JUST GOT MY TAYCAN TURBO S 2021 - Ceramic Coating or not?

[designbymys]

I got £1500 off mine and Porsche experience and jo malone candle for my wife on my used purchase last week

Same I managed to get £2,000 off and managed to get them to chuck in some accessories but I really want them to try and include the ceramic coating.

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[AyTifosi]

I agree with Raphe, just adding more detail. I use Optimum and Griot's products. Lots of Griots 'how to' videos on the web.

Here is a good video on applying Optimum Gloss Coat:

This may look like a lot, but not really. I've just tried to be detailed. Now, let's get this done:

1. Wash – don’t dry it.
2. Since it’s a brand-new car, consider an iron particle remover. This can accumulate when cars sit in shipping and rail yards. You’ll only do this once in the car’s lifetime when new. (https://www.autogeek.net/optimum-ferrex-iron-remover.html) This is easy: after washing, just spray the whole car including wheels, let it sit 1-2 mins, lightly sponge, then rinse well.
3. Dry. Gently run your fingers over the paint surface and feel it. You’ll compare after the clay work.
4. Clay (https://www.griotsgarage.com/paint-cleaning-clay-kit/). You’ll pinch a golf ball size (maybe a little more), warm by folding over and over, then flatten a bit. Use the Speed shine on the car to lube the paint surface, run the clay over all the surfaces. Look for any specks that appear and pinch them out of the clay. Occasionally fold and re-flatten to use a fresh surface. Yes, do the panorama roof if you have one. Be careful of the clear vinyl protective areas (in front of the rear wheels, edges of any PPF protected areas). If you run the clay over those, you’ll get a little bit left on the edge and have to work on getting it out. When you’re done, feel the paint surface again. Most likely, you’ll notice a difference and you'll be happy you did this.
5. Use a microfiber cloth to quickly hand polish off the Speed Shine.
6. This is where you would do some paint correction if necessary. Most likely not as the next step will do enough of that unless there is a specific scratch or issue.
7. Polish using a Random Orbital Polisher ($169 at Griots (https://www.griotsgarage.com/g9-random-orbital-polisher/) and a “finishing pad” (https://www.autogeek.net/griots-black-foam-finishing-pad.html note the size options and match the orbital size, probably 6”). I bought a random orbital in 2010 and will probably have it for another ten years to come. You really can’t hurt the car with these unless you try. I used to own a lot of different polishes, however unless you’re doing some big scratch correction, most likely the Optimum Hyper Polish (https://www.autogeek.net/optimum-hyper-polish-spray.html) will work 90% of the time. I love this stuff. It’s gentle yet works really well. You’ll simply spray a little Hyper Polish on the pad and start on the hood to get a feel. Yes, you’ll spray every few minutes however use is sparingly as you don’t need very much at all. Griot’s suggests speed #4 – about 4,500 rpm. Go over a 3 x 3 foot’ish area using a cross hatch pattern (detailed here: https://www.griotsgarage.com/content/pdf/10901.pdf). After working a few of these areas, or sections of the car, put the orbital down, grab a microfiber towel and hand polish the area to remove any residue. Work sections and keep track. Nose, then hand polish. Hood, then hand polish. Fenders, then roof, front doors, rear doors, etc. Drape the cord over your shoulder to keep it behind you. Don’t push on the orbital much at all. If you do, you’ll find you can easily stop it from rotating – hence, it’s hard to hurt the car! After you’ve hand polished the surfaces, this is a good place to take a break! For a while, or overnight if it’s late.
8. ONR – If you watch the video on applying Optimum Gloss Coat, you’ll note they include this step: Optimum No Rinse. I had some, so I did it. 1/2 oz and a gallon of water. Use a microfiber towel and just go over the whole car, then a dry microfiber towel to dry it. This might be overkill though...
9. Paint Prep (https://www.griotsgarage.com/surface-prep-cleanser/). This step removes all the residues from everything you’ve done thus far. Spray and wipe. Do this one.
10. Now, the grand finale! You’ll use a little foam pad that comes with the Optimum Gloss Coat and gloves. You’ll carefully drip 3-4 drops on the pad. I know, you’ll think “But this isn’t enough!” Yes it is. You’ll add a few drops every minutes or so and it will build up on the pad. Start on the hood so you can bend your head at a low angle and see the coating on the surface to trust it’s there. It will appear as though there is a light coating of alcohol on metal, like you went over it with a partially dry handy wipe. Do some small sections wiping back and forth. Don’t try to ‘soak’ the surface. You want a barely there faint sheen. Like polishing, I might do the hood, then hand polish it. Then the nose, polish. The fenders, polish, etc. Do the panorama roof too. Be sure and watch the ‘how to’ video up top. They do a good job explaining. If for any reason some appears to have dried and you can’t hand polish it off (unlikely), or they describe a ‘high spot’, a spot with too much material, simply wipe it with the foam pan and it will reactivate the product, then hand polish it off.
11. Once you do the whole car, let it sit in the garage for 24 hours – DON’T let it get wet as that interferes with the ceramic curing process, which is how it hardens and protects. I’ve read it cures to 90% in 72 hours (https://carcarereviews.net/blog/how-long-for-ceramic-coating-to-cure/). So sure, a few days is even better. Ka-Blamo! You spent maybe $300 bucks, did it yourself! And, you have the orbital to use for any polish work down the road.
12. One item of note: if you have PPF file (I use XPel), you can do all these steps including the hyper polish and ceramic coating over the PPF.

