Ceramic coating

[Tramonto]

Has any one used a ceramic coating on their FIAT yet. Would like to hear from those that have or have studied up on it. I am thinking of doing my Abarth. With the Maserati Bordeaux paint which is a soft paint I was thinking of this process to help protect the paint.

[map]

I assume you are talking about the wax-type product. I haven't applied it to the Fiat, yet, but used it on my MC. It is designed to bond with the finish so I'd suggest using products to clean the finish of old wax and surface contaminates. (Applied over wax, it won't last as long.) It doesn't protect from chips in a soft or brittle paint. Mostly, it's a "super" wax that lasts about 4 times longer than typical wax. Some companies recommend application every 3-4 months for their product, but I found every year to 18 months OK for my vehicle. It supposedly has better UV protection and dirt doesn't stick to the finish; it's that "slick".

[smark]

You might want to having a clear bar, applied to the front of you car. To protect it from road rash, and rock chips. A ceramic coating won’t help, in that department.
I had the dealership install one on my 500, 9 1/2 years ago. Zero rock chips. To the front bumper, hood, A pillars, side mirror, side front fender, etc.

[sportfan]

Did you mean clear Bra ? I guessing it just a typo.

[Mozella]

Has any one used a ceramic coating on their FIAT yet. Would like to hear from those that have or have studied up on it. I am thinking of doing my Abarth. With the Maserati Bordeaux paint which is a soft paint I was thinking of this process to help protect the paint.

If by "protecting", you mean preventing scratches and/or stone dings, forget about it. A plastic protective film will do that, but I refuse to use films because it reminds me of my crazy old aunt who had clear plastic covers on her sofa and lamp shades.............. in other words "low rent". The cure for stone dings, which are mostly on the front, is a periodic respray.

All the talk about ceramic coating being "harder than a diamond" and so-on is meaningless. A ceramic coating won't protect against stones under any circumstances. But it will help keep your nice paint scratch free, not because will prevent scratches from wiping your paint with a grit-contaminated cloth (it wont) but because with an ultra slick ceramic coating, you can wash and rinse your car without wiping it.

I just bought my 500 Abarth two days ago and as soon as the weather improves I will apply a ceramic coating myself like I did on my Porsche Panamera, which was my introduction to ceramic coatings. It is literally fantastic and I'm a carnauba wax user since the mid 60's. The spray on wax products are cheap, easy to use and are very short lived. The "real" stuff which comes in tiny 60ml bottles is what you want. I happened to use Adams Graphene but don't believe the hype about Graphene either it's mostly marketing talk. There are several good products on the market. Buy something that comes in a small bottle and you aren't likely to go wrong. It's worth about fifty bucks, so don't think that paying $250 for a tiny bottle of magic juice will be five times better.

I bought the Adams kit for less than $100 and that included the applicators, some good microfiber towels, a touch up spray, and a really nifty UV flashlight. The juice has a UV tracer and when you shine the light in the coating before you buff it off, it will glow; therefore, showing you where you might have missed a spot. This alone is reason to purchase the Adams product again, but this time I need only the bottle of juice, so it's even cheaper. Watch YouTube videos by Pan the Orginizer for lots of good information about coatings.

Professionals charge a fortune for this job because it's rather tedious but it's something any mouth-breather can do. It just takes some time. Here is an outline of what you need to do:
Wash the car carefully with a "stripper" detergent to remove any existing wax, etc.
Clay bar the surface. This is easy using an inexpensive bar of special clay. I lubricate my paint with the same wash detergent I just used for the wash while the car is still wet. Then rinse
Use an iron neutralizer, a simple spray on, rinse off process. I like Iron X. This will take care of any ferrous contamination. Rinse and dry the car.

At this point you need to decide on correcting the paint or not. If your paint is perfect, great. If not, you should use a DA buffer, a foam pad, and the appropriate compound to perfect the paint. Depending on how many times your car has been through an automatic car wash, this might be just using a swirl remover and one pad. Or it could be a much longer three or four step process starting with a course compound and finishing up with a very fine one along with the appropriate pad for the compound. Or, you can decide live with less then perfect paint and apply the juice right over the scratches. This is not a great idea but suit yourself. Paint-correction equipment will cost a hundred bucks to start if you use inexpensive (but adequate) equipment and it can go up from there. For the non-pro, a Harbor Freight DA buffer is perfectly fine. Again, the process is well documented on the Internet and any mouth-breather can do it. Check Lake Country and Chemical Guys for various pads and compounds.

When your paint is as good as you like, wash the car again and Wipe down the car with IPA using fresh micro fiber cloths.

Now, assuming your arms haven't fallen off by now, it's time for the juice. Follow the instructions, but generally speaking you apply it with the supplied applicator in small sections. After a few minutes, wipe it off; no hard rubbing required.

Let the product cure before exposing it to water, usually one or two day. Again follow the instructions for your particular product.

I have washed my Porsche at least a dozen times since I applied the Adams Graphene coating without ever rubbing it with anything. I rinse it with a pressure washer, spray on detergent using a foam cannon, wait two minutes, rinse it off, and dry the surface using a leaf blower. This is quick and easy and doesn't risk scratching the very nice paint. Not only does the car stay cleaner longer, it is so simple to wash that it doesn't seem like a chore; therefore, I'm more likely to keep it clean.

In short, these new ceramic or Graphene coatings are nearly unbelievable. Some claim a 7 year lifespan, but I'm not sure I believe it. However, I fully expect it to last for at least three years and perhaps longer. The spray-on products which have ceramic or graphene on their labels are NOT the same thing. The increase beading, but they don't last very long.

And don't believe the people who get paid to do this work when they tell you that you're too stupid to do the job. You need only follow a few simple directions and have the willingness to go through all the steps. Reserve two half days if you don't need much paint correction and add a full day (or more) if you intend to improve you paint by a lot. But paint correction is something which can be done in two or three stages if you don't have a large block of spare time. Remember, for all of this kind of work, you must start with a clean, grit-free car and that means you'll be washing it quite a few times. But when you're done, you'll be thrilled.

[Hermiabarth]

A timely post, I was just investigating the Adams product. I've been a long time Zaino user on my Corvette, but I'm planning to try the Adams Graphene on my rosso Abarth. Tell us more about your new Abarth and welcome to the club!

[smark]

Did you mean clear Bra ? I guessing it just a typo.

Typo.....

[map]

smark, I remember you've had your clear bra on the Fiat for about 8 years? My friend is picking up his new car today and I suggested he invest in one of those for the front of it. He parks outside and is concerned that it might yellow with age.

[smark]

smark, I remember you've had your clear bra on the Fiat for about 8 years? My friend is picking up his new car today and I suggested he invest in one of those for the front of it. He parks outside and is concerned that it might yellow with age.

My 500 is going on 10 years, in June. The car has been pretty much garaged, most it’s life. The clear bra, still looks new. Most the good clear bras, have a 7 year warranty on them.

[Fabio13]

I had my Clear Bra installed in 2014. Works great against stones. Car looks good. Has a 10 year warranty against yellowing or peeling. Expel Ultimate Clear Bra.