost impossible to use any abrasive polishing product to repair the paint surface unless you completely remove the coating. Scratches and swirl mark are still inevitable on ceramic coating no matter how hard it is. It is scratch-resistance but it is not scratch-proof. So once you have your car ceramic coated, you will not be able to "reset" the paint condition by polishing.
For me, I personally like to apply sealant once every 6 months and polish the paint with DA polisher once a year. It only takes me about 2-3hr to "reset" the paint condition. And modern polymer-based sealant can last 6-12 months depends on where you park your car and weather condition.
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      05-22-2019, 09:12 AM   #25
Neo1130
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Quote:
Originally Posted by finalfantasyfan View Post
Many people like ceramic coating but I still prefer traditional polishing/waxing technique to keep my car clean. In term of gloss and reflection, nothing can beat newly waxed paint surface. Sealant and ceramic coating look good but not as good as wax. Ceramic coating will definitely provide the longest protection among all three. In term of hardness, ceramic coating is also the best protection against scratches.
However, due to the hardness of ceramic coating, it is also where the problem is. It is almost impossible to use any abrasive polishing product to repair the paint surface unless you completely remove the coating. Scratches and swirl mark are still inevitable on ceramic coating no matter how hard it is. It is scratch-resistance but it is not scratch-proof. So once you have your car ceramic coated, you will not be able to "reset" the paint condition by polishing.
For me, I personally like to apply sealant once every 6 months and polish the paint with DA polisher once a year. It only takes me about 2-3hr to "reset" the paint condition. And modern polymer-based sealant can last 6-12 months depends on where you park your car and weather condition.
Agreed. I love how people use the "water beading test" to find out how good the ceramic coat is when in reality you can get just as good if not better beading with a nice coat of wax.

However, with ceramic coat if done properly can really bring out the color of the paint more than wax. My 2018 Hellcat was a pearl red. Had it waxed and it looked good. After the 4th coat of ceramic, the pearl was EXTREMELY noticeable and really added depth to the paint that waxing couldn't. It was amazing up close!
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