I was looking at some paint coatings such as Carpro Cquartz, Optimum Opti coating, and Gtechniz C1 and Hybrid Coating. Is it really worth the money because I currently use a synthetic wax and then a carnauba wax when washing/ detailing my car. They come in rather small bottles and cost around the same for what my waxes I use but the waxes I purchase can last me 5-6 cars vs 1-2 for the paint coatings I listed. My area I live in the winter is a little harsh so I was looking at them to help protect the car paint.
Paint Coatings
- Thread starter smither
- Start date
Accumulator
Well-known member
fangster- I use coatings on my wheels but not on the rest of the car (but that's just me and I have my reasons..). No problem for me to get through a (tough Ohio) winter without using a coating, but many people do like them.
If you want to use a coating, you'll need to do a very thorough correction first as you'll "seal in" any marring and the coatings don't conceal any such flaws. While the coatings are generally harder than autopaint, you will need to wash in a relatively marring-free-type manner or you'll scratch it up and just be back where you started, at least appearance-wise (the coating will still be on there protecting, but it won't look so swell).
If you want to use a coating, you'll need to do a very thorough correction first as you'll "seal in" any marring and the coatings don't conceal any such flaws. While the coatings are generally harder than autopaint, you will need to wash in a relatively marring-free-type manner or you'll scratch it up and just be back where you started, at least appearance-wise (the coating will still be on there protecting, but it won't look so swell).
Accumulator could you please perhaps explain your reasoning because as you may realize I'm in the market to get it for my cars, but I'm not sure if its worth the time and the risk because I have also read that if applied wrong it will require wet sanding and etc. But if somehow swirls (love-marks) and small marring start to appear on paint can I polish them out like on normal paint?
silverfox
New member
Coatings like Sonus ion and DG ceramic nano coating have made it ridiculously easy to apply them...whereas the others I've applied can be unforgiving in terms of environmental variables or human error.
Having said that, there are sealants that are blurring the lines with coatings and in some cases preferable because they are dummy proof while giving coating characteristics. One example is the Sonax polymer netshield sealant. In my 40 years of washing and drying cars I've never seen anything like this product in terms water and dirt repelling including all the coatings I've tried since they became popular. This sealant is nothing short of game change status in my opinion. I'm talking touchless washing and I'm not exaggerating. I took my car through two weeks of rain drenched streets and sun drying cycles mixed in with the usual bugs and road crud....I hit the paint with a foam cannon, then power rinsed it off. I then dried with a metro blaster and I'm telling you I was stunned. Not only was the paint clean, but it was so clean I hit one section with a waterless wash after I dried it with a white MF towel...there was nothing....I mean nothing left behind on that white towel. I can honestly say that it allows as close to touchless washing as anything I've seen and I'm meticulous about car washing.
Having said that, there are sealants that are blurring the lines with coatings and in some cases preferable because they are dummy proof while giving coating characteristics. One example is the Sonax polymer netshield sealant. In my 40 years of washing and drying cars I've never seen anything like this product in terms water and dirt repelling including all the coatings I've tried since they became popular. This sealant is nothing short of game change status in my opinion. I'm talking touchless washing and I'm not exaggerating. I took my car through two weeks of rain drenched streets and sun drying cycles mixed in with the usual bugs and road crud....I hit the paint with a foam cannon, then power rinsed it off. I then dried with a metro blaster and I'm telling you I was stunned. Not only was the paint clean, but it was so clean I hit one section with a waterless wash after I dried it with a white MF towel...there was nothing....I mean nothing left behind on that white towel. I can honestly say that it allows as close to touchless washing as anything I've seen and I'm meticulous about car washing.
Fangster,
I have Opti Coat 2.0 on my wife's car and the Klaase Twins on my truck. I had some O
C 2.0 left so I applied it to my truck's hood and roof.
As far as having to wet sand 2.0 to remove marring and such, from my reading, polishing with hyper polish is all that may be needed. I can't speak for the others.
Since applying the 2.0 cleaning my wife's car is a breeze. Most of the time using the foam lance and pressure washer rinse is all that is needed. The less you have to "touch" the surface the less chance you will introduce swirls and such. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to use the coating.
As far as swirls and marring proper wash technique is critical. If you search the site you will find some great threads on the topic.
I did a ton of research prior to taking the plunge and was very confident in 2.0 and it's ability to withstand our north east winter's.
As far as price, I bought it when a local site had a 25% off sale.
Finally prep, application, and maintanence will be your keys to coating success.
Good Luck!
Steve
I have Opti Coat 2.0 on my wife's car and the Klaase Twins on my truck. I had some O
C 2.0 left so I applied it to my truck's hood and roof.
As far as having to wet sand 2.0 to remove marring and such, from my reading, polishing with hyper polish is all that may be needed. I can't speak for the others.
Since applying the 2.0 cleaning my wife's car is a breeze. Most of the time using the foam lance and pressure washer rinse is all that is needed. The less you have to "touch" the surface the less chance you will introduce swirls and such. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to use the coating.
