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Vendor Ask a professional car detailer, clear bra and coatings installation expert
- Thread starter Jean-Claude
- Start date
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
Thank you for offering your professional advise, even to those who cannot hire you. Thats a nice contribution to the Forum.
I will formulate my question - relating to CQuartz prep and maintenance soon.
I will formulate my question - relating to CQuartz prep and maintenance soon.
DuplexDianne
Member
When to use which product? How often to wash and rinse? How often to wash and wax? When to use the instant detailer??Those would be acceptable products to use.
Dianne, it should be a very organic process as you should provide your car with what it needs. So, if it's dirty, it's time to clean! Though, with the wash and wax you're using, I would advise using it once per month at least as it's not exactly the most durable product(nothing "wrong" with it...just not super durable).
Most folks find good success with washing a regularly used car once every 10-14 days.
Your quick detailer can be used in a pinch if, say, you get a bird dropping on it. Some others use quick detailers as a drying aid(fine mist on the towel as you dry). Do not use it on hot paint though.
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
I've watched a variety of videos - two bucket wash, foam wand, grit guard...all sound logical. Now comes the "pull it all together" question
1) wash (foam, micro fiber mitt for high and another low, grit guard in rinse water, more foam in wash bucket)
2) blow dry with leaf blower, not a terry towel or chamois
3) clay with detail spray (even though the paint is only 2 weeks old)
[ no iron treatment]
4) IPA cleaning cotton pad scrub for the last bit of wax.
5) Cquartz with cotton pad- double thickness 1 hour later
and about a month later, 1) and 2) again.
I have considered wraps, plastic dip and other ways to protect my new Tesla paint, but concluded Cquartz - applied at home - [no detailer known in Tucson with a rep of upscale cars] would be best finish protection.
Have not found a solution to door dings, other than parking in North 40 acres, sideways.
Am I on a reasonable track? Have I overdone (or missed) any step?
1) wash (foam, micro fiber mitt for high and another low, grit guard in rinse water, more foam in wash bucket)
2) blow dry with leaf blower, not a terry towel or chamois
3) clay with detail spray (even though the paint is only 2 weeks old)
[ no iron treatment]
4) IPA cleaning cotton pad scrub for the last bit of wax.
5) Cquartz with cotton pad- double thickness 1 hour later
and about a month later, 1) and 2) again.
I have considered wraps, plastic dip and other ways to protect my new Tesla paint, but concluded Cquartz - applied at home - [no detailer known in Tucson with a rep of upscale cars] would be best finish protection.
Have not found a solution to door dings, other than parking in North 40 acres, sideways.
Am I on a reasonable track? Have I overdone (or missed) any step?
DuplexDianne
Member
I've been using a 32 oz spray bottle with .75 tsp of no rinse in it...and wiping the front of the car down before garaging it every night.
It only takes 5 minutes to get the bugs off..so I haven't really done a real "wash" just this wiping down every night. Seems easy enough.
Have a full Suntek wrap, no coating...but cleans up really easily.
Have trouble thinking about when I'd use these other products, LOL. Guessing the wash and wax may improve the gloss (it's pretty shiny right now though)..would I use the detailing spray after the car has had a "wash and wax" treatment? Then use the wash and rinse when it gets really dirty?
Some of these products/uses seem to overlap..my main concern is build up on the wrap. Is that a legitimate concern? And if I decide to get a coating like CS2 or the like, would my liberal use of these products be detrimental in some way?
On step 3, just clay after you wash. Use shampoo/water as the lube. Rerinse and then dry.
You should introduce at least 1 step of polish, and really, more if needed based upon the condition of the paint before applying a coating.
Consider a Modesta installer to take care of all of your coating needs. In Austin, there is Meticulous Details: MODESTA - WORLDWIDE NATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS
I am a much bigger fan of a proper 2 or 3 bucket car wash. What kind of build up are you specifically concerned about?
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
Not to argue - but I thought "You should introduce at least 1 step of polish, and really, more if needed" would be the LAST thing I needed. Before applying Cquartz, get every last speck of wax/polish off...and now you say ADD a polish?
Your idea of using shampoo instead of detail spray during clay use is brilliant. Makes too much sence
.
