Show & Shine: 2012 Cadillac SRX CQ DLux, CQ Finest - Picture HEAVY!

[Dr_Pain]

Well, I just realized that I haven't shared a Show and Shine since last year LOL! So here it is.....

Sugarcane grinding is now over, YEEPEE!!! What that means is no more muddy field tractors and trucks hauling sugarcane to the mill..... but having said that I have to point out that the roads are a MESS!! To make things worst, it's been raining almost non-stop. What does that produce?? Cars that look like this most of the time.

The owner of this fairly new (but well used) SRX came to me for my expertise considering I live within a mile of a sugar mill and my truck looks better than the day it was bought. Obviously the answer is "clean the darn thing", but I can attest that this alone does not help because this road "junk" just gets all over your car in no time and clings like you would not believe. We spoke at length and explored a couple of options, but finally settled on coating the car. Why?

1) Ease of maintenance
2) Level of protection
3) Self cleaning effect (especially beneficial when raining)
4) He does not have to keep track of quarterly "waxing"

So off we go with plans on a complete exterior and basic interior. For budget reasons he opted not to coat the interior and we made plans to coat the glass as soon as he gets the windshield replaced.

The Process

It took us a 1) pre-rinse with the pressure washer, 2) a pre-foam and rinse, 3) a foam and 3 bucket wash, 4) a rinse, 5) a chemical decon with IronX and TarX followed by 6) a clay decon using CarPro's Polyshave towel to get the car ready for inspection. A six step process that took quite a bit of time.

Fortunately for us the level of contamination was slight but did have some road tar which TarX took care of easy. After the car was properly prepped we brought it in the shop and did a more thorough inspection. PTG readings was healthy enough for us to be aggressive.

Inspection revealed scratches and swirls throughout. The vehicle was maintained in the local traditional car wash, which was running an "All you can wash for a flat fee" which seems to be appealing to a lot of people, but unfortunately you can see the level of damage it produces. As they say you get what you pay for.

Some heavier defects were present as well

We selected a few pads and products and found that the best combo was an orange LC flat pad and Scholls S3XXL which made minced meat of those defects. This was followed by Reflect on a white LC pad.

Here are some nice before and after

The paint was coated with 2 layers of CQuartz Finest and all the hard exterior plastic was restored using CQDlux. Following application, the coating was baked under IR lamps

Now for those of you that actually read (and have read) my Show and Shine, you know how much I hate to take pictures of white cars. The contrast is always a mess and it ends up that the best representation are the high contrast pictures taken in the shop. Trust me when I say that this car looked GREAT in person and that the pictures do not do it justice. Here comes the glamour shot (some in the shop and some in the overcast sun)

In this 2 step paint correction I used a new compound (Scholls S3XXL), which I am planning on reviewing for you guys. I used it as a replacement for my favorite compound of all time, namely Menzerna FG400. I am not sure when I will have a chance to put this review together but be on the lookout. I also have plans to review the LC HD Orbital pads which David Patterson sent me to test. For some reason the box came in, but my secretary forgot to let me know that my package had been sitting in the front office for MONTHS!! On that note I will apologize to David for this MAJOR delay in reviewing the pads. A few more goodies are coming, which includes the PE8 I won from Flex for naming the mini rotary. This is going to be EXCITING!

I hope you enjoyed my first Show and Shine of the year, and hope you are looking forward to some product review. As always I welcome and look forward to your comments.

 

[Chris@SEMD]

Looks great. That's one heck of a prize. How did you come about naming the tool? What did you use on the tires?

 

[fdresq4]

Fantastic Claude! When using the paint thickness gauge, how many spots do you take readings on? Do you have a "schedule,playbook,blue print" that you follow with regards to taking readings?

How are those IR fixtures working for you? I can't wait for your review of the Flex.

Thank you for sharing.

Steve

 

[Dr_Pain]

Looks great. That's one heck of a prize. How did you come about naming the tool? What did you use on the tires?

Tires were 2 coats of PERL. Bob Eichelberg from FLEX asked for assistance and the prize for the new tool (a mini rotary called PE8). I was lucky enough to think of a name that appealed to them Kompackt (which is German for compact). I thought the name was true to its German roots, descriptive enough and Universal enough.

Fantastic Claude! When using the paint thickness gauge, how many spots do you take readings on? Do you have a "schedule,playbook,blue print" that you follow with regards to taking readings?

How are those IR fixtures working for you? I can't wait for your review of the Flex.

Thank you for sharing.

Steve

Steve, I LOVE the lamps and will never apply another coating without baking it. The results speak for themselves. Glossier, harder and if that is even possible more hydrophobic. You do get the same result by exposing the freshly coated car to midday sun, but in the cold, overcast or cold conditions.... IR is the way to go

The PTG readings I take 2-3 reading every 25 sq.in (5x5 section). It takes no time at all, and Lord know what you find This is more important on edges and body lines. On large panels I just take 3-4 reading in the middle.

 

[fdresq4]

Thanks Claude. I'm going to apply CQUK to my mom's CR-V in the late spring. Great idea with the sun. I remember reading that somewhere...

 

[roger3380]

Looks great nice work

 

[KMG]

Nice work Claude! You really brought that paint back to life. Just curious, how many IR lamps do you have? Since I am shut down for this winter I am thinking about buying 1 or 2 lamps this summer so I can go year round for next winter.

 

[Dr_Pain]

Thanks Claude. I'm going to apply CQUK to my mom's CR-V in the late spring. Great idea with the sun. I remember reading that somewhere...

The sun is your friend for sure!!!. From my conversation with Corey the BEST results are if the coating gets heated in the first 3-4 hrs after coating, but you still get benefits in the first 12 hrs. I think beyond that point that you already have an established matrix and heating won't have the same action on trapped carriers/solvents.

Looks great nice work

Thanks Roger!

Nice work Claude! You really brought that paint back to life. Just curious, how many IR lamps do you have? Since I am shut down for this winter I am thinking about buying 1 or 2 lamps this summer so I can go year round for next winter.

Hey Kevin, I have 2 lamps currently and I was thinking about getting 1 more for winter months. I tell you, I will never again coat without baking regardless of season. It is my experience, and it has been reported many times before, that baking helps in producing a better result.... and it is no lies! You will be hooked the first time you do one (it also helps releasing the vehicle earlier)