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There aren’t any certified professional retailers that do Ceramic Coatings in my area. I have looked at several utube vids showing the process but I was wanting to hear from anyone that did the install. How hard was it and what products did you use. Would you do it again?
Thanks Bill
I did my wife's SS Camaro and a Ford Excursion. I used Adam's. No problem on either vehicle. You do have to follow directions and if you try to cover to large an area and don't get it off it will have to be compounded off. Great results on both vehicles. I put xpel on the z06 so I didn't coat that.
I've tried a few. I'll second the last post and say, don't do a large area or there can be problems. Small, measured areas and take your time. Some of the coatings are more expensive than others. I like CS2 Aqua 4 for easy application.
I used CQuartz UK from CarPro on my Z. The application process is different from a wax or sealant but if you follow the directions and take your time, the results will be worth it. The product is still holding up very well and water continues to sheet off the car.
To answer your questions directly. No it wasn't hard but you need to take more care in how you apply the product. You need to work the product evenly and cover all areas. Yes, I would do it again.
Last edited by blackbirdws6; 12-04-2017 at 03:52 PM.
I have done my Cadillac ATS, and the unwrapped portions of my Z06 and my wife's Mini. The hardest part is the cleaning, clay barring, the odd paint correction and area polishing and the IPA wipe. That takes about 90 minutes per car (on a new car, all mine are 2017 or 2016s). The application of the coating (CQuartz in my case) took about 30 minutes. Way easier than waxing a car. Watch youtube a lot and definitely get a sense or the time it takes your product to flash. Cheaper coatings take longer to flash, so go by your products directions and note the time to flash based on your application temperature.
In my case and 70 deg F ambient temperature it took about 5 minutes to get tacky enough to lightly wipe down. So I would do a couple of doors or sections of the car in 2 x 2 or 3 x 3 sections and then quit applying and go back to the older sections and lightly wipe it down to level any high spots. You can see a high spot as it is darker than the surrounding area. Those you definitely want to level out or you will forever have a dark spot. But once you get a flow it is easy. I also did a light coat rather than lathering on a bunch of the coating.
My 30 ml bottle of the CQuartz did 2 full cars. The entire Cadillac and the halves of the Mini and the Z06 that hadn't been wrapped.
I used Micro Detailer Wheel Coat HD on my wheels. I have a couple of sets of monoblocks for the Vette and did my summer wheels (SC2s) after I changed over and my winter wheels (MPSS ZPs) before I changed over. The Mini and the Caddy I did the outside of the wheels while on the car.
Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light is fairly easy to use. (Many put on a layer or two of Exo V3 nano coating over the CSL for maximum hydrophobicity) I've done many with good results. As others have said its all in the prep/polishing... (Waxes and glazes cover up imperfections, ceramic coat magnifies/reveals whats underneath)
Not so hard once you get the hang of it....
I did my own as well with CQuartz UK. It was a long process of prepping the car but the results are stunning. It is not that hard, you just have to prep the car properly and take your time. It was an 8-9 hour day for me to do it beginning to end. Buy a kit with CQuartz, towels, applicator, Eraser cleaner and Reload. I did make sure the paint was polished correctly as well. It is worth the hard work. Just take your time and do small 2' x 2' sections at a time. Check all angles once completing that section before moving on to the next section. (from top, bottom looking up, side to side, etc.)
I've used CQuartz UK and it's a great product. I moved to Aqua4 because it works more like a spray detailer and goes on in an hour instead of a day. Subsequently, the life is shorter and it needs to be re-applied about once a year. YMMV
Don't forget nitrile non dusted gloves. I generally remembered that but did one of the cars and forgot the gloves and my iPhone still doesn't recognize my fingerprint any longer. The nanocoating is a great deal for perps that want to keep their fingerprints from being found.
12-04-2017, 12:05 PM
Anyone Applied a Ceramic Coating Themselves?
