Ceramic Coating in Baldwinsville, NY: Serving Syracuse & Central NY
A ceramic coating is a thin, hard layer that bonds to your car's paint and protects it. It adds deep gloss, makes the surface very slick, and keeps salt, road grime, bird droppings and bug guts from sticking as well, so your car stays cleaner and washes much more easily.
We're a Gtechniq Accredited Detailer in Baldwinsville, which means we're trained and approved to install Gtechniq's professional ceramic coatings, including Crystal Serum Ultra, which isn't sold to the public. Every coating is installed in-house by our two detailers, and clients come to us from Syracuse, Liverpool, Clay, Camillus, Fulton and all over Central New York.
What's Included in Every Ceramic Coating Package
A full decontamination wash and clay bar to remove dirt, iron fallout, tar and bonded contamination.
Full paint correction on all painted surfaces. A coating locks in whatever is underneath it, so we remove swirls and defects first.
Professional coating installation, panel by panel, inside our climate-controlled shop.
An aftercare walkthrough at pickup, so you know exactly how to care for the coating.
Ceramic coating packages, including paint correction and all prep, start at $1,230. The final price depends on the vehicle's size, the paint's condition and which coating you choose.
Our Gtechniq Ceramic Coatings
Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra Ceramic Coating
Our best protection · Lasts up to 9 years with proper care · From $1,480
Crystal Serum Ultra is the top coating in Gtechniq's lineup, and it isn't available to the public. Only Gtechniq Accredited Detailers are allowed to install it. Part of the reason is that it's unforgiving to apply: if it goes on wrong, the paint has to be wet-sanded to remove it. It takes training, a controlled shop environment and experience to install correctly.
What makes Ultra special is that it's two layers. As it cures, it separates on its own into a flexible base layer and a much harder top layer. Think of it as a tough outer shell with a flexible layer underneath holding it in place. The base bonds tightly to your paint, while the hard top layer takes the day-to-day abuse: washing, road salt, bird droppings, bug guts and harsh chemicals.
That combination gives Ultra Gtechniq's highest ratings for chemical resistance, UV protection and resistance to light wash swirls, and it lasts longer than any other ceramic coating we offer. To get the full life out of it, Ultra needs to be washed the right way, which is why we recommend pairing it with one of our ceramic coating maintenance plans.
Best for: new or newer vehicles, cars you plan to keep for years, and anyone who wants the most protection available.
Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating
Strong protection for less · Lasts up to 5 years with proper care · From $1,330
Crystal Serum Light comes from the same family as Ultra, built as a single layer instead of two. It bonds to your paint and leaves a hard, glossy, slick surface that keeps salt, road grime, bird droppings and bug guts from sticking, and it protects against UV fading.
Because it's simpler to apply, Gtechniq also sells it to experienced enthusiasts. But a coating is only as good as the paint underneath it, and the results depend on the prep. With us, Crystal Serum Light goes on after a full decontamination and paint correction, so it's locking in a corrected, glossy finish and not sealing in swirls.
For most drivers, Crystal Serum Light is the sweet spot. You get real, multi-year protection and a noticeable jump in gloss and ease of washing, at a lower price than Ultra. Like any coating, how long it lasts comes down to how it's maintained. Regular, safe washes through one of our maintenance plans keep it performing like new.
Best for: daily drivers, leased vehicles, and cars you'll keep for a few years.
Gtechniq EXOv5 Ceramic Coating
Maximum water beading · Lasts up to 2 years with proper care · From $1,230
EXOv5 is all about slickness and water repellency. It's the most water-repellent coating Gtechniq makes. Rain beads up and rolls right off, dirt and grime have a hard time sticking, and water spots wipe away much more easily. It also adds a warm, high-gloss look to the paint.
EXOv5 is a thinner, shorter-term product than the Crystal Serums, so it isn't meant to be long-term paint protection on its own. It works great in two ways:
On its own, as an entry-level option for someone who mainly wants a car that's easy to keep clean and looks great in the rain.
On top of Crystal Serum Ultra or Light, where the Serum provides long-term protection underneath and EXOv5 adds extra gloss, slickness and water beading on the surface.
Because EXOv5 is the outermost layer, it's the first thing to wear when a car is washed the wrong way. Regular, safe washes through our maintenance plans keep the beading strong for as long as possible, and when it does wear down, EXOv5 can be reapplied over your existing coating.
Best for: adding to a Crystal Serum package, or a lower-cost option for someone who mostly wants easier washing.
Wheel & Glass Ceramic Coatings
Paint isn't the only surface that takes a beating in Central New York. Brake dust bakes onto wheels, and road and salt film coat your glass all winter. These coatings can be added to any paint coating package or booked on their own.
Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour Ceramic Coating
Easier-to-clean wheels · Lasts up to 2 years with proper care
Brake dust is made of hot metal particles that land on your wheels and bake into the finish. Over time, that leads to stubborn staining that regular wheel cleaners struggle to remove. C5 Wheel Armour is a ceramic coating built for that environment. It handles temperatures up to 1,112°F, so it holds up on wheels and brake calipers where a paint coating wouldn't.
Once it's on, brake dust, road grime and salt have a much harder time sticking, so most of it rinses off with a gentle wash, no harsh acid wheel cleaners or hard scrubbing needed. That also makes it easier to keep the finish on your wheels looking new.
Every wheel coating starts with a full decontamination. A coating has to bond to a clean surface, so before anything goes on, we deep clean each wheel and chemically remove embedded brake dust, iron fallout and tar. Any contamination left behind would get sealed in under the coating.
Choose your coverage:
Wheel faces (from $300): we coat the outer face of each wheel with the wheels on the car. It covers the part everyone sees and makes everyday cleaning much easier.
Full wheel, barrel and calipers (from $500): for an added cost, we remove the wheels and coat the entire wheel, including the faces, spokes and inner barrels, plus the brake calipers. This is the most complete protection and makes the whole wheel easier to clean, not just the front.
C5 works on gloss, satin and matte wheel finishes and on chrome. It isn't meant for bare polished metal wheels. Like any coating, it won't protect against curb rash, chips or scratches, and wheels still need regular cleaning. The coating just makes that cleaning a lot easier. How long it lasts depends on how often the wheels are cleaned and what products are used, which is another reason our maintenance plans pair well with it.
Best for: anyone tired of scrubbing brake dust, performance cars with heavy brake dust, and new or refinished wheels you want to keep looking new.
Gtechniq G1 ClearVision Smart Glass Ceramic Coating
Better visibility in rain and snow · Lasts up to 20,000 miles
G1 ClearVision Smart Glass bonds to your glass and leaves an ultra-smooth, water-repellent surface. Rain beads up and rolls off instead of sheeting across the glass, so you can see more clearly in heavy rain, snow and sleet and rely on your wipers less. Bugs, road grime and ice also release from the glass more easily.
Every glass coating starts with proper prep. First we decontaminate the glass to remove road film, mineral deposits and bonded grime. Then we machine-polish it, which clears water spots, hazing and old coating residue that regular glass cleaners leave behind. The coating bonds directly to clean glass, so this step makes a real difference in how well it performs and how long it lasts. Polishing removes surface buildup and light marks, but it won't remove deep scratches, pitting or chips.
Choose your coverage:
Windshield only (from $145): the glass you look through most, and the one that matters most for visibility in bad weather. The windshield gets multiple layers, because it takes the most wear from wipers and weather.
All glass + side mirrors (from $345): for an added cost, we coat the windshield, side windows, rear window and side mirrors. It improves visibility all the way around the car, which helps a lot with checking mirrors and blind spots in the rain.
The coating isn't affected by normal glass cleaners or washer fluid.
A few realistic notes: G1 won't stop rock chips or cracks. Some cars get a bit of wiper chatter for the first couple of weeks while the blades adjust, and that usually goes away on its own. Worn wiper blades should be replaced, since they shorten the coating's life and cause streaking. Light drizzle can still leave some streaks, which happens with any water-repellent glass coating.
Best for: daily drivers, highway commuters, and anyone who drives through upstate New York winters and wants clearer visibility in bad weather.
Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light ceramic coating beading water
Installing Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light ceramic coating
Comparing Gtechniq Ceramic Coatings
Crystal Serum Ultra vs. Crystal Serum Light
Both are long-term paint protection. The difference is construction. Ultra cures into two layers, with a flexible base and a hard top, while Light is a single layer. That extra hard top layer is why Ultra holds up better against chemicals, UV and wash swirls, and why it lasts longer: up to 9 years compared with up to 5. Light costs less and still protects very well. If you're keeping the car long-term, Ultra is usually worth it. If not, Light is the better value.
Crystal Serum vs. EXOv5
These do different jobs. The Crystal Serums are about protection: a hard, durable layer that guards your paint for years. EXOv5 is about water beading and slickness: it makes the car shed water and dirt, but it's thinner and lasts up to about 2 years. That's why the best combination is a Crystal Serum underneath with EXOv5 on top.
| Crystal Serum Ultra | Crystal Serum Light | EXOv5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Maximum long-term protection | Long-term protection | Water beading & slickness |
| Construction | Two layers (flexible base + hard top) | Single layer | Thin top coat |
| Lasts up to | 9 years | 5 years | 2 years |
| Protection level | Highest | High | Moderate |
| Water beading | Good | Good | Best |
| Who can install it | Accredited detailers only | Pros & experienced enthusiasts | Pros & experienced enthusiasts |
| Can add EXOv5 on top? | Yes | Yes | n/a |
- Main job
- Maximum long-term protection
- Construction
- Two layers (flexible base + hard top)
- Lasts up to
- 9 years
- Protection
- Highest
- Water beading
- Good
- Installed by
- Accredited detailers only
- EXOv5 on top?
