Torture Testing Ceramic Coating on a Porsche 944
YouTuber Casey Putsch takes his daily-driven 1983 Porsche 944 to the car wash after a month outside, but will the ceramic coating hold up?
From carnauba waxes and synthetic polishes to hybrid sprays, ceramic coatings, and paint protection film, hundreds of companies claim they will protect our vehicular children. Outside of a few snake-oil fads, the truth is that most options produce a glossy shine, especially when you’re starting with clean paint. What differs in these myriads of shiny options are variables like product cost, application methods, and, of course, durability. Generally speaking, the more expensive a product and the more careful you have to be during its application, the longer it will last. Case in point, ceramic coating.
Racecar driver and Genius Garage student mentor Casey Putsch has teamed up with Avalon King to make a series of videos on his YouTube Channel. We’ve been covering his Lykan Hypersport build here on 6Speed Online, as it involves a Porsche Boxster S donor car. But, in Putsch’s latest video, he speaks more directly to his Avalon King partnership by conducting a month-long torture test of Armor Shield IX ceramic coating on his 1983 Porsche 944, before giving his viewers a few ceramic coating preparation tips on a 1979 Porsche 928.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: Avalon King is also a 6Speed Online vendor and I am personally in the middle of conducting an Armor Shield IX product review. I can’t speak to the results yet, as my coated projects are still in their curing phase. But, as Putsch describes in his video, the product is easy to apply after proper preparation. And I am thus far impressed by its high gloss factor. More soon.)
Part 1: 1983 Porsche 944 Ceramic Coating Test
A month ago, Putsch polished, prepped, and ceramic-coated his 1983 Porche 944. He then left his daily-driver outside for a full month, with its only baths being whatever rain Mother Nature provided. For this video, he takes his 944 to a self car wash where he liberally sprays it down with the “no spots” rinse option.
No soap. No agitation or sponges. No microfiber towels.
Putsch then hustles the 944 over to his Genius Garage workshop — a blowdrying on the go, if you will — where he inspects the results of his experiment. Much to his surprise, outside a few water spots, some of which were caused by rain, the Porsche looks as good as if he had hand washed and dried the whole car. He does point out a few bits of tar and road debris, but he is nonetheless impressed.
Part 2: 1979 Porsche 928 Prep & Polishing
Although Putsch didn’t make a video about the prep that went into his 944’s ceramic coating, he, fortunately, has another Porsche project. This one is a 1973 Porsche 928, which is getting new badges and interior bits, like a fresh steering wheel. Putsch is also about to apply a ceramic coating, so he takes a few minutes to explain the preparation steps, including:
- Washing and drying the car
- Clay barring painted surfaces
- Polishing the paint to remove swirl marks
- Wiping down the whole car with alcohol
Putsch also adds a few extra tips about polishing, specifically. He cautions to keep an eye on things like polishing pads and microfiber towels, as dirt and debris will embed themselves and start scratching other surfaces. This is particularly important as you paint-correct lower sections of your vehicle (“below the beltline, so to speak”). Or if your garage or shop sees other types of materials like wood or metal. He also says not to be too aggressive if polishing with an orbital polisher; too much pressure could cause you to ruin your whole paint job.
“Ceramic coating’s amazing, but not a miracle worker. You still have to make your
paint look decent. Then when you put it on, you get those layers of glass.”
In the end, what I learned from this video, and what I’m learning myself as I gain more experience with Armor Shield IX, is that preparation is key. It will be the hardest part of the process. And the longest. But if done correctly, your ceramic coating will form a glossy bond that will protect your paint for years to come.