Has anyone had paint sealant professionally installed on their car? I am going to have someone do this for me. The deal offered to do it for $1000, but I know a professional detailer that is going to do it for $250.

Any info on paint sealant? How long does it really last? Months? Years? Do you still have to wax your car after having paint sealant applied?

 

Sealants typically last 3 - 6 months. Save yourself some money and do not goto the dealership, it's a complete ripoff. Either do it yourself or take it a professional. Most sealants cost between $15 - $50 on the higher side of things. You can top your vehicle with a carnauba wax for even more depth and gloss, but that's optional. Waxes typically last 4 - 6 weeks, so you'd want to reapply a wax roughly once a month.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

 

Thanks for the Info George.

The professional that is going to do it for me said that the kind he uses is used on airplanes and boats. He said that he is going to apply three coats of the sealant. He said it is top of the line stuff and way better than PermaPlate, Touch of Class, Xzilon, etc. (what the dealer uses).

Is it better to have a professional install sealant?

 

are those dealership crazy? 1k for applying sealant?

 

There is nothing to install. What they are selling you is a ripoff. Go ready George's website for info. He has a great how to for adding a sealant to your car, as well as other important information.

 

It depends on what he plans on doing prior to applying the sealant. A sealant is simply a wipe on wipe off product, and quality sealants apply and remove very easily. If he plans on washing, drying, clay baring and polishing before applying the sealant, then yes it is probably worth it for the quoted $250. If he plans on just washing, drying and applying 3 coats of sealant, then I'd say no. Is he known as a reputable detailer in your area? Keep in mind, sealants require 24 hours to properly bond, unless he's using Zaino and the ZFX curing accelerating agent, so the multiple coats won't be that different than a single coat of sealant. The primary benefit of doing multiple coats one after another is even coverage over your vehicle.

Anything the dealership uses is usually mediocre at best, almost any over the counter product would perform just as well. Did he say which brand products he planned on using?

It'll pretty much boil down to how much you value your time and if it's worth it to you to do the work yourself. If detailing is something you think you would enjoy getting into, then I'd say take the money you planned on spending on a detailer and by the products and tools to do the job yourself. A little research and you'll be very pleased with your results. The products will last you years and you'll probably put more care into the job than a professional will. If you do not plan on caring for your vehicle on a regular basis, then I'd pay the pro to do it.

Keep us posted on what you decide on doing and how things turn out.

George

 

Clear Bra!

 

I don't like bras. They just get in the way. Did I just post *****? Crap now I have to delete this.


On topic: the $250 is a decent price if they do the whole process like George said but not if they don't. I am going to pay close to that but for the whole process and three layers of Zaino.

 

Yeah $250 is for everything. Full detail on the exterior, and add something on top of the sealant to bring out the the color. He already has done a clear bra on my car and is a very reputable guy. I will research how much it would cost me to do it myself because time is not an issue, but the issue is getting the job done to its fullest potential.

Thanks for all the advice, I will let you know what I plan to do. Also take pictures of the results.

 

that's the beauty of the clear bra...all the support with all the view....it's time this idea went beyond automotive use...

sorry...couldn' help it...

 

my dealership offered me paint sealant for $250, with lifetime touch-ups as required.

 

Don't let the dealer do it!

 

where are you getting this done in the bay area?

 

i'm getting my sealant done at a honda dealership for $30 (under the table) - my frend is the one who will be doing for me when the dealership is closed.

would you all recommend that I claybar, then use mother's glaze, then 2-3 layers of wax? then let him do the sealant?

 

Seriously, don't do it. Please listen to George on this one and save yourself $250. I can pretty much guarantee that this doesn't include properly prepping the paint (claybarring, polishing, etc), so paying $250 for a sealant and an interior detail is crazy.