Think I`m done messing around with coatings, final thoughts...

[BudgetPlan1]

Hi Budget

I`ve asked a similar question to Guz.

Would you recommend Kamikaze, CQuartz or SPS for....

1. protect paintwork against the marring a Noah fully fitted cover might cause (I`ve got to use the cover, mainly for security).

2. Self cleaning. To make washing pre putting the cover on as quick as possible.

Just wondered what your thoughts would be on which is best?

Lastly, as I`m in the UK, do you happen to know if SPS Graphene and ArtDeShine Graphene, are the same thing?

Thanks very much
R

1. Nothing will really give much protection against marring unfortunately. Kami Zipang *MAY* offer a bit of remediation w its limited swirl reducing properties but only for very light stuff.

2. Best self cleaning characteristics of any I`ve used is a Kamikaze coating maintained with Overcoat.

3. To the best of my knowledge, the Art d Shine graphene is the same as SPS over here in the states.

 

[rossyl]

Thanks very much.

I`m surprised as I had thought that SPS was outperforming Kamikaze.

The cover will be fitted, so will hopefully limit the marring a little.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

Thanks very much.

I`m surprised as I had thought that SPS was outperforming Kamikaze.

The cover will be fitted, so will hopefully limit the marring a little.

While SPS is doing *very* well so far, it just hasn`t been long enough to say it`ll be a long-term winner in my world. I`ve been messing around with the Kami stuff since 10/2016 and I KNOW it meets my needs. Additionally, the Kami stuff has a little more flexibility w/ regards to the aesthetic aspects, notably on darker and metallic colors. Due to it`s overt brilliance, the SPS may be a good choice for a lighter colored car but again, too soon to tell.

For 2 out of 4 of our cars (one is full PPF so no real coating on it aside from a film surface coating), the Kami will likely get greater proven longevity...guessing 3-5 years as the cars will be used `normally` in comparison to my 22k a year, 95% freeway driver. I think the SPS expectations are 2 years hydrophobic longevity while I`ve seen the Kami go longer in real life usage of 5-10k miles a year, even on a car that sits outside 24/7 on a heavily wooded lot. And trees not only mean leaves, seed pods, pollen and such but since birds also occasionally hang out in those trees, it means bird bombs as well.

I think the SPS may do extremely well on our seasonal vans at work as it has a tendency to look very clean even when slightly soiled so that`d certainly be a plus in that situation.

At the end of the day some intangible aspects also play into my favoritism of Kamikaze, stupid as it may sound; there`s an emotional attachment to it as well. I like the mfg philosophy, I occasionally get to meet and talk with the guy who invented/produces it, the US vendor has become a great all-around resource for me, the ease of use and it was one of the first `real` coatings I`ve used...and the stuff just plain works for the way I like my cars to look, the way I like to maintain them and how they are used. I`ve met a lot of great people, seen a lot of really cool-to-me stuff and just had a ton of fun since running across Kamikaze. And as mentioned, it just plain works best for me.

As with anything, YMMV

 

[The Guz]

1. Nothing will really give much protection against marring unfortunately.

What about 22ple Finitura with it`s unrealistic claim of "Finitura will improve scratch resistance of glass coatings by over 500%." This is not meant to be taken seriously but it just popped into my head.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

What about 22ple Finitura with it`s unrealistic claim of "Finitura will improve scratch resistance of glass coatings by over 500%." This is not meant to be taken seriously but it just popped into my head.

I still wonder if that`s a typo given the large number :lol:

But then it appears that 22ple (whoever or whatever they are) can be pretty impressed with themselves at times. Nice products, though...as far as coatings go.

That Finitura...still don`t know what to make of it.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

Quick Update on the CQ UK 3.0 + Gliss V2, applied January 2019


Initial notes:
Race Red 2019 Ford F250 Super Duty – Cquartz UK 3.0 x 2, Gliss V2 x 1, applied 01/08/2019

Wanted to give the ‘newish’ CQ UK 3.0 a try, figrd may as well make it an all CarPro affair as well, never having used Essence or Eraser so added those to the mix.

