Greg@DI

Zach is right tin that the paint is extremely sensitive, but not the absolute worst I've come across. We surely had to be careful when wiping down the paint with alcohol to prep it for the coating as well as simply wiping off polish residue, but it came out really well. It's one of those paints that you shouldn't expect to stay perfect for more than 1-2 washes, but proper care will keep it looking great for 1-2 years instead of 1-2 months.

We use Meguiar's 101 with an orange LC pad, then M205 with a white LC pad, both on the Flex 3401 polisher. Most enthusiasts, even professionals, tend to logically move to softer, less abrasive pads with sensitive paint. However, this paint and similar we've come across tend to respond very well to harder pads, thus us using a white pad instead of something like the Crimson pads.

Well there go some of my trade secrets .

Greg@DI

Not too happy with how these came out, but here are some photos outside my shop. I think the mix of lighting being crappy, my camera settings out of whack and of course me not being a good photographer all mixed that day. Nonetheless, car looks amazing and glossy.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lustra...7649019353394/

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

LUSTRLexusGS350CQFinest(3) by LUSTR Auto Detail, on Flickr

LUSTRLexusGS350CQFinest(9) by LUSTR Auto Detail, on Flickr


Looks great, Ivan!

popping

Yes I am. As are you and there's actually quite a large vietnamese population in the Chicagoland area. Not as large as cali or Texas, but still pretty large.

popping

Pics look a lot better than my phone pics! Truth be told.. I don't think the best photographer could take a picture that does it justice. Even with some of Ivan other jobs the gloss and reflection are just crazy sick!

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

Hey Ivan, THANK YOU super much for sharing this "TRADE SECRETS"!

I just did a full 15 hours detailing on my IS250 2012 in pearl white color on Saturday. The car is actually in its perfect condition with Opticoat. I just swapped it with Cquartz UK so I just do 1 step polish to remove the Opticoat plus 2 steps on some random small spots.

Guess what? You are right. I test M205 on White pad vs. M205 on Black pad. I always thought the Black pad will finish shinnier/glossier than the white pad but not in my case. M205 on white pad not only finish just as good as black pad but also able to remove minor marring better and faster than the black pad.

On some random spots that have deep scratches, M100 on orange are able to remove 60% of them while the 40% remaining have been greatly improved. How do you guys get rid of these random scratches 100%??

Ivan and Zach, thank you once again for recommending Meguairs polish series. They work very well on Toyota/Lexus paint. I tried them on Toyota Camry and Lexus IS and impressed with the results. The M205 is much easier to work with than the M100. M205 has longer working time while finish faster, easier to remove, and way less dust.

By the way, the pictures look pretty good but I'm sure they don't do much justice. The car in person will always look way better! I have hard time trying to capture that glass like shine/gloss on my pearl white car with 2 layers of Cquartz UK lol. I will soon create a topic to discuss about it.

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

Wow really??? I never thought we have Vietnamese in IL??? Very very surprising. I thought they are only in CA, TX and NY. I will soon travel there to open my eyes. Please PM me some good places such as restaurants, parks, entertainment center etc. I will probably visit Zach, Ivan and some other pro detailers on my way there as well.

Btw, your car looking good!!! I wonder how my Cquartz UK compares to your Cquartz Finest coating.

popping

Sure thing, just lmk what you're interested in.. types of foods.. etc. Viet food here sucks tho.. so be forewarned. lol

ssonechko

Guys just completed protective coating application today.
Wish all businesses would be like LUSTR...

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

You know what they say... You get waht you pay for.

This is always true in the automotive service world, and Lustr does a great job!

Thanks for sharing.

-Zach

Lexi66

Zach,

Why is cquartz a "must" for a black car? That was not your quote, but you're the
Pro Detailer and I know you would know.

Thanks!

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Paint coatings in general (CQuartz and others) will help make any color easier to maintain, and with black, that is even more helpful since it can be a pain to keep up compared to other more forgiving colors. A paint coating will resist dirt and contamination much better than traditional waxes or sealants which means your paint will look better for longer, and will be easier to clean. On top of the good looks and easy maintenance, ceramic paint coatings will provide much more durable, longer lasting protection from environmental contaminates.

You can find plenty of information on coatings in this article...
The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern

If you have any specific questions, let me know and I will help to answer them.

-Zach

popping

Going to be quite honest here. Black when clean, is the sexiest car color possible. BUT, it doesn't last that long. You see everything on black: swirls, dust, etc. Cleaning is easier with the coating, and it doesn't get as dirty, as fast.

Being a bit OCD, it annoys the hell out of me, when I see the dust on my car while driving. From far away, it looks good tho.

ISFPOWER

iTrader: (20)

any good detailers near moline, IL?

popping

Yes! The forum mod zach. He's in peoria I believe. He commented on this thread. Google attention to detailing peoria