What is Paint Correction and Ceramic Coating?

[FerdFteen]

Wow, very informative! So what would I be budgeting for a new truck? And you're in Austin, what shop? We might be moving there in the next year and I am looking for Raptors in Texas.

It depends what you want done. It's kind of an oddball request to ask for a thorough paint correction but not have the actual end-result jobs done if that makes sense.

For PPF, you'll get the most bang for your buck doing a full front end + rocker panels + B pillars (those swirl if you look at them and it drives me crazy). I did a 5 year Feynlab ceramic coating to all painted surfaces, wheels, shocks, after the PPF was installed. All in you're looking about $3500 for that job, call it $600 for stage two prep, $2000 for PPF, $900 for ceramic coating.

The shop I use is Authentic Details in Pflugerville, you can ask for the owner Brad.

Let me know if you move this way, I know there's a few posters from Austin on the forums but I haven't had the chance to meet anyone local yet.

 

[goblues38]

to me...."Paint Correction" is just a bad ass detail job you do before the ceramic coating. You want every thing as clean and shiney as possible before you lock it in with ceramic.

"Paint Correction" is a term that bundles many steps (wash, clay, polish, wax) into one package so it is easier for someone who does this work to charge the prcies they charge for it.

is it worth it???? To do it right, yes. lots of man hours to correctly detail a car. You can debate $10 wax vs $100 wax. But in the end it is man hours. it takes great skill to not get wax on plastic trim, and not burn the paint when buffing it out.

For me.....I enjoy washing and waxing my car. 2-3 times a year I devote 6+ hours to cleaning it up. I am happy with the outcome and would rather due that then pay someone else to do it for me one time so i never do it again.

 

[911 Crazy]

It depends what you want done. It's kind of an oddball request to ask for a thorough paint correction but not have the actual end-result jobs done if that makes sense.

For PPF, you'll get the most bang for your buck doing a full front end + rocker panels + B pillars (those swirl if you look at them and it drives me crazy). I did a 5 year Feynlab ceramic coating to all painted surfaces, wheels, shocks, after the PPF was installed. All in you're looking about $3500 for that job, call it $600 for stage two prep, $2000 for PPF, $900 for ceramic coating.

The shop I use is Authentic Details in Pflugerville, you can ask for the owner Brad.

Let me know if you move this way, I know there's a few posters from Austin on the forums but I haven't had the chance to meet anyone local yet.

Thanks for the info. Looking at Cedar Park and Leander. Seem to be pretty handy to the train line that runs downtown and close to In-n-Out Burger!

 

[911 Crazy]

to me...."Paint Correction" is just a bad ass detail job you do before the ceramic coating. You want every thing as clean and shiney as possible before you lock it in with ceramic.

"Paint Correction" is a term that bundles many steps (wash, clay, polish, wax) into one package so it is easier for someone who does this work to charge the prcies they charge for it.

is it worth it???? To do it right, yes. lots of man hours to correctly detail a car. You can debate $10 wax vs $100 wax. But in the end it is man hours. it takes great skill to not get wax on plastic trim, and not burn the paint when buffing it out.

For me.....I enjoy washing and waxing my car. 2-3 times a year I devote 6+ hours to cleaning it up. I am happy with the outcome and would rather due that then pay someone else to do it for me one time so i never do it again.

Sounds good. Here in Maine, we have a lot dirt/gravel roads. I drive on many of these for Real Estate listings and showings. There are times I work 30-40 days in a row. So my thinking is to start with as perfect a base as possible and then it will be easier to clean when I have the time.

 

[FerdFteen]

@911 Crazy this is Texas man, forget that In n Out and get you some Whataburger. Even though it was bought by some Chicago firm, I think JJ Watt started a gofundme for Texans to buy it back lol.

Both CP and Leander aren't bad if you can get close to the light rail but it's certainly not convenient transit like in Chicago, NYC, etc.

@goblues38 I'd be surprised to find many pro shops these days that use anything other than dual orbital polishers. The technology has improved greatly and there is basically no chance of burning through the clear coat. Will agree that taping off trim pieces is not as glamorous as it might sound at first!

 

[911 Crazy]

@911 Crazy this is Texas man, forget that In n Out and get you some Whataburger. Even though it was bought by some Chicago firm, I think JJ Watt started a gofundme for Texans to buy it back lol.

Both CP and Leander aren't bad if you can get close to the light rail but it's certainly not convenient transit like in Chicago, NYC, etc.

