ceramic coating.

I have used the kit from Adams polishes. It has the coating for paint, trim and one for wheels. Was very happy with the results. There are less expensive alternatives to the Adam's that work just as well.
 
Ceramic is awesome BUT (huge, huge HUGE) but, the prep work is key. I am a big detail nut and my MM will yet ceramic over the winter but based on the condition of the paint now I am expecting 20 plus hours of buffer work. So I highly recommend you take your time and you will love it.

Strip wash
Correct paint (touch ups and what not)
Clay bar
Strip wash again
Polish, polish some more and polish some more
Polish all the crap you thought you got but missed
Strip wash again
Check for swirls and scratches
Coat
 
Also, if you are new to the detail world I am a big Adam's Polishes fan because they make everything simple. There are cheaper products out there that are arguably as good but for their directions, customer support and ease of use I can't recommend them enough.

If you have a bit more salt in your detail game then Detail King is a great resource.

I think Warner Chemical has started selling retail as well and the majority of the big names get their base chemicals from Warner so that's a good place to look too.
 
For me, the challenge with coatings is avoiding high spots, which would need to be polished flat (without overdoing it and having to start over). Great lighting conditions will help immensely.

Note that coatings precludes spot-correction as the whole panel will have to be redone.

I forget which coatings are/aren't popular with guys who know...it changes (Optimum's has apparently changed for the worse since I last used it). The best ones are user-friendly and last for years, the worst ones are a terrible PIA to apply and don't last any longer than something like FK1000P.
 
Lighting is definitely key. The first time I did my Mustang u thought it was good to go, pulled it out into the sunlight and it looked like a damn nightmare. It's a learning process, that is for sure.
 
Too often people try to Detail under fluorescent light, which is good for general illumination and for evaluating texture (i.e., orangepeel) but totally wrong for other types of paint inspection. Point Source Illumination is almost always best, and doing it in an otherwise dark environment is often pretty much mandatory.

A Ceramic Coating applied over marred-up paint would be pretty bad looking, so having the Inspection Lighting right during the correction (and being able to do that correction, remember that on these cars you shouldn't take off more than ~16 microns of clear over the life of the oe paint) will be just as crucial as having it right when doing the coating.

So will be stripping any Polishing Oils left by the compounds/polishes, easier said than done with some products. Don't expect dish soap or rubbing alcohol to suffice.

There are apparently some *self-healing* coatings out now, but AFAIK, they're only available to certain Detailers who have the right certification.
 
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