What a Typical Month Looks Like at Legion Detailing

A Look Inside a Typical Month at Legion Detailing

A Look at the PPF, Ceramic Coating, Window Tint, Paint Correction, Wrap, and Detailing Work We Do in Orland Park

Ceramic Window Tint on Teslas, SUVs, and Daily Drivers

Window tint continues to be one of the most common services we perform.

Over the last month we tinted several Teslas, a new Toyota Grand Highlander, a Range Rover Defender, and many other cars, trucks, and SUVs.

Every vehicle is a little different.

Some vehicles use traditional framed windows, while others such as many Teslas have frameless glass that moves slightly when the door is opened and closed.

Both can be tinted properly, but the installation process and attention to the edges of the film can be different.

A very common request on SUVs and pickup trucks is simply tinting the two front windows to match the factory privacy glass in the rear.

This gives the vehicle a much more uniform appearance without necessarily tinting every window.

Tint visors, sometimes called windshield banners, are also very popular.

A visor helps block sunlight and glare across the top portion of the windshield while remaining completely legal in Illinois when installed within the allowable area.



For someone who does not want a full windshield tinted, it is a simple way to make driving into the sun more comfortable.

Ceramic Tint Is About More Than Appearance

A lot of customers first come in because they want their vehicle to look better.

That is definitely part of it, but ceramic window tint also has practical benefits.

We use GeoShield C2 Ceramic as our primary automotive film.

Ceramic tint helps reject heat coming through the glass, which can make the vehicle noticeably more comfortable during the summer.

It also blocks more than 99 percent of UV rays.

That matters for both the people inside the vehicle and the interior itself.

Leather, dashboards, trim, and other materials spend years sitting in direct sunlight.

Reducing UV exposure can help slow down fading and deterioration.

This is especially useful on vehicles with dark leather interiors, large glass areas, or panoramic roofs.

Good ceramic tint gives you the appearance people want while also making the vehicle more comfortable to live with.

Full Front PPF and Ceramic Coating Is Still Our Most Popular New Car Package

One of the biggest trends we saw this month was customers bringing us brand new vehicles and wanting to protect them from the beginning.

We completed roughly five or six packages combining full front paint protection film with ceramic coating.

It continues to be one of the packages we recommend most often for new vehicles.

Full front PPF normally protects the front bumper, hood, front fenders, headlights, and mirrors.

Those are the areas that take the majority of rock chips and road debris during normal driving.

Pricing for full front PPF is usually around $2,200, although the exact price can be higher or lower depending on the size and complexity of the vehicle.

When customers combine PPF with ceramic coating, we also discount the ceramic portion.

Our ceramic coating normally starts between roughly $1,000 and $1,400 depending on the vehicle and package.

With a full front PPF installation, we can often bring the ceramic coating portion down to around $700.



That puts many full front PPF and ceramic coating packages close to $3,000 total.

Why PPF and Ceramic Coating Work So Well Together

PPF and ceramic coating protect the vehicle in completely different ways.

Paint protection film provides the physical protection.

It helps prevent rock chips, light scratches, road debris, and other impacts from reaching the factory paint.

Ceramic coating helps protect the remaining surfaces from contamination while adding gloss, water behavior, and easier maintenance.

The PPF itself can also be ceramic coated using products designed specifically for paint protection film.

For a new car owner who plans to keep the vehicle for several years, combining the two gives you protection against both physical damage and everyday environmental wear.

Instead of waiting until the bumper and hood are already chipped, these customers are protecting the paint while it is still new.

Wet Sanding and Multi Step Paint Correction on a Cadillac ATS

One of the biggest projects this month was a Cadillac ATS that had previously been repaired and repainted after an accident.

The paint had very heavy orange peel after the body work.

Orange peel is exactly what it sounds like.

Instead of the paint having a smooth, flat reflection, the surface has a bumpy texture that resembles the skin of an orange.

Some amount of orange peel can be normal, even from the factory.

The problem with this Cadillac was that the texture after the repair was severe enough to make the finish look noticeably uneven.



Correcting that requires much more than simply polishing the paint.

How We Corrected the Orange Peel

Every painted panel on the Cadillac was wet sanded.

We started with 1500 grit, followed with 2000 grit, and then refined the sanding marks with 3000 grit.