@goblues38 I'd be surprised to find many pro shops these days that use anything other than dual orbital polishers. The technology has improved greatly and there is basically no chance of burning through the clear coat. Will agree that taping off trim pieces is not as glamorous as it might sound at first!

WhataWTFburger???? Now son, it was by a total gift from God the he sprinkled the epitome of a burger upon the great plains of Texas. So sorry to hear of your plight though. I have no choice but to put you on "Ignore". Ciao

 

[Pure745]

I did a 2 step paint correction and ceramic coating on my Raptor once I got it.

If you want a really in depth visual into what this process is like - go check out ObsessedGarage.com or go find his youtube - he has a Raptor Series where he walks you through his process which is almost exactly what I did, just slight difference in products used.

I have done this process (myself) on all of my cars since I discovered how much I love the results and also the process, it's pretty fun for me and I like spending time outside doing this.

On my Porsche it was a must do - on the Raptor it's a bit overkill but you hit the nail on the head, the ceramic coating not only looks really good, but it sheds dirt and debris much faster so you don't have to wash your truck as much and dirt/mud won't stick to it as much.

I recently took my truck in the mud after a rain, when I got home ALL of the mud was on my side steps as the painted/coated surface shed the dirt and mud off the truck completely. All I had to do was pressure wash the steps and it looked like I wasn't even in the dirt that much.

You can do all of this yourself if you have experience with a polisher - you just need the right tools, and applying the coating is now very easy (I'd recommend Crystal Serum Light with EXOv4).

1. Decon - strips any previous wax etc - good strip wash, clay, iron remover
2. Paint correction - removes surface scratches, gets the paint ready before being "locked in" by coating - usually use Meguiars MF cutting pad with Griots Fast Correcting Cream followed by Rupes Yellow pad with Sonax Perfect finish
3. Coating - look up application process/curing - the results are amazing, water/dirt etc will not stick to your truck as much and if it does is much easier to wash off

If your truck is strictly off road and has PPF film, might not be necessary, if you want it to look good around town and also take it off road and want it to clean up easier and nicer - I'd recommend it.

 

[Troutrad]

My $219 good quality Ceramic experience:

Thought I’d toss my experience in. I didn’t want to pay 4 figures, had some time (and really not too much time!) had only 2k miles on my 2019 so didn’t think it really needed any pain correction (and geez...it’s a truck...), but I wanted it to shed water, dirt and the like and give a little extra protection for scrapes. I live 10 miles off pavement in NW Montana so the weather, dirt, snow, and slush takes their toll. I kept mine pretty simple and pretty cheap though didn’t skimp on product.

First, I washed the beast with Dawn soap bath. Will probably get some discussion on this but I wanted thorough degrease (not that visually I could see any buildup).

2nd, I did a modified clay-bar. Used the Griots Garage Fine Surface Prep MIT ($50) in combination with their Speed Shine Spray ($14). This was easier than the clay bar though you need to be careful to run the mitt parallel to ridges and NOT too firmly over the truck body ridges in a perpendicular fashion. Learned this the hard way and left some swirls. Otherwise, hardly took any time at all.

3rd, instead of dilute alcohol which some swear by (and is obviously pretty cheap), I used CarPro Eraser ($20) which does contain dilute alcohol but with a tried and true amount. For 20 bucks, well worth it and doesn’t take much. Probably could do 6 Raptors with this. Again, super fast easy step.

Finally, I decided on the Avalon King Armor Shield IX do it yourself kit. The more kits you buy the cheaper it is per kit. I found a coupon from a website or YouTube video (sorry can’t remember it) but ended up with 4 kits for about $140. I used 2 1/2 bottles so going with 3 kits is a safe bet. Directly from their website, 3 kits cost $140 but the site will often ask for you to take a short survey for $25 coupon. With little effort, should be able to get 3 kits for $115.

I did 2 full coats of every painted surface with the Avalon King product. It was easy to apply and buff out. Need some good quality Microfiber towels. I really like the PFM Detailing Towels from Griots garage I got (10 pack for $40) but I’m sure there are other good one’s out there. I did 3 coats on hood and front end and on my side mirror housing. This used up 2 1/2 bottles. I even wiped some in all the honeycomb of the front end but this was probably overkill. As it is below freezing up here currently, I chose to let it cure in the garage at 55 degrees for a week (since I’m lucky enough to have an extra truck to drive). Contacted the Avalon King folks and he said that should be fine but if I get a sunny day, just pull it out and that should do it.

I’ve cleaned my Fox Shocks and plan on coating them up with this stuff since I have 1/2 bottle left over in addition to an entire extra kit.

