Best Ceramic Coating for Black Cars, DIY Guide
Ceramic coatings, quarts coatings, glass coatings, nano coatings or just coatings. Whatever you call them, these are the latest craze in car detailing. They offer the protection that car owners have been dreaming of. You can get a professional detailer to apply one for you or you can try to DIY for a fraction of the cost.
Best Ceramic Coating for Black Cars
If you don’t have very much experience detailing cars you should use a product like Chemical Guys Hydroslick to add ceramic protection to your vehicle. It’s a seriously impressive product that delivers stunning gloss and it’s unbelievably easy to apply. It is applied the same way as you would apply any wax.
If you have lots of experience detailing vehicles you will be more than happy with Carpro CQUARTZ UK Edition 3.0 for these reasons…
- Extremely durable.
- Excellent water beading (hydrophobic).
- Easy to apply.
- Long-lasting.
- Makes your car easier to wash.
- Protects your paint from light scratches.
The product that kicked off the ceramic coating craze was from CarPro and I believe their latest ceramic coating, CQUARTZ UK Edition 3.0, is still the best on the market.
Coatings are longer lasting than waxs or sealants. They offer super strong protection to your car’s clear coat which is the top layer of clear paint that gives your car it’s shine and gloss.
Ceramic coatings are made from Si02 or Silicon Dioxide which sets like glass on the surface of your car. In fact, Si02 is one of the hardest substances in the world. They are most effective on cars that are relatively new or have been paint correct or polished to remove scratches.
Your clear coat contains tiny pores which allow contaminants through. These contaminants cause tiny scratches and oxidation. They become loose when your car is washed causing scratches. A ceramic coating will fill in these pores and protect your paint from swirls and UV damage.
What does a ceramic coating do?
- Protects your car from light scratches and swirls
- Protects your car from the sun and weather
- Protects from salt damage
- Protects from calcium water spot damage
- Protects from bird poop damage.
- It makes your car easier to wash.
- It makes your car easier to dry.
- It prevents existing shine and gloss from fading too quickly.
- Some coatings can be applied to paint, plastic and metal.
Carpro CQUARTZ UK Edition 3.0 is used by enthusiastic car lovers like me and also by professional detailers. It’s easy to apply using a simple wipe-on and wipe-off technique. It can be applied to plastic and metal wheels as well as paint.
What I like about this product is that its easy to apply by anyone.
Whats do you get with Carpro CQUARTZ UK Edition 3.0?
The Kit on Amazon includes:
- (1) 50ml bottle of CQuartz UK 3.0 (Use 15ml+/- per coat – average size car),
- (1) 100ml bottle of CarPro Reload Silica Spray,
- (1) 16″ Microfiber Suede Towel,
- (1) CarPro Foam Applicator Block,
- (4) 4″ Microfiber Suede applicators
What’s Difference between Ceramic Coating and Ceramic Wax?
A ceramic coating will last a lot longer as it’s far more durable. Ceramic wax is similar to regular wax except it contains a chemical called Si02 which makes it last longer.
Are Ceramic Coatings Worth it?
If your care about how your car looks then the answer is definitely yes. If you take your car to a car wash the coating won’t last that long. But if you wash your car by hand using the proper methods then it’s perfect because it will make washing and drying easier and will save you time and money in the long run.
You will also increase the value of your car when it comes time to trade it. Your car will have much more gloss than most cars.
READ MORE: What’s the longest-lasting car wax?
Are there any reasons I shouldn’t apply a ceramic coating?
If you like to get your DA polishing machine out regularly to polish the smallest little scratch then maybe it’s not worth applying a coating. That’s because the coating is so hard it can make polishing difficult. Also, if you use a clay bar or a degreaser or iron remover regularly you will greatly shorten the life of your coating.
But if you find that over the winter months you don’t do much paint correction work then maybe you could apply a coating to protect your car for the winter.
Another reason for not applying a coating is if you have an old and beat-up car that needs some serious paint-correct work. Don’t waste your time and money applying a coating until you get your paint polished and restored.
Why is a coating so expensive when done by a professional detailer?
If you get a professional detailer to apply your coating they could charge a lot of money. They’ll usually do a full detail and polish first. They might apply multiple coats of the product and allow it to dry in their garage. Some products might need 24 hours between layers.
How long can a ceramic coating last?
Carpro CQUARTZ UK Edition 3.0 can last up to two years provided you wash and dry your car safely.
How I prepare my car for a ceramic coating?
