Just picked up a new car? Locking in the paint now — before UV and salt air get a hold of it — is cheaper and better than trying to fix it later. We'll tell you honestly what it needs and sort you a fair quote.
Here's the honest version: you don't have to protect your new car the day you drive it off the lot. There's no rush. But doing it while the paint is still fresh — before swirl marks from the first few washes, before the UV starts breaking down the clear coat, before salt air finds any gaps — means there's nothing to correct first. That's what makes it better value.
Once the paint picks up its first set of swirls (and it will, sooner than you'd think up here), we'd want to do a light correction before applying any coating, which adds to the cost. A new car in good condition is the cleanest starting point there is.
One honest note: if you're thinking of selling the car in the next year or two, it's probably not worth it — a good pre-sale detail will have it looking great for photos without the outlay. But if you're planning to keep it, doing it early is the smarter move.
Cairns is genuinely one of the toughest places in Australia to keep a new car looking new. The paint starts taking damage immediately — it's worth knowing what it's up against so you can make a proper call.
Cairns sits in one of Australia's highest UV zones. Without protection, your clear coat starts breaking down within a couple of years — the colour loses depth and the finish goes chalky. A ceramic coating blocks a lot of that UV at the surface so the paint holds its colour and gloss for far longer.
If your car parks near the water — or anywhere near the northern beaches — microscopic salt settles on it every day. It's corrosive and it works fast on bare paint and metal. A coating puts a proper barrier between the salt and your paint so it can't get a foothold.
The wet season dumps rain constantly, and the humidity in between is perfect for water spotting and mineral deposits. Coated cars bead and shed water quickly so the spots don't have time to etch in — which saves a fair bit of pain come dry season.
A thorough hand wash followed by a clay bar treatment to pull out any bonded contamination — even brand-new cars can have fallout from transport, storage or the dealership wash. The paint has to be completely clean before anything goes on it.
We check every panel under proper lighting for any minor marks from the dealership. New-car paint is often in near-perfect condition, which means little to no correction needed — that's the advantage of doing this early.
If there are any fine marks or transport swirls, we remove them before coating. Coating over imperfections just seals them in, so this step matters — even if it's only a light pass.
Every panel wiped down with an IPA solution to remove any oils or residue. The surface needs to be completely bare for the ceramic to bond properly — this is the step a lot of cut-price jobs skip.
Applied by hand, panel by panel, with two layers as standard. We allow curing time between coats and check every panel under lighting before the car goes anywhere. It needs to sit sheltered and dry for about 12 hours before driving.
Every car's different — size and condition affect the final figure — so we'll sort you an exact quote on a quick call rather than a flat number. Here's where it starts:
Lock in factory-fresh paint with a double-layer ceramic coating — best value when it's done early, before any swirls start. Backed by a 10-year warranty. We'll give you an exact figure on a quick call based on your car's size.
Protect new leather or fabric seats from Cairns' tropical heat and UV before they start to dry out or fade. A lot of people add this at the same time as the coating.
Ceramic on the glass for water beading and clearer visibility in wet season driving. Makes a real difference when it's bucketing down on the highway.
Prices are GST-inclusive and a $100 deposit holds your spot. For comparison, most dealerships charge around $2,500 for new-car paint protection — typically for less coverage and a shorter warranty. Tell us a bit about your car and we'll sort you a fair figure.
What customers say after a Posh Wash detail.
“Recently had our car detailed by Grace — friendly, professional, and great communication from start to finish. We booked the Signature Detail package and every surface was spotless. The car looks and feels like new again. Highly recommended.”
“Had two vehicles fully detailed inside and out. Both cars came up better than expected. The whole process from booking to completion was seamless. Grace was a pleasure to deal with.”
“Happiest I could be after Grace’s amazing service. Professionalism from booking through to the finished cars was outstanding — attention to detail was exceptional. We look forward to booking again.”
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my car. Grace does a beautiful job — no nasty chemicals that make me feel sick. Lovely energy. Posh Wash is 5 stars from me.”
Tell us a bit about your new car and we'll let you know honestly what it needs and what it'll cost. We can pencil you in with no pressure — ceramic typically books around two weeks ahead, so worth grabbing a spot early.
Full ceramic coating service — everything about the product, the process, the warranty and what it costs.
Learn moreComparing your options? Wax, sealant, ceramic and PPF explained side by side so you can choose what fits your car and budget.
Learn moreProtect the inside too — leather treatment, fabric protection and a full cabin deep clean while your car is with us.
Learn moreStraight answers about new car protection in Cairns — no jargon.
A new-car ceramic coating starts from $1,000 and the exact figure depends on your car's size. Leather protection starts from $220 and glass coating from $120 if you want to add those. We'll give you a proper quote on a quick call — GST included, no surprises. For reference, most dealerships charge around $2,500 for less coverage.
Not necessarily straight away, but doing it while the paint is still factory fresh is genuinely better value. A new car usually doesn't need any correction first, which keeps the cost down. Once the paint picks up its first swirls from normal washing and driving, we'd want to correct those before coating — which adds to the price. So the sooner, the better, but there's no panic if it's a few weeks after you drive it home.
It covers the coating itself failing — if it delaminates, loses its hydrophobic properties or breaks down under normal conditions within the warranty period, we sort it. The coating genuinely lasts seven to ten years when it's applied and maintained correctly, so the warranty reflects that. We'll walk you through the aftercare when we hand the car back — it's not complicated.
Honestly, usually not. Dealership paint protection is often a basic sealant or a thinner coating applied quickly as part of the sales process — for around $2,500 in most cases. What we apply is a proper multi-layer ceramic, done by hand, with a 10-year warranty. Worth getting a second opinion before signing anything at the dealership, regardless of whether you go with us or not.
Yes, absolutely. Leather protection starts from $220 and glass coating from $120 — you don't have to do the full ceramic to protect the bits that matter most to you. We'll tell you honestly what makes the most sense for your car.
Both — whatever's easiest. You can drop it to our shop at 29 Vasey Esplanade, Trinity Beach, or we'll come to you. The one thing a ceramic coating needs is somewhere shaded and dry to cure for about 12 hours after we're done. If you've got a garage or carport, no issue coming to you. No covered spot? Just drop it to us and pick it up the next day.
Drop into our shopfront at 29 Vasey Esplanade, Trinity Beach, or stay put and our mobile vans come to your home or work right across Cairns and the Northern Beaches.
