Wills.WindowsAndWheels Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 In my experience - ppf (paint protection film) is usually a very draggy and sometimes sticky surface to try to dry. We've been using CQuartz Finest 2 year paint coating for quite a while now and have been able to observe its durability in real life, Arizona day to day settings. We've not only been pleased with how well it holds up on paint...as this video will show, it does a great job of making ppf easy to clean as well. The other plus about having Finest applied is the fact that it has a ton of UV inhibitors in it, meaning it will help to resist yellowing and fading of the film. For those of you who are more "do it yourself" kinda guys...there are a couple of options ive found to be both easy to use and effective. First is CarPro's "Hydro2"...which is actually a spray on and rinse off silica sealant. Just thoroughly wash and clean the area (be it certain panels, wheels, wheel barrels or the entire car) and then while the car is still wet, spray Hydro2 onto a panel, let it set for about 10 seconds and then thoroughly rinse clean. The water will bead and sheet off and leave the surface VERY slick and shiny. Typically lasts 3-4 months. The key is, do it in the shade and while the panels are cool...applying in direct sun or on hot panels will leave spots or streaks (they are removable but it totally goes against the time saving part of the product). The second option is CarPro's "Reload". Another product we've tested multiple times and like Hydro2, it leaves the surface slick and glossy and also allows for easy cleaning. This product is in a spray form as well, but will need to be "buffed in" by hand and then "buffed down" with a separate towel. Here is a quick video i found on HydrO2...showing both application, water beading and water repellency (aka hydrophobic properties). Another big plus about these products - they wont stain your trim, get wedged up in your badges (I know most of us have done the q-tip routine getting old wax out of there) or leave an ugly line across paint protection film. Hope this helps and as always - any questions are welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Most of us went the opti-coat route here, how do these three products stack up to opti? Price, durability, and overall shine? I think the curing part of finest will put it out of the do it yourselfer league. The Hydro2 looks cool and simple but after watching the CQ video of Reload I think the Reload might be a better product just for the fact you have to rub on and buff off, this will create a more uniform and thorough coat. Can you shed some light on these thoughts, I need to do my ruby red duramax and this is tempting.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Still waiting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills.WindowsAndWheels Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Most of us went the opti-coat route here, how do these three products stack up to opti? Price, durability, and overall shine? I think the curing part of finest will put it out of the do it yourselfer league. The Hydro2 looks cool and simple but after watching the CQ video of Reload I think the Reload might be a better product just for the fact you have to rub on and buff off, this will create a more uniform and thorough coat. Can you shed some light on these thoughts, I need to do my ruby red duramax and this is tempting.. Sorry buddy, had a long week! Let me get you some answers. Compared to opti-coat, Hydro and Reload do not have the same longevity as OC does. CQuartz Finest, which is carpro's top of the line paint COATING (rather than a sealant) on the other hand, comes with a 2 year warranty and outdoes Opti-Coat in slickness, gloss, water spot resistance and ease of cleaning. Finest is only able to be purchased by authorized installers/professional detailers due to the warranty and learning curve of installation. That being said, I would give Reload a slight advantage over Hydro in terms of durability and ease of cleaning. Also, you can layer it if you like (apply multiple coats). I just strongly recommend using some Iron-X Snow Foam soap first (smells bad but preps extremely well) to clean the surface first. It will strip away all dirt/grime as well as old wax or sealant and leave the surface prepped well for EITHER Hydro or Reload. If you use Reload, mix it 1:1 with water, it will make application much easier...and use at least two towels (one to spread and one to buff down). Also, do about a 2x2' section at a time...dont try to apply to the whole panel or vehicle and THEN buff down the residue. Being that you're considering doing a big Duramax...Hydro would make life a lot easier in terms of time. As long as you spray one panel at a time and mist the panel evenly you will have no issue of uneven application...just be SURE to do it in the shade...thats a huge emphasis because allowing the product to dry in the sun even for a short time can create streaks/spots that you will then have to chase..which kind of eliminates the whole idea! Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I had a couple ofother questions but a little shopping answered them some. autodetailingsolutions sells CQuartz Finest to individuals, so other than relying on the sun for curing it looks do-able by the average hack (me). Iron X comes in spray bottles so a lance/foamer isn't required. Thanks for the info on hydro and reload, they look interesting, I may have to give one of them a try. still leaning towards reload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills.WindowsAndWheels Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 I had a couple ofother questions but a little shopping answered them some. autodetailingsolutions sells CQuartz Finest to individuals, so other than relying on the sun for curing it looks do-able by the average hack (me). Iron X comes in spray bottles so a lance/foamer isn't required. Thanks for the info on hydro and reload, they look interesting, I may have to give one of them a try. still leaning towards reload. ADS sells CQuartz Classic...not Finest. They also sell CQuartz UK, which is the next level up from Classic. Both are still great products (have used classic on a few clients cars and my girlfriends...went a good year and UK is pushing a year on a family members car...very glossy even on white) but Finest is different than both of those. Think of it kinda like Opti-coat 2.0 (which is the consumer version) and Opti Coat Pro (which is the professional version). Iron X is in a spray form...iron x snow foam soap is actually a soap, not a spray (very thick). The iron-x is for decontaminating and the snow foam soap is to be used like a typical car wash soap..its just much stronger in terms of cleaning (but safe). Either way you go i think you'll be happy. One thing good about hydro is you can use it to spray into wheel barrels...so one option might be getting a small thing of Hydro for that purpose and then Reload for the paint, trim and jambs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Thanks, that helps I have to get thru a few busy weeks then I'll hopefully get into this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills.WindowsAndWheels Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Thanks, that helps I have to get thru a few busy weeks then I'll hopefully get into this... No problem! Try to do it before it gets into the triple digits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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