Correction first. Then coating.
A coating locks in whatever is underneath it. Put one over swirled paint and you’ve sealed the damage in for years.
Two halves of one job
Correction is what changes how the paint looks. Coating is what keeps it that way.
Correction comes first
A coating is transparent and it cures over whatever is underneath it. Apply one to swirled paint and you have sealed those swirls in for the life of the coating, which on a good product is years. It is the most common and most expensive mistake in the industry.
So the sequence is fixed: assess, decontaminate, correct, panel-wipe to strip polishing oils, then coat. Correction is machine polishing that removes a microscopic amount of clear coat until the surface is level again. Not filled, not hidden. Removed.
How much correction your car needs, what the stages involve and what is realistically achievable on your paint is a subject of its own.
Paint correction explained in full
Ceramic & graphene coating
Once the paint is corrected, a ceramic coating chemically bonds to the clear coat and cures into a hard, sacrificial layer over the top.
It behaves like a very thin layer of glass. Water beads and sheets off, dirt struggles to key into the surface, and washing becomes dramatically easier, which in turn means fewer swirls going back in.
What it does
- Gloss and depth, adding a noticeable candy-like clarity over corrected paint.
- Water and dirt release instead of clinging.
- Chemical resistance against UV, oxidation, bird droppings, insect acids and road film.
- Most cars wash in half the time afterwards.
Ceramic or graphene?
Graphene coatings are a newer chemistry built on the same idea. In practice the differences owners notice most are a reduction in water spotting and slightly better heat dissipation, which matters on dark cars parked outside in Sydney summers.
Both need the same preparation underneath. Neither compensates for skipping correction. We’ll talk you through which suits your car, how you store it and your budget.
Graphene vs ceramic, in fullWhat it doesn’t do
A coating is not armour. It will not stop stone chips, it will not prevent a scratch from a key or a shopping trolley, and it doesn’t make the car self-cleaning.
For physical impact protection you want film over the panels that cop it.
Window tintingThe coatings we fit
Four systems, and which one you get depends on the car: Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra as the flagship, System X where documented, inspected warranty cover matters, Ethos Graphene for cars living outdoors, and Magnum for its Australian-made graphene and ceramic range.
Accredited installer
We’re an accredited installer for Gtechniq, System X, Ethos Graphene and an authorised Magnum detailer. The products get applied to the manufacturer’s specification by someone they’ve trained and certified, not bought off a shelf and guessed at, and the longest guarantees are only issued that way. More on the studio and how we work.
Durability tier and warranty terms depend on the product selected and the condition of the paint underneath. We’ll confirm both in writing with your quote.
The four, side by side
Every figure below is the manufacturer’s own published claim, not ours. Where a manufacturer does not state something publicly we have left it blank rather than estimate it.
| Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra | System X | Ethos Graphene | Magnum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Ceramic | Ceramic | Graphene | Ceramic and graphene |
| Longest term | Up to 9 years | Up to 10 years | — | 10 years (Luminous X) 7 years (Obsidian S1+) |
| Sold to the public | Never | No | No | Entry tier only |
| We hold accreditation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, authorised detailer |
| Annual inspection required | — | Yes | — | Yes, for 7 and 10 year terms |
| Transfers if you sell | — | No | — | — |
| Strongest at | Hardness and gloss retention | Documented, inspected cover | Water spotting and heat | Longest guarantee available |
| We lean toward it when | You are keeping the car and it is garaged | You want protection on paper | The car lives outside | You want maximum term and will do the inspections |
The row people underestimate is the inspection one. A ten year guarantee you void in year two is worth less than a five year one you keep, so the honest question is not which number is biggest but which commitment you will actually keep.
And none of it matters as much as the row that is not in the table, which is how much correction went in underneath. That is here.
The coatings we fit
Four systems. Which one suits depends on the car and how you use it. Accreditation matters here: the strongest coatings are released to trained installers only, because applied badly they are difficult and expensive to remove.
Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra
Gtechniq’s top-tier coating, and the one that best explains why accreditation exists. It isn’t sold to the public at all, only to installers Gtechniq has trained and certified.
Cures to a genuinely hard, chemically resistant layer over corrected paint, with strong gloss and real resistance to the wash-induced marring that dulls most cars. The choice for a car you intend to keep: new deliveries, weekend cars, and dark paint where swirls show worst.
System X Ceramic Coating
Applied through a certified installer network and registered against the vehicle at application, with the warranty registered in the owner’s name. Note that System X state the warranty cannot be transferred to a new owner, and that annual inspections by an approved applicator are required to keep it valid.
A strong all-rounder: chemical and UV resistance, easier washing, real depth on corrected paint. Sensible where you want protection on paper with a defined maintenance schedule behind it, rather than a handshake.
Ethos Graphene Coating
A newer chemistry built on the same principle as ceramic, with the graphene structure changing how the cured layer behaves on the surface.
Owners most often notice two things: reduced water spotting, and better heat dissipation across the panel. Both matter more than they sound in Sydney, where a dark car parked outside spends summer cycling between blazing sun and afternoon rain.
Magnum Ceramic Coating
An Australian manufacturer, and we are an authorised Magnum detailer, which is what makes their longest guarantees available at all. The range runs from a one-year ceramic up to Obsidian S1+, a graphene coating rated at 9H carrying a seven year guarantee, and Luminous X at ten years.
Both of those longer terms are conditional on authorised application and on annual inspections, so they are a commitment on your side as well as ours. Which product suits depends on the car and how long you intend to keep it. We’ll confirm the exact product, its durability and the guarantee terms in writing with your quote.
What to expect
Time
A correction and coating package is a multi-day job. The correction itself is slow, and the coating then needs a controlled cure before the car can go back out. Rushing either stage is how results fail early.
The first week
Coatings continue hardening after you collect the car. We’ll ask you to keep it dry for an initial period and avoid washing it for a little longer. Specifics depend on the product used.
Ongoing
Wash with pH-neutral shampoo, two buckets and clean microfibre. Avoid automatic brush washes entirely. They will undo correction work faster than anything else.
Periodic maintenance keeps a coating performing at its best, and we’re happy to handle that for you.
Aftercare FAQsCommon questions
How long will you need my car for a coating?
Correction and coating is a multi-day job. The correction is the slow part, and the coating then needs a controlled cure before the car goes back out into the weather. We give you a real timeframe when we quote rather than an optimistic one.
What is the actual difference between the four coatings you fit?
Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra is the hardest and is installer-only, rated up to nine years. System X is documented and inspected but its warranty does not transfer if you sell. Ethos brings graphene behaviour for cars parked outdoors. Magnum carries the longest term at ten years on Luminous X, conditional on annual inspections.
Can a new coating go over an existing one?
Not meaningfully. A cured coating is not a surface another coating bonds to properly, so the old one has to be polished off first. That means correction, which means doing the whole job again. Better to choose once and maintain it.
Do coatings need annual inspections?
The long-guarantee products do. System X and Magnum’s seven and ten year terms both require inspections by an approved applicator to stay valid. If you know you will not bring the car back, a shorter product you are not relying on is the better spend.
What happens to the coating if a panel gets repaired?
A body shop cannot reinstate it. A resprayed panel comes back without coating on it, and with System X only an approved applicator may reapply. Tell us after any panel work and we will sort that panel out.
Find out what your paint needs
Send us the car, the colour and a few photos in daylight. We’ll tell you which stage is worth doing. Open 7am–9pm, seven days.