Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 23
  1. #1
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lawndale, CA
    Posts
    3,757
    Post Thanks / Like

    1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    With my brother being on vacation with his wife, he left his 99 Tahoe that he purchased from one of our uncles a few months back after selling his 03 Grand Prix with me as he was taken to airport in it. He had talked about wanting to polish it because it looked sad and my uncle did not do a good job taking care of it. My uncle blamed his wife because she was the one to drive it haha.

    This was a good time for me to polish it because I did not know when I would get the chance. My bro had no idea I was going to do this to make it more of a surprise.

    I did not take too many photos. I spent one Saturday to wash, prep and correct it. The rest I was doing a little each day after I got home from work.

    First up was a wash with an iron decontamination. In this instance Optimum Ferrex. This thing turned purple so fast.









    After I was done washing it, I pulled it into the garage and mechanically decontaminated it using CarPro Immolube at 1:5 and a Griot’s Garage Fine Surface Prep Mitt. Lot’s of contaminants on the paint. One thing about Immolube is that it gets really sudsy (espeically with a clay alternative, not so much with actual clay) so lots of towels are needed to mop up the residue. I followed that up with the Blackfire Paint Prep Spray to remove any remaining Immolube residue.

    With this being an older vehicle and a daily driver my intent was to get as much of the defects out in one step versus compounding and removing more than I need to as this is not a show car. This was true for all parts of the of it other than the hood which actually needed to be compounded.

    On the hood I used Sonax Cut Max on a Rupes Blue cutting pad. I did not take photos of this. But this is the first time I used Cut Max and it worked well. I had no dusting, good correction and a nice working time. I did find it a little difficult to remove but I believe there is a new version that is coming out to address this.

    For the rest of the paint the combination that worked was Sonax Cut & Finish on a Rupes UHS pad. Hard to capture defects on light paint.



    As I don’t have many UHS pads, I would use a Rupes Green Pad with Sonax Cut & Finish and that worked as well.





    Again I was left with the deep stuff that I am not planning to remove. It helps that the paint hides defects.

    After I was done with the correction step, I followed up with a prep wipe using the Blackfire Paint Prep Spray. I then used CarPro Essence on CarPro Gloss pads to give the paint a little more pop. CarPro also claims increased longevity by using Essence. I let Essence cure for 24 hours. This lets the SiO2 cure and a majority of the polishing oils evaporate. I did do a light prep wipe once again with https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...aint-prep.html to remove any light dust and then proceeded to coat.



    I went with Cquartz Classic/TiO2 for this particular paint for the main reason of it containing TiO2 within it. It has a higher reflectivity than UK. It may not be as hard as UK but that is ok. I personally like TiO2 on lighter paints. I went with the recommended 2 coats of TiO2. Followed that up the next day with CarPro Gliss. I also tested out the butter soft suede applicators from The Rag Company. They worked out pretty well and a good alternative to the included suede applicators.

    NOTE: If someone wants to do this in one day here are the CarPro recommendations. 45-60 minutes between Cquartz (TiO2 or UK). Wait 4 hours to apply Gliss.

    TiO2 went on easy for me and works good for the temperatures hear in Southern California. I did find it to have some slight issues as the temps dropped. By issues I mean flash times and how the coating spreads out. With Gliss it also worked out well when using it. It does flash faster so it’s a good idea to be mindful of where one has already applied it to.

    If anything Gliss was on the paint for less than 30 seconds before I wiped it off. I will say that Gliss is not as slick as Gyeon Skin (part of the Gyeon Syncro kit). Similar feel to Exo V3. Gliss feels tacky at first and gets slicker as it cures. To me it feels a hint slicker than Cquartz TiO2. Not by much. Also to note that Gliss does not add hardness but it adds more chemical resistance. So keep that in mind as one can easily marr Gliss.



    The end result is a nice glossy finish. In the right light this light colored paint has some nice gloss to it.









    The finishing touch so I know what I put on it as I have been playing around with various coatings.



    I also restored the trim with Solution Finish (ie door handles, front grille, rear bumper). Except the side molding which we are going to remove since he does not like them. The rear trim came out nice with a couple coats of solution finish. Sealed with Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant.



