[MR's 2SS]

A lot of good info above.
My dealer when I bought my F-250 was pushing Turlte Wax "ceramic something or other for a special deal of $695 with some additional interior stain resistant application.
I said no. I didnt trust them. And whith black leather interior I cant imagine what kind of spray they would put on the seats.
I have hand washed the truck for 2 years now. 2 buckets. Lots of soap and always rinsing the microfiber mitten before returning to the soap bucket. I have been using McGuires Waterless Car Wash and Wax from day one. It leaves the paint slippery and really beads up.
Then I had to drive through a milling job and little bits of tar were all over my paint like sandpaper. I hand washed the entire truck with WD-40 to get all the contaminants off the paint.
Then I used Turtle wax Hybrid ceramic spray on the whole truck. 2 coats. I used the paste of the same product if there were any imperfections. It came shiny and slippery. And I have hit it with the Mcguires a few times as well.
I use the truck every day. Out in the salt lately. I keep rinsing everything and even after being coated with salt for 3 days... when I rinse it off the water beads like it was brand new. I feel confident I am preserving my paint the best possible while still using the truck as a truck.
I did the Turtle wax job on my wifes Vert as soon as we got it. We drove it a while and before I put it under the cover a couple weeks ago i hit it with the waterless wash and wax. It seemed beautiful and shiny.
I do think the Ford truck paint is a bit better. But both will be cared for the same way.
The new owner applied products, are great. Nano technology. I think its filling the tiniest voids so dirt has no footing to hold on to. All great stuff.
I take fanatical care of things I like. But I use them too. Cant let fear of imperfections ruin the enjoyment of the vehicle.

[dpevans]

Originally Posted by willzilla

Go to a pro and have them PPF typical impact areas (bumper, hood, quarter panels, etc) and then ceramic coat.. Expensive but will save your car from typical rock chips but of course won't stop a brick lol.

Agree 100%, install PPF in all rock chip prone areas be sure they use at least 7 or 8 mil nothing less. I have had ceramic and last summer applied Graphene, I am liking the Ethos Graphene and I applied it myself.

[pauly1119]

I did PPF on the entire front from a 1/3 of the roof forward and some parts of the back and sides all other panels are ceramic coated and it works great.

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by Jsreo

Do it yourself with one of the commercially available product like Carpro Cquartz or something similar. No one will take the time or put in the effort like the car’s owner will

Ohh.. I disagree. :-) Anyone would take more time to do this then me. I can not stand doing things like this. I have no patience for auto detailing. I'd pay someone every time to do it.

[Jsreo]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Ohh.. I disagree. :-) Anyone would take more time to do this then me. I can not stand doing things like this. I have no patience for auto detailing. I'd pay someone every time to do it.

We are all a bit different (a good thing). I enjoyed doing a full decontamination and paint correction when I got my Camaro then applying the ceramic coating, car still looks great 3 years later and is much easier to keep clean.

I already have a quality d/a polisher and pads so just had to but a couple hundred dollars of product and invest about 12 hours of effort

[Kimberly1226]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

My dealership uses a pro detail shop for these jobs, so quality doesn't suffer, but I'd also advise that you cut out the middleman and negotiate it yourself with a detailer, who will give you options and be directly responsible for the job.

I absolutely love the ease of cleaning and the deep, luscious shine ceramic coating offers, but do note that it won't protect the car from scratches and water spotting, in fact these issues are even magnified, because the coating makes the removal of imperfections more difficult. The best protection you can get is full body PPF plus ceramic coating, but that will cost quite a bit.

What is PPF?

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by Kimberly1226

What is PPF?

Paint protection film (Xpel, 3M, Llumar etc.)

[Kimberly1226]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Paint protection film (Xpel, 3M, Llumar etc.)

And this PPF is done from a Detailer?

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by Kimberly1226

And this PPF is done from a Detailer?

Yes, most professional detail shops offer a variety of premium services, including ceramic coating and PPF/vinyl wrap application. If you choose this route, I suggest that you do a little research, perhaps visit a local shop or two to see how serious they are about quality, as both ceramic and PPF can be done wrong. You should be amazed and feel confident about spending your money with any shop you choose.

[Ademarco]

I got the work done by https://www.sdautosalon.com/ and they have done Lambo SVRs so the Camaro is a cake walk. They removed some parts of front bumper to tuck in the Xpel ppf. If you do go with a shop, then make sure to check out if they are authorized installers. XPEL, Kavaca, Suntek, Stek. When I was younger and went with cheap, I got exactly that, cheap install that didn’t look good. The professional installers make it look seamless. I suggest they tuck the film instead of just overlay where you’ll see the seams.

[ember1205]

The general rule of thumb for buying your car is to stop adding to the total once the deal moves into the finance office. Options installed at the factory and even many dealer-installed options will increase the overall value (and cost) of the car. Once you set foot in the finance office, however, EVERYTHING is about dealer profit only. Extended warranty, detailing, undercoating, gap insurance on the loan... all of it. It's insanely high margin add-on stuff that you can either get MUCH cheaper elsewhere, don't need, or can certainly get a much better quality item from someone else.

As it pertains to ceramic coating specifically, consider just buying a quality polish and keeping it up on your own. Ceramic coatings need to be re-done and maintained, so just make that part of your own home-wash and care routine using a quality product. Take the care somewhere to get a full paint correction done (if it's actually needed) and then start the routine when you get the car home.

[Chutzpah]

I’ve owned two Camaro’s, both low mileage. On both cars I found that the weak spots (very prone to chipping) are the hood and the curved area just before the rear tire wheel wells. If you have the $ to spare, at a minimum, those would be the areas I’d recommend installing PPF. If I had black paint, I may consider misc touch ups instead of the PPF (on hood only), just because it’s relatively easy to match and buff (as compared to a metal flake paint). It’s really your call though...as always it just comes down to $.

As far as the rest of the car, a good polish and wax is fine for me.

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by Kimberly1226

Just recently purchased a Black 2021 convertible SS2 and I am still debating whether or not to do the ceramic coating for the paint on this car. The dealer I bought the car from is offering Cilajet treatment and I want to know is it worth doing? Your input is appreciated, thank you!

DO NOT put a ceramic coating on black body paint. Water spots will drive you mad.

DO Put PPF on the car, as much as you can afford.

DO pay a professional to paint correct the car.

DO put ceramic on the wheels and grille.

DO put a durable hydrophobic coating on the entire car, PPF, wheels, grille, and all. You can easily DIY it for about $70.

[Staves]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Ohh.. I disagree. :-) Anyone would take more time to do this then me. I can not stand doing things like this. I have no patience for auto detailing. I'd pay someone every time to do it.

I’m the same way. I wash it myself using the self wash stalls. Takes me
15 minutes to spray it and dry it and costs me $5.50. And car looks awesome.
Wouldn’t pay a dime for the PFF or ceramic coating. That stuff is so expensive and total overkill to me.