Promotional Feature

Permanent Ceramic Protection that Shines

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALPH DEMILIO

When Jeff Lagasse gets done working on your car, it will look better than new. Guaranteed.

Lagasse and his wife, Amy Sutton (who is a Realtor at SellState Realty), have owned Gen One Customs for four years. Gen One specializes in “paint correction” using ceramic coating from a company called System X Ceramic Protection. And Lagasse proudly points out that the quality of Gen One’s work is reflected in the final product, literally, with a shine so brilliant you can see yourself in it clearly and vividly.

“The vehicle will speak for itself,” he said. “And it will bring friends of the owner through the door — we book 90 percent customer referrals.”

When applied to a vehicle’s surface, whether it is a car, an SUV, a boat, a plane or a motorcycle, System X creates a veritable layer of glass coating that not only makes it glisten, but also protects is from bugs, tree sap and bird waste, and also makes water roll right off. It is also UV-resistant, so the paint will not fade in the blazing Florida sun. Moreover, if the ceramic coating gets a scratch, it is easily repaired at Gen One.

“This is a functional new surface on your vehicle,” Lagasse said. “This creates a gloss that you cannot create with any wax or polishing. The reflection is from real ceramic glass, which makes the surface appear more vivid and clear than the actual clear coat does, while at the same time fending off the elements.”

When a customer takes a vehicle to Gen One, there is more involved in the paint correction process than just putting a new shine on it. The Gen One team removes all dents and dings with their exclusive paintless dent removal company, New Image PDR (owned by Cody Claxton). Also, wheels are cleaned and ceramic coated, the interior — including all

Jeff Lagasse and Amy Sutton

carpet, mats, vinyl, cloth, leather — is cleaned and a protective coating is applied that not only resists against stains, but also UV damage.

“What sets this shop apart from others is the prep and correction we do before the coating goes on,” Lagasse said. “We are the black car kings because of how we correct the paint.”

What that means is more than a like-new finish that will have people marveling. Lagasse said System X is the only ceramic coating that is certified by Carfax. So, when your vehicle receives a ceramic coating at Gen One, it is recorded by Carfax. They are the only ceramic coat company to receive such a distinction. And that can mean money in your pocket when you go to sell it or trade it in.

“When you go to trade it in, it will be worth more money,” he said. “It will increase the value of your car.”

The cost of a Gen One/System X ceramic coating runs about $1,500 with a lifetime warranty (packages with 3-6 year protection periods are available), although the final price will depend on the condition of the vehicle’s clear coat and paint. That, however, comes with a lifetime warranty that is good at any System X dealer nationwide — your vehicle’s VIN number will be put in a System X database — as well as a yearly notification to bring your vehicle into Gen One or any other System X dealer for an inspection and a “decontamination wash” to clean the ceramic coating.

Lagasse noted that the difference be-

When your vehicle receives a ceramic coating at Gen One, it is recorded by Carfax. They are the only ceramic coat company to receive such a distinction.

tween regular factory clear coat and System X ceramic coating is measurable beyond the shine. It is actually measurable. A standard clear coat like is on most new cars is about 10 microns thick, about the thickness of a piece of paper. System X ceramic coating is 28-30 microns thick, hence its ability to resist paint-damaging elements.

Another difference between Gen One and its competitors, Lagasse said, is the time spent applying the ceramic coating. Most shops typically do the process in a day. At Gen One, it is a three-day process: a day for dent removal and paint correction, a day to apply the ceramic coating and another 24 hours of “cure time” to allow the ceramic coating to harden before it can go into UV light.

Lagasse attended North Marion High and has 26 years of experience in the paint correction business — he actually started while still in high school. And while Gen One is busier than ever with customers, he is expanding his product line to include the new Dr. Beasley’s Ceramic Coating.

Dr. Beasley’s Dx1201 technology is remarkable in that it is, in the words of the manufacturer, “a finish that actually heals itself.” What that means is, if you get a scratch in your paint, it may automatically “heal” itself. Or, if the scratch is severe, Gen One, by merely applying heat, can remove the scratch because of Dr. Beasley’s unique “elastomeric nanocoatings.” What that means is the coating is made up of elastic polymers that “bounce back after being deformed, so your coating will heal light scratches all on its own.”

So, if you want to give your vehicle a shine that is better than new, that will stand up to the abuse of natural elements, that will last for the life of the vehicle, go to Gen One Customs. Lagasse has been pleased by the response from the community to his business, saying that “we have 100 percent built a business on word of mouth” from satisfied customers.

“This is the real deal,” he said.

Jeff with Nu Image PDR Cody Claxton

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Gen One Customs 2401 NE 18th Pl Ste A, Ocala, FL 34470 (352) 286-5929

Nu Image PDR/Cody Claxton: (352) 299-5674