Truck was a brand new, Race Red Ford F250 so prep work wasn’t too bad. Used the Flex 3401& Essence w CarPro Gloss pads to finish it out, let it sit for about 20hrs after that for Essence to set up/cure and then wiped it down with Eraser, well…just because I wanted to try Eraser actually. I enjoyed Eraser, more so than Gyeon Prep. I think I’ll use it more going forward.


Anyway, was wanting to get 2 layers of CQ UK 3 and 1 layer of Gliss V2 down in 8hrs. As the instructions for layering CQ UK 3 noted a 2nd layer could be applied within 1hr of first, otherwise a 24hr wait was suggested, broke truck into front and back halfs. Did 1 layer on front (which took about 45 minutes) then second layer on front, then same for back half.


CQ UK 3 went on nicely, not really grabby or anything on removal, was able to work in panel-sized sections so it went pretty quickly. Used 300gsm or so for initial removal followed by a 350 or 400gsm for final wipe.


Waited about 4-5hrs after last bit of CQ UK 3 was applied and went at it with the Gliss. Had to work in smaller sections as Gliss flashes kinda quick but was fun to apply, little easier to keep track of than Gyeon Booster which flashes crazy-quick. Left a nicely slick surface, not as slick as the Skin topcoat in Gyeon Syncro but a nice finish nonetheless.


Truck cured for 24hrs and then went off to plow snow.


Fast forward a month or 2 and truck has seen some hard, albeit relatively infrequent, use including having muck and gravel dust slurry dripping down it’s side. Did hose it down and was gonna wash it but apparently someone had similar ideas and ran it through a soap/rinse touchless wash, saving me the trouble.


Regardless, it looks good and is staying relatively clean with little effort. It’s a nice, glossy look, still feels nice to the touch and as shown in pic, retains its excellent looking beads. Whether you’re a fan of beading or not, still fun to look at up close.


It’s a very nice combo and I hope it does well. Easy to use, visually entertaining and reasonably priced. It’s still early and only time will tell but I currently prefer the CQ UK 3 + Gliss V2 combo to Gtechniq CSL + EXOV4. It seems to be staying a bit cleaner on it’s own, has a bit more visual brightness to the gloss which works well on the red paint and just has something to it that seems to work better for me than CSL + EXO…so far anyway.


Beading soon after application:

UPDATE
Really not so much an update prompted by me as another Tech who had the truck out in the rain earlier this week and the next day asked “Did you re-coat this recently? Water was *flying* off the hood while I was driving. His everyday Van was coated w/ Gyeon Syncro back on 01/26/2018 so he is used to seeing water and coatings (was anyway, before the Skin component of Syncro wore away). Thought it was an interesting and somewhat unbiased account. Good stuff.


Truck today, dirty, with about 10k miles on it since application, maybe washed once or twice since then. It’s our ‘heavy use’ vehicle so it snow plows in winter, gets filled with gravel in the summer and often has cement/mortar goo dripping down the side of it.

Edit: Forgot to mention that despite the thin layer of dirt on the hood, couldn`t help but run my fingers across it and much to my surprise, the surface felt quite smooth and despite the dirt, kinda slick. To me, the performance so far is quite impressive and it seems as if Gliss is a bit tougher (or more than a bit) than both EXOV4 and Gyeon Skin.

 

[booyah]

Hey guys---I coated my 2019 truck with the Kamikaze Miyabi/Zipang a year ago, couple months ago Got wrecked--New Hood, bumper, and fender and blended in the paint with the half of the Pass door! Im thinking just to go with the Miyabi/ISM coat this time around, maybe just do the whole truck again lol--Im guessing I have to buff the coating Off the rest of the truck before I lay down another round, I think I was told the Griots Perfecting cream will do whats needed to re-apply the Kamikaze, what are your thoughts, thanks?

