Question: Ceramic finishes on a Corvette

[golfjpc]

Hey guys - I purchased C7 a 2014 Premier Edition Lime Rock Green last July. My car has 17k miles and is beautiful. The Corvette club I belong to here in Florida has a number of guys who have had their cars treated with ceramic. Their cars are gorgeous and show no swirl marks anywhere. I've been looking through the forum and haven't found any reviews or personal experience comments. I would appreciate any and all comments. Is this a good thing to do or not? Thanks much - Later, JPC

 

[LLC5]

Hey guys - I purchased C7 a 2014 Premier Edition Lime Rock Green last July. My car has 17k miles and is beautiful. The Corvette club I belong to here in Florida has a number of guys who have had their cars treated with ceramic. Their cars are gorgeous and show no swirl marks anywhere. I've been looking through the forum and haven't found any reviews or personal experience comments. I would appreciate any and all comments. Is this a good thing to do or not? Thanks much - Later, JPC

If you are talking about a ceramic surface coating system, yes it is great and better than any wax. I have the Pinnacle Black Label system, and it is a system, not just a ceramic coating. The "no swirls" do not come from the coating, but from the prep before hand and it is labor intensive to get it looking perfect. 1) careful wash, 2) clay bar or equivalent, 3) 2-3 different polish applications depending on the condition of the clear coat and this is where the magic happens not the final coating, 4) application of the synthetic ceramic coating or wax if you prefer, but it does not last nearly as long and after that much work already you will be glad you went with a synthetic coating. The quality of the final finish is in the clear coat prep and 2-3 different grades of polish applied properly. I did 1/2 my hood and trunk lid after all the prep with a very expensive (stupid price actually) name brand wax and the other half in synthetic ceramic to test the shine difference, and with black paint I would see a difference if there was one. All through the summer in lighting from dawn to dusk, bright natural outdoor light, high intensity fluorescent and LED lighting, I could tell absolutely no difference, and believe me I wanted to after paying that price for a wax product that only lasts 3-6 months. The quality synthetic ceramic systems will last 2-3 years is their claim, I am over 2 years now with just a detail spray to clear up the dust and minor dirt and it still looks excellent. I still apply the wax in spots occasionally as a test and can never tell the difference. In my opinion synthetic coatings are a very good thing.