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      08-12-2018, 05:06 PM   #1
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Best professional grade ceramic coating for UV protection

I’m looking to get my new car professionally coated. My car sits out in the Californian sun for 10-12 hours when I’m at work so I’m looking for something that'll last a while and provide protection from the UV rays.

Which professional ceramic coating product has the best UV protection and longevity?

Last edited by paupypaup; 08-12-2018 at 05:40 PM..
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      08-13-2018, 09:54 AM   #2
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My understanding is that the more the car sits outside (exposed to the elements and contaminants), the shorter the lifespan of those coatings is. I've seen Cquartz and others say that it's only like 2ish years if you are driving it year-round and leaving it outside. My shop told me that since I do not park outside and am not driving the car a lot, the coating could go 5+ years.

You might actually want to do Xpel or something like that instead. I would strongly suggest consulting a local detailer who deals with those products to see what they say.
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      08-13-2018, 10:11 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paupypaup View Post
I’m looking to get my new car professionally coated. My car sits out in the Californian sun for 10-12 hours when I’m at work so I’m looking for something that'll last a while and provide protection from the UV rays.

Which professional ceramic coating product has the best UV protection and longevity?
*Kamikaze Miyabi Coat* !

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      08-13-2018, 11:27 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium View Post
*Kamikaze Miyabi Coat* !
What makes that coating the best? The video is just an advertisement.
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      08-13-2018, 01:27 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dparm View Post
My understanding is that the more the car sits outside (exposed to the elements and contaminants), the shorter the lifespan of those coatings is. I've seen Cquartz and others say that it's only like 2ish years if you are driving it year-round and leaving it outside. My shop told me that since I do not park outside and am not driving the car a lot, the coating could go 5+ years.

You might actually want to do Xpel or something like that instead. I would strongly suggest consulting a local detailer who deals with those products to see what they say.
Awesome! Thanks for the insight!

I wasn’t aware that Xpel provided UV protection - I gotta do more research. Also, I want to protect my entire car so that option might be out of my price range.

My car is a daily driver and parked outside during the day so I’ll keep that in mind when I do my research.
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      08-13-2018, 01:38 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dparm View Post
What makes that coating the best? The video is just an advertisement.
Longevity: 36 + Months .Coats: 2 (daily use)
Shine: The ultimate wetlook
UV-Protection: 100%
Quality: The best on the market

All coatings on the market have an advertisement .
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      08-13-2018, 03:37 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium View Post
Longevity: 36 + Months .Coats: 2 (daily use)
Shine: The ultimate wetlook
UV-Protection: 100%
Quality: The best on the market

All coatings on the market have an advertisement .

Again, that doesn't really provide any objective information on how their coating is any more or less durable than the others.
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      08-13-2018, 03:38 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paupypaup View Post
Awesome! Thanks for the insight!

I wasn’t aware that Xpel provided UV protection - I gotta do more research. Also, I want to protect my entire car so that option might be out of my price range.

My car is a daily driver and parked outside during the day so I’ll keep that in mind when I do my research.

Xpel on the whole car is going to be like $4k+. Ceramic coatings are going to be less than half of that, even with a full correction beforehand.

I would definitely go on the Xpel, Cquartz, Modesta, etc. websites and look up some local installers. Go visit the shop and ask these kinds of things in-person so they can recommend the right combination for you.
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      08-13-2018, 03:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dparm View Post
Again, that doesn't really provide any objective information on how their coating is any more or less durable than the others.
Yep .Professional top detailers use crap on a $1,416,362 LaFerrari.
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      08-13-2018, 04:03 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dparm View Post
Xpel on the whole car is going to be like $4k+. Ceramic coatings are going to be less than half of that, even with a full correction beforehand.

I would definitely go on the Xpel, Cquartz, Modesta, etc. websites and look up some local installers. Go visit the shop and ask these kinds of things in-person so they can recommend the right combination for you.
For UV protection, coatings will probably work better. Clear bra's main goal is to protect from rock chips - something that a coating can not do. Clear bra also yellows over time due to sun exposure so your paint underneath is fine, but it doesn't look nice.

Ideally, the best protection would be clear bra on the front end and then coating the whole car.
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      08-13-2018, 06:28 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium View Post
Yep .Professional top detailers use crap on a $1,416,362 LaFerrari.
I never said it was crap. You are putting words in my mouth. I'm asking for information about why it's supposedly so much better than other brands. Just because Esoteric uses it on a nice car doesn't mean it's some magical high-end product. For all we know, they were paid to do it.

Is it higher in a certain compound that's proven to be more resilient to UV?
Does it create a stronger bond to the clearcoat? If so, how much stronger and how does it do this?
Is it "thicker" than the competitors?
Does it rate higher on the hardness scale?
etc.

We may not be able to get all of this information because it's their proprietary formula, but I would like something beyond an advertisement video. I legitimately am curious if these coatings are all basically the same, or if there is a measurable difference between them as far as hardness, gloss, durability, resistance to certain contaminants, etc. There is limited information about their Moh hardness, for example, but it does exist.
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      08-13-2018, 06:29 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z K View Post
For UV protection, coatings will probably work better. Clear bra's main goal is to protect from rock chips - something that a coating can not do. Clear bra also yellows over time due to sun exposure so your paint underneath is fine, but it doesn't look nice.

Ideally, the best protection would be clear bra on the front end and then coating the whole car.

Fair point, though Xpel does warranty against that sort of thing for 10 years.
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      08-13-2018, 06:43 PM   #13
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Fair point, though Xpel does warranty against that sort of thing for 10 years.
If you look at these warranties, it is not really worth much.

They warranty the material but in clear bra installs, the majority of the cost is in the labor. The material is not expensive. So if you do ever claim a warranty, you still end up paying nearly full price to re-install it.

There doesn't exist a clear bra material that does not age and yellow. They've gotten better though. Early clear bras from 15-20 years ago used to yellow after a year of being outdoors. Today, it is more like 4-5 years.

Also, Xpel is not a very easy material for installers to work with. It has very little stretch and it has a hard time folding around edges. That's why custom cut Xpel jobs usually look pretty bad with orange peel and stretch marks in the clear bra. Most other top clear bra materials will look no different than bare paint once installed.
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Last edited by Z K; 08-13-2018 at 06:49 PM..
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      08-13-2018, 07:23 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z K View Post
Also, Xpel is not a very easy material for installers to work with. It has very little stretch and it has a hard time folding around edges. That's why custom cut Xpel jobs usually look pretty bad with orange peel and stretch marks in the clear bra. Most other top clear bra materials will look no different than bare paint once installed.

I dunno, I'm pretty happy with my Xpel Ultimate install. Can't even tell it's there. Maybe my installer is just that good?
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      08-14-2018, 11:33 AM   #15
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I recently spoke with a pro-detailer who does a lot of exotics. He preferred to use GTechniq ceramic coating. It was a bit pricey but he said it comes with a 5 year warranty.

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I have CQuartz on my car now and it recently got scratched. It's been a bit of a headache to get taken care of because it's more difficult to work with a CC but not the end of the world.

For the low end budget, most sealants will offer UV protection if you keep up with them routinely.
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      08-14-2018, 02:33 PM   #16
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I recently spoke with a pro-detailer who does a lot of exotics. He preferred to use GTechniq ceramic coating. It was a bit pricey but he said it comes with a 5 year warranty.

GTechniq is becoming popular. My shop, Chicago Auto Pros, recently started offering their "Ultra" line which has 10H hardness (!) and a 9 year warranty. Impressive, but I am always skeptical of these warranties -- lots of strings attached.
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      08-14-2018, 02:40 PM   #17
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I dunno, I'm pretty happy with my Xpel Ultimate install. Can't even tell it's there. Maybe my installer is just that good?
It may be - 90% of the outcome is installer skill.

My current installer usually takes off the bumper, lights, pull up the trim and emblems so they can work the clear bra under it and wrap the edges. They have said that Xpel is not easy to work with.

They usually use Avery or Suntek - the material also has a 10 year warranty. The installer says the warranty is a joke - nothing on the market will last that long if parked outside 24/7.

My previous install was with Prestige Films. It is a very good material that is made and imported from Japan.
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      08-14-2018, 02:55 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z K View Post
It may be - 90% of the outcome is installer skill.

My current installer usually takes off the bumper, lights, pull up the trim and emblems so they can work the clear bra under it and wrap the edges. They have said that Xpel is not easy to work with.

They usually use Avery or Suntek - the material also has a 10 year warranty. The installer says the warranty is a joke - nothing on the market will last that long if parked outside 24/7.

My previous install was with Prestige Films. It is a very good material that is made and imported from Japan.

Yeah, it definitely comes down to the skill of the installer and their experience with that particular car. My shop wrapped all of the edges, took off emblems, etc. Like I said, my installation was a good one but I know there's a lot of people who claim to be experienced...and aren't. I've seen tons of shitty clear bra jobs.
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      08-14-2018, 03:02 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dparm View Post
Yeah, it definitely comes down to the skill of the installer and their experience with that particular car. My shop wrapped all of the edges, took off emblems, etc. Like I said, my installation was a good one but I know there's a lot of people who claim to be experienced...and aren't. I've seen tons of shitty clear bra jobs.
Definitely true.

I've been getting clear bras on my cars since 20 years ago when the products first started appearing. I've used many installers and it's usually a mixed bag. The top installers in my area have a 2-3 month backlog of cars and charge an arm and leg. Because of that sometimes I've had to use less expensive installers and/or ones with earlier openings. It's always a trade off.
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