Ever since I ordered the MKX, I had been eagerly awaiting applying CQ to it. The one disappointment with the car is the colour is metallic black and not straight black. The straight black just has so much more depth compared to the metallic. Here's a few shots of the FX35 when I dropped it off at the dealer awaiting my neighbour to pick it up: When I ordered the car, I told the dealer not to touch it when it came in, other than the PDI and to fill it with gas. Here are a few pics of it when it was unloaded from the truck: So, what was it like when I went to pick it up? Exactly as I had asked! Two thumbs up for Performance Ford and Scott Ohler! One thing that occurred to me was I still had an almost full bottle of AQuartz on hand and intended on using that on my trim. Follow me on the journey.... Here it is landed in my garage on its first night home: First Prep: First I removed the plastic from the carpeting and seats. There were also plastic covers that were stuck to the wheels. They were removed (boy will I comment on that later!) The stickers were removed from the windows. I carefully removed the DOC sheet and put it in with the owner's manual. The carpet was then vacuumed and 303 Fabric Guard was applied to both the carpeting and the carpet mats. The MKX also comes with rubber mats which were later placed on top of the carpet ones. The carpeting was given overnight to dry. Wheels/Wells/Tires: Tires were cleaned with Zep Purple Wheels were cleaned with Zep Citrus Wells were cleaned with Zep Citrus Paint: The car had sat outside the plant at Oakville, Ont for 3 weeks prior to being shipped out. I wanted to make sure the paint was squeaky clean prior to me touching it. I power washed it and then foamed it with a mix of DG 901/Zep Citrus. This was allowed to dwell for about 5 minutes and then pw'd off. Thankfully, the temp was just barely above freezing and it did not freeze up. After this stage was a regular wash using DG 901 and a wash mitt. In hindsight, I could have skipped this step b/c I then gave it a final wash using CQuartz IronX shampoo. It did not turn purple so I'm assuming there was no metal contaminants on the paint. Although Avi advised me with black it is much harder to see. The paint was dried using ww mf's. Interior: I then cleaned the wood trim with the 90/10 IPA mix and treated the wood with AQuartz. It did a marvelous job. No streaking and gave it an amazing shine. It had a nice smooth finish to it too. (I had been wondering how I was going to use up this obsolete product). I also used it on the plastic trim in the centre console as well as the 8" touch screen. Again, removal was a snap. I applied and let it sit for about a minute and removed with a soft mf. Paint: The colour is black metallic. In the sun, I think it will shine and shimmer nicely. This paint always lacks the depth of straight black. I am going to miss the mile deep shine my Infiniti paint had I tried using a blue Hydro Tech pad with both Menz power finish and UCCL. Neither improved the finish noticeably enough to justify the time to polish the whole car. I also tried 85rd and a black LCC pad which also failed to improve the finish enough for me to justify it either. The aim then was to prepare all surfaces for 2 coats of CQ. I had to keep a close eye on the clock to monitor drying time and curing time for the 2nd coat. I did an IPA (90/10) wipedown of the metal and checked it with my LED flashlight. The paint was done in sections. I had about 1/3 of a bottle of my old CQ to use first. What I noticed much more than using it before is the strong odour. This time I had my garage all closed up with the heater on. It started off at 50 and got to 60 F. (From about 10 to 15 C) I smoked the biggest cigar I could to try to mask the smell. It worked for the duration of the cigar and then I found that it was giving me a headache. I have an overhead fan but did not want to be working in the draft. Maybe I should have turned it on? Between the end of the first bottle and into the second, it is just as easy to use as I remember. I left it to dry or haze for between 20 to 30 minutes. I had mixed up a pail of water and a strong shot of Zep Citrus that the mf's went into after being used to remove the CQ. I was thrilled once again with the results. A nice wet shine. The finish was smooth, but not as much as with DG 105 or similar. The next morning I applied ReLoad to the paint which made it as smooth as anything I have felt before. Love, love, love that stuff. Glass: I tried both AQ and CQ on the glass. CQ is much easier to remove. The AQ was a bear to remove on glass. I used the mf that was damp with IPA to remove it. I recommend only CQ for the glass. Trim: The trim was treated with AQ. I applied it and let it haze for a minute or two and then buffed off with a mf. Easy, effective, great look. I have found a great new use for it. Wheels: I really like the 20" chrome wheels that I ordered with it. They come from the factory with this cover: The problem with them is the glue they use to secure them. It sticks to the wheels something awful. I tried Krud Kutter at 50%. Nothing. Tried it at 100%. Not much better. It worked, but took a lot of work. I used straight Varsol. Even that had to dwell on the spots for a minute or two, but would get it off. After glue removal, the wheels were wiped down with the IPA mix. I tried both CQ and AQ on the wheels. A trick for using AQ: spray it on a thin sponge. Heath had sent me some stuff which included a pair of thin sponges for putting wax on. It worked like a charm with the AQ! I also used the backside of it for doing the wheel wells with AQ after being wiped down. The tires were dressed with Opti Bond. First time using it; I'm in love. Inside Shots: Outside Shots: All in all, about 10 hours of work. Thanks for looking.
