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CQuartz Detailing Blog

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#1 ·
2015 Dodge SRT Hellcat
DetailingBlissMay 1, 2015Write-ups

This is the my second Hellcat I have the pleasure of detailing, I feel quite privileged to have be given the opportunity to take a brand new vehicle and make it look, well better then new. It’s not an easy task by any means but I’m always up for the task.

The owner of this lovely vehicle came to me because he wanted his new pride and joy well protected, the protection of choice was C.Quartz Finest and with that on with the write up.

Vehicle was dropped off and I was very eager to get going so began with the washing of the vehicle:


This time around I began a bit differently and when I say different is because I began by washing the entire vehicle and leaving the wheels for last. Vehicle was washed with the two bucket method an donce I was done it was time to begin the decontamination process. First up is Iron X, for those that don’t know Iron X is a great tool to remove all iron contaminants on the vehicle. You simply spray it on, like so:


And almost instantly you begin to see these little spots start to appear and begin to slide off the paint like so:





Don boy, you’ll be looking sharp in a bit. That’s what came to mind as I saw this picture








Now to make sure I remove all the iron contamination you saw from all those pictures I showed you all I do is simply wipe the vehicle down with a micro fiber towel which as been dubbed the Iron X towel. What this means is that this micro fiber towel is used just for one task and that is to wipe off all iron contaminants off the vehicle, like so:


Now if your asking your self “that’s a brand new car, how could it have so much contamination?”. Well that’s simple, just think of the how the vehicles are transported from manufacturing factory to the dealership. Usually that’s via rail or through trucking companies who transport the vehicle. Now as much as we would love to have our pride and joys transported via enclosed capsules or as I like to call them impenetrable force fields. That is not the case, vehicles are transported exposed to the elements and as they travel to get to their final destinations iron and organic contamination is bound to stick to the surface of the vehicles.

Any who back on task, once Iron X has been buffed off I give the vehicle a thorough rinse, like so:


The next step of the decontamination process is to remove all organic contamination, for that I use Tardis. When I say organic I’m referring to such things such as road tar or tree sap. The process is the same, I simply apply Tardis one panel at a time and wipe it off. On new vehicles I’m a bit paranoid about applying Tardis to the entire vehicle all at once and then coming around and wiping it off. Reason being Tardis is extremely potent and I’m afraid that on fresh paint it could do more harm then good…but that’s just me being paranoid that’s all. Once I have applied Tardis to the entire vehicle and wipped off I then follow up with a thorough rinse. I say thorough because I make sure all trace of Tardis is removed.

The third and final step of the decontamination is to clay bar the vehicle. The clay of choice was my favorite yellow clay bar, simply love this clay bar and I have so much supply of it that I probably wont ever need to buy clay bars for my whole detailing career and I don’t exaggerate. As expected not much was picked up with the clay bar, just a few bits and peaces here and there but nothing major.

That concludes my 3 step of decontaminating a vehicle, the very final step is to give the vehicle one final rinse and for that task I turn to my Reverse Osmosis water filtration system I have at the shop. Absolutely love this system!

Wile the vehicle is given a rinse I then turned my attention to the wheels of the vehicle. All four corners are scrubbed with various brushes making sure to completely cleanse the wheels, wheel wells and tires. Sorry no pictures of the wheels being cleaned.

Now to dry the vehicle, first to remove as much water as possible via air, like so:








Then completely dried with a micro fiber drying towel. At this point the vehicle is finally ready for me to polish, before I begin to polish I inspect the paint with the help of my 3M Sun Gun and nothing really out of the ordinary was found. Some marring (meaning fine surface scratches) and the odd swirl and scratch mark.

So I decided to go with this polishing combo:

Menzerna Final Finish partnered with a Blue Finishing 3M UK foam pad and my Festool Rotary. Regrettably no pictures of the polishing process but to be honest the vehicle wasn’t in bad shape just the odd spot here and there but with Menzerna Final Finish I was able to remove all those minor imperfections on the paint which would rob the paint from glowing the way it should.

Once I finished polishing the vehicle I gave it a final wipe down with Pre-Kleano, this stuff leaves the paint squacky clean. Which is good because Menzerna Final Polish leaves quite a bit of polish oil. With the paint now polished and completely clean I can now begin to apply:
 
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#2 ·
C.Quartz Finest! The vehicle was given two coats of C.Quartz Finest and that includes the glass, door jams, gas cap and rims. And that about does it for this vehicle, I leave C.Quartz Finest to cure over night and the next day I take the end result pictures. Before the end results I have to finish a few loose ends such dress the tires and polish the exhaust tips. Now the vehicle is ready to be presented, after spending well over 10 hours properly detailing and protecting the vehicle here are the fruits of my labor:











Now the cat can purr



Oh I’ll share a bit of a funny story that happened. See the “SRT” symbol, well if you look just to the right you’ll see the headlights. Well if you look real close you’ll notice that there is a whole where there should be a head light. Well I saw that and panicked and sent a text to the owner and told him that there is a head light lens missing. The owner laughed and told me that’s the intake hole, boy did I feel sheepish lol. I honestly did not know that was the intake hole, I didn’t pop the hood open to take a look but when I did I realized that yup it’s the intake hole. Lets just say that wasen’t one of my best moments but hey I learned something new that and this vehicle is full of surprises. Any who, thought you’d get a chuckle out of that conversation with the owner
on with the pictures.










