[evanseric21]

Does anyone have experience with Feynlab Ceramic Coatings?
I had a Modesta Coating on my previous vehicle and loved it for its very wet look and high gloss. I'm currently in the market as I patiently await the delivery of my vehicle.

There's a shop near me that comes highly recommended by a few friends, and they offer Feynlab coatings along with Xpel PPF and Tint.

I completely understand that the quality of the installers is the most important factor. Both shops I am considering are high-level shops that specialize in exotic vehicles, so that is not my concern. The prices are also almost identical, so I just want to know if Feynlab is just as good as or better than the Modesta offering.

Thanks in advance!

Here is a video right after my RS5 Sportback was PPF'd and coated with Modesta. There was no tint yet as I went with XPEL XR Plus, and that shop didn't carry it. This was 5 years ago.

[chris719]

Feynlab should be good stuff but no experience with it

[tdott]

I went with Modesta back in 2018 when I did mine last. It has held up well, and is only in the past year starting to lose all it's properties so I am thinking of re-doing it soon.

But DIY coatings have come a long way since back then, I went with CSL and Exo on my wife's car and it seems pretty good for alot less. So i'll probably go with this approach as I now have the tools to paint correct and coat cars myself, not something I enjoy doing but I'll dedicate a day to it and save a ton in the process.

I do remember looking at Feynlab back then also, they had a self healing coating that was fairly new, it seemed interesting, but all of the installers I spoke witih didn't seem to have much experience with it and seemed to be reading off the spec sheet and I couldn't find any reviews on it.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by tdott

I went with Modesta back in 2018 when I did mine last. It has held up well, and is only in the past year starting to lose all it's properties so I am thinking of re-doing it soon.

But DIY coatings have come a long way since back then, I went with CSL and Exo on my wife's car and it seems pretty good for alot less. So i'll probably go with this approach as I now have the tools to paint correct and coat cars myself, not something I enjoy doing but I'll dedicate a day to it and save a ton in the process.

I do remember looking at Feynlab back then also, they had a self healing coating that was fairly new, it seemed interesting, but all of the installers I spoke witih didn't seem to have much experience with it and seemed to be reading off the spec sheet and I couldn't find any reviews on it.

I agree, the DIY coatings have come a very long way. I've looked at the Gyeon products as well as the Graphene coatings from Adam's. I just don't have the experience to do the paint correction myself, unfortunately, and I loved the way my RS5 Sportback turned out. It would be nice if I could save that money. Between my wife's vehicle and mine, I'll be paying over $10k for PPF, Tint, and Ceramic coating.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by evanseric21

I agree, the DIY coatings have come a very long way. I've looked at the Gyeon products as well as the Graphene coatings from Adam's. I just don't have the experience to do the paint correction myself, unfortunately, and I loved the way my RS5 Sportback turned out. It would be nice if I could save that money. Between my wife's vehicle and mine, I'll be paying over $10k for PPF, Tint, and Ceramic coating.

Honestly, I would get PPF and coat it yourself if you do have the time. You don't necessarily need paint correction, and you probably don't if you're putting PPF on the entire car. PPF can mask a lot of swirls and defects because the adhesive kind of fills. Coating a PPFed car is actually easier because the prep is even easier than on contaminated bare paint.

[Clark_Kent]

I had Modesta on two of my F80s. I would never get another Modesta coating. Perhaps they were head and shoulders better than other coatings back in 2015, but as someone else mentioned, quite a bit has changed since then. I'm a believer in GTechniq. I have two cars (718 Cayman GT4 and FL5 Civic Type R) coated with CSL + EXOv4 + C2V3 and it's just as good or better than Modesta for 25% of the cost. In 2024 no one should be paying thousands for a ceramic coating.