great thread im still undecided though whether these super sealants can tie in with my constant paint cleaner/glaze/lsp testing any reason why you didnt stick with the infiniti, the new fx is a horny looking suv. The front on that lincoln would scare even freddy krugger out of my nightmares
I had the FX for almost 7 years; I felt like a change. The new ones are not that much different. Plus the tech stuff in the MKX is just wicked, and I'm an admitted nerd when it comes to that. I had tested a lot of things on the FX over the years so I know what you mean there. I just figure this will give me more time to spend on other things. I can still test things on my wife and mother in law's cars. As far as the front end goes, it's a love it or hate it look. To be honest, when I first saw it on the bigger MKT, I thought "WTF?" It looks better on the smaller MKX and it is growing on me. It is a great car to drive, handles way better in the snow and has an awesome stereo. I am very, very happy with it for sure. I highly recommend it.
you've convinced me mate. Im not a chrome fan, so i think it would look better painted body colour, and just leave the chrome edging around the headlights re recommendations, we dont have Lincoln in Aus, nor do we get those FX suv's, which is real shame because they look horn. We dont get the G35 coupe either
Nice work Richy and congrats on your new ride. its a shame to see the FX35 go its such a great looking ride the new owner is going to be lucky.
Nice prep and i like your choice in SUV's too... A few yrs back i wouldn't have touched it but times a changing ...
I feel your pain with the stickers/plastic/glue. I do it at work like 4-5 times a day. Lacquer thinner is your friend.
your neighbor sure got a nice looking car. But i bet you will cringe once you see he isnt taking care of it like you did
Wow, that's a bummer about the lack of Infinitis. I'm sorry to hear that for you. As far as the chrome goes, I have always been a big fan of black with chrome trim. That's why getting the 20" chrome wheels was very important to me. Thanks Danny, actually the FX is going to my next door neighbour who is as excited to get it as I was with the Lincoln. He came through the border the other day and the Customs officer couldn't believe it was 7 years old. I chuckled..I was used to getting that reaction with it. I hear you on that. A few years ago the residual value of Lincolns were shit; not now. The build quality and ride quality is very impressive indeed. I grew up in the car business and I am very impressed with this car. Thanks Jon, my father was a GM dealer for 25 years so I've prepped my share of cars over the years, although it has been many years since I have done one...it hasn't changed much. No shit..that's why I switched to Varsol. It is a paint thinner too. Thanks Billy, I'm very proud of it. Funny, I ONR washed it yesterday and it looked good for exactly 15 minutes. I hate this time of year!! You know the interesting thing about that is that I have been detailing their cars for a few years. He is very cognisant about how he is keeping it looking. He has commented several times "I don't know if I'll be able to keep it as nice as you did". I know where he can go for help:afro::thumb:
i have new wheels on the way, if i were to use one of these super sealants on the inner barrels, will it make cleaning easier? im assuming it will outlast what i normally use inside the barrels, Z-CS
Just caught a glance of you saying you stacked your floor mats. I've heard this is dangerous because they can slide or something.
Fantastic new car Richy!! You take fantastic care of your vehicles, I'd be more than happy to buy one from you
Thanks so much for your concern. The carpet mats anchor in two spots. The rubber ones are over top of the carpet and they have heavy ribbing underneath. They have not moved yet but I will keep an eye on them. I did the same thing with my FX and never had a problem. It is a valid point though, no question. Thank you Pat; I'm very pleased. Thanks for that. And that is a very kind thing to say.
