There are several products on the market for preserving the condition of your vehicle’s paint to the showroom look that every owner wants.

1.     The most expensive option is a clear wrap that can cover as little as the hood and front fenders, or as much as the whole vehicle. These wraps are usually 1-3 mils thick, provide considerable protection from rock chips and scratches. And can last several years depending on maintenance. The cost for this protective wrap can range from $1,500 to $2,000 for front protection only to $3,000-5,000 for the entire car.  

2.     The next option would be a ceramic coating application. Ceramic coatings are extremely durable. A Ceramic Coating (such as Opti-Coat Pro, C.Quartz, and Ceramic Pro) is a liquid polymer that is applied by hand to the exterior of a vehicle. The coating chemically bonds with the vehicle's factory paint, creating a layer of protection. Ceramic coating application can run anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the condition of the paint.

3.     The third option is to go with a polymer sealant that can provide the enhanced protection of a hard wax with more durability. Polymer sealants usually give you about 9-12 months protection depending on the environmental conditions. This is usually the least expensive option with respectable durability. For example, our detailing package that includes paint sealant protection runs about $250.

Note: With all paint protection options you will need to prepare the paint for the application. Depending on the condition of the paint, you may need several hours to days of paint correction. This should always be taken into consideration as wraps, ceramic coatings and sealant should only be applied to paint surfaces that have been properly cleaned and polished, so you won’t be sealing in any imperfections between the coating and the paint. The worst outcome is to seal the paint and still have micro scratches, marring, or debris in the paint, locked below a hard coating.

Step by step process for success.

Given the criticality of preparation when applying a protective coating to your vehicle we will bring you through the steps we take in preparing a vehicle for a ceramic coating as an example.

Step 1. Thoroughly wash the vehicle using a safe wash method like the “2 bucket method” with grit guards and microfiber wash mitts. See our blog post for details here

Step 2. After the safe wash we decontaminate the paint chemically using iron out to remove all iron particles/ rail dust embedded in the paint from day to day environmental fallout. We also decontaminated the paint mechanically using clay bar(s).

Step 3. We inspect the paint and determine the paint correction regimen to follow. Depending on the condition of the paint, correction can take several hours to several days.

Step 4. After the paint correction we applied an isopropyl alcohol/water solution to remove the oil residue from the paint that was introduced by the correction process.

Step 5. With the paint thoroughly cleaned, decontaminated, corrected, and polished we were ready to apply the ceramic coating. This was all performed in a shaded area. Below are some photos of the completed project a car. As you can see the ceramic coating has an exceptional gloss and reflectivity. And it has a hardness level of 9H, which is actually more protective than the clear coat, which now sits under the ceramic coating protection. Please contact us if you have any question regarding our ceramic coating package that starts at $750.

Please contact us with any questions regarding our Ceramic Coating packages. Montano Auto Detail. 925-895-1327