As far as swirls and marring proper wash technique is critical. If you search the site you will find some great threads on the topic.
I did a ton of research prior to taking the plunge and was very confident in 2.0 and it's ability to withstand our north east winter's.
As far as price, I bought it when a local site had a 25% off sale.
Finally prep, application, and maintanence will be your keys to coating success.
Good Luck!
Steve
Accumulator
Well-known member
UncleGrandpa- You make that Sonax Polymer Netshield sound *very* interesting! Heh heh, even us older dogs can learn new tricks now and then, I oughta look into that stuff.
EDIT: Eh, [darn] it's an aerosol....not right for me because of that, but I'm still glad you brought it to my attention.
fangster- I'm far from a great authority on coatings, so take heed to what others post on the subject.
My biggest concern(s) in your case would be issues related to marring- can you get it good enough before applying the coating? Can you keep it that way? No, you can't "polish the coating", AFAIK you'll basically have to polish *through* the coating down to the paint, continue polishing (the paint) until it's OK again, and then reapply the coating to the entire panel in question.
I don't want to influence you one way or the other; maybe a coating is perfect for you, maybe it's not, and I can't really make that call. Just remember that, uhm....this is the internet and just because something works/doesn't for somebody else, that doesn't mean it'll work/not for you.
EDIT: Eh, [darn] it's an aerosol....not right for me because of that, but I'm still glad you brought it to my attention.
fangster- I'm far from a great authority on coatings, so take heed to what others post on the subject.
My biggest concern(s) in your case would be issues related to marring- can you get it good enough before applying the coating? Can you keep it that way? No, you can't "polish the coating", AFAIK you'll basically have to polish *through* the coating down to the paint, continue polishing (the paint) until it's OK again, and then reapply the coating to the entire panel in question.
I don't want to influence you one way or the other; maybe a coating is perfect for you, maybe it's not, and I can't really make that call. Just remember that, uhm....this is the internet and just because something works/doesn't for somebody else, that doesn't mean it'll work/not for you.
Zelfiris
New member
UncleGrandpa said:
Hi UncleGrandpa, I'm curious to know if you have tried hydro2 or reload from Car Pro
I have both and used them but always been thinking about sonax netshield but never did. I have sonax BSD which works great but I didn't find the finish to be too appealing.
silverfox
New member
I have both of those products and they are excellent. I'm particularly looking forward to the new reload product which boasts 6 months of protection. My take on this is simple...a spray on product to this point isn't going to out perform (long term) one that requires some elbow grease. I also love the deep, wet look on red...which the sonax product gives me. Its not a slick surface but I'm not wanting anybody touching the paint so slickness is a non factor. Also the sonax product gave coating characteristics. The others you mentioned in my view act like sealants which they are. Having said that for wheel wells, and wheels I use hydro2.
Woob
New member
Coatings are awesome, but maintenance is still freaking important IMO.
Accumulator
Well-known member
UncleGrandpa- I usually equate slickness with dirt-shedding and thus value it highly...what's your take on that given that (if I understand you correctly) the Sonax isn't all that slick but IIRC you said it sheds dirt very well?
silverfox
New member
Its not slick to the touch and I too thought slickness equated to repelling ability. I was wrong. Repelling is all about chemistry and electrical ion interactions....sonax has figured it out...but slickness as I discovered means nothing other than how the paint feels to the touch and other than myself nobody touches the paint... Seeing is believing.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Ah, OK, thanks for explaining.
MattPersman
New member
Opti coat 2.0 is fantastic, it is however the only coating I have tried. It is tricky to apply, there are many methods everyone says there's is the best. Lol. I got a new car two weeks ago and opticoated it yesterday. This is the third car I have OC and it was the most high spots I have gotten. Some have a theory you can apply to a panel and pretty much wipe off the high spots with a microfiber after a couple mins, I layed it on thick this time because I read many people do not use enough product. I used about 9 of the 20 in the syringe. I had many high spots as stated but it those came off extremely easy with poliseal another optimum product.
OC has made maint on our vehicles extremely easy, it's expensive to purchase but does make quite a difference IMO.
OC has made maint on our vehicles extremely easy, it's expensive to purchase but does make quite a difference IMO.
How do the paint coatings last or stand up against automatic washes? In the winter I just don't have to time to wash my cars and lots of detailers don't do paint coatings so I'm thinking about detailing my cars right before the winter if they can stand up against them. What I mean is the automatic washes can they stand up against swirls, micro marring, etc.
fangster...I was curious about the SAME things you are. I talked to alot of people and looked at alot of coating products...and they are all slightly different (the people and the coatings 
I finally decided on the CarPro CQuartz UK route. I talked to Corey at CarPro (he's very helpful), and it's all pretty simple. Corey recently posted a video showing just how easy the application/removal is. Like myself, I think people are so afraid of doing it wrong...that they do it wrong. Sounds strange, but after watching the video, I realized that I would have made it much harder than it really is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rAM78oDffM
As has been mentioned, getting a swirl-free finish prior to the coating is important. From that point on is where the coating shines (literally). It won't lose gloss over time like sealants can (even though the sealant protection is still there). Just wash the coating as you usually would (preferably with the product-matched wash...Reset in the CQuartz case), and it's back to looking like Day 1 again.