- Yes
- Main job
- Long-term protection
- Construction
- Single layer
- Lasts up to
- 5 years
- Protection
- High
- Water beading
- Good
- Installed by
- Pros & experienced enthusiasts
- EXOv5 on top?
- Yes
- Main job
- Water beading & slickness
- Construction
- Thin top coat
- Lasts up to
- 2 years
- Protection
- Moderate
- Water beading
- Best
- Installed by
- Pros & experienced enthusiasts
What Every Ceramic Coating Will and Won't Do
All three will add gloss, make your paint slick and easier to wash, and help protect against UV fading, road salt, bird droppings, bug guts and tree sap. None of them will make your car scratch-proof. A ceramic coating won't stop rock chips, door dings or deeper scratches, and automatic car washes or dirty towels can still swirl it. If rock chips are your main concern, paint protection film (PPF) is the right product. Think of a ceramic coating as a sacrificial layer: it takes the wear so the paint underneath doesn't.
Ceramic Coating Maintenance Plans
The "up to" numbers above are best-case lifespans. How long your ceramic coating actually lasts depends mostly on how the car is cared for after it leaves our shop.
Over time, road film and contamination build up on top of any coating. The paint starts to look dull, water stops beading, and the car gets dirty faster, even though the coating is still there underneath. Washing the car the wrong way, with brushes, harsh soaps or dry-wiping, wears the coating down and can put swirls back into the paint we just corrected.
Our maintenance plans take care of that for you:
Regular, safe washes using coating-friendly soaps and proper hand-wash methods.
Decontamination washes available as an add-on to strip away built-up grime and bring the gloss and water beading back.
Regular eyes on your paint, so we can spot anything early, before it becomes a bigger problem.
If you're investing in a ceramic coating, a maintenance plan is the easiest way to protect that investment and keep your car looking the way it did the day you picked it up.
"Landon at Upstate Imports Detailing did a full 2-step paint correction and applied 9-year Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra (CSU) ceramic coating to my black 2026 Kia EV6 GT Line. It took a few days to do and there was a minor hiccup along the way, but Landon handled it well and the outcome was great. Landon kept me up to date on the project as he went with texts, pictures, and even a video! Strongly recommend." - Daniel B., paint correction and ceramic coating client.
Ceramic Coating FAQs
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Our ceramic coating packages start at $1,230, including the decontamination wash, paint correction and all prep. The final price depends on your vehicle's size, how much correction the paint needs, and which coating you choose. We'll give you an exact quote after we see the car.
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Crystal Serum Ultra can last up to 9 years, Crystal Serum Light up to 5, and EXOv5 up to 2. Those are best-case numbers. How long a coating really lasts depends on how the car is washed, stored and driven, which is why we recommend a maintenance plan with every install.
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For most people, yes. Wax looks great but usually lasts a few weeks to a few months. A ceramic coating bonds to the paint and lasts years, holds up much better against road salt and harsh wash chemicals, and makes the car far easier to clean.
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Paint protection film (PPF) is a thick, clear film that absorbs impacts from rocks and road debris. A ceramic coating is a thin, hard layer that adds gloss, slickness and chemical protection, but it won't stop rock chips. Many people put PPF on the front of the car and a ceramic coating on the rest.
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No. A coating makes the paint harder and slicker, which cuts down on light wash swirls, but it can't prevent scratches, and poor washing can still mark it.
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Most coating packages take 3–7 days, depending on how much correction the paint needs, the vehicle's size and the package you choose. We'll give you a time frame when we see the car.
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Hand wash with a pH-neutral soap and clean microfiber mitts and towels, skip automatic car washes, and never dry-wipe dust off the paint. We'll go over everything at pickup, or our maintenance plans can handle it for you.
Shopping for a car lover? A gift certificate can go toward any coating package.
Book a Free Ceramic Coating Consultation in Baldwinsville
Not sure which ceramic coating is right for your car? Book a consultation or call (315) 303-7309. We'll look at your paint, ask how you use the car, and give you a straight recommendation. We're at 9073 Oswego Road, Baldwinsville, NY 13027, Monday through Friday by appointment.