[ukk]

I just got the base ceramic coating option (1 coat of CQuartz SiC) as this was my first time. Will see how I will maintain the look going forward .

I really like the Carbon Black color! Of course, the lighting in the detail shop does help accentuate the dark blue shades, which I personally like.

[DropTopKingM3]

It came out great!

[Shllshck]

Looks great ukk… and of course I’m partial to Carbon Black as well.

[ukk]

Originally Posted by DropTopKingM3

It came out great!

+1 on that!

[ukk]

Originally Posted by Shllshck

Looks great ukk… and of course I’m partial to Carbon Black as well.

and to Ivory too

[DropTopKingM3]

Did you do the glass as well? The glass is looking nice and shiny.

[ukk]

Originally Posted by DropTopKingM3

Did you do the glass as well? The glass is looking nice and shiny.

No. Just the paint. Here are the details of the entire service: https://www.metropolitandetail.com/cquartz

They do a hand wash and clean the windows as part of the service; could be due to the lighting setup and the car being brand new..

[Lifeisgood20]

Looks stunning! Curious what guidance they gave for maintenance of the ceramic coating moving forward?

[ukk]

Originally Posted by Lifeisgood20

Looks stunning! Curious what guidance they gave for maintenance of the ceramic coating moving forward?

They recommended hand washing the car bi-weekly/monthly with the Carpro Reset shampoo, and to conduct a yearly decontamination service with CarPro Iron X.

P.S. Carpro is the parent brand of CQuartz SiC, but I am not sure if I have to stick with the CarPro maintenance products. However, the shampoo has good ratings on Amazon, and is not too expensive; so plan to go with it.

[NickJ]

That carbon black looks fantastic after your ceramic coating. I ordered my X5 45e in carbon black as well and I have been on the fence on how to protect it, ceramic coating or wrap of some sort. If you don't mind me asking, why ceramic coating over all the other options?

[ApacheSen]

Originally Posted by ukk

I just got the base ceramic coating option (1 coat of CQuartz SiC) as this was my first time. Will see how I will maintain the look going forward .

I really like the Carbon Black color! Of course, the lighting in the detail shop does help accentuate the dark blue shades, which I personally like.

Attachment 3001618

Attachment 3001619

Attachment 3001620


Attachment 3001621

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I to have the same Color ordered , was the blue shade more prominent even before the Coat or Ceramic Coat made it look more better ?

How much did you get charged for the Ceramic Coat ?

[CGJ999]

Looks fantastic!!

[ukk]

Originally Posted by NickJ

That carbon black looks fantastic after your ceramic coating. I ordered my X5 45e in carbon black as well and I have been on the fence on how to protect it, ceramic coating or wrap of some sort. If you don't mind me asking, why ceramic coating over all the other options?

PPF is quite expensive, and even if there is a minor fender-bender, the entire panel needs to be redone. Also, I am "now" being protective of my "new" car, but I will not have this level of protective instincts in say a year's time (so after the first rock chip, I will not be as distraught with the second one, and so on ). Long story short, PPF was not worth the money purely from my perspective and personality.

The reason I went with ceramic coating was because this is my first dark colored car, and I wanted it to keep looking great for as much time as possible. I also wanted the Carbon Black color to pop; though, will need to take pictures in everyday lighting conditions for a fair comparison between a CB car with and without ceramic coating.

To be honest, I don't foresee myself as being super diligent in keeping my car in pristine condition. Hence, I went with the basic ceramic coating option (least expensive option) as I will not feel bad if the ceramic coating diminishes due to irregular upkeep.

See https://www.metropolitandetail.com/c...ramic-coatings for the different prices.

Hope this helps your decision process!

[ukk]

Originally Posted by ApacheSen

I to have the same Color ordered , was the blue shade more prominent even before the Coat or Ceramic Coat made it look more better ?

How much did you get charged for the Ceramic Coat ?

They charge $975 for the basic ceramic coating on an SUV, and offer a 10% discount for Microsoft Prime card members. In total, it cost me $966 (including tax).

Here are the details of the service: https://www.metropolitandetail.com/cquartz

This page lists the other costlier ceramic coating options as well: https://www.metropolitandetail.com/c...ramic-coatings

>> was the blue shade more prominent even before the Coat or Ceramic Coat made it look more better

I will need to take pictures in everyday lighting conditions for a fair comparison between a CB car with and without ceramic coating. Unfortunately, I don't have good pictures before the coating. Based on my observation, the paint looks more polished (as the car undergoes a polish stage before the coating is applied).

[malvern_man]

Originally Posted by ukk

They charge $975 for the basic ceramic coating on an SUV, and offer a 10% discount for Microsoft Prime card members. In total, it cost me $966 (including tax).