Let us know if you do this!

 

[designbymys]

I agree with Raphe, just adding more detail. I use Optimum and Griot's products. Lots of Griots 'how to' videos on the web.

Here is a good video on applying Optimum Gloss Coat:

This may look like a lot, but not really. I've just tried to be detailed. Now, let's get this done:

1. Wash – don’t dry it.
2. Since it’s a brand-new car, consider an iron particle remover. This can accumulate when cars sit in shipping and rail yards. You’ll only do this once in the car’s lifetime when new. (https://www.autogeek.net/optimum-ferrex-iron-remover.html) This is easy: after washing, just spray the whole car including wheels, let it sit 1-2 mins, lightly sponge, then rinse well.
3. Dry. Gently run your fingers over the paint surface and feel it. You’ll compare after the clay work.
4. Clay (https://www.griotsgarage.com/paint-cleaning-clay-kit/). You’ll pinch a golf ball size (maybe a little more), warm by folding over and over, then flatten a bit. Use the Speed shine on the car to lube the paint surface, run the clay over all the surfaces. Look for any specks that appear and pinch them out of the clay. Occasionally fold and re-flatten to use a fresh surface. Yes, do the panorama roof if you have one. Be careful of the clear vinyl protective areas (in front of the rear wheels, edges of any PPF protected areas). If you run the clay over those, you’ll get a little bit left on the edge and have to work on getting it out. When you’re done, feel the paint surface again. Most likely, you’ll notice a difference and you'll be happy you did this.
5. Use a microfiber cloth to quickly hand polish off the Speed Shine.
6. This is where you would do some paint correction if necessary. Most likely not as the next step will do enough of that unless there is a specific scratch or issue.
7. Polish using a Random Orbital Polisher ($169 at Griots (https://www.griotsgarage.com/g9-random-orbital-polisher/) and a “finishing pad” (https://www.autogeek.net/griots-black-foam-finishing-pad.html note the size options and match the orbital size, probably 6”). I bought a random orbital in 2010 and will probably have it for another ten years to come. You really can’t hurt the car with these unless you try. I used to own a lot of different polishes, however unless you’re doing some big scratch correction, most likely the Optimum Hyper Polish (https://www.autogeek.net/optimum-hyper-polish-spray.html) will work 90% of the time. I love this stuff. It’s gentle yet works really well. You’ll simply spray a little Hyper Polish on the pad and start on the hood to get a feel. Yes, you’ll spray every few minutes however use is sparingly as you don’t need very much at all. Griot’s suggests speed #4 – about 4,500 rpm. Go over a 3 x 3 foot’ish area using a cross hatch pattern (detailed here: https://www.griotsgarage.com/content/pdf/10901.pdf). After working a few of these areas, or sections of the car, put the orbital down, grab a microfiber towel and hand polish the area to remove any residue. Work sections and keep track. Nose, then hand polish. Hood, then hand polish. Fenders, then roof, front doors, rear doors, etc. Drape the cord over your shoulder to keep it behind you. Don’t push on the orbital much at all. If you do, you’ll find you can easily stop it from rotating – hence, it’s hard to hurt the car! After you’ve hand polished the surfaces, this is a good place to take a break! For a while, or overnight if it’s late.
