Ceramic coating on our classics

Hello all,
I am considering having a professional Ceramic coating done on my '68 car. Are there any reasons one should be aware of this procedure on a classic ? We have a very sunny climate here in Malta soaring to 100 F in the summer. When it rains the car stays indoors ;-)
Thank you
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The best I can help is that I put the ceramic coating on my '77 GTB and the results are stunning!

 

Thank you George

 

I would also like to know if anyone has done this on any 50's, or 60's F-cars....

 

I did it for for a couple of my old cars, one in black and the other in silver about three years ago (the two on the left). They look as good now as they did when new. Caution, handle carefully, the finish is not as tough as powder coat and can scratch or chip. It's a great product otherwise.

john

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Would it make you reconsider if it were an all aluminum bodied car?

 

Sorry, I don't understand the question.

john

 

All 50's and 60's Ferraris have aluminium hood and luggage boot lid , as far as I know . So aluminium should be considered although it's the paint surface that is being treated ;-) I am sure John Vardanian's cars have aluminium panels too. And he has some beauties too from what I know in this forum ;-)

 

I think John was talking about ceramic coating the exhaust (as an alternative to paint) while the OP is talking about ceramic coating the body (as an alternative to wax/polish).

I'm not a big fan of ceramic coatings on vintage cars, I can't say exactly why except that I don't like that it's permanent. There is a product that is very much like a ceramic coating called Opti-Seal, which lasts about 6-months but is not permanent. The same company makes another product called Opti-Coat, which is permanent. I've used Opti-Coat on a modern DD and Opti-Seal on a classic car, very happy with both. If I were to use it on the 330, which I haven't decided whether or not I will, I would definitely use the non-permanent Opti-Seal and not Opti-Coat.

 

While I like to see a lovely shine on a car, I sometimes have a bit of a problem with the quality and depth of shine.

Most older cars with an original cellulose paint have been restored with a modern 2-pack and this tends to have a very high gloss, which to my eyes does not seem period. A ceramic coating potentially enhances this even further.

Good sprayers can achieve a lower level of gloss, which when treated with a top quality carnauba wax seems to have a depth of shine which I find more appealing.

This is a personal view and am finding it quite difficult to describe but older cars can loose their character if they shine too much.

 

Sorry about my irrelevant post. I had no idea there was such a thing as ceramic coating the paint job.

john

 

john, kinda like the teflon application - for example

 

Totally agree
here's my 330 done in ''thin'' acrylic then waxed.
2 pack always looks to me like dipped in thick paint like toffee
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

very nice howard - see you in monterey this yr?

 

My 330 has single stage paint and I agree with all of the above, but I feel the visual difference is much more about the optical differences between single-stage and 2-stage paint than it is about which polishes are applied to the paint. Single stage looks very different than paint with paint with clear coat, and I haven't seen that difference change as a result of different polishes (though I definitely agree some polishes, like carnuba, look more natural than others).

I'm not sure this is a perfect analogy, but for guitar fans, it's a bit like the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson Les Paul. Epiphones have a thick layer of gloss poly applied to the body while the Gibsons have a very thin coat of nitrocellulose. The Epiphones look shinier, but they don't look better (to many at least) because the poly creates an optical barrier/layer that makes the wood look less natural and more disconnected. No matter what you do to polish Epiphone and Gibson guitars, even if you make the Gibson shinier, there is no mistaking the difference between thick poly and thin nitro clear.

 

I'm guessing there are some in this thread in the opposite position of not knowing about ceramic exhaust coatings. Posts that represent the voice of experience are always valuable in my opinion. I didn't know that ceramic exhaust coatings weren't as tough as powder coat, and it's the opposite of what you would expect, so I'm happy to have learned that.

 

Nice colour and finish Howard, is that Celeste Metallizzato 19321 M ?

 

you are absolutely nuts if you do this. ceramics are a science project and the only way to get the crap off ur car is to sand/machine it out. you are absolutely insane to put ceramic in a classic. nuts, bonkers, on crack.

 

Am not on crack, hence I asked for advice here prior to doing it ;-) But thanks

 

Good, Crack kills! Let me know if you wld like to chat offline on the phone. I've done alot of work on this. Just PM me if you care to connect.


Sent from my BBB100-3 using Tapatalk

 

I don't yet define 80's cars as classic, and I'm talking about a different type of ceramic coating than the OP is referring to, but....

In the interest of science, I'm having the exhaust manifolds on my 308 Mondial ceramic coated. This decision was born out of necessity as the heat shields on the car are now toast, used (and abused) for 35 years. So in lieu of sourcing or fabricating a new set of heat shields, my mechanic (a sponsor here, and a very nice guy to work with) suggested the ceramic coating solution. He claims that it insulates so well you can put your hand on the manifolds when the car is fully hot. It's something they've done to other Ferrari's with great success apparently, so I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Because, you know, science.

 

My post was in response to ceramic coating for a detail. Nothing else.


Sent from my BBB100-3 using Tapatalk

 

I know. I was teasing. But I also think it's an interesting use of a (different) type of ceramic technology.

 

Hi John,
Anybody you recommend in the UK at the moment ?
Best
Graham

 

Apologies for the delay in replying Graham.

I have just had my GTC painted by Andy Coxall of 355 at Send in Surrey. He took it back to bare metal and I am very pleased with the job. PM me if you need further details.

I always use Swissvax for waxing the car.

John