[Mr Anderson]

I have pre booked a kia seltos xline. I have done a lot of online research on how to maintain it.

Ppf seems to be very expensive. There are few ceramic coating option outside India for matte finish but I came across one that is available at carzspa outlets in India that go by the name, Trinity matt crystal shield.

Normally kia advices against ceramic coatings for xline variants but I'll go have a talk to carzspa outlet and then talk about it's safety.

Are there any other options for a ceramic coating for matte finish available in India?

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by Mr Anderson

I have pre booked a kia seltos xline. I have done a lot of online research on how to maintain it.


Are there any other options for a ceramic coating for matte finish available in India?

Most coatings safe on glossy paint, are perfectly safe for matte surfaces. SystemX and Carpro I’ve personally tested and applied the former to dozens of matte Harleys and cars without issue.

It will add a 5-8% increase in depth and saturation but it’s not visible to the untrained eye. There is no change in gloss before and after coating. Still, if you want to check, apply on a small inconspicuous area before doing the entire body.

Matte paints, unlike glossy paints, cannot be machine polished or corrected in any way so ensure the detailer doesn’t use a polisher on it and you’ll be fine. They will still follow the wash and chemical decon steps just like with glossy paint to prepare prior to coating.

Also take extra care to not swirl or scratch the paint as it cannot be corrected, any abrasive application will make the area glossy.

[Mr Anderson]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Most coatings safe on glossy paint, are perfectly safe for matte surfaces. SystemX and Carpro I’ve personally tested and applied the former to dozens of matte Harleys and cars without issue.

It will add a 5-8% increase in depth and saturation but it’s not visible to the untrained eye. There is no change in gloss before and after coating. Still, if you want to check, apply on a small inconspicuous area before doing the entire body.

Matte paints, unlike glossy paints, cannot be machine polished or corrected in any way so ensure the detailer doesn’t use a polisher on it and you’ll be fine. They will still follow the wash and chemical decon steps just like with glossy paint to prepare prior to coating.

Also take extra care to not swirl or scratch the paint as it cannot be corrected, any abrasive application will make the area glossy.

Thank you very much. This is exactly what the carzspa guy told me. They won't be doing any process like compounding and polishing as it would make the surface glossy. They would simply deep clean the car and apply the ceramic coat for matte surface which will last for 3 years according to them. But they did warn me to go for matte finish only if you can take care extra care because scratches cannot be removed and the only way to do that is to entirely repaint it. Having second thoughts now whether to buy a matte finish car or not.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by Mr Anderson

But they did warn me to go for matte finish only if you can take care extra care because scratches cannot be removed and the only way to do that is to entirely repaint it. Having second thoughts now whether to buy a matte finish car or not.

Yes, you need to take a lot of care with glossy finishes as well, but at least they can be corrected not just for scratches but also with regards to staining, bird poo etching for eg. is permanent on a matte finish if chemical cleaners fail to remove. There is no further remedy of polishing.

Same for tree sap and hard water spots, if the mineral deposit removers cannot clean the stain, you’re stuck with it until you repaint (which most dealer body shops are horrible at quality wise).

Cement and glue stains, same story. I’d say best avoided.

[Mr Anderson]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Yes, you need to take a lot of care with glossy finishes as well, but at least they can be corrected not just for scratches but also with regards to staining, bird poo etching for eg. is permanent on a matte finish if chemical cleaners fail to remove. There is no further remedy of polishing.

Same for tree sap and hard water spots, if the mineral deposit removers cannot clean the stain, you’re stuck with it until you repaint (which most dealer body shops are horrible at quality wise).

Cement and glue stains, same story. I’d say best avoided.

I also contacted ceramic pro in my city for the same Kia seltos xline matte finish that I pre booked and they quoted 56000 for ceramic coating with 3 year warranty They clearly said the ceramic coat will protect the car from a lot of wear and tear and showed a few videos how superficial scratches could be simply wiped off but in case a deep scratch comes up the only thing that can be done is repaint as they cannot do puffing in a matte finish.after the repaint they can do the ceramic coat again for a nominal cost.

I contacted my sa after this and he told me to bring the car to him in case a deep scratch appears and he will utilise the car insurance to repaint the entire panel.

