Projects | BMW 328i | Single Stage Correction | Cquartz UK Coating
by James MelfiThis Montego Blue Metallic BMW 328i came in the shop for our single stage paint correction service. It was riddled with swirl marks, light scratches and RIDS (random isolated deeper scratches). We started the detail off with our decontamination process by spraying the wheels with Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus and agitating with various brushes. The tires were cleaned with Turf Shine Tire Cleaner Concentrate at 50/50 ratio and the wheel wells were treated with Sonax Multi-Star APC at 10-1. The painted was washed with Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and decontaminated with CarPro Iron-X and a Nanoskin wash mitt.
For the cutting portion of our correction process, we decided on a Rupes UHS pad paired with Meguiar’s M100 on the Rupes LHR 21ES at speed 4.5 for most of the panels. This combination cut away most of the light defects but a few RIDS still remained in the finish. We switched over to a Meguiar’s Microfiber Cutting Disc and M100 on the hood and trunk to remove some deeper marring.
We finished the paint down with Sonax EX-0406 on a Rupes white pad on the Rupes Duetto. This combination restored the slight compounding haze left over and left a crisp finish to lay down CQuartz UK. After the polishing process we rewashed the vehicle with Dawn followed by 2x IPA wipe downs to ensure all the polishing oils were removed. Next, we applied two layer of CQuartz UK to all the paintwork.
The CQuartz UK Edition (aka CQUK) is a specially formulated version of the popular Cquartz Ceramic Quartz Paint Protection. This edition is based on the same technology as the regular Cquartz, however it has a few slight improvements for cold temperature application, and specially for the UK while it works great anywhere. CQUK has 70% SiO2 with 99.9% purity, making it the first ever nano silica coating which has such concentration! This high purity percentage ensures having the most transparent glass coating over the surface, high levels of water repellency and long lasting paint protection from dirt, road salt, ice, snow, and other environmental contamination.
We cured the coating with IR heat lamps at 150F for about 8 minutes per panel. After the panels had cooled down we applied CarPro Reload to the paint which adds an additional layer of protection while also enhancing slickness and water beading properties. We finished the wheels, trim and glass with Reload as well to round out this detail.
Nothing better than some nice sun stars!
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Exceptional results there James.. how many hours did you put into that service??
Thanks Bryce, we had about 10 hours into this one
Fantastic work and finish.
I own a 2015 428 XI with the same dark blue color.
Thanks Jake, this color really popped after polishing, The metal flake was so much more dramatic.
Great writeup. And excellent results. Question about wiping down with IPA… how do you ensure you’re not inducing any new light scratches into the paint work when wiping down twice in a row? Or rewashing?
I realize on harder paints, this isn’t so much of an issue. But I also know I’ve gone crazy trying not scratch the surface on softer paints, after full correction.
Thanks for the reply Zach, and great question. Whenever you wipe the paint down even with the best microfiber towels and plenty of lubrication there’s always a risk of scratching. After the polishing process we foamed the car and pressure washed the entire vehicle, blowing out an polishing dust. We didn’t give it a full 2×2 bucket wash at that point, basically it was just a touch-less wash. After that point we wiped the car down with IPA very carefully to not introduce any marring. Always a risk but a necessary one in order to ensure the coating bonds perfectly with the paint. The best method I’ve found to not introduce new marring in the IPA wipe down is to make sure it’s a microfiber that is safe for even super soft paints, and to continually switch to a new clean side of the towel as you wipe. Always use super light pressure and straight line motions. Another great new tool in our detailing arsenal is the use of something like CarPro Essence coating primer, this in some causes eliminates the need for IPA wipe downs and can definitely help reduce potential marring. Hope this helps, and thanks for reading
James
Thank you for taking the time to give such an in depth response, it helps alot.
James,
Looks great. You mentioned that you used Reload on the wheels, but what about the tires? Is that Reload, Tuf Shine or something else on the tires?
Jim
Jim,
Thanks for reading,
The tires received Carpro Perl tire dressing and the rims were sealed with Carpro Reload spray sealant. Tuf Shine tire cleaner was used to clean the tires during the wash process.
Nice article
I appreciate that you took the extra time to include the details of your process, that is why we come to Ask a Pro
thanks for the kind words Kyle!
Looks great! Great write-up as well.
Thanks Phillip!
James: the BMW looks outstanding after your detail. I am lucky enough to have bought a new 2015 BMW 435 xDrive in Mineral Grey Metallic. What polish or wax would you recommend? The last I used was the P21S Concours Carnauba Wax which I really liked. I’m sort of a freaks out my car, so I’m open to anything you might think is better. Also, what do you recommend for cleaning and treating the leather seats? Any suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks for your time. Rick
Rick thanks for reading, I’m a huge BMW fan myself, congratulations on the car! As you know from reading this blog there are about a thousand options in terms of polishing and protecting your car. What I would do first is conduct an inspection of your paint and determine what you would like to achieve. Whether it be a detail surrounded around defect removal or purely protection based. I could suggest a ton of products but they might not be best suited to that specific job. But if you are just looking for a protection based product I would recommend CarPro Reload Silica Spray Sealant. Also on the leather try IZ Cockpit Premium for regular leather maintenance, you will love the cleaning ability and the smell isn’t bad. Hope this helps, any questions feel free to ask!
Thanks for the suggestions, James. I appreciate your time. Rick
Hi James, I have an M235i which I’m C-Quartzing probably in a month. I have already done the C-Quartz UK on my wheels (I took them off the car for another mod so decided to “do them”, cleaned, decontaminated, dried, and sealed – about 4 hours total) and it is awesome – goodbye brake dust. I can’t wait to do the rest of the car.
My question is more related to the windshield. The windshield currently has the G5 nano coating on it that works good, but I’m seeing the spidery cracks in the coating. Only in sun and at an angle can you see it.
Should I remove it and recoat? If so, what is the best way to remove?
Or can I just apply new over old?
Did you use the C-Quartz on the windows?
Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for your help.
Paul,
I would remove the coating with Ceri Glass by CarPro or even a cutting compound like M105/M100 paired with a glass polishing pad or even a microfiber cutting pad. Then reapply for coating or choice. CQuartz Forte is one that has worked well for me.
Fantastic write up! But I had a question in regards to CQuartz Uk and the application process. For Cquartz UK how is its scratch resistant properties? Because I am planing on applying it some of my cars which have crazy soft paint and all of which are black so that makes it even worse. Also during the application process how do you know when you need to change the suede cloth used for applications and do you need to constantly change the microfiber used when buffing the coating off? Also how easy is it to remove if the product if applied incorrectly? I understand there are some coatings on the market where the manufacture states that it needs to be wet sanded to be removed or something along that line, and frankly that is what is scaring me away from coatings.
James,
I find CQuartz UK to be a super easy coating to apply. I normally set aside 3 towels for removal. One for the initial removal after the coating has flashed, the second towel is used to remove any residue left over. The third and final towel is used after the entire vehicle has been coated and I normally use it with a LED light in one hand, double checking every panel for any left over high spots. I normally switch the applicator twice during the coating process or if you notice any product build up. Scratch resistance is something I actually don’t count as one of a glass coatings main attributes. I believe paint protection film is where true scratche resistance comes into play.
Saludos . Solo por saber para alimentar mi conocimiento . En un trabajo como ese y realiza en 10 horas . Que costo usted le pone ? .