Ceramic coating issues

Hello all! I have tried Opti Coat, Optic Coat 2.0, CQuartz, Body Wrap and Hard Body. Obviously the easiest to apply is the OC. My issue with CQ is the removal after the application. Body Wrap and Hard Body weren't bad with application or removal but a little tricky still. Here in Houston, the humidity is ridiculous along with the heat we can get down here. With the humidity, these coatings have issues with removal. Actually it may not be that complicated but I have to get the time just right, and I haven't yet. I have waited 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes (using CQ and the Wolf's) sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In my experience CQ, when applied correctly, is absolutely phenomenal!!! Nothing can come close. Now saying that, I have applied CQ to 2.5 different vehicles (the half is half of my work vehicle) and got totally different results. On my girlfriends VW CC, I applied it on February 2011 and it is still going strong and sheeting water better than any other coating/wax/sealant I have tried. The way water runs off her car is incredible. When I notice the water start to slow down a bit, I spray a little Wolf's Nano QD.....back in business for a long while. Her car is typically washed once a week but sometimes can go 2 or 3 weeks with out washing. The other car with the CQ is my mothers Soul. I did everything the same way, polished, cleaned the surface and applied 2 coats, just like the VW. The next week I went to wash her car and noticed a huge difference in the performance of the coating. The water would bead up nicely but wouldn't sheet like on the VW. My car was the same way. Beading was okay/nice but didn't sheet like her car. It is such a pain in the a$$ to apply that I stopped using it, fearing that I wouldn't get the VW results on my clients cars. The BW and HB, I have used both products on clients cars and HB on my car. The water beads up very well and sheets off just okay on my car. I had an RS5 that I applied HB to and had to go back the next day to wash, the water wouldn't stay on the surface. It was crazy. Now this is just one day after applying. Both my car and the RS5 have just one coat of HB. Maybe this is the issue of why I am not getting water to not stick to the car while the CQ has 2 coats on the VW. Saying that, the Soul has 2 coats as well of CQ but doesn't act the same way. These damn coatings are so sensitive to temperature that they drive me crazy. Like I said earlier, it is probably that I haven't figured out the exact amount of cure time before buffing off but Christ! I want to keep using them since they are amazing products but I feel like I have to get special training on each one out there.

Oh the OC is by far the easiest to use but I am not seeing water sheeting off or extremely tight beading, even just after 6 months of application. I have used Opti Seal many times before and this wasn't really any different, so I am pretty sure I used it correctly. I didn't have high spots, hazing, or anything that would show I applied wrong. Correct me if I'm wrong but you can't apply 2 coats of OC can you? Or is it something like 2 hours after the first coat? I read that another application will just make it hazy. Anyway, don't really know where I was going with this rant but if anyone has any ideas of how I can perfect CQ, and what I'm doing wrong with the Wolf's to not get the crazy water sheeting/beading please let me know. Yes I made sure to do a THOROUGH IPA wipe down of every panel before I applied any of the coatings.

 

Whoa, thats a hard read. Next time please break that up into smaller paragraphs :yikes:

I dont have experience with these coatings YET, i have Opticoat and HB. I will be applying HB to a black audi in the next few weeks and OC on my brothers jeep next month. But I have often read that you cannot rely soly on the beading/sheeting properties of wax's/sealants on how well they preform, maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in on that. Im looking foward to the responses as im trying this out, ive read immensely about these coatings and have been scared to death to try OC, but will soon . Many have said (on here too) that HB works really well when transfered to a little finger spray bottle and a black pad on a DA. makes it lay down even and the need to buff off virtually un needed.

 

What is your pre-application surface preparation regime?

 

Whether I'm claying, polishing, or washing, my prep for the coatings is the same. I wash with Dawn, spray a dawn/IPA mixture and let sit. I then wash again with the dawn and then rinse. Once I dried the car I will wipe each panel down with IPA just before the application.


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I agree with you that humidity is not a friendly with OC/OG... I have applied to more vehicles than I can mentally tally and the only issues I had were when applying on a very humid day.

 

LOL thanks.


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I applied OC to a 4 runner today so I will see how that goes. I would still like to get better results with CQ, and Wolf's but one at a time I guess.


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I did find CQuartz and Gtechniq C1 to be fussy with the removal the few times I've tried them, which is why they are still on the shelf for now. OC 2.0 is simple to use IMO but Opti-Guard can definitely have issues on warmer humid days. I do have some HB on the way but can't comment on that one yet. I applied 22ple (VX1 Pro) to a clients car last week and so far that is the easiest one I've used by far...no issues at all actually. I just can't comment on how it stacks up in terms of durability to the current champ, OG.

 

I've only used Opti-Coat… since the removal of the others was tricky from what I heard I've avoided trying them. I work outside so I need something less finicky and OC seems to be great

 

Thanks guys. Yes, Rocket, thats where I'm at too. Working outside can be a huge issue with coatings. Most of the time I have their garage to work in but it is not climate controlled so I still have issues with the removal of the coatings. Application is a cake walk...not the same for removal though.

Rasky, I was looking at the 22PLE the other day and reading about it. My thing is that I want the water sheeting that CQ gives when properly applied. If I can get that with another coating, I'll try it. Every time I wash my girlfriends car I am amazed at how the water falls off. I have never seen anything like it, especially 20 months in.

 

Both OC and OG is fussy when it's hot and humid out.... Both tend to haze on the paint when the weather is like that, at times I have to spray ONR on a towel to rid of the haze. It's still the easiest coating I've tried so far though, so I'll stick to it lol

 

I haven't seen any video of the water sheeting yet, only been told it's very similar to the other coatings. I'm going to try and wash the clients car I applied it to soon here though. I applied CQuarts Finest to my wife's car last weekend and it was very easy to use as well.

 

Good to know Chad as I have some sitting at the border waiting for me.

 

I'll post some pics today if I have the time to load them up over lunch time.

 

22ple pics








CQF pics....sorry, no outdoor pics yet. This is my wife's car.


Happy wife!






Gotta love NHBP!!!

 

Wow- Chad, that looks great! What was that stuff and where do you get it? Also, is it finicky about temps?

 

CQuartz Finest can only be bought at CarPro-us.com and you have to be an authorized installer to buy it. 22ple can be bought at Detailed Image or through Todd Cooperider. I've only applied each of them once in cooler temps (60-70) and the have been super easy. CQF is probably a little bit more time sensitive but should still be easy to use.

 

The car looks great. I love how CQ makes darker colors even darker. I am wanting to try the UK version since it is so humid down here in Houston. I am starting to think that the humidity is giving me most of the problems. Maybe I'll head to where you are and take a lesson or two on application even though I do EXACTLY what all the videos show. It has to be the weather down here haha I'm pulling my hair out with these damn coatings.


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Here is a video I shot tonight of the FINEST.

http://youtu.be/bWAYheALaZc?hd=1