 

[The Guz]

Hey guys---I coated my 2019 truck with the Kamikaze Miyabi/Zipang a year ago, couple months ago Got wrecked--New Hood, bumper, and fender and blended in the paint with the half of the Pass door! Im thinking just to go with the Miyabi/ISM coat this time around, maybe just do the whole truck again lol--Im guessing I have to buff the coating Off the rest of the truck before I lay down another round, I think I was told the Griots Perfecting cream will do whats needed to re-apply the Kamikaze, what are your thoughts, thanks?

Polish and re-coat. Does not take much to remove a coating especially an aged coating.

 

[booyah]

Polish and re-coat. Does not take much to remove a coating especially an aged coating.

Thanks its only a year old with 5K on it (garaged)--If I decide not to do the rest of the truck will I be able to tell the diff from the rear doors/bed of the truck (prev done) compared to a new coating Im about to do with the newly painted parts?

 

[BudgetPlan1]

Thanks its only a year old with 5K on it (garaged)--If I decide not to do the rest of the truck will I be able to tell the diff from the rear doors/bed of the truck (prev done) compared to a new coating Im about to do with the newly painted parts?

Zipang has a bit more of a `candy` gloss to it than ISM 1.0, there *may* be a slight difference that you notice but it would be very slight, perhaps unnoticeable.

ISM 2.0 has a similar look to Zipang, more of the `candy` look. I think perhaps Zipang has some of its roots with the ISM 2.0 formulation, not sure.

I did the front bumper of my Agate Gray Metallic Cayman in Miyabi + ISM 2.0, the rest of the car in Miyabi + Zipang and can`t tell the difference and I stare at that car A LOT

ISM 2.0 is a bit more cantankerous to work with than the other Kami coatings; not crazy difficult but one of those `work in 2x2 sections` deals.

 

[bodidly22]

-cantankerous- that`s made my day Budget!!! -
Aaaaaaand UK 3.0 another example of it kicking ass way above it`s price point!
As much as i want to give Graphene a whirl... it`s 3-4 times the cost down here. UK 3.0 is now going on our new family hauler. Will test Gliss over the top on one half.. then 3.0+CQ TiO2 on the other

 

[booyah]

Hmmm, after Budgetplans review on the CQ UK 3 + Gliss V2 combo, I may be changing my mind on the Kamikaze combo I been using, A ton cheaper in the first place! Im curious does it hold up as well as Kamikaze and how would it look on Pearl White truck---

 

[William_Wallace]

I recently hit a sale where I got WOWO’s crystal seal. Has anyone used this? I just applied it to a panel it was very beefy not like reload, cure or turtle wax ceramic. It’s described to smell like caulk that is accurate. There’s something that feels very significant about it. A little bit of effort to get off like fusso. It’s definitely different I liked it and the price was very reasonable. @Acura did u try it yet?

 

[The Guz]

Hmmm, after Budgetplans review on the CQ UK 3 + Gliss V2 combo, I may be changing my mind on the Kamikaze combo I been using, A ton cheaper in the first place! Im curious does it hold up as well as Kamikaze and how would it look on Pearl White truck---

You would be happy with CQUK 3.0 even as a stand alone. Can`t beat the performance for the price. You won`t notice much difference on white paint. I have coated both of mine (1 silver, 1 white) and they all look the same. Most of the look is from polishing. CQ TiO2 seems to make a little difference in the reflectivity aspect in certain angles and lighting. Most noticeable on darker paints.

 

[Coatings=crack]

You would be happy with CQUK 3.0 even as a stand alone. Can`t beat the performance for the price. You won`t notice much difference on white paint. I have coated both of mine (1 silver, 1 white) and they all look the same. Most of the look is from polishing. CQ TiO2 seems to make a little difference in the reflectivity aspect in certain angles and lighting. Most noticeable on darker paints.

I’m passed a year on my CQUK3 and just recently did a thorough decon wash and was pleased with performance.

Even on vertical panels on known problem areas still performs really well. I added another layer of Cancoat cuz i got it but performance wise not needed.

Cancoat sure is pretty though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BudgetPlan1]

NO REALLY...I MEAN IT THIS TIME!!! Re: Think I`m done messing around with coatings, final thoughts...