The question is whether a ceramic pro's ceramic coating can be relied upon given that they are charging a fortune for it as opposed to carzspa who qouted 27000/-.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by Mr Anderson

I also contacted ceramic pro in my city for the same Kia seltos xline matte finish that I pre booked and they quoted 56000 for ceramic coating with 3 year warranty They clearly said the ceramic coat will protect the car from a lot of wear and tear and showed a few videos how superficial scratches could be simply wiped off but in case a deep scratch comes up the only thing that can be done is repaint as they cannot do puffing in a matte finish.after the repaint they can do the ceramic coat again for a nominal cost.

The question is whether a ceramic pro's ceramic coating can be relied upon given that they are charging a fortune for it as opposed to carzspa who qouted 27000/-.

Repaint almost always comes out looking terrible when done by the dealership (all brands including Kia). Matte finishes in particular are even harder to get right, so this should be a last resort.

It’s sad really to see a known brand push nonsense like ceramic coatings can prevent minor scratches, if it wipes off it’s not an abrasion/scratch to begin with.

It’s true a ceramic coating can absorb any damage upto its own thickness, but given ceramic pro uses older tech that needs multiple layers to achieve just a few microns of thickness, this is limited to very fine swirling. Also, even these fine swirls will still be visible, they’ll just be over the coating and not on the paint.

It reminds me of the old days when Ceramic Pro went around setting car hoods on fire claiming their coatings were resistant to fire and very high temperatures (a marketing stunt, as the coating is resistant but the paint underneath is not and will still get damaged.)

Also, you’re getting ripped off at 56k for just a 3 year coating. They should be doing a 7 year+ flagship variant for that much. Pay 30-35k max for glossy paint. Since there is no machine polishing on matte cars, you should ideally be paying much less, the only correction done will be on lights and any glossy black plastic on the outside.

[Mr Anderson]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Repaint almost always comes out looking terrible when done by the dealership (all brands including Kia). Matte finishes in particular are even harder to get right, so this should be a last resort.

It’s sad really to see a known brand push nonsense like ceramic coatings can prevent minor scratches, if it wipes off it’s not an abrasion/scratch to begin with.

It’s true a ceramic coating can absorb any damage upto its own thickness, but given ceramic pro uses older tech that needs multiple layers to achieve just a few microns of thickness, this is limited to very fine swirling. Also, even these fine swirls will still be visible, they’ll just be over the coating and not on the paint.

It reminds me of the old days when Ceramic Pro went around setting car hoods on fire claiming their coatings were resistant to fire and very high temperatures (a marketing stunt, as the coating is resistant but the paint underneath is not and will still get damaged.)

Also, you’re getting ripped off at 56k for just a 3 year coating. They should be doing a 7 year+ flagship variant for that much. Pay 30-35k max for glossy paint. Since there is no machine polishing on matte cars, you should ideally be paying much less, the only correction done will be on lights and any glossy black plastic on the outside.

Can't thank you enough. You are a life saver.

The ceramic pro guy was like just buy the matte finish and leave the rest to us. It will cause you no problem.

The carzspa guy was much more informative. The first thing he said was if you actually really want it only then go for it, we would strongly suggest you to not buy a matte finish if it's possible.

Also he clearly stated a few things apart from the cost was that they won't be able to apply ppf ever after ceramic coating cause we need to do compounding to remove the coat and then apply ppf and that would make the car glossy. And Whoever tells you that ceramic coating can prevent scratches is straight up lying.

And again asked me not buy a matte finish if I am not ready for the hassle that comes with it. And also pointed out exactly the same thing you said that ceramic pro uses an older tech that needs layers of the coats where as carzspa uses a single layer of the coat, I though he was just trying to to make me believe his coating is better but now I think he was telling the truth.

The issue is I am in love with kia seltos xline and the way it looks. I don't want the hassel but I don't want to give it up. It's the same feeling when you know you know you have fallen in love with the wrong person but still want to be with that person inspite of the trouble they cause.

I have with a heavy heart told the dealership to inform me if GT line is available and I'll switch to GT line with glossy paint and almost the same features. I still am in love with the looks of xline though.

[Sausum]

I will be getting delivery of Hector on Sunday. I am looking for ceramic coating options. Please help me with the following queries regarding the same:

1) Any recommended shops in gurgaon for ceramic coating.

2) Does it make sense to get white (dual tone) car ceramic coated as I have read that ceramic coating is only for aesthetic purposes and it suits dark colours the most.

3) What will be approximate cost in gurgaon for hector ceramic coating?

