Start with what is wrong, not with what is for sale
Most people ring asking for a ceramic coating when the thing bothering them is actually swirl marks under the servo lights, or a bonnet stippled with stone chips. Those are three different problems with three different fixes, and buying the wrong one is expensive. Here is the honest map.
Ceramic coating
A hard, chemically bonded layer over your clear coat. It resists etching from bird droppings and tree sap, blocks UV fade, and makes the car far easier to wash because contamination cannot key into the surface. It does nothing for physical impact. Full detail on the ceramic coating page, including realistic durability and what the maintenance actually involves.
Worth it if: you want the car to stay glossy and easy to wash for years, and you are prepared to wash it properly. Not worth it if: the paint is heavily oxidised and you are not willing to pay for correction first.
Paint protection film
Clear urethane film, roughly 150 to 200 microns thick, laid over the panels that take the hits. This is the only product on this page that stops a stone chip, because it is thick enough to absorb the energy. Modern films self-heal light swirls with heat. See paint protection film for coverage options and the honest downsides, including edge lines and cost.
Worth it if: you do freeway kilometres, or the car is dark, expensive, or both. Not worth it if: your main complaint is dullness rather than chips — a coating is a fraction of the price.
Paint correction
Machine polishing with abrasive compounds and pads to level the clear coat and remove swirls, holograms, light scratches and oxidation. It is the most skilled and most time-consuming thing we do, and it is why two quotes for "a ceramic coating" can differ by a thousand dollars. Read paint correction for how single-stage and two-stage work differ.
Worth it if: the paint looks hazy, swirled or flat in direct sun. Not worth it if: the car is a week old and the dealer has not touched it with a rotary.
Interior protection
Coatings for leather, fabric and hard plastics. On seats and carpet they buy you minutes to blot a spill before it stains. On the dash top they slow the UV cracking that Melbourne summers cause in cars parked outdoors. They are not stain-proofing and they will not survive an abrasive scrub. Interior protection covers what each surface realistically gets.
Wheel and glass coating
Wheel faces and barrels get a heat-tolerant coating so brake dust sits on the surface instead of baking into the finish. Glass gets a hydrophobic layer so rain clears above about 60km/h and you use the wipers less on the Eastern Freeway in a cool change. Details on the wheel and glass coating page.
Putting it together
Most bookings end up as one of three packages: correction plus coating on the exterior; the same plus wheels and glass; or the full job with interior included as well. Pricing logic for all of them is set out in the cost guide. We work across the suburbs listed on the service areas page, and you can get in touch for a written quote after an inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Which service should I book first?
Paint correction, if the paint has swirls or oxidation. Everything else sits on top of the paint, so correction has to happen first or the defects get locked in. If the car is genuinely new and the paint is straight, you can go straight to coating and skip correction entirely, which saves you the largest part of the bill.
Can I have film and a coating on the same car?
Yes, and it is the most common premium combination. Paint protection film goes on the bonnet, bumper, mirrors and A-pillars where stones hit, and a ceramic coating goes over the whole car including the film. The coating makes the film easier to clean and slows the yellowing that older films were known for.
Do you do window tinting?
No. We coat glass so water clears faster and wiper chatter drops, but tinting is a different trade with its own Victorian legal limits on visible light transmission. If you want both, get the tint done first and let it cure, then bring the car to us for coating work.