Questions about Coatings- C5, C4, G1 and 2, and Opti-Lens

[Countersteer46]

Hello everyone,
My mom recently purchased a 2013 Chevy Volt in beautiful blue topaz. Since it is a dd my plan is to use coatings for a durable layer of protection. I do have a few questions about the specific coating products I will be using.

Gtechniq C5 for wheels: My main question is what kind of prep work is correct for a car with so few miles and no visible dirt on the rims? When I applied C5 to my other car it had 15,000 miles on it and I was just wondering how the process would differ (if at all) for a very new car. Also, can C5 be layered, or is one coat enough?

Gtechniq C4 for trim: Same general question as above. What is the correct amount of prep work and procedure for trim that is new with no signs of visible dirt?

Gtechniq G1 and 2: Same question as the above two products and also, is G4 polish recommended before G1? Do you need to chemically strip after G4 or can G1 go right over it? And how many layers is sufficient on the windshield, side windows and rear window?

Optimum Opti-Lens: Same question about correct prepwork. What type of polish is correct for new headlights, if any? How many layers of product if more than one? Any other helpful tips people came across?

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the help. I leave tomorrow morning for a vacation and I want to get this done today before it gets dirty by the time I come back. So time is of the essence; hence my not wanting to waste any on unnecessary steps.

 

[Inzane]

Gtechniq C4 for trim: Same general question as above. What is the correct amount of prep work and procedure for trim that is new with no signs of visible dirt?

I can speak a bit on this one, since I just used it for the first time on the weekend on our (wife's) new 2013 Mazda CX-9.

All I did was, starting with a freshly washed vehicle, did a thorough wipe-down with CarPro Eraser. Then I applied the C4 as per directions.

I would've tried Gtechniq Panel Wipe, but the store I bought the C4 from was sold out and I was told Eraser would accomplish the same thing. However according to Gtechniq's own instructions it sounds like even just an IPA wipedown would be sufficient. So if you only have that on hand, you'll probably be fine.

I only did one coat. There was no requirement or indication of requiring a 2nd coat. The only question I had was whether I used too much. I had the small 15mL bottle, and I ended up using a little over half the bottle (so at least 8-9 mL). The CX-9 has a lot of that textured matte plastic trim around the lower perimeter of the vehicle. There are also the areas around the side mirrors, the rear cargo bumper plate/tray (whatever you call that horizontal surface at the rear), the sat radio hump on the roof, the triangles on the 'C'(?) pillars, the trim at the base of the windshield, etc.

Part of my issue on possibly using too much might have been the fact that I was using it on new, non-faded non-whethered trim. There was not as clear a distinction on the before/after where I applied so depending on my lighting in the garage at particular angles at various places around the vehicle it wasn't always easy to tell where I had already applied it so I might have over done it on a few panels. (My recommendation is make sure you have adequate light to see what you're doing!).

I hope that helps a bit. Since this was only a few days ago for me, I can't comment at all on durability yet. All I can say is the trim looks great, so far! rops: