2020 M340i - CQuartz UK 3.0 & Gliss

[MCompact]

Very impressive.

 

[gofast182]

Some pics in direct sunlight to put a period on this thread.

 

[4WD]

Gorgeous … but in the weather …
Can you build a carport and tell the HOA it's an exclusive "Porte-cochere", LoL

 

[gofast182]

No HOA. We have a small rickety barn (where the S2000 lives) and a historic board that thinks it's a "significant contributing structure". We are prepared to fight them but want to have the funds for a new garage in place before doing it.

 

[gofast182]

Just got a 'like' on this thread so I figured I'd let you all know that the CQuartz UK 3.0 is still going strong after 17 months. Since the time of this thread I found a couple other mistakes I made with the coating that I'm living with; I can't stress enough how important good lighting is when applying a coating. Also since this thread I applied CQ UK 3.0 on a friend's car with lessons learned from my car and it turned out great with no high spots. More recently some of you may have seen the thread where I did my wife's X5 with Gtechniq CSL and EXO V4, and that also turned out great with no high spots.

For those hangers-on, coatings are not just hype. There's no wax or sealant on the planet that's going to give you this kind of longevity. And if it's a product you spray on, it's not a true ceramic coating.

 

[john_pifer]

What was your cost on the ceramic coating products you’ve used?

 

[The Critic]

What was your cost on the ceramic coating products you’ve used?

Around $50 for a kit. I think I have an extra one you can have if you plan to do it soon.

 

[john_pifer]

Around $50 for a kit. I think I have an extra one you can have if you plan to do it soon.

Oh wow, man, that’s super generous of you to offer!

Thank you!

But I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle that right now. I have so many other things that need doing, and I know I’d really need to prep the finish and everything to get the best result.

Just out of curiosity, in your estimation, where does that fall, on a scale of 1-10, in quality and durability, and performance, with 10 being the best?

 

[gofast182]

Keep in mind that $50 is without a topper. Many coating brands suggest a topper that will protect against water spots in the 14 days the coating takes to fully cure (and beyond that). In the case of CQuartz UK 3.0 (or CQuartz Lite) the topper is Gliss and in the case of Crystal Serum Light it's EXO V4. If you decide to go that route you're looking at $90-120 for a full kit depending on what and where you get it.

In my experience the ideal combination for application would be to use Crystal Serum Light with Gliss, I don't know if mixing brands is a thing though. In practice I think UK 3.0 is the most durable (but not by much). Probably a toss-up in terms of gloss, I might give it to CSL/EXO V4.

 

[wemay]

Beautiful car! Just gorgeous work.

Except for the E30 and E36, I've always liked the "BMW M-Performance" cars over the actual BMW M series ones. Don't know why that is.

 

[The Critic]

Oh wow, man, that’s super generous of you to offer!

Thank you!

But I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle that right now. I have so many other things that need doing, and I know I’d really need to prep the finish and everything to get the best result.

Just out of curiosity, in your estimation, where does that fall, on a scale of 1-10, in quality and durability, and performance, with 10 being the best?

Light DA polish to remove all of the sealants you have applied is all you need.

Correcting the paint to perfection is ideal but not required from a bonding standpoint.

Probably a 7. The durability and chemical resistance are very decent but fall short of some of the Pro coatings. But from a value standpoint for a DIYer, it is definitely a 9 or 10/10.

 

[yowps3]

For a new finish with minimal imperfections.
Wash>light clay>light polish (carpro essence) > 2 layers of ceramic coating.

 

[f355spider]

I have the same CQuartz 3.0 on my M550iX going on two years. Still holding up fine, car is garage kept.