[grimrecruiter]

When I had my old Skoda Fabia delivered new it had had the Autoglym shield treatment applied outside and in. For the first twelve / twenty four months I was quite impressed with the protection that it gave the paintwork in particular.

Technology has moved on a lot in 7+ years. A treatment is available called CQuartz which bonds to the paint and appears to offer 2 years greatly enhanced protection together with incredible looks and ease of care.

Have any members experienced any of the new generation Protection Treatments?

Grateful for any advice

 

[CodHead]

They are usually referred to as ceramic or glass coatings and they form a hard coating that increases gloss and will reduce swirls/marring inflicted by washing. There are quite a few different companies providing them, such as -
CarPro - CQuartz UK and CQuartz Finest (authorised dealer only)
Gtechniq - C1 protection
Gen-3 Glasscoat (authorised dealer only)
Gyeon - Prime and Prime MOHS (authorised dealer only)
ArtDeShine - ArtDeKeegan and ArtdeRaven
Max Protect - Ulimate nano coat V1 & V2 and UNC R
Optimum Opti-coat 2.0
Nanolex Paint & Alloy Professional.

 

[Copperhead]

I put a ceramic coating on the Yeti when I got it.

http://www.element119.com/system-x.html

It's definitely a better finish than the Meguiars sealant I was using, and is extremely easy to keep clean, as nothing seams to stick to it. Don't know how long it will last, but is unchanged at 6 months (touted to be 2 years +).

It was very easy to apply, no rubbing in or polishing action, just wiped on and left to flash off, and gently buffed to remove excess (but this step was really just a chance to take a breath between panels as nothing came off) You just have to be very careful not to over apply it or miss any spots, which is possible with a liquid the colour and consistency of water (but not the smell)

.
I followed up with a second coat 3 days later, after the first cured. Can't compare to previous generations of paint protection systems like the Autoglym, as i have never used them, but this is a significant improvement over the products I've used previously.

Compared to some of the other ceramic treatments, System X is relatively affordable, 3 x quantity of most of the others, a VERY effective pre cleaner (also generously sized), applicator (I used a cotton makeup applicator instead so as not to waste the sealer) and a couple of micro fibre towels and a glove.

 

[grimrecruiter]

Thanks both. Appreciate the replies.

 

[CodHead]

Copperhead, System X looks very similar in product and applicationto Gen-3 Glasscoat which markets under a few different names.

 

[Suzuki]

Now I really am out of my depth here.I use autoglym polish twice a year but have never had any experience with these types of treatment.My question is,living in a dry and dusty area of Spain would it be an improvement for protecting my paintwork.We do have to be very careful washing the car, it's better to dust him off first to avoid the light swirling mark's.Would these treatments help protect against this.Also monster bug splat's which dry pretty sharpish can be a bugger to get off.Again,would it help stop em sticking so well.

 

[grimrecruiter]

If the detailers are to be believed the answer is yes on all counts. We will see!!!!!

 

[Copperhead]

Copperhead, System X looks very similar in product and applicationto Gen-3 Glasscoat which markets under a few different names.

I found this application video for G3 Glasscoat,

http://vimeo.com/21015108

The application is the same except for the wait time before buffing. It's climate dependent, but System X was only 2-3 minutes, so perhaps it has a higher solvent content.
I don't think there is anything much between any of these products to be honest.

One thing, I never had such obvious application lines as he had in that video, so buffing them out was less necessary, and I didn't use a wet cloth. I might have been a bit pedantic, but I used a smaller applicator pad and took a lot more care applying the sealant. Slower,and a more even pattern. I suppose in their case time is money, so a DIYer should be able to do a better job, especially with a second coat.

 

[Copperhead]

Now I really am out of my depth here.I use autoglym polish twice a year but have never had any experience with these types of treatment.My question is,living in a dry and dusty area of Spain would it be an improvement for protecting my paintwork.We do have to be very careful washing the car, it's better to dust him off first to avoid the light swirling mark's.Would these treatments help protect against this.Also monster bug splat's which dry pretty sharpish can be a bugger to get off.Again,would it help stop em sticking so well.

My Yeti lives outside and is covered in dust most of the time. I just rinse the car with the hose first before washing with a microfibre mitt. Avoiding swirl marks is the reason I went with a ceramic coating. It's worked so far

Everything washes off very easily, but I hadn't taken any particular notice of bugs, but being a country car, the front has a good selection of Aussie specimens splattered on.
So I wet a tissue and can confirm that they just wiped off with no effort.