Williams F1 Team Ceramic Coat worth it?

[guest806]

 Is the Williams F1 Team Ceramic Coat and SMART Protect Plus worth it?
Had this applied in the showroom and i think it works but on a new car, i thought keeping it clean would be easier anyway.

[olduser1]

Many salespersons earn a bonus when selling these typres of 'extras', I would save your £ and when the weather improves treat your new Jazz to Autoglym Super Resin polish then apply Extra Gloss polish but be sure to leave 4-5 hours before final polish.

[madasafish]

Is the Williams F1 Team Ceramic Coat and SMART Protect Plus worth it?

A vague (? :-) clue  might be the name and the cost of F1  and the need to recoup those costs..

I don't know how much it costs but I reckon 2/3rds of the cost is in the name.

[chrisc]

You guys certainly invent fancy names for car polish!  I mean "ceramic" and "F1"!  Gives the impression that the finish is hard as nails.  What is "smart protect"?  Another BS term I suspect.  A smart phone yes.

Here, the sun is paint's worst enemy and clear coat is the first thing to become brittle and crack, making the car look dodgy.  There a few car detailing shops around and the Meguiars products seem to be the ones most recommended with a high UV resistant coating (Meguiars Deep Crystal uv+) being a top seller.  Its not then just white people's skin which is susceptible to too much UV radiation from the sun, but car finishes as well.  Unfortunately, cars do not absorb vitamin D from sunshine, the polish just oxidises and fades away after 6 weeks, so a 250ml bottle of polish lasts less than a year with plenty of elbow-grease added as well.

Autoglym isn't sold much here.  There is a stockist in Johannesburg, that is all.  Looking on eBay.uk it seems to be the same price as McGuires polishes.  I see autopia reckons that Autoglym is better...?

[RichardA]

I would stick to using Autoglym Super Resin Polish and then apply a paste wax afterward. I've heard good reports about Autogym HD wax and the Dodo Juice range, I've never tried them myself but I've used similar products with great success. You only need to apply a small amount so a small tub will last years - my Victoria Collectors Wax 3oz tub has lasted me almost four years and counting.

[chrisc]

I found a on-line stockist in South Africa who will ship a 340ml tub of Autoglym SRP to me for a nominal sum.  Given that due to sun action, you need to apply polish to the car 3 times in summer and once in winter, the stuff does not last all that long.  Thanks for the recommendation.

I also subscribe to the BMW Forum and see there that members are divided on whether Meguiars or Autoglym is the best, so the only way it to try it.  My wife's BMW is 7 years old and the paintwork looks as good as new, with a weekly wash and application of decent polish.  A good appearance on a car certainly helps to sell it when the time comes - first impressions count, like viewing a house.

[guest806]

I did get the Ceramic coat applied free of charge but without the guarantee.  I was told that was the majority of the cost.
The smart protect is an insurance for any scratch or dents within three years, up to 150mm.  We opted for this over the door protectors.

[chrisc]

150mm is a decent sized scratch.  I would say the "smart-cover" is worth it then, as there is nothing more annoying to find some clumsy person has opened their door against your paintwork, or a trolley has banged into the door.  The steel is so thin that a trolley laden with groceries will make a substantial ding.  I always bother about rust getting a hold.

Are there any restrictions about how many times you can claim, etc?  Do you get to choose your own repair shop?

[enigma]

I opted for Smartcover when I purchased my Jazz 6 months ago and, yes, I'm sure the dealer took a good cut.

Observations so far:-  the car has retained a high gloss, it seems to gather less dirt and is easier to clean. Fly squash and bird droppings do come off easier. Their dry-wash system with micro-fibre cloths (it comes with the goodies pack) seems odd the first time I tried it but works OK. Quite expensive though; I reckon about £4 a wash.

Downsides? Well they advise against using car washes. Is it worth it? Ask me in 3 years.

BTW my understanding is that the dent insurance is for '50p' size dings and you use their own dent repair service.

[guest806]

Yes, no limit on call outs but we will see when i make a claim.  The scratch size is (i think) 150mm but stone chips are 2mm.  I queried why so small and the sales rep phoned whilst i was there and was informed it was just to classify them.  As i have purchased the car on the PCP plan, i thought this would be good to ensure i could get the maximum value when it came to the end of the three years.