At its core, polishing, buffing, compounding(all being paint correction) are about correcting and enhancing the paint, and the coating is about protecting and enhancing. But you are 100% correct. If you polish or do any corrective steps and do not decontaminate to remove trace oils and residues, your coating will not last. You must decontaminate after correcting, before applying your coating.
Then the question becomes, what products do you use to correct? Many are designed, specifically, to artificially enhance by leaving fillers and oils. If you use those products, you are fighting yourself.
This is a typical prep for my clients getting Modesta:
Inspect/assess/communicate with the owner
Wheels/tires/wheel wells cleaned
Paint pre-treat and rinse
Citrus cleaner on lowers and rinse
Hand wash and rinse
Decon with ferrous metal remover (this can remove many waxes and oils)
Mechanical decon if necessary
Dry
Remove all emblems
Decon emblem junk/outlines
Tape sensitive surfaces
Paint correction with obsessive decontamination steps after each time the residue is removed
Wash and rinse
Inspect
Coat
Infrared lamp cure
Top coat
Inspect for 1+ hour
Take pics/video
Cut it loose.
Great question by the way.
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
When you say "decon" are you using Clay as that step?, or some detail spray...such as IPA? What are you doing here?
I read that Modesta is a honey-thick product that needs lamp curing. Does CQuartz need anything beyond air-cure time?
Decontaminating is removing oils and other non-paint substances so that the coating bonds directly to the clear coat. That step may mean clay bar and/or alcohol or other chemicals to strip the surface free.
No, cquartz does not require IR lamps.
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
I have had my new sled for just over one week now, and I've shampooed it twice already. A bit compulsive (snark).
So I rinse with soft water,
foam-gun
rinse with soft water
(tried leaf blower - found this was just moving water from crevices to dry areas)
Micro-towel dry [rinse in grit bucket, and wring dry, or deploy a fresh towel]
I did clay the car, and then wiped down with 25% IPA solution, then applied CQuartz.
Now Foam /rinse just sheets with a few beads.
Still do final dry with microfiber cloth. [putting leaf blower back into yard duty]
So, YES your instructions were sufficient for me to apply a coating on my new car. Thank you for spending your time helping me (and this Forum). Don't know that you will ever be in a position to make a dollar from this contribution...but I can offer my THANK YOU for your effort.
AZDD,
Be sure you actually hand wash the car. A coating does not relieve you of the hand wash part. It just makes cleaning the car easier.
If you do not gently wash away debris, when you hand dry you will scratch the paint.
Be sure you actually hand wash the car. A coating does not relieve you of the hand wash part. It just makes cleaning the car easier.
If you do not gently wash away debris, when you hand dry you will scratch the paint.
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
I just tried the above sequence on Wifes Honda- at 1:00 pm on Oct 25, its 95 F in the air, and probably 120 paint temp. I thought the fresh water since would cool it down, and was sure the foam gun would cool everything to "wax" temperature. My clay bar MELTED in my hand, even though I was lubing with copious soft water. The standard qualifier-dont do this in the sun- is proven right again.
I am not quite understanding what you mean to say. Please forgive me.
But if you are using clay bar and just water, that is not good. You need a lubricant so the clay bar slides on the surface. Too, do not ever wash a car with a surface temp so high. Even rinsing the car with that kind of temperature will cause issues.
If needed, go to a covered wash bay and use the water but use your own buckets and media. ANYTHING you can do to drop the temp while washing do it. Even if it means you wait until it's later in the evening or early in the morning.
But if you are using clay bar and just water, that is not good. You need a lubricant so the clay bar slides on the surface. Too, do not ever wash a car with a surface temp so high. Even rinsing the car with that kind of temperature will cause issues.
If needed, go to a covered wash bay and use the water but use your own buckets and media. ANYTHING you can do to drop the temp while washing do it. Even if it means you wait until it's later in the evening or early in the morning.
I want to share an article I just wrote on the topic of paint correction and would love your feedback:
Top 3 Mistakes Detailers Make When Performing Paint Correction
Top 3 Mistakes Detailers Make When Performing Paint Correction
AZ Desert Driver
Rare combination
For the most part, good advice. I did not like the phrase "In short, not decontaminating properly equates to incompetent masking of defects that will show up later." reacting to the charge "incompetent" - perhaps "incomplete, inadequate" as substitute words. Also, why not say...use these steps...instead of just being critical. I was taught to offer suggestions and not just point out problems.
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