jzjust

I am located in Southern California and want to get my 2020 NX ceramic coated and wanted to know which brands that you used and provide with pros and cons. Thanks.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

I used Carpro UK CQuartz 3.0. I suggest that you purchase the kit containing 50ml and Reload spray and a 16 oz bottle of Eraser. The paint should be as perfect as possible. Dark colors will show swirls more than white. Clay bar, possibly buffer with polish(being you have a new car, you may be able to skip this step), wash, dry it and then spray wipe with Eraser just before applying the ceramic. You'll get two coats from the 50ml bottle. Do it in the shade on a cold car. Good directions included and easy to apply and wipe off excess. I used this brand based on another member's recommendation who had it over a year and was still satisfied. So far very easy to keep my car clean, haven't used the Reload yet but likely at 4-6 month mark for refresh.

kennyD

The 2 that I have used extensively are CQ UK3.0 & Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light. Here is my experience:

CQ vs. CSL
Pros

• Both: Affordable
• Both: Readily available online
• Both: Easy to apply (forgiving on beginners)
• CQ: I have personal experience that it easily lasted 2 years on my GS350 with proper maintenance.
• CSL: The removal in the best part. It leaves a very slick feel on the paint at removal time. This lets you kind of know where you've coated and where you've missed. The ease of removal for CSL for me wins hands down.
• CSL: if using a topper, Gtechniq wins this one for me. EXO is fantastic.

Cons:

• Both: Timing - You'll have to be sure to get your coating and removal timing down. Leave a spot too long and you'll ending up polishing it off.
• CQ: I personally don't like the the removal portion of CQ nearly as much as CSL.
• CSL: I don't like using the pipette to get it on my applicator. IMO extra step for no reason.
• CQ: If using a topper. CQ loses this one. Gliss was not impressive in my opinion.

ultimase

I used 22ple HPC. I had no problems applying it and it was pretty easy to tell when to remove when it you could see the product flash. I ended up doing two coats on both of my vehicles and really didn't run into many snags. It was easy to use.

mfaheem

iTrader: (1)

How long did you wait between coats using 22ple ?
I plan to use it over the weekend

ultimase

I waited overnight. I was working on it after work and after putting the little one down for the night so I was working night to night. So I applied one evening, let it flash and removed the excess. Then waited until the next evening for the second coat.

mfaheem

iTrader: (1)

Did you dust, wipe the car again prior to applying the 2nd coat after 24 hours?

swfla

iTrader: (1)

The coating will lock in any dust and imperfections on the surface. The more effort you put in to have a perfect surface, the better the finished surface will look. Save the applicator cloth you used for the first coat. The next day, when you see how rigid it has become, it should give you a better understanding of ceramic coating characteristics. You'll also be tossing the buffing cloth as that is ruined as well. A dark colored paint will show any mild scuffs and swirls in the surface.

mfaheem

iTrader: (1)

I agree however 22ple says to wait 24 hour before applying the second coat of the coating. The car is parked in the garage and I will be putting the second coat today. So the main question is if I should do any prep before applying the second coat ?

swfla

iTrader: (1)

Wipe off surface to remove any dust to be on the safe side.

WNC

Used CQuartz 2 yrs. ago and It worked great. Ready to reapply. How much prep work do I need to do? Do I need to remove the current coating by polishing, eraser and claybar and iron-X? Just want to know how to begin this process scince it has been on the car for 2 years.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

How does it look and feel after 2 years. Swirls in the paint? Super smooth feel? Do you have a lot of iron in the water used for washing? Hand washed machine washed?

WNC

It still looks great. Feels great. No iron in water. No swirls, etc. Inside garage about 95% of the time. I just assumed that after two years, it was time to reapply.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

I agree about 2 years. Definitely use eraser to get any grease or oils off. I'd try a small area with clay bar to see if it improves the surface smoothness. Otherwise, you're good to go.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

My car is approaching 3.5 years with the Gtechniq CSL + EXO V2 (They're on EXO V4 now) combo. It still sheets water and is slick to the touch, but it's definitely worn down compared to some of my other cars with fresher applications. There are swirls, but they're minimal compared to an uncoated car. I wash with dionized water (crspotless) and it's hand washed. That being said, my car is always garaged and has been driven 15k miles in that 3.5 years.


Same process as before, IronX, clay, polish, eraser and install. You want it back down to bare paint for the best bond. Are you planning on using Cquartz again or trying something new this time?