cquartz

Okay, I've been reading up on this as much as possible since I was part of the group buy and am currently waiting for my shipment to come in and use it. When I first started reading about this I saw that Aquartz was a product that would last about a year and was scratch resistant to a point. Now Cquartz is out and I'm wondering about this. I have not been able to bring up a lot on this product. I know it is easier to apply than Aquartz but do you still get the longevity out of the product? Also is it as scratch resistant as Aquartz? I have seen a few vids on youtube but couldn't find reading material on it. Selling this to clients as a scratch resistant product that will last more than 6 months would be a great thing but does it work as I'm reading? Some insight to this product would be greatly appreciated. I have seen(I forget who) the FX with the product on along with other products on other panels. I have a Karmann Ghia with a front end that needs to be replaced so I am probably going to test an area of it and see if it is scratch resistant and if so to what extent.

Though the Aquartz was a pita to apply and remove, was it a better product than Cquartz?

Thanks in advance.

 

Jay, it was my FX that had both Aquartz and Cquartz (as well as Opti Coat too). Avi (the owner of the company) tells me Cquartz is better than Aquartz for durability. It is a different formulation and its water repelling properties are also different. I am scared to try the scratch resistance on my car (besides it is sold and waiting for my new MKX to arrive until I deliver the FX). That would be great if you could do a test panel for scratch resistance. They do one on youtube but I feel it's too aggressive. Please share your observations if you take that on. The only way to boost the durability would be one of two ways: either add a 2nd coat after an hour or more of curing or two, spray the ReLoad sealant spray on top periodically. It is an amazing product as well. Hope that helps. I am looking forward to doing my whole MKX with it: paint, glass and trim. Supposed to be in mid-November.

 

Thats right I remember your screen name now. Okay, well I can definitely test it on my car, like I said, I have to replace the front end anyway. You were saying the vids were too aggressive, anything you would like me to test it with? I don't mind scratching the crap out of it since its a scrap panel. Thanks for the reply, any info on when this stuff will be delivered?

 

Cquarts does have marring resistance, from wash induced marring, same as the Aquartz version.

 

YouTube - Cquartz hammered protection.AVI

here is the video of how they tested it man.

 

In the one video, he takes a bloody green scrubbie pad with a weight on it and rubs it back and forth. None of my cars will ever see anything like that. I am interested in how it protects against wash marring. I guess the point being made is if it protects against extreme measures, then it should handle the wash marring just fine. I am at a loss as to what to recommend you test the scratch resistance with to be honest. Something more aggressive than wash mitt marring but nothing as extreme as a green scrubbie. Have you got any ideas?
As far as delivery goes, I think the time line for the end of this week or next is still on target. I haven't been advised to the contrary. I know Custom's processing was the only wild card in the process.

 

Yeah I have seen both of the vids, with the lighter and the dish spounge. Pretty crazy. No I don't have any ideas on what to use to test it out. I want to get a key and see how it does against key marks or a ring and see how it holds up against that. A lot of my clients have really bad scratches by the door handle from womens rings. We'll see. Thanks

 

Cquartz can protect only light scratches and swirls , there is no such thing 100% proof against scratches, key scratch, it can depend on the pressure you use and if it has too sharp edges.

 

How can a hard clear coat be so easily scratched?

Force acts through a body that has a surface area; if the surface area is really small while maintaining an equal force, the pressure becomes astronomical and the object under pressure capable of penetrating the surface of an otherwise tough material. That’s why a micro fine thread that is twice as fine as silk and a 100 times finer than a human hair, in an otherwise soft towel will scratch your paint. And the same reason a mosquito can penetrate a rhino hide with its proboscis (stinger).

This can best be summed up as: Your car’s paint finish, though it may feel hard, is actually rather soft. Nearly everything else that comes in contact with it, though it may feel soft, is harder by comparison and will scratch it with enough pressure – sometimes just the slightest of pressure.

 

I just received my order of CQuartz yesterday. one thing I noticed on the directions is that the curing time would be 3 hrs if the temp was 15 C. the instructions on the outer package say working temps are 15 C to 30 C. converted that means 59 f degrees and up and a cure time of 3 hrs before removal. has anybody used it at temps lower than 59 F. the reason I ask is that I do not have garage and the temps have been struggling to reach 50 lately. it is suppose to warm up this week to mid 50s maybe 60 by the end of the week. would love to apply to my ride for the winter. also leaving the stuff bond for 3 hrs is easier in a garage, since the dust , dirt and leaves flying around outside is impossible to control .

 

no problem to coat from 10 deg C. as well, just try as much as possible to avoid water touch and washing for first 3 hours.
most important is to clean very well the surface after polishing !!!, to remove oils, any polish compound has oil in it, even water based
i suggest to use IPA 90% +10% DAWN or Fairy dish wash soap(strong types) mixed to clean well the surface.
best bonding is when surface is very clean from everything.
best hydrophobic effect shows after 12 hours

 

Sounds good on the ability to go down to 10 C on the product. that will give me some room if the temps drop a bit from when I apply it until I remove it. would be doing an IPA wipe down after polishing to make sure the surface is ready for the CQuartz. wanted to get it applied this week as we are expecting no rain for 4 or 5 days in a row. considering I will not have a lot of time after work I will be doing it in sections. on my day off I can finish what I did not get to .

 

IPA doesnt remove completely polish oil!, its mainly "lifting" it above . but its going down again when you wipe it off, this has been checked !, you must use kind of alkaline detergent if you want to really clean the surface, this goes for any coat you use , if it need to be oil free surface.
use 10% of strong dish wash soap inside the IPA,.. this will ensure better cleaning effect..

 

That is the first time I had heard that . I may be new to posting here but have done my share of cars with IPA wipe down and never had any issues of durability on my rides or my customers.

 

I will use Varsol to prep the surface prior to application. It is a very strong solvent and the surface should be squeaky clean after that. I will be dealing with cold temps too as my new car is still a few weeks away at this point. I probably won't be applying CQ until the end of November. I will have to have the little space heater going to make sure the garage is at least 50 degrees.

 

I have a couple of questions.
Can this be layered?
If so how long cure times between coats.
Does it offer greater scratch protection is more than 1 coat is applied?
Can wax be applied to the coat or will it have no effect?
I just placed my order with Mike and I'm really looking forward to putting this on my Mini.

 

see the red answers

 

Just make sure that after you have polished the paint to the point at which you are happy with the finish, that you thoroughly clean the paint. Avi suggests a 90/10 mixture of IPA and a strong dish soap such as Dawn to fully remove any oils that may still be on the paint. The cleaner the paint, the better the bond, the longer the durability. I am going to use that mixture and not the varsol I had intended.

 

ok now that is SICK!! :gasp:

Never seen anything like that

 

Did not know that AVI suggests a 90/ 10 IPA / Dawn mixture. guess my plans may have to change. thanks for the info.