After re-doing my entirely abused daily driver last weekend (it`s had 4 coatings on it since I bought new in June of 2017 and has endured 60k miles of NE Ohio freeway abuse) I really don`t think there`s rany other place to look, nothing truly interesting to me to try. I`ve done 2 or 3 `authorized user only` coatings, I`ve done Graphene and I`ve done a coating marketed as `hydrophilic` as opposed to hydrophobic. 4 years, 25 coatings, untold amounts of corresponding panel wipes, maintenance products and such and probably 500k + miles on the vehicles I`ve used them on, about 75% of which I still see daily (Yay Fleet vehicles!). Always tried to use applicable prep and finishing products with each coating (Prep wipe, primer polishes, toppers) to avoid the `User error, you did not follow our instructions" incidents.

Did I find the `Best Coating in the World...no. Did I even find the `Best Coating For Me`...who knows...there`s just too many coatings out there to know for sure. Did I find a collection of coatings that work best for me and make me smile anytime I look at my cars and that I enjoy using...yes; and in the end, that`s all that matters, no?

I`ll still have 3 or 4 new Fleet Vehicles to play with each Winter so if something *really, REALLY* interesting comes along I can always try it but I don`t see anything on the horizon (including the likely upcoming onslaught of Graphene stuff) that really piques my interest. I`m currently thinking that most future Fleet vehicles will get CarPro Cquartz UK 3.0, maybe w/ Gliss on top, maybe a layer of Cquartz TiO2 on top; the availability of 100ml bottles at a reasonable price and how it`s performed over the last 15 months is quite impressive; and I`ll get to use Essence whihc for some reason I *really* enjoy using. I`ve never really used a `bad` coating, plenty of really good ones and a few exceptional ones...but that`s all based on my personal opinions of the products and both the tangible and intangible aspects of them.

Of course, this could all change but I hope not

 

[wannafbody]

Based on my personal experience, I have some concerns about some of the glass coatings making a permanent bond. In my case, a wheel coating has started to fail but some of it still remains. A magic eraser won`t remove it.

I think some of the lite coatings are pretty easy to apply and are a pretty good value. Apply once or twice a year and hit it every once in a while with an upkeep product.

 

[acuRAS82]

Budget, soooo... which ones make you smile the most, along with fun to use... total package? Considering price (CQ?) and without (Kamikaze?).

Have you tried Feynlab or Angelwax yet?

 

[mumps]

I`ve got CQuartz UK 3.0 on my Melbourne Red BMW, with PA High Gloss on top of that and I love the look!

Chris

 

[BudgetPlan1]

Budget, soooo... which ones make you smile the most, along with fun to use... total package? Considering price (CQ?) and without (Kamikaze?).

For my personal cars, Kamikaze for sure. Not only does it `work` best for me but I kinda dig the overall `Kaizen` theory they promote ( https://www.kamikaze-collection.com/anti-aging-theory ) and obviously a fan of the US vendor Esoteric who has been an immeasurable help to me over the years. I can always get answers from them and I generally get to see and talk to the inventor of Kamikaze once a year or so at their Open House.

All the intangible stuff aside, the stuff just meets all my needs:
- Great water behavior/self cleaning characteristics
- The flexibility to kinda tailor what I perceive to be the final appearance based on the coatings I choose as well as durability

--- Miyabi: Stupid easy to use, more of a sharp reflective gloss, 2 layers get ya about 18-24 months. Can generally apply to 1 or 2 panels before leveling/buffing off.


--- ISM 1.0: Deeper, wax like glow. A 1 layer coating, doesn’t layer well on top of itself. Really accentuates metallics, very polarizing effect on them. 24-36 months expected longevity. A bonus to ISM is that it’s the best trim coating around. Generally use 15-20ml on paint, do the trim w the rest. Best to apply to single panel and then level/buff.


--- ISM 2.0: Pretty much same properties as ISM 1.0 (and it think Zipang has it`s roots in ISM 2.0) but a bit greater durability and a candy-gloss. More of a PIA to apply, not crazy difficult but need to work in smaller sections, not by panels.


