New Car CQuartz detail - 2011 Tacoma TRD Sport

[Matt S.]

*SEE THIS THREAD FOR DURABILITY UPDATES*

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/34850-matt-s-c-quartz-durability-update-thread.html

Traded in the S2000 and got this brand new 2011 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab Long Bed TRD Sport in Super White. Drastic change, I know...but I wanted something with juuust a bit more room and the ability to tow/haul stuff. rops:

Now that that's out of the way...the truck is brand spankin' new and needed some protection. Being that it doesn't fit in my garage(), I decided to go with one of our newer coating offerings. I've heard a lot about Opti Coat 2.0 and plan to try that out in the near future, but for this one I decided to go with CQuartz. I'm curious to see how it holds up through the summer heat/rain, especially with my busy schedule.

Process:

Wash with: Megs APC, Lake Country wash sponge
Wheels/tires/wells cleaned with Griot's Wheel Cleaner, Megs APC, Daytona Speedmaster, Boar's Hair Wheel Brush

Clean paint with IronX

Protect with CQuartz

Duragloss 321 on tires

No correction was necessary - dealer was advised not to wax the vehicle.

Sprayed the truck down with Iron X, let it dwell, and washed it again with Megs APC. Rinsed / dried, and went on to apply C-Quartz. I let this set up for about 30 minutes and it still buffed off very easily; even the few small areas that were exposed to direct sunlight.

I applied the coating to every part of the exterior. Paintwork, glass, plastic trim, mud flaps, you name it. I used about 2/3 bottle, so about 20ml and I did apply it fairly liberally and went over a few areas twice.

I have not used Opti Coat 2.0 yet, but CQuartz is definitely easier to use than the original Opti Coat. If anyone has any questions regarding this coating, please feel free to ask. I will post durability updates!

On with the pics...


Got off to an early start

I had to show that I at least cleaned SOMETHING off this brand new paint.

Gotta get this greasy stuff off my tires!

Washing the truck with APC

The paint looked really good after an APC wash, but after about a minute of Iron X dwelling, this is what the paint started to look like.

No driveways were harmed during the commission of this detail (the red stuff just rinsed right off).

APC wash again..

Beading is dead.

On with the other half of the truck...

Roof shot!

And some final shots showing no beading

 

[Matt S.]

Re: New car detail - 2011 Tacoma TRD Sport

This is what you get in the CQuartz kit:

Gently buffing off. Product wiped off with minimal effort as I stated earlier.

The cotton applicators were starting to fall apart, so I switched to some MF gloves to apply it to the trim and wheels.

That about does it...thanks for looking! I'd also like to thank my mother for being my photographer today, and my dog Mandy for being Supervisor of Operations. rops:

 

[evojoey]

awesome I can't wait to try CQuartz....
Congratz on the new truck :dblthumb2:

 

[CEE DOG]

Excellent writeup and pictures Matt! Thank you and congratulations on the new truck!

 

[ScubaCougr]

Beautiful looking truck. Congrats, Matt.

 

[ScottB]

missed seeing you at DF ... nice new ride !

 

[Matt S.]

Thanks Scott, I wanted to stop by, but unfortunately I was out of town that week. It was my mother's birthday and my only week off from the academy. I heard it was a blast, though!

 

[Rayaz]

Nice truck, nice work Matt. I am interested in this stuff for my wife's black SAV because of the scratch resistant properties. With a narrow temp range for aplication, I'm a little worried though. It gets hot as the crack of the devil's you-know-what here and I don't want to screw it up.

I've commented about the Iron-X here before. I can't believe how much reaction you got on a brand new paint job! Is this company the only one concerned about iron in my paint or did I miss something?

 

[Matt S.]

Nice truck, nice work Matt. I am interested in this stuff for my wife's black SAV because of the scratch resistant properties. With a narrow temp range for aplication, I'm a little worried though. It gets hot as the crack of the devil's you-know-what here and I don't want to screw it up.

I've commented about the Iron-X here before. I can't believe how much reaction you got on a brand new paint job! Is this company the only one concerned about iron in my paint or did I miss something?

