Ceramic coatings or clear bra

dalouie2

Anyone prefer one or the other im using zaino polish system and happy with the results. But what are others using ? THX D

Presto

Clear bra to protect against small stone chips. Ceramic coatings to make car slightly easier to wash as the dirt slides off easier.

jshare1

ceramic coatings will help make the surface easier to clean and less likely for contaminants to imbed. if you have the money to spend and want the protection from rock chip, clear bra all the way.

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POS VETT

Your paint is "defenseless" without a clear bra regardless of coating. I'm lucky enough to have a friend who installs custom-cut clear bra and does paint correction (with ceramic/glass coating). He does both in a single visit.

dalouie2

I'm going to clear bra the hood myself , we did layup work for years in aircraft factory so should be non issue install if all goes well fenders and mirrors front air dam will be the challenge

SgtGoldy

hood will definitely be the easiest. but for the front bumper I highly suggest letting a professional take care of it. It's not even that expensive, so theres no reason to do it yourself.

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kenchan

the bumper isnt too bad especially if u're using a non-precut roll.

the precuts require some pull which can end up with stretch marks if ure not careful.

dalouie2

ok who has a tip on the best price? service on bulk film or solid sheets per foot? thx d

markesc

Couldn't agree more!!! My next car I'll just have the entire car done. I like the whole self healing aspect of the clear bra, it just works. Had my entire front hood/front bumper done, worth every penny!!!

pinky

how much did it cost you ?
- ceramic paint protection
- clear bra

how do either deal with car wash ?

RyanWest

I would suggest checking out this link

Stay Fresh Car Care / Premium Car Care Supplies

DrNumbers

I paid about 800 for a ceramic coating which included paint correction.
The ceramic coating that was put on my car was Nanoskin. If I had to do it again, I would probably go with a traditional sealant. While the surface is easier to clean, and it is hydrophobic, it has some issues with water etching. Apparently other brands also have the same issue. Something I think that is worth looking more into.

RyanWest

You may want to look into filtering your water. It is not the coatings fault water etches into the surface. :P

DrNumbers

You're right in that I do need a better filter for my water. However, I've had an easier time in the past getting rid of any water spots without the ceramic coating on the car. I remove water spots ASAP, and carpro's water spot remover has worked in the past when a QD didn't do the trick. I had a couple water spots that etched into my coating in less than 15 minutes from a rogue sprinkler.

With the ceramic coating, I haven't been able to find a solution without compounding the area and removing the coating along with it. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I've been very annoyed by it. I've also noticed that many other people have had similar issues with ceramic coatings. All in all, while I noticed the surface of my car is a bit more slick with the ceramic coating, I don't think it's worth the extra money over a regular sealant. That's just my though.

RyanWest

I hear ya. Lets not forget we are protecting the clear coat though. Id rather have water spots on the Ceramic Coating than the clear coat. Water quality plays a huge roll in calcium deposits forming on the car. Keep in mind though waxes and sealants are no were near that type of protection a Ceramic Coating is.