Wet sanding levels the high points in the clear coat and creates a flatter surface.

It also leaves the paint completely hazy, so the sanding process has to be followed by several stages of polishing.

After sanding, we performed a three step paint correction.

The first stage used a rotary polisher and wool pad for heavy cutting.

That was followed with a dual action polisher and heavy cut foam pad to further refine the finish.

The final stage used a finishing polish with a dual action machine to bring back clarity and gloss.

This is not the type of correction every vehicle needs.



For this Cadillac, though, it was the proper way to reduce the heavy orange peel and improve the finish after the previous repaint.

Ceramic Coating Maintenance Before Winter

We also completed several ceramic coating maintenance washes this month.

Going into an Illinois winter is a good time to have a coated vehicle thoroughly cleaned and inspected.

Over time, road film, minerals, bugs, and other contamination can build up on top of the ceramic coating.

That buildup can make the coating appear weaker even when the coating underneath is still performing.

A proper maintenance wash removes that contamination and gives us a chance to inspect how the coating is holding up.

We can then apply a ceramic booster to refresh the surface before the vehicle starts dealing with winter salt, slush, and road grime.

Ceramic coating makes maintenance easier, but it does not mean the vehicle should never receive a deeper cleaning.



A good maintenance service once or twice a year can make a big difference in how the coating performs long term.

Two Completely Different Color Change Wraps

We also completed two full color change wraps this month.

One was a Hummer EV that went from gloss black to satin black.

For that project we used 3M vinyl.

The satin finish kept the vehicle dark while giving it a completely different appearance compared with the factory gloss paint.

The other was a Ford Bronco that went from black to a light pink using TekWrap.

Different vinyl manufacturers have different strengths.

3M is one of our favorite films when durability and installation characteristics are a priority.

TekWrap offers some excellent colors and finishes, although the film can be a little more challenging to install.

The final choice usually comes down to the specific color the customer wants, how the vehicle will be used, and how they plan to maintain it.



We are not tied to one vinyl manufacturer because sometimes another brand simply offers the exact color or finish the customer is looking for.

Advanced and Elite Details Filled in the Schedule

Not every project that comes through our shop is PPF, tint, coatings, or wraps.

We filled some of our remaining time with both Advanced and Elite Details.

The interior portion is the same on both packages.

That includes a full interior cleaning, shampooing, steam cleaning, windows, headliner cleaning, and attention to the smaller areas throughout the cabin.

The difference is mainly on the exterior.

Our Advanced Detail includes the engine bay, door jambs, full wheel cleaning, clay bar treatment, iron decontamination, and a spray wax.

The Elite Detail takes things a step further by replacing the spray wax with a one step paint correction and RUPES UNO Advanced.

UNO Advanced allows us to remove a large amount of light swirling while also leaving behind approximately 12 months of wax protection.

This package is especially popular with customers who like the convenience of automatic car washes.

Automatic washes are easy, but over time the brushes can leave swirl marks throughout the paint.



A lot of those customers come in once a year for an Elite Detail so we can clean everything deeply, remove a large amount of the wash induced swirling, and put fresh protection back on the vehicle.

What a Typical Month at Legion Detailing Really Looks Like

The last 30 days included window tint, full front PPF, ceramic coating, paint correction, wet sanding, ceramic maintenance, vinyl wraps, and full details.

That variety is pretty normal for us.

Some customers come in with a brand new vehicle they want protected before it ever gets damaged.

Others come in years later wanting to correct paint, refresh a ceramic coating, change the color of the vehicle, or simply get it looking good again.

The important part is choosing the right process for the vehicle and what the owner is trying to accomplish.



There is no single package that makes sense for everyone.

PPF, Ceramic Coating, Window Tint, and Paint Correction in Orland Park

Legion Detailing provides paint protection film, ceramic coating, ceramic window tint, paint correction, vinyl wraps, and detailing services in Orland Park, Illinois.

We regularly work with customers from Orland Park, Tinley Park, Mokena, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Palos Park, and the surrounding Chicago suburbs.

Whether you just purchased a new vehicle and want to protect it or you are trying to improve one you have owned for years, we can go over the options and help you decide what makes sense.

Contact Legion Detailing in Orland Park for an estimate.



Call or text 708 497 9225.