8. ONR – If you watch the video on applying Optimum Gloss Coat, you’ll note they include this step: Optimum No Rinse. I had some, so I did it. 1/2 oz and a gallon of water. Use a microfiber towel and just go over the whole car, then a dry microfiber towel to dry it. This might be overkill though...
9. Paint Prep (https://www.griotsgarage.com/surface-prep-cleanser/). This step removes all the residues from everything you’ve done thus far. Spray and wipe. Do this one.
10. Now, the grand finale! You’ll use a little foam pad that comes with the Optimum Gloss Coat and gloves. You’ll carefully drip 3-4 drops on the pad. I know, you’ll think “But this isn’t enough!” Yes it is. You’ll add a few drops every minutes or so and it will build up on the pad. Start on the hood so you can bend your head at a low angle and see the coating on the surface to trust it’s there. It will appear as though there is a light coating of alcohol on metal, like you went over it with a partially dry handy wipe. Do some small sections wiping back and forth. Don’t try to ‘soak’ the surface. You want a barely there faint sheen. Like polishing, I might do the hood, then hand polish it. Then the nose, polish. The fenders, polish, etc. Do the panorama roof too. Be sure and watch the ‘how to’ video up top. They do a good job explaining. If for any reason some appears to have dried and you can’t hand polish it off (unlikely), or they describe a ‘high spot’, a spot with too much material, simply wipe it with the foam pan and it will reactivate the product, then hand polish it off.
11. Once you do the whole car, let it sit in the garage for 24 hours – DON’T let it get wet as that interferes with the ceramic curing process, which is how it hardens and proects. I’ve read it cures to 90% in 72 hours (https://carcarereviews.net/blog/how-long-for-ceramic-coating-to-cure/). So sure, a few days is even better. Ka-Blamo! You spent maybe $300 bucks, did it yourself! And, you have the orbital to use for any polish work down the road.
12. One item of note: if you have PPF file (I use XPel), you can do all these steps including the hyper polish and ceramic coating over the PPF.

Let us know if you do this!

Thanks so much for sharing this! awesome stuff.

 

[designbymys]

How is the ceramic coating only £660? My shop, which is one of the best in the country charged me $1,700 for Macan ceramic coating which is comparable to a sedan and then I pay $200 twice a year sometimes for 2 hours of inspection and renewal to keep it perfect. Just did it today actually, and they always have something amazing at the shop: Rivian SUV, Acura NSX Type S, and $2MM McLaren P1.

I think they gave it at a discounted price but even when went to Porsche Aberdeen they did it for the Macan we bought for £300.

 

[Cpb1702]

Oh no way - where did you see this?

Porsche Perth on Instagram

 

[Needsdecaf]

Rinse car
foam car
wash car
clay car
polish car
wash car with something that strips, car needs to be fully degreased (use washing up liquid or something simmilar)
dry car with purified water and air dryer to prevent chalk spots.
make sure you’re in a covered, >15c room where you can cure at least 48h
apply coating
cure
don’t wash for 2 weeks
done!

Everything here is easy except the polish car. That's where the money is.

To properly polish a car, you need to have decent equipment and a lot of time. And if you're not good, more time to fix your mistakes.