4) Is it more difficult to maintained a coated vehicle as you can not use daily cleaners or go to general washing centres as that will have a negative impact on the coating?

5) Are there monthly package also available from detailers to get your vehicle washed with care?

Any other pointers on the same will be really helpful.

[MyLife_MyCar]

Got the ceramic coating done about 3 weeks ago from 5C Car Care Gurgaon, owned by our own TBHPian AJ56. He is really passionate about what he does and has immense knowledge on everything related to car detailing and its maintenance. He even personally inspects each and every car before that it leaves his shop to ensure that customer gets more than what he/she pays for.

Backstory

As everyone keeps talking about 3M, it was the first brand in my mind when I thought of ceramic coating. A quick Google search showed a 3M Car Care near my home and I called up the guy. He quoted amount X1 (dont remember exact amount) with a maintenance application every 4-6 months for 2 years.

Called up another 3M Car Care (at NFC) and he quoted amount X2 (which was significantly higher than X1) with 2 maintenance application every 6 months. Confused at how two 3M stores differ so much in the price and maintenance schedule, I looked up for information on the 3M website and came to know that NFC is the only authorized 3M branch in New Delhi!

Anyway, still not convinced with both, I came to the Google of the car world (of course, TBHP) and started looking at the threads on ceramic coating. That's when I came across 5C Car Care (Professional Car Detailing - 5C Car Care, Gurgaon) and though of giving it a try.

Setting up an appointment

Called up Anish Jain aka AJ56 to fix an appointment. He briefed me about the process and said that I need to leave the car for 3 days with him. One distinguishing point here was that there won't be a need for a maintenance pack every few months, as was the case with 3M. They use the SystemX Ceramic Coating.

Since I had to take a business travel for a week, I planned to leave my car 4 days before I travel so that I could collect it on time. Also, Anish mentioned that there is a 6-day curing period for the coating where it should not be exposed to heavy rain/water. It also worked well for me as the car would be sitting in the parking for the week that I was away.

Attaching few before and after pics. You can easily see the swirl marks left by the cleaning guy at the dealer. I think my car had to be cleaned 2-3 times before delivery as it was raining for a few days in Delhi back then, and they had to wipe the car once before PDI and once before the delivery.

Bonnet


Door Handle


Tail Lamps


Overall, it was a fantastic work done by Anish. He is very knowledgeable and has an eye for detail. Even a speck of dust can't escape from him. He ensures that his team is taking proper measures for handling the car. There are couple of water tanks to store RO water and numerous washing/cleaning mitts for wiping the car. I opted for glass coating as well as an add-on.

The evening I went to collect the car, there was heavy traffic as usual. Though I tried to leave as early as possible, I was late due to some office meetings. Anish had to wait beyond his closing time just for me to collect the car.

Exposure to hard water

10 days after getting the ceramic coating done, I was at my in-laws place where they had a garden hose and I decided to wash the car there on my own. After happily seeing the car enjoying a full wash, I got to know that the tap that I connected the garden hose to gets the hard water.
By the time I realized this, it was already too late and hard water left its mark on the car.

Below is a sample image from Google. Could not get a picture of my car:


With a heavy heart, took it to a detailing shop near my home to get a thorough foam wash. They owner of that shop started asking me about the ceramic coating - from where I got it done? What is the duration for applying maintenance pack etc.

Without going into much details, I replied that I got it done from Gurgaon, and there is no need to reapplication if maintained properly. Hearing this, the guy started doubting the quality of the ceramic coating and told me that I might have been fooled as all ceramic coatings need a reapplication/top-up after 5-6 months. He was being sarcastic when telling me this (or at least I felt so). Hence, I told him that I got this done from 5C Car Care and they use SystemX ceramic coat.

The guy meekly said okay and did not probe any further adding that SystemX is good.

He, however, suggested me to take the car back to 5C and get it checked there for removing hard water spots as he did not want to risk applying some solution that might harm the ceramic coat. I appreciated his honesty, thanked him, and left the place.

Setting up second appointment

Messaged Anish immediately and told him about the issue. Since he was committed to some other customers, he asked to bring in the car after 2 days.
In those two days, there was a light drizzle in Delhi. Delhi is yet to get proper monsoon - there is a streak of hot sunny days, followed by some winds and shower randomly. Although I have a covered parking, there is lot of dust in the area as there are construction work going nearby (metro and buildings). Somehow, the rainwater, mixed with dust, found way in the parking (due to the winds), all settled and eventually dried on my car. Not a good scene to watch.