Here are the details of the service: https://www.metropolitandetail.com/cquartz

This page lists the other costlier ceramic coating options as well: https://www.metropolitandetail.com/c...ramic-coatings

>> was the blue shade more prominent even before the Coat or Ceramic Coat made it look more better

I will need to take pictures in everyday lighting conditions for a fair comparison between a CB car with and without ceramic coating. Unfortunately, I don't have good pictures before the coating. Based on my observation, the paint looks more polished (as the car undergoes a polish stage before the coating is applied).

Your car looks great, the colour really pops now.

Did you get the wheels done too?

[ukk]

Originally Posted by malvern_man

Your car looks great, the colour really pops now.

Did you get the wheels done too?

Thanks! No. I just got the ceramic coating done for the paint.

[leightos]

phenomenal dude.. i love it. I just ordered Carbon black 45e. Hope I can find a great detailer here in Vegas.
Can I ask, did you tell the dealer not to detail the car when it was delivered ? I did that last time, and told them the same. I'll bring it directly to get the ceramic on it right away.

[NickJ]

Originally Posted by ukk

PPF is quite expensive, and even if there is a minor fender-bender, the entire panel needs to be redone. Also, I am "now" being protective of my "new" car, but I will not have this level of protective instincts in say a year's time (so after the first rock chip, I will not be as distraught with the second one, and so on ). Long story short, PPF was not worth the money purely from my perspective and personality.

The reason I went with ceramic coating was because this is my first dark colored car, and I wanted it to keep looking great for as much time as possible. I also wanted the Carbon Black color to pop; though, will need to take pictures in everyday lighting conditions for a fair comparison between a CB car with and without ceramic coating.

To be honest, I don't foresee myself as being super diligent in keeping my car in pristine condition. Hence, I went with the basic ceramic coating option (least expensive option) as I will not feel bad if the ceramic coating diminishes due to irregular upkeep.

See https://www.metropolitandetail.com/c...ramic-coatings for the different prices.

Hope this helps your decision process!

Good to hear someone be honest and upfront about the future upkeep of there vehicle. I will fall in that same category. I do like a clean and tidy vehicle, but I don't have the time or energy to wash rinse and repeat every weekend. I'll most likely go with the ceramic coating as well. It really makes the carbon black stand out.

On a side note, since Microsoft employees are the only ones eligible for Microsoft Prime I won't be able to take advantage of that additional 10% discount. Would be nice.

Thanks for the updates and information.

[ukk]

Originally Posted by leightos

phenomenal dude.. i love it. I just ordered Carbon black 45e. Hope I can find a great detailer here in Vegas.
Can I ask, did you tell the dealer not to detail the car when it was delivered ? I did that last time, and told them the same. I'll bring it directly to get the ceramic on it right away.

Thank you!

That is correct. My dealership had offered me free PermaPlate protection for the interior and exterior of my car as a courtesy, and I declined the offer (see https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1954359 for more details).

I also asked them to not wash the car; the finance manager was surprised when he saw the unwashed car, and I assured him that the CA just was following my delivery requests . The ceramic coating will be cheaper if there is no paint correction involved, and I wanted to minimize any paint imperfections as much as possible that are in my control.

BTW, for my future reference, I asked my CA about the dealership car washes. It seems, they do a hand wash for new car delivery and for their detailing services, but use an automatic washer system for most other cases. Something to keep in mind.

[malvern_man]

Originally Posted by ukk

Thanks! No. I just got the ceramic coating done for the paint.

I would consider getting your wheels ceramic coated too, they're just so much easier to clean once coated.

[ukk]

Originally Posted by malvern_man

I would consider getting your wheels ceramic coated too, they're just so much easier to clean once coated.

Thanks. Will think about it. The cost is $500 (in the same detail shop that I had done the ceramic coating).

I plan to hand wash the car myself as the local shop charges $50 (and this is a repeat expense). Realistically, I aspire to do a hand wash once a month. If ceramic coating the wheels will make my job easier, while at the same time protecting their finish, then it might be worth the expense.

[Shllshck]

Originally Posted by malvern_man

I would consider getting your wheels ceramic coated too, they're just so much easier to clean once coated.

Originally Posted by ukk

Thanks. Will think about it. The cost is $500 (in the same detail shop that I had done the ceramic coating).

ukk We both have the blue M Sport brakes. The forum is full of posts about the amount of brake dust these brakes generate. I just dropped my new X6 at the detailer shop and am doing the full front custom PPF, full ceramic coating including the wheel faces, barrels and calipers. Plus some tint work.

As malvern_man points out, it will lessen the effort to keep your wheels looking clean as well. I think your 20” wheels would also be more labor intensive than my 21s to clean. My shop is charging $500 as well to ceramic coat the wheels, barrels, and calipers. Half that if only doing the wheel face.