JHZR2
Staff member
After washing the Odyssey a few weeks ago, I realized that the van is expansively huge compared to any cars Ive ever owned, and so keeping up the paint would be a major hassle. Meanwhile it seems that Hondas have soft paint, and its a relatively rich and dark color, Obsidian Blue Metallic.
So after much debating and research, I decided to go with CQuartz UK. Many thanks to The Critic, BTW, for guidance. My logic was that the combined system of CQuartz, Reload, Reset, HydrO2, and HydroFoam make for a capability to easily and straightforwardly top the protection applied, and the coating itself is a very long lasting item. The van sits outside all the time, so protection is key.
I have been a zaino user for a long time, and have nothing bad to say about it. The system of applying Zaino and then topping with Z-CS was a very good, useful and beneficial system. However it appears to me that the CQuartz system yields a bit stronger and longer lasting protection. Further, I had to buy something anyway... My zaino sealants were all past their due dates for expiration.
So I set out. Used the Autogeek foam gun with dawn dish soap.
After I washed it with soap, I kept the panels wet and applied Iron-x. I misted each damp panel, agitated slightly with a sponge, and then rinsed fully.
After washing it, both just after using the dawn, as well as after the iron-x, I got a lot of residue on the panels.
There's another thread on that, but my resolution was to wipe each panel with a damp microfiber sponge, and then have my wife right behind drying the panels one by one.
Once washed and dried, because the paint didn't have any substantial dirt embedded in it that I could feel, I went straight to polishing. I used Optimum hyper polish, on a 4" Lake County Green CCS foam pad. I didn't want much cut because there were no visible swirls or major defects that I felt I could reasonably handle, so I really just wanted to go over the surface to get rid of any residues, add a bit of shine, and help prep for CQuartz UK. The results after polishing were great.
I followed this by CarPro Eraser on a microfiber towel to get rid of any oils, and then moved on to the Cquartz UK.
I used four 10x10cm suede applicators, and one suede MF towel to wipe. I also used two Costco MF towels to wipe after the suede for additional removal power. It should be noted that the towels will harden up as the product cures, so they should be discarded and not used for surface finishing again. The total amount of CQuartz UK utilized for the whole van was approximately 20 mL. There's a decent amount left in the 30mL bottle, but not enough that Id be comfortable working on another car unless I had more in reserve.
The product applies easily. Very similar to the Meguiars 365 Paint Protect. What I mean is that it is a transparent liquid that doesn't turn to powder or solidify really, but rather it is a wipe on/wipe off product. I found that applying some product to the applicator yielded enough to cover about 2x2ft on the car, upon which it stopped spreading as well, felt a bit more resistant to spreading, and so Id consistently stop then, and wipe with the suede wiping cloth. If one missed a spot, you could easily tell because these spots would have what Id call for lack of better words a monocolor iradescence. It would be darker than the rest of the area, but have a luster and sheen that was different from the rest of the panel.
After I would complete one full panel in this 2x2 section, wipe, repeat fashion, I would then utilize a Costco MF to wipe the whole panel down. This way I would notionally help prevent high spots, remove unneeded product, and continue spreading uncured product.
In the end, I have to say the paint looks MUCH deeper. The Obsidian Blue was a nice color to begin with, but now it looks a tad darker, much deeper, and like its under a coat of glass.
Remember this was the van brand new from the dealer, the day after we took it home:
Unfortunately it was dark by the time I got it all done, and we then went to dinner. So the best I have as of now are shots of it from the parking lot.
Ill try to get some daytime shots first thing tomorrow AM if I remember. Not likely
But Im quite happy with the look of the product, its depth and gloss, and how much richer it makes the blue paint look in low light like tonight (though the camera renderings aren't as good as in real life!).
So after much debating and research, I decided to go with CQuartz UK. Many thanks to The Critic, BTW, for guidance. My logic was that the combined system of CQuartz, Reload, Reset, HydrO2, and HydroFoam make for a capability to easily and straightforwardly top the protection applied, and the coating itself is a very long lasting item. The van sits outside all the time, so protection is key.
I have been a zaino user for a long time, and have nothing bad to say about it. The system of applying Zaino and then topping with Z-CS was a very good, useful and beneficial system. However it appears to me that the CQuartz system yields a bit stronger and longer lasting protection. Further, I had to buy something anyway... My zaino sealants were all past their due dates for expiration.
So I set out. Used the Autogeek foam gun with dawn dish soap.
After I washed it with soap, I kept the panels wet and applied Iron-x. I misted each damp panel, agitated slightly with a sponge, and then rinsed fully.
After washing it, both just after using the dawn, as well as after the iron-x, I got a lot of residue on the panels.
There's another thread on that, but my resolution was to wipe each panel with a damp microfiber sponge, and then have my wife right behind drying the panels one by one.
Once washed and dried, because the paint didn't have any substantial dirt embedded in it that I could feel, I went straight to polishing. I used Optimum hyper polish, on a 4" Lake County Green CCS foam pad. I didn't want much cut because there were no visible swirls or major defects that I felt I could reasonably handle, so I really just wanted to go over the surface to get rid of any residues, add a bit of shine, and help prep for CQuartz UK. The results after polishing were great.
I followed this by CarPro Eraser on a microfiber towel to get rid of any oils, and then moved on to the Cquartz UK.
I used four 10x10cm suede applicators, and one suede MF towel to wipe. I also used two Costco MF towels to wipe after the suede for additional removal power. It should be noted that the towels will harden up as the product cures, so they should be discarded and not used for surface finishing again. The total amount of CQuartz UK utilized for the whole van was approximately 20 mL. There's a decent amount left in the 30mL bottle, but not enough that Id be comfortable working on another car unless I had more in reserve.
The product applies easily. Very similar to the Meguiars 365 Paint Protect. What I mean is that it is a transparent liquid that doesn't turn to powder or solidify really, but rather it is a wipe on/wipe off product. I found that applying some product to the applicator yielded enough to cover about 2x2ft on the car, upon which it stopped spreading as well, felt a bit more resistant to spreading, and so Id consistently stop then, and wipe with the suede wiping cloth. If one missed a spot, you could easily tell because these spots would have what Id call for lack of better words a monocolor iradescence. It would be darker than the rest of the area, but have a luster and sheen that was different from the rest of the panel.
After I would complete one full panel in this 2x2 section, wipe, repeat fashion, I would then utilize a Costco MF to wipe the whole panel down. This way I would notionally help prevent high spots, remove unneeded product, and continue spreading uncured product.
In the end, I have to say the paint looks MUCH deeper. The Obsidian Blue was a nice color to begin with, but now it looks a tad darker, much deeper, and like its under a coat of glass.
Remember this was the van brand new from the dealer, the day after we took it home:
Unfortunately it was dark by the time I got it all done, and we then went to dinner. So the best I have as of now are shots of it from the parking lot.
Ill try to get some daytime shots first thing tomorrow AM if I remember. Not likely
But Im quite happy with the look of the product, its depth and gloss, and how much richer it makes the blue paint look in low light like tonight (though the camera renderings aren't as good as in real life!).