I've heard good things about Feynlab but have no first hand experience with it. I heard the self-healing properties are legit and not a gimmick, but again, no firsthand experience. I suggest asking the detailer to allow you to see a couple of cars as he completed them. Also ask him to connect you with a couple clients who have had the coating on for a couple years. A quick chat with them and perhaps seeing their cars in person should give you all the intel you need to make a decision.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by Clark_Kent

I had Modesta on two of my F80s. I would never get another Modesta coating. Perhaps they were head and shoulders better than other coatings back in 2015, but as someone else mentioned, quite a bit has changed since then. I'm a believer in GTechniq. I have two cars (718 Cayman GT4 and FL5 Civic Type R) coated with CSL + EXOv4 + C2V3 and it's just as good or better than Modesta for 25% of the cost. In 2024 no one should be paying thousands for a ceramic coating.

I've heard good things about Feynlab but have no first hand experience with it. I heard the self-healing properties are legit and not a gimmick, but again, no firsthand experience. I suggest asking the detailer to allow you to see a couple of cars as he completed them. Also ask him to connect you with a couple clients who have had the coating on for a couple years. A quick chat with them and perhaps seeing their cars in person should give you all the intel you need to make a decision.

Yep. There are so many brands out there now and many of them are crap. People who want to DIY coatings should look for coatings with multiple reviews with long term updates. I did a lot of research and I can say that there is a good body of evidence that the DIY coatings from Carpro, Gyeon, and Gtechniq actually work and hold up for most people. I'm sure there are others that are good as well and possibly better, but there's plenty of tests on those coatings showing they have at least a baseline level of quality.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by chris719

Honestly, I would get PPF and coat it yourself if you do have the time. You don't necessarily need paint correction, and you probably don't if you're putting PPF on the entire car. PPF can mask a lot of swirls and defects because the adhesive kind of fills. Coating a PPFed car is actually easier because the prep is even easier than on contaminated bare paint.

I don't PPF the entire car. I only PPF the front end (hood, bumper, headlights, fenders etc.) and the rocker panels. I then get a ceramic coating on the entire vehicle.

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by evanseric21

I don't PPF the entire car. I only PPF the front end (hood, bumper, headlights, fenders etc.) and the rocker panels. I then get a ceramic coating on the entire vehicle.

This is the way!

[chris719]

Originally Posted by evanseric21

I don't PPF the entire car. I only PPF the front end (hood, bumper, headlights, fenders etc.) and the rocker panels. I then get a ceramic coating on the entire vehicle.

That's what I did. I think you can DIY the coating but it depends on how much you value your time vs the cost.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by Clark_Kent

I had Modesta on two of my F80s. I would never get another Modesta coating. Perhaps they were head and shoulders better than other coatings back in 2015, but as someone else mentioned, quite a bit has changed since then. I'm a believer in GTechniq. I have two cars (718 Cayman GT4 and FL5 Civic Type R) coated with CSL + EXOv4 + C2V3 and it's just as good or better than Modesta for 25% of the cost. In 2024 no one should be paying thousands for a ceramic coating.

I've heard good things about Feynlab but have no first hand experience with it. I heard the self-healing properties are legit and not a gimmick, but again, no firsthand experience. I suggest asking the detailer to allow you to see a couple of cars as he completed them. Also ask him to connect you with a couple clients who have had the coating on for a couple years. A quick chat with them and perhaps seeing their cars in person should give you all the intel you need to make a decision.

I ordered my 2019 Audi RS 5 Sportback in 2018 and took delivery in January 2019. The Modesta coating was great and held up well. I just sold my vehicle two weeks ago, and the buyer was in awe at how well-kept it was and how good the paint looked. I also only hand-washed my vehicle and followed Modesta's recommendations for maintenance. I'm not sure why you had a different experience. It usually comes down to how well the installer applied the product and the maintenance performed.

As far as what someone should be paying for something, that is your opinion and is subjective. I don't have the equipment or experience to perform a proper paint correction on my vehicle, and I care about the final product. I would rather not pay $5k+ for PPF, ceramic, and tint, but the reality is that's what a good job costs. I'd also rather not pay for a lot of other things, such as daycare, high property taxes, etc., but it is what it is, lol. There are things I can do myself to save money, and then there are things I pay other people to do.

