[robojester]

So do tell what does a service like that cost?

[usnftcret]

I paid $1200 to have Opti-Coat Pro+ applied on my car.

[robojester]

Wow I hope Spade can give me a lower number ...much lower.

For $1200 a can buy a whole car being the frugal guy I am .

Since I spent 10 years working as a painter at a cadillac dealer maybe I should look into this as a side gig

Done plenty of sealant and detail work over the years

( In case you can tell I am giving you a little ribbing. I reminds me of thew days when we sold paint sealant at the dealership. Plenty of folks loved it)

Guess I'll have to settle for an old style polymer on my Metro.

[Sethro80]

Robojester, you made me chuckle when you mentioned paint sealant at the dealership. I worked as a detailer in a smaller GM store. Also helped in the body shop when needed. On the detail side, when the salesman sold an interior and exterior protection package, I applied it and also got a bonus. I can't recall the name of it but one of the reps was in the shop one day and we were chatting...he confirmed what I thought all along. The exterior 'protection' was basically a good wax. The customer even had to come back 6 months later and have it re applied. The fabric protection was basically a scotch guard spray. I think they charged 8-900 bucks a pop for this and people paid it without batting an eye.

I later started my own detail business, didn't push high end coatings, just used quality products. Undercoating was popular though if the vehicle wasn't already rusted out. I'm sure you know about that!


Edit---not all exterior and interior protectants are equal, just happens the dealer I was working at was hustling people with a glorified wax. Once I found that out, I quit pushing to sell it and would tell customers my opinion if they asked.

[MediocreButArrogant]

When you pay $1200 for a service including a paint coating, the bulk of that cost is to pay for a multi-step paint correction prior to the application of the paint coating. For a badly swirled finish, that could be 16 or more hours of polishing, including taping off and removal and reinstallation of emblems. Figure $60/hr (conservative estimate) x 16 hours for the prep work, and you can see where the costs add up. If your paint is in excellent condition, you might be able to get away with just a couple hours of prep work, and knock $800 or more off the cost. Most of the coating manufacturers require their authorized installers to agree to a minimum price, both to preserve their premium status, but to also insure their flagship products are only applied by detailers catering to a high-end clientele.

The consumer versions of the ceramic paint coatings are widely available at the retail level. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light instead of Crystal Serum Pro, Optimum Gloss-Coat instead of Opti-Coat Pro/Pro+, CarPro CQuartz instead of CQuartz Finest, etc. The retail price of these are around $60 or less per application, and provide around 75-80% of the protection of their professional use-only counterparts. I'm too cheap to pay $1200 each to have each of my cars coated, so I'm happy to correct the paint myself and apply the consumer version of the paint coatings, with results that rival the pros, but at 1/20th the cost (ignoring my labor and equipment costs).

[Camaro5]

Originally Posted by MediocreButArrogant

When you pay $1200 for a service including a paint coating, the bulk of that cost is to pay for a multi-step paint correction prior to the application of the paint coating

I would agree with that. The shop I use has a bay with 12,000 watts of light (the God lights) and they did a terrific job of correcting and prepping my Camaro before applying the sealant. As the car was brand new it was worth the $600 to have it done professionally.

[usnftcret]

I would never pay $1200 again for a ceramic coating. It was a hasty decision on my part and now I had a front bumper scrape that had to get repainted. All that money down the drain.

[Camaro5]

Originally Posted by usnftcret

I would never pay $1200 again for a ceramic coating. It was a hasty decision on my part and now I had a front bumper scrape that had to get repainted. All that money down the drain.

After the bumper is painted they (or you) could reapply the sealant, no problem. No need to do the whole car over again.

[MediocreButArrogant]

Originally Posted by Camaro5

After the bumper is painted they (or you) could reapply the sealant, no problem. No need to do the whole car over again.

For $59 you could have bought a tube of Optimum Gloss-Coat and applied it yourself. As Camaro5 wrote, there was apparent reason to redo the whole car again.

Optimum Gloss-Coat - 10 ml | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image

[usnftcret]

Originally Posted by Camaro5

After the bumper is painted they (or you) could reapply the sealant, no problem. No need to do the whole car over again.

Unfortunately, they also had to repaint a portion of the hood and fenders. I probably will just buy the retail version of Opti Coat and apply myself.