Do it yourself ceramic coating - Migliore Strata

[cpinfdp]

Hey everyone,

Finished up doing an application of this stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Migliore-Strata-Coating-Ceramic-Vehicle/dp/B00ON7K48O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459873318&sr=8-1&keywords=migliore+strata

Here are a few pics:

1652916530165311653216533

Here's a quick water test after the curing period (overnight):


https://youtu.be/nO7eanaNGSw

-I washed the car down with Dawn and then clay barred. I had already done some paint correction before applying the previous sealant (Liquid Glass), so I didn't really have to do much more.
-I was very impressed with how easy it is to apply and remove. I would say it requires moderate effort to wipe up the excess and as long as you do that quickly, it wipes up after just a couple of passes with an Eagle Blue Edgeless.
-I think it's advertised that one bottle is enough to cover 2 medium sized cars, but I think that's generous. Even though I might have been a little heavy handed at first, I still only had 20% of the bottle left over when I was finished. Expect it to definitely cover your average sized sedan, but probably not much more. I did do the windows as well, so we'll see how long the coating last's there.

As always, I defer to the detailing guru himself to weigh in, but I think this is definitely a reasonable, do-it-yourself option for a ceramic coating. If I remember, I will try to give some long term updates as this experiment goes on. I do plan on doing a layer of carnuba on top to get even more luster.

[98intrigue]

That car looks fantastic! Where abouts in Orlando? I lived over there for 6yrs while I was at UCF, but moved back to Clearwater after graduating.

[cpinfdp]

Lake Nona right now, probably stay in the area once we find a place.

[Vprbite]

I'll second that. She looks fantastic.

So, as long as the paint correction is done and it is ready for application (professional or DIY) you just apply and wipe off by hand? Just like a wax?

Also, 90 bucks isn't bad. Don't they charge about a grand to do a professional application? And how long is this supposed to last compared to a sealant or wax? I found griots sealant to last almost a year. It still beads ok but it's time to redo it. The ceramic should last longer, right? But isn't the main appeal of the ceramic its ability to stand up to the risk of swirls from washing? (Obviously I minimize those using all of Junkman's methods but I feel a few here and there happen. Maybe I need to work on my technique but I feel with 6k miles a year and our ultra fine dust/sand out here, a few are inevitable.) The ceramic is so hard, it resists any swirling from washing or drying/dusting, right?

Thanks for sharing. Car looks KILLA! Well done.

[duffman04]

Might have to give this a try... Not willing to spend thousands on a coating. If I can get mine to repel water/dirt that well I'll throw it on all the cars.

[gcrain]

Looks beautiful.

Why did you decide to go with Migliore as opposed to a bigger name like Cquartz or Opti-coat?

[97gtscoupe]

I think I will be doing this to mine this winter!

[C5Longhorn]

Any general tips for applying a coating? I'm doing my Gen 2 shortly with some Wolfgang Uber Ceramic. I'm in the process of paint correction now.

Rick

[justme]

A couple of thoughts:

1) I slipped the bottle of Migliore into a roll of electrical tape because it's so easy to knock over.

2) Put just enough on to cover the surface, don't go crazy with this stuff (I did my Gen 2 and my wife's Mini Cooper and still had some left).

3) The better the prep the better the results (paint correction is a must).

[aspman]

I have a Stryker Purple that came with clear wrap....already starting to peel a little at door seam....not sure im a fan.....also has several white spots that don't wash off....maybe that's a sign it was doing it job for road debris.....not going to track car...wonder if I should consider removing it and getting a high quality polishing.

[cpinfdp]

Depends on who did the wrap, but they warranty XPel Ultimate for awhile. Might be worth contacting the installer to fix some of the issues before giving up. I have it on the front bumper, hood and mirrors and see similar white spots where road debris struck it. To some degree it's supposed to self heal, but I find that to be a little more hype than reality.

Coating is a great option for paint protection, but I dont think its as much of a barrier as the clear bras.