Phantom Matte Gray Owners, Manifest Yourself

[Dannyvandelft]

You're all heroes in my book. I went to look at one, could've bought it under MSRP, but I would be a nervous wreck with such delicate paint.

Sponsored

 

[daviddavepdx]

Nervous wreck I am

 

[Hillstart]

Got a full cover Xpel stealth done just before the lockdown, see Paint Protection Film or Coating? thread.

Shmee recently posted that the only reason he hadn’t had it done was it voids the warranty according to the manual, my manual still in plastic wrapper.

Xpel offer 10 year guarantee that probably exceeds Toyota paint warranty.

I’m glad I got it done, easier to clean and offers some protection against stone chips etc.

 

[jtsang25]

Got a full cover Xpel stealth done just before the lockdown, see Paint Protection Film or Coating? thread.

Shmee recently posted that the only reason he hadn’t had it done was it voids the warranty according to the manual, my manual still in plastic wrapper.

Xpel offer 10 year guarantee that probably exceeds Toyota paint warranty.

I’m glad I got it done, easier to clean and offers some protection against stone chips etc.

But xpel warranty is for the film not the paint

 

[splv]

But xpel warranty is for the film not the paint

Excellent distinction.

 

[Axix23]

You're all heroes in my book. I went to look at one, could've bought it under MSRP, but I would be a nervous wreck with such delicate paint.

good for you being able to buy it under MSRP. Instead of talking about it, just do it? Or are you waiting or that Fairy tell 0% finance from Toyota?

 

[Dannyvandelft]

good for you being able to buy it under MSRP. Instead of talking about it, just do it? Or are you waiting or that Fairy tell 0% finance from Toyota?

Say what now?

 

[J’s Mk5]

3 weeks old!!! Love it, but matte paint care is a bitch!!!

 

[Waferz]

A ceramic coating or ceramic coating system is the first thing I’d do with matte paint. People need to note that prep for matte is different than for gloss paints as you cannot correct matte paint as it can’t be polished. They make matte waxes, but ceramics will out for perform.

Normal wax can ruin the finish and it has to be stripped off to get the finish back. Any bird droppings need to be cleaned off in short order. Ceramic coatings provide chemical resistance along with hydrophobic properties which is why they are typically highly recommended for matte finishes. Typical lifespan is two years to five years. Some longer, some shorter.

PPF is a double edged sword on matte paint. Satin and matte films are available, but you have to do a full wrap as they won’t match in texture. The other issue is some who have matte paint don’t like the luster change as the films are made to go over gloss.

Matte paint cannot be touched up effectively. Any rock chips, scratches, bird dropping etched, etc the owner will have to live with or deal with what may be a highly subpar touch up compared to gloss paints. Typically to correct a panel with damage, it has to be resprayed.

I sincerely hope dealers are going over this with purchasers as typically BMW / Mercedes makes one jump through minor to major hoops for matte finish depending on the dealer.

Edit: I wrote this at first thinking you had a matte and not a clue as to what you bought. I was genuinely feeling for you as a DD with matte paint would be a nightmare for me.

You sound like one of those Ceramic Coating salesman lol. NONE of those coatings are lasting anywhere close to 2 years without being redone every 5-7 months. The placebo is real. That’s not to say ceramic isn’t better than traditional wax and sealant, though.

Anyway, love this color! Would never want to maintenance it myself though!

 

[JasonO]

You sound like one of those Ceramic Coating salesman lol. NONE of those coatings are lasting anywhere close to 2 years without being redone every 5-7 months. The placebo is real. That’s not to say ceramic isn’t better than traditional wax and sealant, though.

Anyway, love this color! Would never want to maintenance it myself though!

I’ve seen them last several years with some maintenance. I’ve yet to see a sealant last more than several months. I didn’t say it stops chips, swirls, or any other BS like it provides a deeper gloss than wax. Is it as good on day 730 as day 1? No. Will it help protect an incredibly pain in the ass paint with less applications than a wax or sealant? Every sealant I’ve used or known someone to use firsthand, yes.

That being said, my experiences and those I’ve typically seen firsthand are with garaged vehicles. I’m assuming someone buying a matte paint Supra has a garage to put it in. If it is not garaged, good luck as anything done will have a shorter life due to the elements.

 

[Waferz]

I’ve seen them last several years with some maintenance. I’ve yet to see a sealant last more than several months. I didn’t say it stops chips, swirls, or any other BS like it provides a deeper gloss than wax. Is it as good on day 730 as day 1? No. Will it help protect an incredibly pain in the ass paint with less applications than a wax or sealant? Every sealant I’ve used or known someone to use firsthand, yes.

That being said, my experiences and those I’ve typically seen firsthand are with garaged vehicles. I’m assuming someone buying a matte paint Supra has a garage to put it in. If it is not garaged, good luck as anything done will have a shorter life due to the elements.