Oh forgot to mention I gave the engine bay a wipe down and a bit of dressing…I mean after that whole lens is missing incident I had to look in here lol.





A few more pictures:








 
#3 ·
Oh and look who showed up, the cats are breading:








Both Hellcats I’ve detailed so far, I honestly didn’t think I would see them together but I did.

It was truly a pleasure having the opportunity to detail this hulk of a vehicle, you know it’s green and mean looking and loud…like hulk. What can I say I’m looking forward to the new Avengers movie


Any who the most important thing is that the owner of the vehicle was happy with the end results and in the end that’s all that matters to me. Happy customer means I’ve done my job right and that is what I strive for.

As always thank you for taking the time to read this write up and any feed back is always appreciated.
 
#11 ·
Looks fantastic!!! Congrats!!
 
#16 ·
If you're asking me, Carlos charges $350 for paint correction and $350 for two coats (one bottle) of CQuartz.
 
#17 ·
He charged 700 for all that work
Man I'm moving
Ron
Yes cruisin1966 was ment for you sorry it's your car I hope
 
#20 ·
I wanna see that new Pitch Black kitty. When is your appointment?

By the way, you owe me for the referral. ;)
 
#23 ·
Great work. My guy is at an absurd level. The process to apply cqf originally, including interior upholstery, glass and paint correction, rims, finished in just under 60 hours. So many steps, uv / ir cure cycles it was insane I watched maybe 10 hours of it.

Yesterday was a quick wash. Needed it clean prior to Xpel, tint, and wrap work. (Yes Xpel over CQF works. As does wrap. Protects clear coat from Xpel and wrap adhesion.)

Starts with Iron X foam. Rinse. 2nd foam bath (removing organics.) Rinse. 3rd application of soap (can't recall type.) Then hand muff / work used 1st time. Then rims. 2 types soap on rims. 1st time, rinse. Sonax 2nd time turns iron into water soluable mix. Rinse rims. Then rinse car. Dry (this was cool!) using guess what, water! Slow stream starts at top. Car surface so smooth smaller water blobs turn into big ones and just roll off. 85...90% water removed that way. Then air. Sure I missed steps. Total time 3 hours 45 minutes. He called that a quick wash. I just shrugged, shook hand, paid (healthy tip) and left.
 
#25 ·
My CQuartz Finest application, with paint correction, was $800. FYI, the Xpel should be applied first to the clean car, and the CQuartz applied on top of the film. I had the Suntek PPF-C done on mine and the CQuartz Finest was applied in 3 coats on top of that. It's a labor intensive job.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Xpel protects it's not a cleaner. Have you seen what can happen to clear coat after a film like Xpel, or wrap is removed after being on a car for a long time? I have. And I have seen cars with film or wrap over CQF for a long time, no adhesion issues, no warranty issues.
 
#34 ·
Can anyone tell me what's so special about this stuff? I agree OP's detail looked amazing when it was over but how long does it stay looking like that? I checked around my area (AZ) and it's like $1000. I'm sure the stuff is good but a $1000 for what appears to be waxing (albeit on steroids)?! If I'm being ignorant I apologize, someone in the know (emphasis on the IN THE KNOW part) please educate me!
 
#35 ·
I wanna see that new Pitch Black kitty. When is your appointment?

By the way, you owe me for the referral. ;)
Can you recommend an authorized dealer/installer in southern CA. I am Leaning towards this application, however I want a reliable and trusted source. I really appreciate your exhibition of passion towards your craft. Wish we had folks like you around here.:)
 
#36 ·
Can anyone tell me what's so special about this stuff? I agree OP's detail looked amazing when it was over but how long does it stay looking like that? I checked around my area (AZ) and it's like $1000. I'm sure the stuff is good but a $1000 for what appears to be waxing (albeit on steroids)?! If I'm being ignorant I apologize, someone in the know (emphasis on the IN THE KNOW part) please educate me!
The process takes 2 to 3 days. The paint correction is what is so labor intensive.


This is what they claim:

Finest Service:
''Your Finest Authorized Detailer uses only top tier products on your vehicle. They start with a high level auto wash followed by an extremely detailed 2-3 step decontamination process to remove all bonded contaminants from above and beneath the surface of the paint.

Following the "decon" process the paint is further analyzed and the best combinations of high tech pads and polishes are tested to produce the highest gloss possible. This may include polishing the entire vehicle 2 and sometimes 3 times to reach this level.

After the paint is perfected all the polishing oils are stripped from the vehicle with the use of CarPro Eraser. This step is essential so that CQ Finest will fully bond with the paint. When the paint is determined to be 100% oil free, 2 thick layers of CQ Finest are applied.

