I am ready to have my new ride worked on and I face a dilemma. The most popular and most experienced detailing shop in my area, that works on dozens of exotics, uses Xpel and some proprietary ceramic coating. I had this shop apply 3M clear bra on several of my cars in the past and although the application was great I was not happy with the 3M film. Fast forward to the present and they now use Xpel. My due diligence points to the fact that this may no longer be the latest and greatest and that Suntek ( version 2 ) is now arguably the best product out there. In addition, being independent and busy, the shop uses some generic ceramic coating and not C-Quartz which I understand is the premier product on the market. They have several installers in the shop to keep up with the heavy workload and the owners rarely do the work themselves anymore although they oversee everything. My dilemma is there is another smaller shop ( in another town close by ) that works on nice cars, but not many exotics. They use Suntek and the owner is a C-Quartz Finest certified installer. I am not as familiar with this shop but it gets good reviews online. This shop has one person who does the PPF and the owner personally does the C-Quartz. The person who does the film also does the film in house for the local McLaren/ Aston Martin dealership. The owner, as I said, applies the C-Quartz ceramic coating and is a certified C-Quartz installer. I don't want to make the mistake of potentially using an inferior product when there might be better choices out there but I also want to use the best shop/installer. Thoughts ??
You are pretty spot on with what you are thinking. We used to use Xpel until Suntek changed their film. We have used Suntek exclusively for two years and now with the newest film, I can't see using anything else. Before anyone can become a Cquartz Finest installers they are looked at through a microscope to make sure they're the best in the area. While this shop you are looking at may not be working on exotics, if they are in the Finest program then you can rest easy knowing the work will be top notch. There are less than 130 installer for Finest in the US and the coating has been around for over 5 years, they are very selective on who gets into the program and does not just hand it out to anyone that wants to be in the installers list. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have been blown away by Cquartz finest results. I would highly recommend it. Edit: I just noticed that MobileJay is in fact who did my cars! He very much knows his stuff.
Guys, I am not a professional detailer, but I get professional results on my own cars and on those I do for friends. I own professional equipment and supplies as I am a detailing geek, and enjoy going my cars. I polish and coat all of my cars every 18-24 months mostly to try something new. Now the industry has adopted toppers to extend the re coat intervals. I have played with them, and they have a place. I can tell you that all coatings I have used were all good. None we horrible. None made the And IMHO, a professional coating, in my experience, is not any more long lasting or protective. I have not used Finest, but I have seen it installed and watched it wear on a friends car and its good but IMHO all professional coatings are designed to set up "distributorships" that will limit geographic competition and therefore increase a pro's profit-tunity. When buying a professional coating you are really buy a warranty and the experience of the detailer. The vetting program is different for each coating brand. The warranty is something you will most likely involve additional yearly services by the detailer. Don't think you can put on a coating and do zero and be protected. You are also buying the marketing of the brand. My honest suggestion is to NOT get hung up on the Professional vrs Non Pro Coatings. In my opinion all coatings are very protective. They protect against Micro marring (swirls) better than sealants and wax. They are not bullet proof but they are very good. Buy the guy and his references you can verify. The best product applied by the wrong person will yield poor results. I have personally applied and been happy with about a 8 major brand coatings. Some bead better, some sheet better, some last a little longer but all within a tight range. All need to be taken care of with a semi OCD wash routine or they loose their luster faster. PPF, I choose the applier and although Suntek is the market leader now, the local guy I trust on my paint with a razor does not carry Suntek. So I went with Xpel Ultimate in 2016, which replaced 3M venture and Scotchguard applied in 2011. Good Luck and you really can't go wrong with a good coating. If you have specific questions I'll try to help. autopia.org is a detailing site that has everything from pros to guys looking to learn and everything in between.
Yes and no. Finest does come with a two year warranty but we don't get held up with the warranties because we basically interview the client before hand to make sure he/she will be maintaining the vehicles paint properly i.e. hand washing regularly, no automatic washes etc. The warranty is only as good as the paper it's written on as the saying goes, as stated above, put your trust into the detailer and their customer service. As Finest installers they should go above and beyond to make sure you are completely satisfied with the work and their company. Any issues with the coating they will take care of. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have to say, the Finest dealers I personally know are seriously qualified, and talented detailers and individuals.
Went with Suntek and C-Quartz Finest......very pleased with the result. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
what color do you have? almost all films will have some areas where dust or air got trapped underneath. its almost impossible to get a 100% clean install with most clear films. I have llumar on my black 458 and it works well. just pour hot water on it or leave it in the sun and the swirls vanish
