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Find answers to common questions about Auto Lust, our services, and what to expect when you trust us with your vehicle.
Absolutely, we have taken care of some of the rarest vehicles manufactured and continue to do so on a weekly basis. We have a climate controlled facility specifically for PPF and coatings that is SEPERATE from our detail and prep bay. You can’t do a coating or PPF in the same room as someone vacuuming, paint correcting or detailing a car. *We are trusted by high end car dealerships to perform our services for their clients.
We offer discounts and perks like last minute appointments, emergency detail help and automotive advice to loyal long term clients only. If you’re looking for a discount or deal we’re not for you, please do not ask.
All vehicles will receive the base line preparation which includes – wash, clay bar, iron x decontamination and a very light polishing. The light polishing is to ensure the surface is clean. If there are minor swirls, light scratches or any other paint flaws and contamination further action will be recommended. A full paint correction may be recommended at this point and will be priced accordingly.
Quick response: NO, NO, NO.
Any company promoting these trends are inexperienced and trying to make a quick dollar. These products come and go. These materials might be in the bottle of your coating but are likely not active in protecting your vehice as marketed.
Quick response: 4-6 years
Ceramic coatings are only as good as the preparation, how the vehicle is maintained, usage and storage of the vehicle. The claimed durability or warranty period from the coating manufacturers should be used as a reference point, not a guarantee. Daily driven, garage kept, washed weekly vehicles can last 4-5 years in most cases. Garage kept, weekend driven or show cars can last well beyond the 5-6 year mark.
Quick response: NO
We have installed hundreds if not a thousand ceramic coatings over the last decade at Auto Lust. We have also maintained cars that have had ceramic coatings with the claimed 7, 8, 10 years of durability or a lifetime warranty. We have never seen consistent evidence that these products last the suggested life span, and have seen many of them fail closer to the 3, 4, 5 year mark. These claims are truly a marketing gimmick.
Quick response: YES
The short answer is yes, however it is not a factor in coating performance for many reasons. The rating “9h” is from an antiquated way of testing pencil hardness from over 100 years ago. The coatings are not thick enough to get an accurate depiction of hardness by using this method.
Hand wash only, follow our instructions that we provide. If you are unable to wash your own vehicle we can recommend a local mobile detail company that is equipped to handle your coated car. Wash your vehicle at least 1 to 2 times per month. If the car is not daily driven use your judgment and scale it back to monthly or every other month. Automatic car washes are a firm “NO”. Touch less car washes are a “on a rare occasion, maybe.
Quick response: NO
Ceramic coatings will keep your car cleaner longer between washes making cleaning quicker and easier. The idea is that you are washing a cleaner vehicle with less road grime which will limit the chance of scratching your car during the wash process. If someone keys your car, hits it with a shopping cart, drags a belt buckle or purse across the paint it will most likely be damaged.
Water spots can occur on any surface if water is allowed to dry on a surface, so yes it is possible. If water spots occur and what you are seeing is mineral deposits they can be removed easily with most water spot removers (most commonly an afternoon summer rain storm that passes quickly and the sun comes out). If the water is in some way contaminated with environmental chemicals (there’s a long list of possibilities) or the dreaded sprinkler system the chemicals can cause the water to etch the coating and sometimes the paint
Quick response: NO
No, wax is not needed and will most likely not bond due to the ceramic coating being on the paint. Never clay bar your car afterwards, if there are bugs, road grime, bird droppings etc. there are dozens of products to safely remove these common issues in a safe manner. Do not rub, scrub or abrade the paint with a terry cloth or dish sponge!
Quick response: YES
Yes, you can ceramic coat wheels. At Auto Lust we only will ceramic coat wheels by doing the entire face/spokes of the wheel AND the barrel. Some companies offer the wheels in their packages but only do the face/spokes. Ceramic coating just the spokes is lazy and is like putting sun screen on just the front of your body and hoping your back and neck don’t get sunburn. DO IT RIGHT.
Glass coatings are often lumped in the packages at other companies too. Unfortunately they just wipe the windows clean and apply the coating and hope it works. At Auto Lust we always polish the glass first then apply the coating.
“The cleaner/polish step removes all contaminants on the glass, revealing ‘hydroxyls’ which are the reactive sites within the glass that the coating anchors to when it condenses on the surface. Several minutes after installation, a ceramic-like membrane is formed that fills in micro voids of the glass and covers the peaks with protection” – FeynLab
Quick response: Yes, but it’s a waste of money.
Yes you can. At Auto Lust we do not offer this option because the return on investment is close to zero. There are dozens of car manufacturers, each manufacturer uses different material for trim, each model of car has several different types of material depending on the trim design. It’s almost impossible to know if your trim is compatible with the coating and will yield any benefits from being coated. If your trim starts to fade there are a number of options to restore them.
From drop off to delivery the process can take anywhere from 2-8 business days depending on the amount of preparation and film coverage.
All vehicles will receive the base line preparation which includes – wash, clay bar, iron x decontamination and a very light polishing. The light polishing is to ensure the surface is clean. If there are minor swirls, light scratches or any other paint flaws and contamination further action will be recommended. A full paint correction may be recommended at this point and will be priced accordingly.
Quick response: NO, it will be as close as possible.
We always strive for excellence during film application. We understand it is a large investment for our clients and want to deliver outstanding results. Also, we have to keep in mind that paint systems are not perfect they will have flaws that affect the installation, the film is not perfect and we are not installing the film in a vacuum with ZERO contamination so we need to be realistic. The age, mileage and complexity of the car will also affect the results.
Any reputable and honest PPF installation center will agree. “It’s called paint protection film, not paint perfection film”
Auto Lust primarily uses SunTek Ultra with a self healing top coat. We prefer SunTek Ultra for the appearance, ease of installation and durability.
Quick response: NO
PPF manufacturers are amazing at producing PPF, not ceramic coatings. We have evidence that installing a high quality ceramic coating on top of the PPF will yield far better performance and durability for our clients.
Quick response: Yes, when appropriate.
We will wrap edges wherever possible and where we feel it will be beneficial for protecting the paint. Not all panels can be completely wrapped and some require an almost invisible seam. PPF is not like vinyl which can be wrapped around every corner and edge, PPF is much thicker and is a completely different install process
We use a combination of the two often customizing the patterns to get the best fit.
Similar to ceramic coatings it depends on use, washing maintenance, and storage. We encourage clients to check back with us at the 5-6 year mark to inspect the film. At this time we may remove and replace a filmed mirror or gas cap to observe the adhesive during removal and then make suggestions based on the results.
Quick response: Not recommended
Yes you can but any damage/chips that are present before the installation might be more pronounced after the fact. This is a case by case scenario but more than often it is not recommended after 1-2 years due to existing rock damage and pitting (especially bumpers and panels that are below knee height).
We’re here to help. Contact us directly and we’ll be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.
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