As you know I’m a professional refinisher. I’ve made a lot of business contacts since these ceramic shops have opened up. I’m their last resort guy because I charge them through the roof like they do to their customers, and I’m usually fixing 2 or 3 other guys cheap “fixes” that they tried and failed with before coming to me. It’s always a last minute “this needs to be done today” type of thing. I think it’s an overpriced scam with a lot of inexperienced participants. They charge you $3000+ to polish and coat a brand new car that doesn’t need much polish, and then when they damage something they want to pay next to nothing to fix it. They are making straight profit on this stuff. Lots of burn throughs and other damages that I have to fix, and all before their customers find out. Hell I’ve had to strip and repaint an entire hood on a brand new Mercedes because they had someone try to refinish it cheap in the back yard and it didn’t work out. The hood wasn’t even sanded and the paint was falling off everywhere. Then they get a fresh painted hood back, coat it immediately, and don’t let it gas out. Guess who gets no paint warranty because they didn’t follow instructions and let the paint cure? Some of these guys honestly should not be touching people’s cars! Personally I think the ceramic coating industry as a whole is shady. The product developers as well as the shop. But, I love the extra money I get when they mess up, so it’s all good.

Anyhow, those people have been very upfront with me on how these products work and how often maintenance is required. Every employee that I know at these places are using Gtechniq c2v3 on their personal vehicles because it’s far easier to apply and keep up with than the ceramic coatings they are selling and the effects lasts nearly as long. This x10 if your car stays in a garage, their cars don’t.

 

[JasonO]

As you know I’m a professional refinisher. I’ve made a lot of business contacts since these ceramic shops have opened up. I’m their last resort guy because I charge them through the roof like they do to their customers, and I’m usually fixing 2 or 3 other guys cheap “fixes” that they tried and failed with before coming to me. It’s always a last minute “this needs to be done today” type of thing. I think it’s an overpriced scam with a lot of inexperienced participants. They charge you $3000+ to polish and coat a brand new car that doesn’t need much polish, and then when they damage something they want to pay next to nothing to fix it. They are making straight profit on this stuff. Lots of burn throughs and other damages that I have to fix, and all before their customers find out. Hell I’ve had to strip and repaint an entire hood on a brand new Mercedes because they had someone try to refinish it cheap in the back yard and it didn’t work out. The hood wasn’t even sanded and the paint was falling off everywhere. Then they get a fresh painted hood back, coat it immediately, and don’t let it gas out. Guess who gets no paint warranty because they didn’t follow instructions and let the paint cure? Some of these guys honestly should not be touching people’s cars! Personally I think the ceramic coating industry as a whole is shady. The product developers as well as the shop. But, I love the extra money I get when they mess up, so it’s all good.

Anyhow, those people have been very upfront with me on how these products work and how often maintenance is required. Every employee that I know at these places are using Gtechniq c2v3 on their personal vehicles because it’s far easier to apply and keep up with than the ceramic coatings they are selling and the effects lasts nearly as long. This x10 if your car stays in a garage, their cars don’t.

I’m well aware you refinish and have an entirely different perspective. I would not pay for someone to coat my car, it is not difficult for one, and two, most want to paint correct. That is where they make their money, so of course most will say it is necessary. The downside is exactly what you stated, in trying to make something perfect, they made it worse. There is a place for paint correction, but most people honestly shouldn’t get it as they don’t understand all the downsides that come with it.

Ceramic is stupid easy to apply. I’ve even used the professional grade stuff that isn’t sold direct and it is hard to mess up if simple directions are followed. It isn’t as easy, but it is by no means difficult.

I agree there is a lot of misinformation out there that either makes it sound intimidating to do or overpromise on performance / longevity.

 

[Waferz]

I’m well aware you refinish and have an entirely different perspective. I would not pay for someone to coat my car, it is not difficult for one, and two, most want to paint correct. That is where they make their money, so of course most will say it is necessary. The downside is exactly what you stated, in trying to make something perfect, they made it worse. There is a place for paint correction, but most people honestly shouldn’t get it as they don’t understand all the downsides that come with it.

Ceramic is stupid easy to apply. I’ve even used the professional grade stuff that isn’t sold direct and it is hard to mess up if simple directions are followed. It isn’t as easy, but it is by no means difficult.

I agree there is a lot of misinformation out there that either makes it sound intimidating to do or overpromise on performance / longevity.

Ceramic is definitely easy to apply, but it’s also fairly easy to mess up for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. For us it’s a walk in the park. Check out the C2v3 if you hadn’t. You can spray on wipe off or spray on before you dry. It’s really really easy.

 

[JasonO]

Ceramic is definitely easy to apply, but it’s also fairly easy to mess up for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. For us it’s a walk in the park. Check out the C2v3 if you hadn’t. You can spray on wipe off or spray on before you dry. It’s really really easy.

I’ve heard good things about that can coat they have. When it comes time to reapply, I was definitely thinking of trying it out.

 

[Waferz]

I’ve heard good things about that can coat they have. When it comes time to reapply, I was definitely thinking of trying it out.

To be clear the c2v3 isn’t a full on ceramic coating, it’s just a really good spray sealant with ceramic in it.

Sponsored