As far as I know, FK1's decontamination system can accomplish the same task. Iron-X seems a lot simpler and looks like a blood bath, so that sealed the deal for me

Also, Sonax wheel cleaner has a similar effect, but for wheels.

 

[maximus20895]

Is this company the only one concerned about iron in my paint or did I miss something?

I might be a little out of the loop, but the Iron X is the first product I have heard of that does what it does. Before Iron X I haven't heard of Iron build-up or what have you be a problem.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

I might be a little out of the loop, but the Iron X is the first product I have heard of that does what it does. Before Iron X I haven't heard of Iron build-up or what have you be a problem.

The only difference is that Iron-X calls the contamination what it is... Iron. It's been known in the industry for years by other names such as "fallout" and "rail dust" -- basically any environmental contaminant with ferrous metal content.

Other systems have been around, like FK1's system as well as ValuGard's ABC system... IronX just takes the concept behind those products to another level and makes them easier/safer to use.

Either way, any of the decontamination systems do more than a clay bar, which just shears off any IFO or embedded particulates off at surface level, instead of dissolving them and resulting in a truly clean surface to work with.

To address the point about the amount of reaction on a brand new vehicle, just remember that most new vehicles spend a decent amount of time sitting outside the assembly plant, on trucks or rail cars, or on dealer lots where there are plenty of opportunities to pick up contamination or be exposed to harsh conditions. From the second it rolls off the assembly line, there is no such thing as a pristine paint job on a brand new vehicle.

 

[richy]

Matt, congrats on your new ride! Isn't it amazing (disgusting) the amount of fallout on a brand new vehicle? It shows the most on white. You did a great job with the CQ. That was a smart idea with the mf gloves too. The truck looks amazing. Sheet it with water when you're done washing it and you'll be amazed at how little water stays on the surface. The advantage CQ has is if you have to touch up an area for a stone chip or whatever, you don't need to buff off the entire panel and re-coat. I just got a nasty stone chip on my new MKX and after I fill it in, I'll just need to re-coat the immediate area.

 

[fishnugget]

Very nice write up. Your pics made me realize Tacoma's are not small trucks anymore.

I can't believe even on a new truck Iron X still did its magic.

 

[Finemess]

Sweet truck, very good choice.

 

[WEST SIDE]

Nice ride,what a change from the S2000.
How hard was it applying cquartz to that size of a vehicle with those little applicators?
Was it tuff to see product being applied on white paint?
Cquartz seems to be pretty user friendly if you can apply in direct sunlight.I was looking into getting opti coat 2.0 but i have such a hard time seeing a clear sealant being applied to my white F-150 that i was unsure of myself to use it.I've used KSG a couple of times and though it's hard to see going on i have no problem on removal,i can't imagine using those little applicators to apply it.

Thanks.

 

[silverfox]

Nice write up. Two questions: what specifically meant by "washing" with Megs APC? What ratio and how are you applying it? Secondly, it's my understanding that Opti-Coat is like laying another clear coat on top of the existing clear coat, only it's more durable and resists scratches better than clear coat. Is Cquartz similar or is it more like a super sealant on steroids? Does it resist scratches more than the clear coat? I'm trying to determine which coating product is more durable? I'm not really concerned about glossiness or "the look" it has because will never look as good as a conventional old fashioned wax. Seems opticoat is the better product given it's abilities and Cquartz is more of a long term sealant rather than an actual added "coat" as is Opti-coat.

 

[evojoey]

heres a video showing the scratch resistance of CQuartz

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0dTY1_Iebc]YouTube - CQuartz Anti Scratch[/video]

 

[BobbyG]

Hey Matt,

Fantastic detail and other than the All Purpose Cleaner you used a couple of products I don't have..

