Aquartz review feat. Ferrari Scuderia rosso scuderia flavoured...

[Apollo_Auto]

Jesse, tell us about your coating compared to Aquartz. Whats similar and whats different?

Hi buddy,



So Aquartz gives a nice "slick and wet" finish that's for sure. It also has very good sheeting properties because it sheets thoroughly and quicker than most hydrophilic coatings. I had problems with the look and durability of Aquartz though.



Mine is super-hydrophobic and gives a "crisper" finish. Durability is also very good and we're going on month #6 now on the head chemist's BMW with very little signs of deterioration. And there's only one way to apply and remove it ... wax on, wax off.

 

[Apollo_Auto]

Hi Jesse

I am slightly disappointed at the way you have posted your response and your choice of words in the above post. Considering English is you mother tongue as you put it.



The post you are referring to, was merely a way of demonstration Aquartz ability to resist chemical damage and the products used in this test every member in the UK can associate with them. As I pointed out in my initial post on DW. Members consider these products to be safe.



So the post had 2 points to make.



1. If used wrongly and left to dry they can and will damage paint.



And



2. to demonstrate Aquartz ability to resist chemical damage.

<O</O

As you rightfully have said no one in their right mind would apply 2 types of very strong wheel cleaners (1 alkali and 1 acid) to their hood. Nor would they apply APC to the same area undiluted.



The products where used undiluted so they were at full strength and the use of the heat gun was used to merely evaporate the solution, as if it was left to dry on the surface. By evaporation the chemical composition of the product increases in strength and consistency. The panel temperature was nowhere near as hot as it is in Mumbai.



Evaporation was my main concern.



Where members do not use these products on their hood. They do use them on wheels and the paint on your wheels is no different to what is on your hood.



One other factor to consider and it is not related to the holograming you experience. Is Aquartz is hydrophilic not hydrophobic. So sheeting is done more through gravity and is a lot slower than the product repelling the water as conventional LSP. The use of APC will eventually remove the Aquartz+ layer. As in the accelerator, but this can be reapplied if the user feels the need. But not the lower layer of Aquartz . There reason I the challenge to test this product was the scratch resistance of the product. Looks come from the prep as you rightfully know. But if I can offer a service that will conserve the look of the car and in turn aid the client when maintaining the car. It would be a worthwhile venture.



<O</O

As I posted on DW I will have a look at your concerns, with this product and try and help you as much as possible. But please understand I am not affiliated with this manufacturer also, and I am only conduction test. To possibly aid my business in the future and in turn my client base.



Gordon.

Hi Gordon, I was in no way trying to offend you mate so sorry if it came across as such. People tend to read selectively so instead of trying to explain why and this and that, it's easier to tell them straight forward so they don't get sidetracked. People keep referring to how durable Aquartz is, so I had to get the point across to them that durability is not what concerns me the most. Actually here's what I wrote on DW prior to reading your post here .



"Hi AVi,



As I've stated before in this post, the results I got yesterday with the Lotus were a bit out of the ordinary, but nonetheless disappointing. When I sprayed the Aquartz on I immediately started to buff it of and I buffed until it there was nothing left to buff. For the small area that I did, the couple of sprays was more than enough. It left smears in the paint which you can see on the video so I sprayed a bit more to try and "blend" them in a bit. The surface improved with the second, immediate application, but was still unsatisfactory. If the first layer has to be cured with a heat gun, then the 5 seconds I waited between my first and second layers makes no difference. Also, being that Aquartz is a water-based sealant, the few seconds between sprays should make absolutely no difference in the drying time.



Quote:Originally Posted by Aquartz

The preferred method is by microfiber and you must buff very hard to work Aquartz in - It must then cure properly ( with heat) before you apply a second coat.



