My First Attempt at Coating - My personal Tesla

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merlin3008

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Hey all...Just wanted to thank everyone for the advice on here and post my results from my first ceramic coating. I am waiting (not so patiently) for my M3 to arrive, but in the meantime I thought I would hone some of my skills and get ready. I decided to go with Cquartz Lite and give it a shot on my wife's Tesla. I have to say, I am PSYCHED with how it came out. The product could not be easier to use. It took some time to get used to, but by using a good light and taking my time, I was able to avoid any high spots and really made the car pop. I also coated all of the plastic trim, pillars, exterior items. Here is my routine...I welcome any comments. I may try UK 3.0 next.

Wash with a little Dawn added to remove sealant
Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus
Iron-X
Griots Clay Bar
M205 polish
IPA Wipedown
Cquartz Lite on Exterior - 2 coats
CarPro Reload
Optimum Tire Gel













 
Very nice work, looks great! The flake/pearl in the paint is really popping now! Well done!
 
Nice job. Next time skip the Dawn. Any polish (205) used will remove the sealant.

Nice wheels..hate those hub cap looking wheels that are on some Teslas.
 
Thanks everyone. Appreciate the kind words. So how much tougher to work with is UK 3.0? Thinking about going with that on the BMW.
 
merlin3008 said:
Thanks everyone. Appreciate the kind words. So how much tougher to work with is UK 3.0? Thinking about going with that on the BMW.
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I’ve never used CQ Lite but I would bet it’s the same as UK 3.0. UK is super easy to use, very forgiving. I’d top it with Gliss if you don’t mind applying multiple layers. SiC is another great option, and lasts longer than Gliss, but it’s not so easy to apply. A little more chance of high spots but not bad to do once you have done a few coating applications.
 
Bruno Soares said:
I’ve never used CQ Lite but I would bet it’s the same as UK 3.0. UK is super easy to use, very forgiving. I’d top it with Gliss if you don’t mind applying multiple layers. SiC is another great option, and lasts longer than Gliss, but it’s not so easy to apply. A little more chance of high spots but not bad to do once you have done a few coating applications.
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Thanks. From what I’ve read, the UK seems to apply a lot like Lite with the exception that it flashes more quickly if applied in the heat and could lead to high spots. I think I’ll give it a try. How long does UK tend to last in your experience?
 
merlin3008 said:
Thanks. From what I’ve read, the UK seems to apply a lot like Lite with the exception that it flashes more quickly if applied in the heat and could lead to high spots. I think I’ll give it a try. How long does UK tend to last in your experience?
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Well, I can’t give a durability score for myself as my wife’s previous car that had UK and Gliss we traded in 6 months after coating and her current car was not coated. And mine right now has had it for 1.5 years but during that time I drove about 1000 miles and the car got rained on only twice. So the coating still fantastic but that usage is not typical and if I continue using so little the coating might last the life of the car.

As for flashing, even in hotter/humid conditions I find that you can easily do a whole panel at a time with UK and still have time to spare before removing.
 
I’ve done a vette with CQUK in 85 degrees party sunny and had plenty of time to work it before it flashed, Assuming you work one panel to completion at a time
 
glen e said:
I’ve done a vette with CQUK in 85 degrees party sunny and had plenty of time to work it before it flashed, Assuming you work one panel to completion at a time
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Thanks. So it seems just like working with Lite. Evenly apply the product to the panel, level it with one cloth and then buff with another. Seems simple enough. I assume I can use it on plastic and trim just the same?
 
merlin3008 said:
Thanks. So it seems just like working with Lite. Evenly apply the product to the panel, level it with one cloth and then buff with another. Seems simple enough. I assume I can use it on plastic and trim just the same?
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You can. But on textured plastic Dlux does better. And also lasts a long time. That one is a stickier coating but on textured plastic you just apply it evenly and don’t even need to level it.

On smooth plastic like head lights, tail lights, B pillars, then I just use UK as it’s a lot easier to work with.
 
Got it. From what I’ve seen, the M3 doesn’t have too much textured plastic. The pillars, rocker panels, etc are all smooth painted black. Probably stick with UK.
 
Wow! That came out great. Awesome job coating your wife's Tesla. Can't wait to see the new M3.
 
merlin3008 said:
Thanks. From what I’ve read, the UK seems to apply a lot like Lite with the exception that it flashes more quickly if applied in the heat and could lead to high spots. I think I’ll give it a try. How long does UK tend to last in your experience?
Click to expand...

Uk3 is more difficult in that most cases it takes longer to flash. Lite you wipe on wipe off. UK3 You have to wait for it to rainbow and inside on a 65-70ish degree day it took 3.5 minutes to flash.

This lead to me wanting to do more because of wait times which lead to high spots. Just be patient and it will be fine.

Also with a full coating make sure to switch out towels often.

If you want the extra year of protection it will add I say go for it.


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