--- Zipang: Candy gloss, limited ability to reduce light scratches/marring. Don’t like to refer to it as ‘self healing’ as that can lead to unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations. Applies pretty much like ISM 1.0 but wanna take a bit more care for even, consistent application…no cross hatch application so gotta be a bit more conscientious but still overall very easy. Rated up to 5 years but ya know how that goes...we`ll see.


--- Infinity Wax: A hybrid wax/glass coating wax. Lends a nice ‘relaxed high gloss’ look to the surface; relatively durable, fun beading, easy to apply. Kinda a nice thing to do that’ll add a bit of protection and also lets you enjoy en easy, therapeutic waxing while being entirely compatible w/ underlying coating. Fun stuff.


--- Toss in Overcoat that has the craziest water behavior I`ve seen as a topper/maintenance product and it`s the complete package w/ a single vendor

It`s really kinda funny (or probably weird, I guess) how finding `your` coating gives you a better overall feeling about the car it`s on. When I had SPS Graphene, which was a very good coating (graphene or not) I just didn`t like my daily driver as much as when it had Miyabi/ISM on it for 42k miles :shrug:

The main thing is it`s ability to work in both scenarios I use cars in:

1. 1. It looks great and stays remarkably nice looking on our well-maintained `toy` cars, makes them very easy to care for
2. 2. It works equally as well on cars I ignore for a while, even over the long NE Ohio Winter. Do the standard kinda decon-carpet-bombing-clean-up and good to go in Spring. It appears that some coatings don`t like to be ignored and if`n ya neglect maintaining them, they suffer very quickly in terms of effectiveness. They may be revitalized with more frequent decon washes but I only wanna do that once a year in Spring, too lazy to do that more often to keep a coating in tip-top shape.
3. 3. I`ve never had any permanent staining, water spots or other things I`m afraid of while using it despite a few of our cars being parked outside for extended periods of time on a heavily wooded lot.

I really liked 22ple as well, although it`s kinda $$ too; it`s the best `fire and forget` coating I`ve used that is still somewhat reasonably cost effective if ya snatch it up during a sale but after such success w/ HPC, VXPRO2 was a downer for me and getting a hold of the mfg is a real PITA; half the time the information they do provide is sketchy (i.e. Finitura will increase scratch resistance 500%)

I`m gonna really give Cquartz UK 3.0 and TiO2 a workout this year as they`ve been very good to me in the past, notably UK 3 + Gliss over the past 15 or so months, 12k miles in less than ideal situations/maintenance.

Have you tried Feynlab or Angelwax yet?

I had Feynlab Ceramic on our 2004 Corvette for a month or so back in Summer 2017, it was OK. I did a new work van in Ceramic V2 + Topcoat in 2018 I believe and it`s still doing OK. It`s pretty good stuff and reasonably priced and everyone from Feynlab I`ve talked to has been just great but it has a very sharp, brilliant gloss to it, kinda looks like Zaino to me and not really a fan of that look.

I`d imagine the Angelwax stuff may be nice (just used their `Redemption` fine polish to finish out my black Accord last weekend before coating) but I kinda got tired of the whole `Angelwax is the greatest thing in the world` advocates so not likely to give that a go. I`ve tried a lot of coatings and for the most part they`re all good and I can`t imagine anything Angelwax would be any great leap forward, likely just another good coating in a sea of them.

Aside from the functionality of a product, who really knows why you like some things better than others; lotsa people like cooked green peas but get near me w/ a spoonful of those nasty little green orbs and I`m gonna puke...who knows why, it just is what it is. Kamikaze was the 3rd coating I ever used (October 2016); first was WG Uber Ceramic and 2nd was McKees Paint Coating V1 (which was surprisingly good for what it was, more so than V2 for me). I spent the next bunch of years trying to `beat` Kamikaze and although 22ple HPC came close, in the end it just didn`t quite make me happy. Objective testing with gloss meters and other instrumentation aside, what I use has to make me happy in a variety of areas and nothing has done that like Kamikaze....for whatever reason. Perhaps it`s time trying to figure out `why` and just be happy I`ve found something that does.





For now...