Proper prep helps the product to bond with the paint. Most ceramic products don’t do a great job of hiding scratches and swirls. After all their main goal is protection. So it’s best if you can polish out swirls and scratches before your start if you have any. Read my blog post on polishing and restoring paint for more information.
I recommend you wash with a degreaser-type car shampoo and not a product that contains wax. After you thoroughly wash and dry your car you could apply a de-iron product like Carpro Iron-X to remove iron particles that can damage paint. If you have tar stuck to your car you could use a tar remover like Carpro Tar-X.
You can then further remove contaminants with a clay bar. A clay bar is very effective and easy to use. Read my blog post on how to clay bar a car.
To remove any existing wax or sealant you could apply some Meguiars Ultimate Polish using a foam pad on a washed car. I have found this to be extremely effective at cleaning paint and restoring some shine, even when applied by hand.
If you have a relatively new car you may not need to polish it but it could still be worth using the degreaser, iron-remover and clay bar.
Of course CarPro recommend their own polish which is called CarPro Reflect. It can be applied by hand if you don’t have a polishing machine.
An IPA spray is an alcohol that helps to remove wax and oils also.
Polishing leaves behind oils which must be removed. Use CarPro Eraser for that job.
Click here to read my review of an excellent Dual Action Polisher
CarPro sells another product called CarPro Essence PLUS. It can be applied before the coating and covers up light scratching and marring. It can also restore existing coatings. It’s known as a filler-type product and will add gloss as well as clean your paint with its solvents. It can be applied by hand or with a Dual Action Polisher.
What’s the difference between Carpro Essence and Carpro Essence +
Essence is abrasive and Essence + is non abrasive.
Can I apply ceramic coating on top of wax?
Ceramic coating manufacturers recommend removing as much of any old wax as possible before applying a coating to get the best bond possible. This will help the coating to last much longer.
Howe do I apply Carpro CQUARTZ UK Edition 3.0?
- Read the instructions VERY CAREFULLY
- Prepare the paint as mentioned above.
- Ideally, park the car indoors.
- Don’t apply too much of the product as it can cause smearing.
- Allow an hour or two between coats.
Is a ceramic coating permanent?
No. Ceramic coatings are not permanent. Some manufacturers claim that their products form a permanent bond with your paint. But in reality, this could not the case. The weather and washing or polishing your car will cause the coating to break down over time.
Will a coating prevent scratches?
It will protect against a lot of scratches but not all of them. A coating will reduce the number of swirl marks that appear on your car over time. Swirls look like a spider web when you shine a bright light on your car. A new or polished car will not have any swirl marks. They are caused by improper washing and drying and weather.
Will a coating make my car shine?
Yes. Some products do appear to add a little gloss to an already polished car. But they won’t add as much shine as a carnauba wax. The main reason to apply a coating is protection. You can of course apply a wax on top of the coating and top up the wax each time you wash.
Will my coating peel off over time?
No, that’s not how coatings work. Think of a coating as you think of wax. A “wrap” can peel off over time and can get damaged by a pressure washer for example. So you won’t see a ceramic coating peel of, itf just wears away.
Will a ceramic coating protect my car in a car wash?
Coatings will minimize scratches in from a car wash. But they won’t eliminate them. For best results, you should hand wash your car.
How do I maintain my ceramic coating
Some filler-type paint cleaners can restore and enhance ceramic coatings. Carpro Essence + is such a product.
Will polishing or compounding remove my coating
Yes, any abrasive work you carry it on your car will partially or fully remove your coating. The products are very durable so they make polishing more difficult.
Things you show know about ceramic coatings
- You may need to wait 24 hours for it to fully bond. So you may need to put it in a garage overnight to keep it dry.
- It’s recommended that a full detail and paint correction be carried out first.
- Removing contaminants and old wax or sealant will help to coating to bond.
- Ceramic coatings don’t go yellow over time
- Ceramic coatings don’t peel or crack.
- Towels used to buff the product cannot be used again on your car because they will scratch it.
Anything else I should know about coatings?
If you are an amateur detailer and you like to polish and compound your car from time to time then maybe it’s not worth it for you. You obviously take care of your car so applying a good sealant every few months and polishing out scratches and blemishes will keep your car looking great.
Steps to maintain CarPro CQUARTZ Ceramic coating.
- CarPro recommends using CarPro Reset to regularly wash your car.
- Always use a microfiber wash mitt and never a sponge or brush.
- Dry with a large microfiber towel or with a car dryer.
- To top up the coating use CarPro Reload ever 6 or 12 months.
- Its vital that you learn the proper ways to wash a ceramic-coated car.
Conclusion
If you want the best ceramic coating for black cars I can recommend CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0