    Other things done were:

    Chrome bumpers polished with Optimum Metal Polish

    Glass clayed (during decon process), polished with McKee’s 37 Glass Restorer and a cutting foam pad and coated with McKee’s Glass Coating. Trying out a double coat on the front glass to see if that adds durability. Waited a few hours between coats.

    Engine bay cleaned as shown in this review.

    https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/118364-review-blackfire-pro-detailers-choice-engine-degreaser.html

    My brother was excited when I picked him up at the airport and then the following day when he saw it in the daylight.

    The Tahoe looks much better after he replaced the ugly aftermarket wheels my uncle had on it, lowered it and purchased new headlights that I put Xpel on.

    Wheels and tires were coated a few weeks back with Gtechniq C5 + Exo V3 and Tuff Shine Tire Coating.

    Thanks for reading
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS
    Thanks Stokdgs thanked for this post

  2. #2
    Long Time Member GearHead_1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Utah
    Posts
    10,695
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    As always, very nice Guz.
    A society willing to trade liberty for temporary security deserves neither and will lose both
    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
    Likes The Guz liked this post
    Thanks The Guz thanked for this post

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Huntington Beach, Ca
    Posts
    127
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    For an Old Boat, the Chevy looks great.

    Like the tip about the applicators from the Rag Company. I may need them.
    Likes The Guz liked this post

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    86,975
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    The Guz- Hey, that turned out nice! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Huh, the "D" pillars are bodycolor... (EDIT: Oops, 2Dr, so I mean "C" pillars.. )

    Did you have to do much with the plastic cowl piece at the base of the windshield?

    [Accumulator`s Tahoe is basically the 4Dr version of that, same paint too.]

  5. #5
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lawndale, CA
    Posts
    3,757
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    Quote Originally Posted by GearHead_1 View Post
    As always, very nice Guz.
    Thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by Marine Clerk View Post
    For an Old Boat, the Chevy looks great.

    Like the tip about the applicators from the Rag Company. I may need them.
    Thanks. I was always curious about these applicators and speaking with Levi kind of sealed the deal so I decided to give them a shot.

    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    The Guz- Hey, that turned out nice! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Huh, the "D" pillars are bodycolor... (EDIT: Oops, 2Dr, so I mean "C" pillars.. )

    Did you have to do much with the plastic cowl piece at the base of the windshield?

    [Accumulator`s Tahoe is basically the 4Dr version of that, same paint too.]
    Funny you should mention those rear pillars. The original ones on it were black but they were beat. My brother ended up re-spraying those black. The last time we were at the salvage yard he pulled an additional set off and painted them body color to see how it would look. He liked that it was different than the normal black ones so he decided to leave it as is for now.

    The front cowl is actually the only plastic that is in decent shape. All I did was give it a cleaning with some APC during the wash process and then used Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant on it.

    He has replaced:

    The headlights
    The tail lights as the old ones were so beat that even polishing could bring them back to life
    Wheels and tires. Have to do a little rolling of the front passenger fender.
    The front glass as the other one was cracked.
    The side mirrors are new since the old ones were in bad shape
    Of course he lowered it. I want to say 2 inches in the front and 3 inches in the rear. I can`t recall exactly what kit he bought.
    New brakes

    We are going to pull the side moldings off sometime soon. The little chrome piece above them has chipped away and snags towels when wiping dry. My brother also doesn`t like them. The rear badge may also be coming off as well.

    We will be rebuilding/replacing the front suspension as well.

    Little by little he is fixing things to get it where he wants it.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS
    Likes Stokdgs liked this post

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    486
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    I have a question about CQuartz... going to try another round of applying the UK... when do you know it has "flashed" ?

  7. #7
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lawndale, CA
    Posts
    3,757
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    Quote Originally Posted by Imatk View Post
    I have a question about CQuartz... going to try another round of applying the UK... when do you know it has "flashed" ?
    The flash time is going to vary by the surrounding temperature and humidity. If UK feels grabby as you wipe it off then you have left it on too long. Avi of CarPro has mentioned that UK can be wiped on and wiped off within a few seconds.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    86,975
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    The Guz- Ah, that all sounds great! Now you have me wanting new lights/lenses for mine...

    Eh, the black "C"s look better IMO but hey, whatever makes *him* happy. And I replaced the sideview mirrors on mine too (and the oe wheels, which I like).