Anyway, after 2 days, on a Thursday morning, took the car to 5C. Anish's staff immediately took the car in and gave it a nice foam wash to start with. The car was back to its glory..........., or at least that's what it thought after seeing it from a distance. On a close inspection, found that the hard water marks are still there, sticking firmly to the surface.

Thus, begins the experiment from Anish and he tried applying some solution (don't remember the name) to the bonnet - first with X% dilution, then with Y% dilution and so on. At some point, it worked! The marks were almost gone, but to treat the whole car, it would take time. So, Anish asked me to leave the car and collect it the next day (Friday).

Collecting the car post treatment

Started from my home on Friday evening after wrapping up my calls by 5.30 pm. Figured that it would take me an hour to reach 5C. However, the Murphy Uncle paid a visit and it started drizzling. Traffic jam, followed by water logging and evening peak hour rush, resulted in a delay and I reached 5C after 7.45 pm.
Around 7.15pm, I dropped a message to Anish informing that I'm on the way and stuck in traffic. He told me that it's raining heavily and water logged roads in Gurgaon, and asked me to collect the car next day. However, I was just 4-5Km away now, and going back would mean wasting all the efforts for coming so far, and repeating same thing the next day (forecast said it would continue to rain next day).
I requested Anish if he could wait for few minutes. Although it was his closing time and his staff all left, he patiently waited for me, yet again.

On top of that, he did not charge my anything on goodwill (just for this once). Really appreciated his gesture!
The car is back to its original form, and now I have learnt a lesson to always check the source of water that is being used to wash the car. The black color is really a tough one to maintain and needs lot of pampering. However, the shine of a clean surface and then the smile on your face is totally worth the effort.

Watching the Glass Coating in Action

As I opted for an add-on glass coating from 5C, I got to see it in action on my way back to home after collecting the car. It was still raining but the water on the windscreen was no issue. During my journey from 5C to home, which was almost 35 km, I had to use wiper only 2-3 times. Even it being night, it was fairly easy to drive without the wipers in the city lights. I was, of course, extra cautious and did not exceed beyond 50kmph, but wanted to highlight the ease of drive with the coating on the glass.
The pics below do not do complete justice.





Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with 5C Car Care. This post is purely based on my interaction and experience with Anish and 5C Car Care.

P.S: I need to click pics more frequently to capture all the memories with the car.

[mayank4823]

I recently purchased a Virtus Topline Lava Blue. Should I get the ceramic coating done now or is it better if I get it done after a couple of years when glossiness fades away ? I can't afford a PPF right now.

[Yesterdaysnews]

Originally Posted by mayank4823

I recently purchased a Virtus Topline Lava Blue. Should I get the ceramic coating done now or is it better if I get it done after a couple of years when glossiness fades away ? I can't afford a PPF right now.

They usually recommend getting ceramic coating done immediately after delivery. I have had this done, and at other times a little - 6 months or so after.

I am still in two minds if it’s best done when brand new or a little later. If done brand new, you have great looks from day one and it’s easy to maintain, but does require top ups every 6 months or so. If done a little later, it does get rid of minor scratches and gives the car a brand new look and feel.

[Arun_S]

I have done 3M ceramic coating for my City. Due to a two wheeler guy hitting my bumper/fender, they are being replaced.

The coating done on them is lost, can anybody kindly suggest how to handle this?

[ImranHyd]

Originally Posted by Arun_S

I have done 3M ceramic coating for my City. Due to a two wheeler guy hitting my bumper/fender, they are being replaced.

The coating done on them is lost, can anybody kindly suggest how to handle this?

If it's under warranty(usually 2 years), 3M will redo ceramic coating of the replaced/repainted part for free.

[ImranHyd]

Originally Posted by mayank4823

I recently purchased a Virtus Topline Lava Blue. Should I get the ceramic coating done now or is it better if I get it done after a couple of years when glossiness fades away ? I can't afford a PPF right now.

I did it after nearly a year and I would suggest you doing as soon as possible after getting a new car. Some deep swirls don't go away.

[ImranHyd]

I have recently done ceramic coating on my year old black car from 3M. Can I use Jopasu duster to wipe off the dust? Or should I be more careful and wash it only?