A microfiber is exactly what I used . And a very fine one at that. You say it has to be buffed "hard" to work it in but in the video it says "Immediately wipe on gently..." So by "buffing very hard" with a microfiber towel on this Lotus Scura surface will scratch it very badly, that's certain. The same goes for other finishes the other colors that I work with like nero, rosso corsa, etc. These finishes show everything... Yes, pressure must be used to apply nano, as it bonds to the paint much better this way but perhaps you should suggest using a foam applicator because it's much safer than a MF.



The temperature of the panel was cool as was the temperature outside. The MF I used has been used a couple of times, but relatively new. The panel on this particular car is fiberglass and the finish is sort of a plasti-coating like on A-pillars of cars (AFAIK).



The sheeting was very good, that's no doubt. Very thorough and quite fast for a hydrophilic coating. Thumbs up for that ! As far as information for you to send to the labs, I've pretty much written everything down here so perhaps you can just copy it.



Yes, the test I did was performed specifically to see how easily the sealants would come off with abrasion ! Just as with my "rain" test, I tried to conduct the durability test in a manner which most closely represents "average use and abuse" of a vehicle. The tests Gordon carried out yielded very important information about how your sealant reacts to over-exposure of harsh chemicals. In a real-life situation this experiment can be compared to the effects bird droppings would have on a finish, or perhaps if someone was to vandalize the car with chemicals, etc. Therefore, yes his tests were unquestionably helpful to you and to other users of this product... but one isolated test does not cover the rest of the elements that would damage your finish, which is why I chose to cover the "abrasion washing" part of Aquartz. Compare it to a Samurai sword. You can grab the blade almost as hard as you want and it won't cut you, but the second there's friction your hand will burst open! The catalysts that Gordon used in his tests were "sharpened blades" but with no "cutting power". Would the results be different if he'd agitated it a bit? I think so.



A rough hand wash with harsh chemicals could be compared to some washes in the automatic car wash, couldn't it? Or perhaps to several washes at "Jim Bob's Hand Wash" where they still use dish soap to wash your car, right? That's right it could ! Sometimes my customers don't have time to wait for me to wash their cars, which is exactly why I chose this type of testing with Aquartz... to see how "hack-proof" it was.



So as I've mentioned already, the results on the Scura were out of the ordinary... it didn't do that on the other cars BUT this was just an example of my qualms with the product. My major problem with the product is that it leaves a greasy finish that can not be removed! My customers have very high standards and I think you know why. Therefore if my standards were not much higher than theirs, I would not be in business.



No matter what I say or do, you guys will always try to place the blame on something other than your product. My application is wrong, I didn't wipe it in the right direction, I didn't wipe it hard enough, I didn't wipe it long enough, I didn't let it dry long enough, I didn't use the right kind of microfiber, it was too hot, too cold, Uranus and the moon were out of alignment and so on and so forth... Why can't you just accept the fact that someone doesn't get on with your product? Also, if you'd like to send me to Scotland to go and hang out with Dave and Gordon I'd love to go , but I don't think it would change the way Aquartz behaves.



Please look at this video again and forward it to 2:46 When you watch it, stare directly at the reflection of light on the boot and don't take your eyes off it! I have excellent vision (20/15 to be exact) but you do not need eagle eyes to see that even after the removal of Aquartz+, the product still leaves streaks of grease!! Also, please pause it at 2:56 and you will see a huge streak! If this was on a solid black car, how would it look?"



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[GatorJ]

Hi buddy,



So Aquartz gives a nice "slick and wet" finish that's for sure. It also has very good sheeting properties because it sheets thoroughly and quicker than most hydrophilic coatings. I had problems with the look and durability of Aquartz though.



Mine is super-hydrophobic and gives a "crisper" finish. Durability is also very good and we're going on month #6 now on the head chemist's BMW with very little signs of deterioration. And there's only one way to apply and remove it ... wax on, wax off.

Wow, no second agenda here, is there? Amazing (not really, used to this by now).

 

[AeroCleanse]

I don't think you'll see the same things I see because your car is a light colored car and it's also metallic. If you look very closely during the application you'll see the smears, but I"m sure you didn't use inspection lamps when applying it, just as I didn't the first 2 times I used it.

I use my set of halogens, so yes I did use inspection lamps. If your seeing smears, you're not working it long enough.

 

[Apollo_Auto]

Wow, no second agenda here, is there? Amazing (not really, used to this by now).

Use to what? I got a sample of Aquartz before I started working on my own products and the opinions I gathered are factual and non-biased (this review was actually done just days before I started...). At first I chose not to post my negative findings about Aquartz specifically because I didn't want to "hurt Avi's business" and I told him that also. Also, I didn't want it to appear as if I'm "slamming" someone else's products to make mine look better. The after several requests from people who trust my opinions I decided it wasn't fair to withhold the information I had from them.



If you've read correctly, I've also said some nice things about Aquartz because in some aspects it is a nice sealant and if you have a light colored car and prefer a hydrophilic coating than possibly Aquartz is the right sealant for you. Perhaps you remember that I also gave Nanolex a good review in this thread and yes, that's a sealant I would recommend if you like a hydrophilic surface and don't want to mess about with the over-complicated application of a sealant. I was asked to make a comparison between mine and Aquartz and that's what I gave from my point of view.

I use my set of halogens, so yes I did use inspection lamps. If your seeing smears, you're not working it long enough.

Andy so basically what you're saying is that the guy in the video, the Aquartz pro, didn't work it in long enough either? He's got tons of smears, but on a turd like that who cares?

 

[d911]

Jesse

as i have said above nobody is critising your application - All i am trying to do is help to understand why you seem to have got this result as it obviously not normal for Aquartz. If you supply me with as much information it will help me understand and the labs to see "why" the product seems to have worked out badly for you.



and btw- have a good luck with your product, i wish you the best luck.

like i thought.....

 

[AeroCleanse]

Andy so basically what you're saying is that the guy in the video, the Aquartz pro, didn't work it in long enough either? He's got tons of smears, but on a turd like that who cares?

I'm saying I don't see smears when I apply it. From all your posts, its seems like your not interested in trying to figure out what the problem is.

 

[Apollo_Auto]

Jesse

as i have said above nobody is critising your application - All i am trying to do is help to understand why you seem to have got this result as it obviously not normal for Aquartz. If you supply me with as much information it will help me understand and the labs to see "why" the product seems to have worked out badly for you.



and btw- have a good luck with your product, i wish you the best luck.

like i thought.....

Thanks Avi !

 

[JJ_]

I am sorry Jesse but you are applying it wrong. I have a flat black mkv golf and I get NO after effects.



I apply by hand and work in until product is clear. Do you maybe have a faulty product ?

 

[Apollo_Auto]

I am sorry Jesse but you are applying it wrong. I have a flat black mkv golf and I get NO after effects.



I apply by hand and work in until product is clear. Do you maybe have a faulty product ?

Hi JJ, I'm sure the Scura was an isolated incident because it really did have some strange results, but for the other times I used it I still got an oily residue. I'm not going to rule out a bad batch of product and I think Avi will be sending me another sample soon so I'll give it another shot. As for applying it incorrectly by hand... well there's not really a whole lot you can do "wrong" by buffing it in with a MF so I can't see how it's possible that I applied it "incorrectly". Well see in the days to come!

 

[Knox Details]

Nice write up and nice work!! Looks like you have put yourself in a good place as far as detailing is considered. Congrats

 

[JJ_]

Hi JJ, I'm sure the Scura was an isolated incident because it really did have some strange results, but for the other times I used it I still got an oily residue. I'm not going to rule out a bad batch of product and I think Avi will be sending me another sample soon so I'll give it another shot. As for applying it incorrectly by hand... well there's not really a whole lot you can do "wrong" by buffing it in with a MF so I can't see how it's possible that I applied it "incorrectly". Well see in the days to come!

It sounds really unusual because I don't think it oily like a glaze. I would maybe try smaller sections and work until clear. Work it like your hand polishing a panel.



I would possibly ask for a new bottle