You can omit the polishing part. I have on two cars and it's fine. My paint isn't as jeweled as I'd like but on daily drivers with not-so-dark paint it still looked "decent". On my new Cayenne, it's Midnight Blue so I had it professionally polished prior to the coating being installed.

 

[Needsdecaf]

I think they gave it at a discounted price but even when went to Porsche Aberdeen they did it for the Macan we bought for £300.

If you are getting a coating for 300 pounds, then all you're getting is a random coating slapped on with zero prep. In which case you should just buy the coating for 100 pounds and do it yourself.

 

[BigBob]

If you are getting a coating for 300 pounds, then all you're getting is a random coating slapped on with zero prep. In which case you should just buy the coating for 100 pounds and do it yourself.

I'd check its not actually just the swissvax wax they're offering to put on, not ceramic coating. I think they charge about £600 to do that (its an 'option' done by the dealer on a new car).
They accidentally added it to my new car purchase (i'd said no thanks). Think it is a decent enough product and kept car shiny, but i don't think it has the same longevity as ceramic etc.

Worth checking as it's definitely expensive if it's just the posh wax job or probably too cheap for decent ceramic.

 

[Needsdecaf]

I'd check its not actually just the swissvax wax they're offering to put on, not ceramic coating. I think they charge about £600 to do that (its an 'option' done by the dealer on a new car).
They accidentally added it to my new car purchase (i'd said no thanks). Think it is a decent enough product and kept car shiny, but i don't think it has the same longevity as ceramic etc.

Worth checking as it's definitely expensive if it's just the posh wax job or probably too cheap for decent ceramic.

Yes.

There is a LOT of disinformation and hype about "coatings" and "ceramic" floating around these days. Everything is "ceramic" this and "graphene" that. But in general, here's what it comes down to:

A proper ceramic coating is relatively inexpensive. About $100 USD for a consumer grade version which gives you enough to do two normal sized vehicles. Seriously. And it's pretty easy to put on, in fact, it's easier than buffing off carnauba wax.

A "professional" grade coating sold only direct to dealers or detailers is a little more durable at the expense of being about twice as difficult to work with. Reason being is that they flash relatively quickly and are easy to get noticeable high spots. And if this happens, they are durable enough that the only way to get them off is machine polishing.

There are a bunch of bogus "coatings' that are sold direct to the dealer that really aren't worth much. Sure they claim a warranty but the reality is, no coating is lasting it's entire warranty. Because the surface of the paint gets junked up with contaminants and that interferes with what the coating is doing. So when these detailers have you "refresh" the coating annually, all they are doing is physically or chemically decontaminating the car (clay bar / polish mitt or strong decon soap) and then applying a "topping" spray which adds some layer back to the coating, although it's not the same. It helps, but it's not like it's "re-loading" the coating, as they would have you believe. All of which I just told you is possible for you to do at home, very easily, if you can wash your car at home. Or even in a public wash bay.

So do your research, find out what product they are using, and also find out what PREP they are doing. Because as I said above, that's where the $$ is...because there's no substituting that labor. You've got to spend the time on the car with the polisher. If you're really, really good, you can do a good one-step with a rotary and get the car in pretty nice shape, pretty fast. But with a rotary you risk screwing up the paint, and it's very easy to leave hazing behind. If you use a DA polisher (dual action) it's much more forgiving but a lot slower. Even a one step will take many hours to do, especially if you prep the car correctly by taping off trim, etc.

 

[designbymys]

I'd check its not actually just the swissvax wax they're offering to put on, not ceramic coating. I think they charge about £600 to do that (its an 'option' done by the dealer on a new car).
They accidentally added it to my new car purchase (i'd said no thanks). Think it is a decent enough product and kept car shiny, but i don't think it has the same longevity as ceramic etc.

Worth checking as it's definitely expensive if it's just the posh wax job or probably too cheap for decent ceramic.

I managed to get them to include it within the agreed price - so they have chcuked it in - lets hope its the full ceramic coating.

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