I've also heard good things about GTechniq and Gyeon coatings. However, those are not the ones I'm considering. I am looking specifically for those who have experience with Feynlab coatings, and if they also have experience with Modesta coatings, that would be a plus. I've already narrowed down my search and am not looking for alternatives. I'll also visit the shop to see some vehicles that have been coated, but I was asking the community here as I would like to know what the long-term experience has been. I greatly appreciate your feedback.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by chris719

That's what I did. I think you can DIY the coating but it depends on how much you value your time vs the cost.

That actual coating is only $2.2k it's the paint correct, PPF and tint that puts it over $5k.

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by evanseric21

I ordered my 2019 Audi RS 5 Sportback in 2018 and took delivery in January 2019. The Modesta coating was great and held up well. I just sold my vehicle two weeks ago, and the buyer was in awe at how well-kept it was and how good the paint looked. I also only hand-washed my vehicle and followed Modesta's recommendations for maintenance. I'm not sure why you had a different experience. It usually comes down to how well the installer applied the product and the maintenance performed.

As far as what someone should be paying for something, that is your opinion and is subjective. I don't have the equipment or experience to perform a proper paint correction on my vehicle, and I care about the final product. I would rather not pay $5k+ for PPF, ceramic, and tint, but the reality is that's what a good job costs. I'd also rather not pay for a lot of other things, such as daycare, high property taxes, etc., but it is what it is, lol. There are things I can do myself to save money, and then there are things I pay other people to do.

I've also heard good things about GTechniq and Gyeon coatings. However, those are not the ones I'm considering. I am looking specifically for those who have experience with Feynlab coatings, and if they also have experience with Modesta coatings, that would be a plus. I've already narrowed down my search and am not looking for alternatives. I'll also visit the shop to see some vehicles that have been coated, but I was asking the community here as I would like to know what the long-term experience has been. I greatly appreciate your feedback.

I want to be clear, I didn't have an issue with the Modesta coating. It was great, but with the knowledge I've amassed since, the premium is not worth it in the current environment. That's my take and I'm not wavering on that perspective. For context I had my first F80 coated with Modesta in 2016 and the second in 2018. I just wasn't blown away by it after exposure to other products. I maintain my cars with a high degree of care and attention to detail. Hand wash only with proper technique, product, and at least three times per month. I also used the Modesta M1 - M5 products, as necessary. I'm the only one who washes my car, no one else, ever. And I'm not suggesting you DIY, because I don't DIY. It's not my thing. I was just able to find a detailer who isn't head banging on the pricing.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by Clark_Kent

I want to be clear, I didn't have an issue with the Modesta coating. It was great, but with the knowledge I've amassed since, the premium is not worth it in the current environment. That's my take and I'm not wavering on that perspective. For context I had my first F80 coated with Modesta in 2016 and the second in 2018. I just wasn't blown away by it after exposure to other products. I maintain my cars with a high degree of care and attention to detail. Hand wash only with proper technique, product, and at least three times per month. I also used the Modesta M1 - M5 products, as necessary. I'm the only one who washes my car, no one else, ever. And I'm not suggesting you DIY, because I don't DIY. It's not my thing. I was just able to find a detailer who isn't head banging on the pricing.

Oh, okay, gotcha. I've found a lot of cheaper quotes for Ceramic Pro and a few other coatings. There are also detailers offering GTechniq or some of the DIY products with even cheaper quotes, but I'm always hesitant to work with smaller detailers without being able to verify the quality of their work. When spending over $100k on a vehicle, I'd hate to try and save a little money only to be disappointed with the protection.

So, from your perspective, is GTechniq better or just as good as Modesta? Also, what does your detailer charge for paint protection and the ceramic coating? For GTechniq, I'm still seeing quotes for about $1500. Everything I've read points to Feynlab being the most durable. Their support also seems to be better than Modesta's, which honestly would be my only complaint.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by evanseric21

Oh, okay, gotcha. I've found a lot of cheaper quotes for Ceramic Pro and a few other coatings. There are also detailers offering GTechniq or some of the DIY products with even cheaper quotes, but I'm always hesitant to work with smaller detailers without being able to verify the quality of their work. When spending over $100k on a vehicle, I'd hate to try and save a little money only to be disappointed with the protection.

So, from your perspective, is GTechniq better or just as good as Modesta? Also, what does your detailer charge for paint protection and the ceramic coating? For GTechniq, I'm still seeing quotes for about $1500. Everything I've read points to Feynlab being the most durable. Their support also seems to be better than Modesta's, which honestly would be my only complaint.

Durability on PPF will be reduced and quite variable depending on the coating. That said, you're probably overthinking it, just pick a good installer. PPF is super easy to keep clean, coated or not.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by chris719

Durability on PPF will be reduced and quite variable depending on the coating. That said, you're probably overthinking it, just pick a good installer. PPF is super easy to keep clean, coated or not.

PPF isn't my concern; the ceramic coating is, and I'm just looking for opinions from those who have had both, if possible. I wouldn't consider that overthinking. Both installers are reputable, and I've worked with one in the past. I'd think anybody spending thousands of dollars on something would do their due diligence.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by evanseric21

PPF isn't my concern; the ceramic coating is, and I'm just looking for opinions from those who have had both, if possible. I wouldn't consider that overthinking. Both installers are reputable, and I've worked with one in the past. I'd think anybody spending thousands of dollars on something would do their due diligence.

Sorry, I forgot you're not wrapping the whole car. Just realize that when it comes to coating the PPF the claims on paint don't necessarily hold because film does not have the same binding sites as organic clear.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by chris719

Sorry, I forgot you're not wrapping the whole car. Just realize that when it comes to coating the PPF the claims on paint don't necessarily hold because film does not have the same binding sites as organic clear.

I've done this combination before, wrapping the entire front with PPF and applying ceramic coating on the entire vehicle. Ceramic coating over PPF actually offers the best protection. XPEL recommends this with their PPF and coating. The products complement each other. I understand what you're saying about coating over PPF as opposed to directly on paint. I don't know the science behind it, but if XPEL and other coating manufacturers offer warranties on this combination, I'm sure they have figured it out.

[Nettles]

What actually happened with Modesta? At one point no one would recommend anything else and then they disappeared like a one hit wonder.

[Wasp_Factory]

I've got Modesta BC-04 on my M240iX having had GTechniq Crystal Serum and Exo professionally applied on my previous car. I've also DIY paint corrected my wife's car and my son's car and applied Gtechniq CSL and Exo4.

I love Exo4 to bits. For the money, the hydrophobic properties are awesome and it seems to last well. On my previous car which was very well maintained, it was good for 18 months/2 years. It's so far doing fairly well on my wife's and son's cars as well. You can't really see what a ceramic coat is doing. It should reduce marring, swirl and light scratches, but comparing the level of protection of one coating against another is almost impossible. I know that when I sold my last car at 6.5 years from new, having had treatment at new and then paint correction and retreatment at 5 years, the paint was in excellent condition with virtually no blemishes.

I've only had my M240iX for 6 months, so early days. The water behaviour from BC-04 is very different to Exo - beads are much bigger and water drops off or blows off the surface much easier because of the additional weight of the larger beads. So far, I'm very impressed. Much of the time I can snowfoam, jet wash, blow dry and not even touch the car and it looks superb. Every 3rd wash, I clean it properly and top up with Modesta M2 Blast and my plan is to treat with Modesta M4 Smoke every 12 months. I hope to get at least 5 years out of the coatings before needing to think of any further correction or coatings.

The Modesta coatings (and maintenance stuff) is ridiculously expensive, but so far, they've definitely got the edge on Gtechniq for the ability to do a touchless wash and get great results. I like that the coating is 'baked on' with UV and the BC-04 is super hard.

There are so many great coatings out there now and there will be as many views as there are coatings on a forum like this. I was fortunate in that the main distributer for Modesta in the UK is a detailer and is 15 minutes down the road from me. After loads of research and a couple of weeks of man maths to justify the outrageous cost, I went with PPF to the front end and the cills and Modesta coatings and am pleased I did.

Can't help on Feynlab - never used it, but it does appear to be a consumer level product as opposed to pro install only. Not sure if this means anything.

[evanseric21]

Originally Posted by Wasp_Factory

I've got Modesta BC-04 on my M240iX having had GTechniq Crystal Serum and Exo professionally applied on my previous car. I've also DIY paint corrected my wife's car and my son's car and applied Gtechniq CSL and Exo4.

I love Exo4 to bits. For the money, the hydrophobic properties are awesome and it seems to last well. On my previous car which was very well maintained, it was good for 18 months/2 years. It's so far doing fairly well on my wife's and son's cars as well. You can't really see what a ceramic coat is doing. It should reduce marring, swirl and light scratches, but comparing the level of protection of one coating against another is almost impossible. I know that when I sold my last car at 6.5 years from new, having had treatment at new and then paint correction and retreatment at 5 years, the paint was in excellent condition with virtually no blemishes.

I've only had my M240iX for 6 months, so early days. The water behaviour from BC-04 is very different to Exo - beads are much bigger and water drops off or blows off the surface much easier because of the additional weight of the larger beads. So far, I'm very impressed. Much of the time I can snowfoam, jet wash, blow dry and not even touch the car and it looks superb. Every 3rd wash, I clean it properly and top up with Modesta M2 Blast and my plan is to treat with Modesta M4 Smoke every 12 months. I hope to get at least 5 years out of the coatings before needing to think of any further correction or coatings.

The Modesta coatings (and maintenance stuff) is ridiculously expensive, but so far, they've definitely got the edge on Gtechniq for the ability to do a touchless wash and get great results. I like that the coating is 'baked on' with UV and the BC-04 is super hard.

There are so many great coatings out there now and there will be as many views as there are coatings on a forum like this. I was fortunate in that the main distributer for Modesta in the UK is a detailer and is 15 minutes down the road from me. After loads of research and a couple of weeks of man maths to justify the outrageous cost, I went with PPF to the front end and the cills and Modesta coatings and am pleased I did.

Can't help on Feynlab - never used it, but it does appear to be a consumer level product as opposed to pro install only. Not sure if this means anything.

Thanks a lot! That was a very thorough review. Your experience with Modesta is similar to mine. The gloss of that coating is amazing and made washing the car very easy. I just sold my car a few weeks ago, and though the coating was not as good as when it was first applied, it held up for 5 years. The buyer was extremely impressed by how glossy the paint still was. I'm tempted to just go with what I know, but there's no growth in that mindset, and I kind of want to try something different.

Feynlab makes a consumer product, but Feynlab Ultra is for professional installation only. From my research, Feynlab is the most durable coating. On their website, Feynlab claims to be the company that created the original ceramic coating for automotive paint protection. One of their founders, John Suerth, is the one who coined the term 'ceramic coating.' They originally distributed their products as private labels to other well-known coating brands. I wish I knew who those brands were.

They seem to have a huge interest in the science behind it all and continue to innovate. The nerd in me loves that and wants to try them out. I just wish I knew someone who had experience with their coatings. The detail shop I would use is very reputable and is listed as one of their Tier 1 installers on their website. At this point, I just need to make a decision lol.

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by evanseric21

Oh, okay, gotcha. I've found a lot of cheaper quotes for Ceramic Pro and a few other coatings. There are also detailers offering GTechniq or some of the DIY products with even cheaper quotes, but I'm always hesitant to work with smaller detailers without being able to verify the quality of their work. When spending over $100k on a vehicle, I'd hate to try and save a little money only to be disappointed with the protection.

So, from your perspective, is GTechniq better or just as good as Modesta?Also, what does your detailer charge for paint protection and the ceramic coating? For GTechniq, I'm still seeing quotes for about $1500. Everything I've read points to Feynlab being the most durable. Their support also seems to be better than Modesta's, which honestly would be my only complaint.

Yes, that's what I wrote in my previous post. From an end user perspective, those coatings are indistinguishable. In other words, in a double-blind test, with all things being equal, participants would not be able to tell Modesta from GTechniq (CSL + EXOv5 + C2V3). As I also stated previously, there's zero chance I would go Modesta again, especially at the premium they're commanding.

-Signed,
Someone who is not trying to sell you something or justify overspending on an overrated ceramic coating.