CQuartz Finest?

[Nola 32/65]

Looks great man!

[askjeeves]

is anyone willing to share how much they spent on a detail including cquartz as the last step? I got a couple quotes this week and am surprised at the estimated costs. prep (wash/clay/decontamination), polish, cquartz is coming out to between around $700-$1,000 depending on if it's 1-stage or 2-stage polish. Is this what I should expect to pay, or is there a serious miami tax on these detailing prices?

[fastmike]

That doesn't sound off base. It's the polish which is the most labor intensive, maybe about 10-20 hours depending on the place.

Then a lot of places charge $300 for just the CQuartz on top.

You can DIY, but I went the professional route myself.

Originally Posted by askjeeves

is anyone willing to share how much they spent on a detail including cquartz as the last step? I got a couple quotes this week and am surprised at the estimated costs. prep (wash/clay/decontamination), polish, cquartz is coming out to between around $700-$1,000 depending on if it's 1-stage or 2-stage polish. Is this what I should expect to pay, or is there a serious miami tax on these detailing prices?

[Krockit1]

My bill for paint correction and CQuartz Finest application was $800, but that is Wisconsin pricing. My car involved a lot of hours of polishing, because it had been wet sanded first by another shop. That wet sanding was another $800.

Don't cheap out on this paint process! Have it done professionally by a certified installer. You will get CQuartz Finest, not CQuartz. There is a big difference and the Finest can only be purchased by an authorized installer. CQuartz is available OTC and is not the same product. Either product always gets 2 coats.

[Krockit1]

Originally Posted by askjeeves

is anyone willing to share how much they spent on a detail including cquartz as the last step? I got a couple quotes this week and am surprised at the estimated costs. prep (wash/clay/decontamination), polish, cquartz is coming out to between around $700-$1,000 depending on if it's 1-stage or 2-stage polish. Is this what I should expect to pay, or is there a serious miami tax on these detailing prices?

Here CQ Finest is $325-$350 applied, but car has to be detailed and paint corrected first, usually costing $350-$400. So total, around $750. Get the highest grade detail/paint correction! CQ Finest is a sealant, not an easily removable wax. You want that paint swirl-less perfect before the CQ F goes on.

[askjeeves]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like the quotes aren't so crazy then.

Is it that much more labor intensive to apply the cquartz compared to a sealant or coat of wax?

[swifty]

Because Cquartz finest is considered a permanent sealant (I think they guarantee a little more than 2 years), the cleaning, polishing, prepping has to be immaculate.

Applying the actual cquartz takes like half hour for 2 coats and is very simple process.

[Krockit1]

Originally Posted by swifty

Because Cquartz finest is considered a permanent sealant (I think they guarantee a little more than 2 years), the cleaning, polishing, prepping has to be immaculate.

Applying the actual cquartz takes like half hour for 2 coats and is very simple process.

+1

[Nola 32/65]

Originally Posted by askjeeves

is anyone willing to share how much they spent on a detail including cquartz as the last step? I got a couple quotes this week and am surprised at the estimated costs. prep (wash/clay/decontamination), polish, cquartz is coming out to between around $700-$1,000 depending on if it's 1-stage or 2-stage polish. Is this what I should expect to pay, or is there a serious miami tax on these detailing prices?

The shop I went to was one of the first in the country to use it years ago and he charges between $800-$1200 depending on the size of the vehicle because of all the prep work involved. We have it on my fiancé's M3 and just got it some to her daily, a 07 Civic. The Civc had swirl marks all over from regular car washes so the shop had to remove those first obviously. Paint is better then OEM it seems.

[justinco]

The quotes are pretty accurate. I have a detailing side business and like others have said, the prep work is the most important part. Applying the coating requires a bit more precision and patience than just laying on a coat of wax/sealant, but it is not terribly hard.

If you're using CQuartz I would also recommend applying Carpro Reload every 3-5 washes.

[swifty]

Thanks for letting us know about this product.

How often do you use carPro reload on cquartzed car. Wouldn't the cquartz repel it?

Just read a review on this. Seems like a really good product.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ro-reload.html

[justinco]

Originally Posted by swifty

Thanks for letting us know about this product.

How often do you use carPro reload on cquartzed car. Wouldn't the cquartz repel it?

Just read a review on this. Seems like a really good product.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ro-reload.html

Sure thing! The coating won't repel the Reload, in fact Reload is recommended for maintenance washes (every 3-5 washes or so) after applying a CQuartz coating. It is also used after initial coating application to prevent water spots. See this for more info (down under post installation tips):
http://www.cquartz.com/products/104-cquartz-finest

Reload will help keep the hydrophobic properties of the coating at maximum and keeps the surface slick and smooth. Here is my car, coated in CQuartz UK, the water pretty much just falls off the car (note the water trails) Love that stuff!

[Nola 32/65]

Never heard of the reload. Ill have to ask my detailed about it.

[Krockit1]

Reload is the ONLY car wash you should use on CQuartz if you want to preserve it. As well, Car Pro has a detailer spray called Ultima Waterless Carwash that you buy in concentrate and mix. Use deionized water to mix. The stuff is amazing. I have another thread on this forum that goes through my entire wash procedure with lots of before and after photos. Check it out.

[Nola 32/65]

Originally Posted by Krockit1

Reload is the ONLY car wash you should use on CQuartz if you want to preserve it. As well, Car Pro has a detailer spray called Ultima Waterless Carwash that you buy in concentrate and mix. Use deionized water to mix. The stuff is amazing. I have another thread on this forum that goes through my entire wash procedure with lots of before and after photos. Check it out.

My detailer is also a good friend of mine so i'll give him a call on Monday when he gets back from vacation. To be honest, I've never washed my car with soap since he added Cquartz to it. I hose it off once/twice a week but I bring it back to him once a month for a wash so maybe he does use it and I just don't know.

I'll look for your thread too.

[Krockit1]

Oops! sorry, the car wash is RESET not Reload. Sorry about that.

[justinco]

Originally Posted by Krockit1

Oops! sorry, the car wash is RESET not Reload. Sorry about that.

Right. Just so there is no confusion, Reload is a spray on sealant/coating that you apply every few washes after the car is washed.

[swifty]

^ So after a wash, spray on Reload and buff it off?

[Krockit1]

Originally Posted by swifty

^ So after a wash, spray on Reload and buff it off?

Yes but periodically. I would call the guys at CarPro for specific application intervals and app tips for your car. DD? Winter driving? How hard is your water? Iron content of the water, How often do you wash, etc.

I haven't yet used Reload because the shine and beading is as good as the day I picked up the car after CQuartz Finest was applied. I just wash with Reset, then use Ultima Waterless Carwash as a final Detail. Ultima is formulated for use with CQuartz. If you get the Ultima Concentrate, use de-ionized or distilled water to mix.

[justinco]

As I linked above, the CQuartz website recommends when to use Reload: http://www.cquartz.com/products/104-cquartz-finest

In my experience of using the stuff and coatings for a while, every 3-5 washes is pretty normal. When the slickness on the paint surface starts to go away, that is generally a good time to apply a coat of Reload.