I really like the way the finish on your new truck exploded after the detail. I didn't realize that you could use CQuartz on everything from paint to glass to rubber and trim. After seeing what it took to detail your truck it left me wondering why I have so many products? :laughing:

Awesome writeup and photos!! rops:

 

[Avi@CarPro]

Nice write up. Two questions: what specifically meant by "washing" with Megs APC? What ratio and how are you applying it? Secondly, it's my understanding that Opti-Coat is like laying another clear coat on top of the existing clear coat, only it's more durable and resists scratches better than clear coat. Is Cquartz similar or is it more like a super sealant on steroids? Does it resist scratches more than the clear coat? I'm trying to determine which coating product is more durable? I'm not really concerned about glossiness or "the look" it has because will never look as good as a conventional old fashioned wax. Seems opticoat is the better product given it's abilities and Cquartz is more of a long term sealant rather than an actual added "coat" as is Opti-coat.

i should start and say this technology of whats called "glass coating" has been around the east for quit long time, in fact in the east they almost dont use anymore organic waxes, only such products as we now show in the US,
i dont know exactly what is the technology opticoat use , but as i searched some, its not at all like our product.
we believe in facts,so
to check durability and real bonding to car surface we made independent lab test report by the most recognized institute in Korea ,who checked many features about the a coated paint panel, (BMW ) , you can see it here :
http://cquartz.com/images/stories/pdf/Cquartz KTR test-2.pdf

there is also very long thread done by nice student in Poland for his mastering study on nano and ceramic coating, you are welcome to read this thread at DW forum.
i dont know if i can publish it here, so try to see there first yourself,

Hey Matt,

Fantastic detail and other than the All Purpose Cleaner you used a couple of products I don't have..

I really like the way the finish on your new truck exploded after the detail. I didn't realize that you could use CQuartz on everything from paint to glass to rubber and trim. After seeing what it took to detail your truck it left me wondering why I have so many products? :laughing:

Awesome writeup and photos!! rops:

we also ask this question !! why do you need so many products , for each individual surface, the technology is very advanced now so future chemical mixtures can cover few fields in same time,
all our product are always more for "universal" purpose not for dedicated target.

 

[Matt S.]

Nice ride,what a change from the S2000.
How hard was it applying cquartz to that size of a vehicle with those little applicators?
Was it tuff to see product being applied on white paint?
Cquartz seems to be pretty user friendly if you can apply in direct sunlight.I was looking into getting opti coat 2.0 but i have such a hard time seeing a clear sealant being applied to my white F-150 that i was unsure of myself to use it.I've used KSG a couple of times and though it's hard to see going on i have no problem on removal,i can't imagine using those little applicators to apply it.

Thanks.

The applicators were fine but start to fall apart after a few panels. I used all the applicators on the whole truck and even then had to switch to mf gloves for the wheels. The product is not too hard to see; you can tell it's there and it glides right on. As of now my only critique would be the applicators falling apart so easily.

Nice write up. Two questions: what specifically meant by "washing" with Megs APC? What ratio and how are you applying it? Secondly, it's my understanding that Opti-Coat is like laying another clear coat on top of the existing clear coat, only it's more durable and resists scratches better than clear coat. Is Cquartz similar or is it more like a super sealant on steroids? Does it resist scratches more than the clear coat? I'm trying to determine which coating product is more durable? I'm not really concerned about glossiness or "the look" it has because will never look as good as a conventional old fashioned wax. Seems opticoat is the better product given it's abilities and Cquartz is more of a long term sealant rather than an actual added "coat" as is Opti-coat.

Instead of pre soaking with APC, I added a few ounces to my wash bucket and did a conventional 2 bucket wash. I'm not sure which is more durable and I think both products are too new to tell, but I plan to test both and find out.

Hey Matt,

Fantastic detail and other than the All Purpose Cleaner you used a couple of products I don't have..

I really like the way the finish on your new truck exploded after the detail. I didn't realize that you could use CQuartz on everything from paint to glass to rubber and trim. After seeing what it took to detail your truck it left me wondering why I have so many products? :laughing:

Awesome writeup and photos!! rops:

Thank you! and yes it was very easy to use and left a really nice finish on every part of the vehicle. If this prevents my trim from fading, I will be very happy.