Additional services including coating of interior, glass, convertible top, plastic trim, brightwork, and wheel coating are also offered by our installers. Some of these items may be included in your Finest package or may be offered À la carte. Ask your Finest installer for more details.

CarPro Finest Installers make up a global network of professionals who proudly offer a warranty on our flagship coating. This warranty states that Finest will not bubble, yellow, peel, oxidize, or lose more than 20% gloss over 2 years.

Specifications:
  • Water contact angle: 100~110°
  • Sliding angle: 15~25°
  • Thickness: 2~3µm
  • Heat resistance: Beyond 575° F
  • Increased hardness: up to 2 (mohs scale) beyond original surface
Features:
  • Stays clean and glossy longer than other products
  • Harder surface: Resistance to fine swirls and marring
  • Self-cleaning effect – Dust blows off and dirt washes off easily
  • Self-cleaning effect - Low sliding angle ensure fewer droplets left on surface
  • Resistance to break dust and iron contaminants
  • Resistance to bugs, tar, and bird bombs
  • Resistance to UV and other environmental contaminants
  • 2 Year Limited Warranty"
With that said!!!

Paint correction then 3 coats of CQuartz Finest. Wheels & Calipers were done too.

3M window tint & tinted side markers. Windows are 35% front & 30% rear.

3M PPF Clear on the front bumper, Headlights, rockers, mirrors, door handle cups, behind rear tires & rear licence plate area.

 
#37 ·
Can anyone tell me what's so special about this stuff? I agree OP's detail looked amazing when it was over but how long does it stay looking like that? I checked around my area (AZ) and it's like $1000. I'm sure the stuff is good but a $1000 for what appears to be waxing (albeit on steroids)?! If I'm being ignorant I apologize, someone in the know (emphasis on the IN THE KNOW part) please educate me!
Anyone?
 
#39 ·
I went to one shop today here in Northern California..;; shops in Walnut Creek CA. Talk to the owner name Joe very knowledgeable and passionate about what he does with the cQuarts product and the X pel wrap. It's definitely a two day process and very thorough I think our cars are going to love it !! I use to detail cars years ago some of the new processes out there are very good but they are pricey I'm not used to that !!! I got a quote for CQ $1200 and X pel half wrap $ 1200 and full front wrap $ 2400 , so now I have to make The decision if I want it all done... you can't put xpel on the car if you already had it cQ . So the installer asked me would a rock chip ruin my day I told him yes he told me Xpel ;). Car comes in on Wednesday I guess I better make up my mind..
 
#46 ·
I paid $1200 for the CQuartz treatment and to be honest I was underwhelmed.
When I went to pick car back up I was expecting it to look like a super shiny glass finish was put on. It didn't look any different than the day I dropped it off. I've seen these other pics of super shiny cars and mine didn't seem as shiny as those in those pics.
I was quite upset and honestly questioned whether it was even done.
$700 would of made me feel better and I'd advise anyone who is getting it done to require them to take pictures periodically as the process goes (like on the first post in this thread) as to this day I don't know if mine really was ever done and I feel I threw away $1200
I've yet to even get my car wet to see if the water beads off and literally runs off my car. If it doesn't I don't think I have any recourse and will know I got scammed.
Again get pictures several times throughout process so you have piece of mind that you actually did get what you paid for as I feel it IS the best possible paint polish protector you can get, but I don't know if mine really was done and even if so, the $1200 I paid was top dollar and several hundred more than I probably should of. I just didn't want to negotiate and then leave my car with them having them think I cheaped them down so they would only do a half ass job.
Live and learn again
 
#47 ·
[WIKI]Driver72[/WIKI] Cquartz / CarPro USA takes their reputation seriously, and how their certified installers treat customers, and their work quality. If you question your job, have it reviewed by another installer. Even if you have to drive (which in a Hellcat ain't that bad.) Maybe contact Corey at Cquartz ask how to handle. Bet you'll be taken care of.
 
#48 ·
I did speak to Corey shortly afterward. I believe he joined this forum to contact me. He did talk to me and put my mind at ease several weeks ago. But I still have no way of knowing if the work really was done. I need to do a water test to see how it rolls off car.
Thanks however
 
#49 ·
I'm in the DFW area. Phantom Black HC coming in next week. Looking for area installers for Expel and C Quartz. Any ideas on superior vendors? There seems to be one C Quartz applier in Dallas and one in Fort Worth; the same for Expel. I need to choose wisely and am seeking help from HC owners in the area.

Also, Tall Cool, you seem to be an expert and your posts are very helpful. Is this correct?....You do the initial clean up and paint correction, then have the Expel put on, then go back for C Quartz?

Also, I see Expel makes a kit for the Challenger. Do you cover the entire quarter panel? Or do you cut want you want and customize to your taste? I want to protect behind the tires, but covering the entire front fenders and quarter panels, I'm not sure. Advice? Thanks in advance.
 
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