Over the winter, the coating will take the brunt of any minor marring. Or if you are a total perfectionist and use a Cali-duster every day...the coating is taking that minor-abuse and not the actual clearcoat. If you are like me, in the spring, it can be re-polished (which will remove the coating) and reapply the coating for another full year of use. I will do it this way so they vehicle looks it's best at all times. Per the design of the coating, you could just keep going another year or more, but marring will inevitably build up over time. I prefer to run a yearly-cycle starting in the spring and going through the hard winter. But that's just me, and most would say that's a waste of money.
Don't know if that helps or not, but I decided to give it a shot.
I finally decided on the CarPro CQuartz UK route. I talked to Corey at CarPro (he's very helpful), and it's all pretty simple. Corey recently posted a video showing just how easy the application/removal is. Like myself, I think people are so afraid of doing it wrong...that they do it wrong. Sounds strange, but after watching the video, I realized that I would have made it much harder than it really is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rAM78oDffM
As has been mentioned, getting a swirl-free finish prior to the coating is important. From that point on is where the coating shines (literally). It won't lose gloss over time like sealants can (even though the sealant protection is still there). Just wash the coating as you usually would (preferably with the product-matched wash...Reset in the CQuartz case), and it's back to looking like Day 1 again.
Over the winter, the coating will take the brunt of any minor marring. Or if you are a total perfectionist and use a Cali-duster every day...the coating is taking that minor-abuse and not the actual clearcoat. If you are like me, in the spring, it can be re-polished (which will remove the coating) and reapply the coating for another full year of use. I will do it this way so they vehicle looks it's best at all times. Per the design of the coating, you could just keep going another year or more, but marring will inevitably build up over time. I prefer to run a yearly-cycle starting in the spring and going through the hard winter. But that's just me, and most would say that's a waste of money.
Don't know if that helps or not, but I decided to give it a shot.
cobrar97 said:fangster...I was curious about the SAME things you are. I talked to alot of people and looked at alot of coating products...and they are all slightly different (the people and the coatings
I finally decided on the CarPro CQuartz UK route. I talked to Corey at CarPro (he's very helpful), and it's all pretty simple. Corey recently posted a video showing just how easy the application/removal is. Like myself, I think people are so afraid of doing it wrong...that they do it wrong. Sounds strange, but after watching the video, I realized that I would have made it much harder than it really is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rAM78oDffM
As has been mentioned, getting a swirl-free finish prior to the coating is important. From that point on is where the coating shines (literally). It won't lose gloss over time like sealants can (even though the sealant protection is still there). Just wash the coating as you usually would (preferably with the product-matched wash...Reset in the CQuartz case), and it's back to looking like Day 1 again.
Over the winter, the coating will take the brunt of any minor marring. Or if you are a total perfectionist and use a Cali-duster every day...the coating is taking that minor-abuse and not the actual clearcoat. If you are like me, in the spring, it can be re-polished (which will remove the coating) and reapply the coating for another full year of use. I will do it this way so they vehicle looks it's best at all times. Per the design of the coating, you could just keep going another year or more, but marring will inevitably build up over time. I prefer to run a yearly-cycle starting in the spring and going through the hard winter. But that's just me, and most would say that's a waste of money.
Don't know if that helps or not, but I decided to give it a shot.
But how would it stand up against an automatic car wash and have you done it before? That is my main concern because I don't have time to hand wash it and can't in my area.
fangster - You really need to talk to Corey at CarPro, as he's the expert on this stuff. I'm not sure about the car wash. Assuming it's a touchless drive-thru, after the coating has cured, the question would be how it holds up to the harsh pre-soak and soap that is used at the car wash. It's certainly going to hold up 100x better than anything else. But how long is that...and is the cost worth it?
Honestly, I'm not sure what to say here, as I cannot image not being able to wash my car. Knowing the proper way to maintain a perfect car, I don't think I would be able to do it without being able to wash. I'd either go crazy or just buy a junker car and never wash it at all (which might not be half bad some days).
I'm MORE than impressed with the results on CQuartz UK, but your situation and needs are quite different. Give Corey a shout at [email protected]
He'll more that help.
Honestly, I'm not sure what to say here, as I cannot image not being able to wash my car. Knowing the proper way to maintain a perfect car, I don't think I would be able to do it without being able to wash. I'd either go crazy or just buy a junker car and never wash it at all (which might not be half bad some days).
I'm MORE than impressed with the results on CQuartz UK, but your situation and needs are quite different. Give Corey a shout at [email protected]
He'll more that help.