I have a brand new 1984 Toyota Tercel with factory paint. Last I washed and cleaned my car aka "detailing" I used carnauba wax. I'm debating to send it to a professional "car detailer" to have them wash it and apply wax. Nope no wax anymore everything is "ceramic" this and that. "packages" range from a few hundred to a thousand for a complete ceramic package. Everything has "ceramic" in it. I thought ceramics are clay fired? Now these ceramic products promise everything under the sun. "lasts years" "extreme beading" etc.
Seems that the car cleaning industry has all these fancy terms to describe simple tasks.
"decontamination" instead of washing and cleaning the vehicle. "extraction" for vacuuming. They wanted extra for carpet "extraction' because my beloved Tercel is over 30 years old but I keep it clean.
Are ceramic coatings really ceramic? I see they apply it by hand - no clay firings in an oven or heat applied. They just apply (or the shop stated "install") by hand with a cloth or sponge type applicator.
The most effective window tint films today are also ceramic or nano-ceramic. That means they actually have microscopic ceramic material evenly distributed across a layer of the film. Ceramic films can control light, heat and UV rays without dark dyes or metallic material (those mirrored tinted windows that used to be popular). This is how we can now tint the front windshield with films that block up to 99.9% of UV and still allows enough light to almost appear untinted. Avoiding metallic films is recommended as they can interfere with electronic communication devices and systems in the car.
Apply that to ceramic paint treatment, and the same technology provides similar benefits. Less UV and infrared sunlight reaching the paint helps it last longer, reduces heat, and creates a film that helps repel harmful substances like the acid in bird crap, spotting effects of rain drops, etc.
You can get a degree of ceramic protection on your vehicle without spending a bucket of cash. My SIL washed my car for me yesterday and used a ceramic spray after hand drying it. Not only does it look showroom shiny black, it also has a slick feel to the touch which demonstrates the protective film it leaves. The spray goes on paint and windows.
I'll have to wait to see how long that coat lasts, but regardless, the "spray and wipe" ceramic formula sure beats the whole "wax on - wax off" method!
I've looked at having the car professionally done. One place says they do a full inspection of the paint and "rehabilitate" any problem areas which I assume would be some compound rubbing to remove small scratches, etc. Then they coat it with something that lasts a year or longer. If you get the maintenance plan, you get 4 - 8 carwashes per month (depending on the place) to maintain the ceramic protection and keep it looking clean and shiny.
Since I no longer have a place to wash cars whenever I want, I'm going to need a regular pay-per-visit carwash that I can trust. I don't want to rely on my SIL having time whenever my car needs another bath.
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