Yes, you need to budget at least 2-3 days for the coating. It is the base layer coats that require patience and skill while applying and shouldn’t be rushed. The curing time for the base coat is around 13-14 hours. Once this has settled in, then the top coats are layered on for additional gloss and hydrophobic properties. The top coats are generally good around 4 hours. The exact curing times vary with the actual products used by the detailer.
Please keep in mind that the longest time needs to be invested in preparing the paint and correcting for any fine scratches or swirls, even on a new car! Then you have the PPF and then finally the ceramic coating. I highly recommend you get this done by one installer or detailer from start to finish. I’d budget about a week for this, given how much money this costs, so that they take the time to do it right and are not rushed. I agree that this is painful, but it's better to get it done with as early as possible.
Definitely good to avoid car-washes, better to have a dirty car than get it scratched and swirled up big time ! Feel free to post pics after you are done . Quite an exciting process to see