So, about $244 including the Microfiber towels (though I have the extra 4th kit...you should be able to do all this with 3 kits for $219). Very happy with initial results. Looks better than showroom new but must admit I haven’t given it a 2 year test. This seems to be one of the more highly rated products you can apply yourself and at this point, I’d highly recommend exactly what I did as it was pretty easy.

All the product I used is below. I have no interest in any of these companies.


https://www.griotsgarage.com/produc...MI8MfLxNXl5wIVyh6tBh12TA8GEAQYASABEgKQFfD_BwE

https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/speed+shine.do?sortby=ourPicks

https://www.carpro-us.com/deep-clea...MI2I3g1tbl5wIVDMNkCh0ldw5hEAQYASABEgIr4vD_BwE

https://avalonking.com/shop/armor-shield-ix-diy-kit/

 

[911 Crazy]

My $219 good quality Ceramic experience:

Thought I’d toss my experience in. I didn’t want to pay 4 figures, had some time (and really not too much time!) had only 2k miles on my 2019 so didn’t think it really needed any pain correction (and geez...it’s a truck...), but I wanted it to shed water, dirt and the like and give a little extra protection for scrapes. I live 10 miles off pavement in NW Montana so the weather, dirt, snow, and slush takes their toll. I kept mine pretty simple and pretty cheap though didn’t skimp on product.

First, I washed the beast with Dawn soap bath. Will probably get some discussion on this but I wanted thorough degrease (not that visually I could see any buildup).

2nd, I did a modified clay-bar. Used the Griots Garage Fine Surface Prep MIT ($50) in combination with their Speed Shine Spray ($14). This was easier than the clay bar though you need to be careful to run the mitt parallel to ridges and NOT too firmly over the truck body ridges in a perpendicular fashion. Learned this the hard way and left some swirls. Otherwise, hardly took any time at all.

3rd, instead of dilute alcohol which some swear by (and is obviously pretty cheap), I used CarPro Eraser ($20) which does contain dilute alcohol but with a tried and true amount. For 20 bucks, well worth it and doesn’t take much. Probably could do 6 Raptors with this. Again, super fast easy step.

Finally, I decided on the Avalon King Armor Shield IX do it yourself kit. The more kits you buy the cheaper it is per kit. I found a coupon from a website or YouTube video (sorry can’t remember it) but ended up with 4 kits for about $140. I used 2 1/2 bottles so going with 3 kits is a safe bet. Directly from their website, 3 kits cost $140 but the site will often ask for you to take a short survey for $25 coupon. With little effort, should be able to get 3 kits for $115.

I did 2 full coats of every painted surface with the Avalon King product. It was easy to apply and buff out. Need some good quality Microfiber towels. I really like the PFM Detailing Towels from Griots garage I got (10 pack for $40) but I’m sure there are other good one’s out there. I did 3 coats on hood and front end and on my side mirror housing. This used up 2 1/2 bottles. I even wiped some in all the honeycomb of the front end but this was probably overkill. As it is below freezing up here currently, I chose to let it cure in the garage at 55 degrees for a week (since I’m lucky enough to have an extra truck to drive). Contacted the Avalon King folks and he said that should be fine but if I get a sunny day, just pull it out and that should do it.

I’ve cleaned my Fox Shocks and plan on coating them up with this stuff since I have 1/2 bottle left over in addition to an entire extra kit.

So, about $244 including the Microfiber towels (though I have the extra 4th kit...you should be able to do all this with 3 kits for $219). Very happy with initial results. Looks better than showroom new but must admit I haven’t given it a 2 year test. This seems to be one of the more highly rated products you can apply yourself and at this point, I’d highly recommend exactly what I did as it was pretty easy.

All the product I used is below. I have no interest in any of these companies.


https://www.griotsgarage.com/produc...MI8MfLxNXl5wIVyh6tBh12TA8GEAQYASABEgKQFfD_BwE

https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/speed+shine.do?sortby=ourPicks

https://www.carpro-us.com/deep-clea...MI2I3g1tbl5wIVDMNkCh0ldw5hEAQYASABEgIr4vD_BwE

https://avalonking.com/shop/armor-shield-ix-diy-kit/

Great posts everyone! Schooled, I am getting.

 

[rbraptor]

Let me know if you move this way, I know there's a few posters from Austin on the forums but I haven't had the chance to meet anyone local yet.

I’m looking in Cedar Park area as well and would be down for a meetup. Still need to buy my Raptor too. 911 and I seem to be in the same boat.