    Did he fit stainless brakelines when he did the brakes? If not, you use the ones listed for the older-but-similar ?K5? (big) Blazers.

    When he does the steering, I *HIGHLY* recommend having RedHead Steering Gear rebuild the box with a fast-ratio gearset. IT`S GREAT!!! And BTW the ones from the dealership are all rebuilt, and badly...the second one they tried froze up repeatedly, nearly changing the life of Yours Truly before I got the RedHead one.

    I expect the Hotchkiss (anti)swaybar set to be great, but I`m just not getting around to installing it

    Oh, and that gold Bowtie in the front...Black ones look nice

    Is that rust busting through on the L rear barndoor? I arrested mine before it got too bad, but no idea whether the fix will continue to hold. Replacing those doors is a bit of a challenge as the hinges just never hold up like the oe ones with regard to corrosion.

  9. #9
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lawndale, CA
    Posts
    3,757
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    Yeah there is rust on the rear and also above the front glass. It was not well taken care of in it`s past life. The Tahoe won`t be sticking around that long. My brother mentioned a few weeks ago that he plans to sell it sometime soon. He is basically fixing up the minor things before he decides to put that For Sale sign on it.

    He also went full LED`s on the exterior for the tails and front signals. Also in the interior.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS

  10. #10
    Wax Waster Ronkh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    SwFL
    Posts
    27,090
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    Got some real nice clarity and shine.
    Formerly the "Best Detailer", now just Super Wax Waster Man. Not necessarily tactful, but normally right. It`s good to be da King !!!
    Likes The Guz liked this post
    Thanks The Guz thanked for this post

  11. #11
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lawndale, CA
    Posts
    3,757
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    Quote Originally Posted by Ronkh View Post
    Got some real nice clarity and shine.
    Thanks. Nowhere near the gloss levels of your white paint but this will have to do.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS
    Likes Ronkh liked this post
    Thanks Ronkh thanked for this post

  12. #12
    BudgetPlan1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    2,662
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    Quote Originally Posted by The Guz View Post
    Thanks. Nowhere near the gloss levels of your white paint but this will have to do.
    Every time I finish a real vehicle and think "Well, that`s not too bad at all..." the image of a white corvette scrolls thru my mind and I start wondering "Should I go over it just one more time...maybe, just maybe there`s a bit more to be had. "

  13. #13
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lawndale, CA
    Posts
    3,757
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    Well it has been 2 months since I applied TiO2 + Gliss to my brothers Tahoe. It was given a wash today with Reset as I have not seen how the surface has behaved other than what my brother has told me when he washed it and experienced a little rain some time ago.

    The surface is hydrophobic at 2 months. Making it easy to wash. The self cleaning effect has done well. FYI his Tahoe sits outside 24/7.

    Took the following photos of the tight water beading after the wash.



    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS

  14. #14

    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    86,975
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    The Guz- Glad it`s holding up, with any luck he`ll find its new owner before you need to redo it.

    Just put new Michelins on mine

  15. #15
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lawndale, CA
    Posts
    3,757
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: 1999 Tahoe -> CarPro Essence + Cquartz TiO2 + Gliss

    I agree it should last quite some time with routine maintenance. We cleaned up the entire interior. I don`t think it`s been cleaned since my uncle owned it. The leather seats and carpet were nasty. It needs a new carpet as cleaning could only do so much.

    My brother just replaced the ignition switch as it was having the issue of not starting and the security light coming on. He also replaced the driver side lower seat leather with a new piece. New floor mats are on the way.

    He was planning on replacing some of the worn out suspension pieces but he is not sure if he wants to put any more money into it.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS

 

 
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 5
    Last Post: 03-21-2018, 12:29 PM
  2. Replies: 11
    Last Post: 11-16-2016, 07:38 AM
  3. CarPro Essence
    By rlmccarty2000 in forum Autopia-carcare.com
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 12-02-2015, 08:41 AM
  4. Audi A6 - Corrected and Coated - CarPro Essence - CQuartz UK - Attention to Detailing Peoria
    By zmcgovern45 in forum Click & Brag -The Detailers Showcase
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 11-19-2015, 08:23 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •