Is it worth getting ceramic coating from the dealership?

[Will]

As in 40 hours machine and hand prep Will, or in his workshop for the week, doing bits when he can?
Difficult to make a living doing one vehicle a week for less than a grand I would have thought.
Considering buying snow, polish, pads, the ceramic itself with overheads, tax etc.

I think to be honest it was probably more than 40 hours work. Paint, glass, trim, wheels inside and out machine polished and coated, exhaust tips, suspension parts etc. Have a look on my thread that I posted and consider how long that would take?

But this was a few years ago now (2020), and I think during the awkward times of changing Covid rules etc. I had done quite a lot of decontamination and prep too, but there is just so much ‘real estate’ to work through on a car of this size.

Ed is a perfectionist, as anyone who has used him will attest to - and I think he went to the extra mile on this which perhaps he hadn’t accounted for.

He has low overheads, a fantastic reputation and perhaps is successful as a result. He drives a Ferrari I believe now so he must be doing something right!

The point I was making is that £1k from an unknown entity arranged by a dealer is probably not good value for money, and the end results may be disappointing. I would select a detailer based on reviews from people you know and/or trust

 

[Spider10]

It's not as expensive as it used to be BUT it has to be done correctly with the correct preparation, personally I wouldn't let the main dealer do it
My uncle had a so called coating put on his c220d and everytime it rained it came out in white spot's and was a nightmare to remove ,stick with people who know what they are doing

 

[SmartAmg]

It's not as expensive as it used to be BUT it has to be done correctly with the correct preparation, personally I wouldn't let the main dealer do it
My uncle had a so called coating put on his c220d and everytime it rained it came out in white spot's and was a nightmare to remove ,stick with people who know what they are doing

Wouldn't let a Main Dealer, wash me car. Never mind detail it for a grand!

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Wouldn't let a Main Dealer, wash me car. Never mind detail it for a grand!

I always decline when asked at a service .

I do think folks get blinded by the bling factor ,when really they're being fleeced . I mean free coffee and bickys as a softener of the wallet walls.

 

[John N]

He's the guy who's given a bucket of Fairy Liquid soapy water and a sponge and told " go and wash those 20 cars on the forecourt"

Fairy Liquid! You'd be Lucky!

 

[liamt]

Mine was done at my regular dealer, no complaints from me and it was done properly. I don't have the time or the inclination to let someone else have my new car for a few days after I've picked it up. How it is applied is the main thing, some dealers no doubt will do it better than others.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Fairy Liquid! You'd be Lucky!

I know...it's more likely to be Costcutter 25p for a gallon stuff

 

[ALFAitalia]

I cant imagine a dealership would do any paint correction at all on a new car.....they would just apply the ceramic......you could do that yourself for a tiny fraction of the cost plus a few hours graft.

 

[MSG2004]

I would say, definitely NO!
They won't do it correctly.
I would go to a dedicated, Detailer. Proper job.

Possibly the sub-contract it?
Years ago when I foolishly used to have my Merc Mot's via MB - they added VAT on top of the fee - when I asked why - they said they subcontracted the work.

So cut out the middle man and go to a specialist where it is their bread and butter and check their reviews.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Still illegal to add VAT to the MOT on the invoice....its a non VAT-able item. If they get charged less than they invoice you (say they pay £40 but bill you the £54....then they will get charged the VAT content of the £14 profit...£2.33 in this case......but you dont pay any VAT at all....go and ask for it back!!!

 

[st13phil]

I cant imagine a dealership would do any paint correction at all on a new car.....they would just apply the ceramic

^ This.

There's no real point in applying a ceramic coating over paintwork that isn't in great shape. A new car's paintwork will almost always benefit from light paint correction and a pro detailer will do that prior to applying any coating.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

I cant imagine a dealership would do any paint correction at all on a new car.....they would just apply the ceramic......you could do that yourself for a tiny fraction of the cost plus a few hours graft.

Yeah , this £13 a bottle , they'll say it's had a ceramic coat ,which indeed it will of.

 

[W1ghty]

I’ve thought about it , I’ll do the job for £900

 

[johncherokee]

I would say, definitely NO!
They won't do it correctly.
I would go to a dedicated, Detailer. Proper job.

Agreed, I had my Touareg done by a professional. Close up photos before and after are amazing. A dealer wouldn’t have the time or inclination to prepare it, together with most of the retailers I have used. Photos to follow when I can find them.

 

[johncherokee]

Agreed, I had my Touareg done by a professional. Close up photos before and after are amazing. A dealer wouldn’t have the time or inclination to prepare it, together with most of the retailers I have used. Photos to follow when I can find them.

 

[SmartAmg]

It's amazing what a good detailer can do, particularly on Black.

 

[sgregory124]

I’ve thought about it , I’ll do the job for £900

As would I!

Once the correction has been done, the process of applying the coating is really quite easy (I used to think it was some kind of black art), provided you have a covered area to work in and good lighting/ventilation.

 

[Pontoneer]

I cant imagine a dealership would do any paint correction at all on a new car.....they would just apply the ceramic......you could do that yourself for a tiny fraction of the cost plus a few hours graft.

The real question is why is the ceramic coating not a factory option ?

Every car off the line , and after inspection , ought to be perfect . That , surely is the optimal time to add the coating , and another profit margin for the manufacturer . ka-ching !

 

[Pontoneer]

Yeah , this £13 a bottle , they'll say it's had a ceramic coat ,which indeed it will of.

View attachment 164556

Isn't it sooo non-PC to be hydrophobic these days ?


Oops , sorry , misread that !

 

[ALFAitalia]

The real question is why is the ceramic coating not a factory option ?

Every car off the line , and after inspection , ought to be perfect . That , surely is the optimal time to add the coating , and another profit margin for the manufacturer . ka-ching !

If only... never seen a new car with completely fault free paint yet. In fact on most cars you can see small patches and swirls where high points and marks have been removed with an abrasive during final inspection if you look in the right light. If not there are always areas of orange peel and inconsistent finish. Cars are just mass produced items don't forget.