IS3Fguy

The $700 includes the prep (cleaning, clay bar and polish). Are you in Canada?

daobn24

Yup, i was quoted for detailed wash, polish, and application of product. I am in the other CA (California).

Gravityis

Does anyone know a good place to refer me to in the south bay, California Torrance area to get cquartz finest thanks

davyjordi

yeah - i don't have that much clear bra on my car. do you really feel covering that much of the car is necessary?

IS3Fguy

Don't you think those areas are prone to rock chips? I thought those areas are the most important one?

saewoo

Where is CA did you get that quote? If its in Socal can you PM the place you got the quote from?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

First, I want to make sure everyone is aware that there are several versions of CQuartz and Opti-Coat.

CQuartz Finest and Opti-Coat Pro are available to authorized professionals only. You can find CQuartz Finest installers here and Opti-Coat Pro Installers here. If they are not listed, they are not authorized to install these premium, professional products... simple as that.

With that being said, the consumer versions of CQuartz and Opti-Coat are much cheaper to purchase, and will therefore be cheaper to have installed on your vehicle. They are completely different products, and yes, the professional products are superior. Some examples of these products that are available to the general public are Opti-Coat 2.0, CQuartz UK, and 22ple.

In any case, proper preparation is absolutely critical with any of these paint coatings. They are not something that can simply be applied to a 'clean' vehicle. In a nutshell, the vehicle must be thoroughly washed, decontaminated (ironx and detailing clay), polished (yes, even brand new cars), wiped down with alcohol or a specialty cleaner like CarPro Eraser, and only then is the surface properly prepared for the coating installation. This is a time intensive process, so if someone is telling you they can do it for you in just a couple of hours, they are not doing it right. I estimate 5 hours minimum for a proper prep with just a light polish on a new car for instance. If more paint correction is required, the detailer could spend 10-20+ hours on just the correction work.



Pricing will vary greatly depending on your local market. This is true with most any service driven business, whether it is automotive or something like hiring a plumber. You should also be very sure of what the price includes... my CQuartz Finest package, for instance, starts at $1000 but includes much more work than my basic coating packages as I want any vehicle that is receiving CQFinest to look as close to perfect as possible.

The prices listed above, $400 for CQ and $250 for OC, cannot be for the pro products as professionals are required to charge a minimum for these products as set by our agreement with the manufacturers, and these prices do not meet those minimums.


See my above links to authorized installers.



Please let me know if you have any further questions regarding these coatings, or any other detailing products or processes.

-Zach McGovern

reyoasian

iTrader: (2)

clear bra on the whole front bumper, and the front portion of your hood and fenders is more than enough

cquartz or opti coat (i prefer over cquartz) would be great maintenance wise

but $2500 is not worth it

HeMan26

$700 is about right for cquartz. I'm in the Chicago land area and most detail shops I contacted are charging $650 to $800. I think I'm going to just get opti-coat since it's less pricey. Which one is better: cquartz or opt-coat? What's the difference?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Great question... both are great products, but they are certainly very different.

CQuartz Finest is a silca, or quartz based product (SiO2). This is essentially a layer of glass that is being applied to your vehicle. This produces an incredibly rich looking finish with unparalleled gloss. CQuartz Finest is also applied MUCH thicker (averaging 3 microns) than most other coatings on the market (50cc of product used per vehicle applied in 2 coats, compared to <10cc of Opti-Coat Pro). This added thickness creates a thicker barrier to keep harmful contamination from reaching your paint and also adds gloss. CQuartz Finest also includes a 2 year warranty, if that is interesting to you.


Opti-Coat is a Silcon Oxide (SiO) formula that bonds to your clear coat to provide durable, long lasting protection. This product is also very chemical resistant and works very well to help maintain your vehicle's appearance.


Both products are far superior to traditional waxes or sealants in terms of protection. No question about it... there is simply no comparison. So if you are simply seeking great protection, either one is a fantastic choice. Both products will also make routine maintenance much easier as they resist dirt way better than traditional protection. CQuartz Finest has a slicker feeling to it, and IMO is noticeably glossier. With that being said, a vehicle that is treated with Opti-Coat Pro still looks absolutely stunning when properly prepared.


Due to the fact that CQF is a more exclusive product, I typically recommend CQuartz Finest to my customers who are seeking the best looking coating and intend on maintaining it to a very high degree. This means keeping up with routine maintenance washing, decontamination when needed, etc.

I offer Opti-Coat as an alternative for those who are simply looking to protect their vehicle and help keep it looking better for longer periods of time.

Hope that helps.

-Zach

mmims2000

Zach,

I'm considering doing either Opti-Coat or CQuartz, since they seem like the best products available right now, and my obsidian IS is ridiculously difficult to keep clean and swirl-free. I had been leaning more towards Opti-Coat, but based on some of your posts, I'm now leaning more towards the CQuartz Finest. I was wondering though, what (if any) are the advantages of Opti-Coat over CQuartz? I know both are expensive, so one being slightly more expensive than the other isn't a deciding factor me. Just wondering if they both will last the same length of time (2 years?), require the same level of maintenance, etc? Also, my car is a daily driver, so perhaps one of the two coatings is better suited to that, and the other is better suited to show cars? Basically, since you say CQuartz is superior, I'm just trying to understand why anyone would choose the Opti-Coat instead. Any additional input you might have on helping me decide would really be appreciated... Also, as a side question: do both products eliminate the need for waxing your car?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

First, I'll start with the easy one... Yes, both of these coatings completely eliminate the need to wax your vehicle. The only required maintenance would be routine washing, and decontaminating when needed.



As I mentioned in my previous reply, both of these coatings offer great protection, and both will make maintenance much easier. It is my personal opinion that Cquartz Finest offers a superior product that is glossier, slicker to the touch, thicker, and more hydrophobic. Opti-Coat, on the other hand, is still a fantastic product. It looks great, too, but has a very 'grabby' (almost tacky) feeling to it once it is applied which really bothers me for some reason lol (this can easily be remedied by applying CarPro Reload on top of the Opti-Coat... which I would highly recommend regardless of coating choice because Reload will add to the gloss, add to the protection, and leaves the surface unbelievably slick) .

The choice of which one is best depends on what qualities matter most to you... if your budget is the limiting factor, simply choose the cheaper coating and you will not be disappointed. As I mentioned, any of these coatings are far superior to traditional waxes or sealants. I would not lose sleep over choosing one or the other, I just happen to prefer CQuartz Finest. Many Finest installers also carry OC Pro, so I would advise you to discuss this with the installer in your area to hear their point of view as well.

-Zach

daobn24

Thanks for the info Zach. Very informative. I got the OC 2.0 applied so that's reflective of the lower price.

As for topping the Opti-Coat for a slick feel, I use Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax. You can get this otc for $8 and it works great!

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Happy to help.

KaShiDC

Exactly with the very small addition of the back of the side mirrors.