DIY paint sealant job today

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by aab203

Looks amazing! Very tempted to now go out and get a full set of products ready to have a go myself!

How long did it take from start to finish?

Is there any technique needed when claying the car (which product did you use)? I read that done improperly you can do more damage than good with a clay bar.

EDIT: How much of the Crystal Serum Light did you need to cover the whole car?

No the claying is pretty easy, as long as you use a good clay lube and keep the panel well lubricated. I used Dodo Juice Born Slippy with Dodo Juice Supernatural Medium Grade Clay. A few squirts on the panel and one on the clay bar and away you go. You can feel it if start to dry (it will start sticking).

You need the full 50ml of Crystal Serum Light for the XC90, there is a lot of car! The CSL application is the hardest part, but as long as you stick to only doing 1 small panel or half a large panel (or in the case of the XC90's bonnet, 1/4 of a panel) at a time, you're OK. You must buff off any excess before it cures, otherwise you'll need to machine polish to remove the dulled finish it will leave. I made the mistake of applying to the front bumper under the headlight which had been in sunlight at the shed door, I hadn't realised how much warmer the panel had become and the CSL cured before I buffed it off. I used a machine polisher and a bit of Autoglym Paint Renovator to remove.

The EXO is much easier to apply.

There are loads of good resources online, particularly the GTechniq how-to video's on their site and the Detailing World forums.

:wq

[tankplanker]

It is worth investing in some good masking tape before you perform a full detail, can save a lot of time later.

A good machine polisher is another great time saver. Adding a layer of a good glaze is yet another good time saver. The glaze will contain fillers that will help cover up minor scratches and swirl marks. You should use a polish after the claying stay to remove these marks but that can be time consuming and requires a bit of practice to get right.

I use sealant when I don't want to wax the car once a month but prefer to use wax when I have time as it will give a better finish. I can't speak for Gtech's products but most sealants I have used are best left at least an hour to cure as they need to bond to the paintwork.

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by tankplanker

It is worth investing in some good masking tape before you perform a full detail, can save a lot of time later.

A good machine polisher is another great time saver. Adding a layer of a good glaze is yet another good time saver. The glaze will contain fillers that will help cover up minor scratches and swirl marks. You should use a polish after the claying stay to remove these marks but that can be time consuming and requires a bit of practice to get right.

I use sealant when I don't want to wax the car once a month but prefer to use wax when I have time as it will give a better finish. I can't speak for Gtech's products but most sealants I have used are best left at least an hour to cure as they need to bond to the paintwork.

GTechniq's CSL bonds immediately as long as you've panel wiped and prepped the surface correctly. Don't leave any more than a few minutes or like I say you'll need to machine polish off. Of course, I appreciated other sealants may well be different. The GTechniq products seem to be what a lot of pro detailers are using at present, particularly Crystal Serum Black which is a pro only product (needs wet sanding if you get it wrong!).

The GTechniq CSL gives the sealant protection and the EXO the finish and hydrophobic properties.

:wq

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by familymangreg

I've just done my first car detail on my 3 month old XC90, having done around 2.5k miles. I've coated it with GTechniq products, which aren't the easiest to apply, and although I've always hand washed my cars (weekly whenever possible), I'm only an amateur when it comes to detailing, so it took some time!!

I am slightly jealous of your great looking car, but I have to admit to being more envious of your massive garage and assorted marine hardware lying about!

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

I am slightly jealous of your great looking car, but I have to admit to being more envious of your massive garage and assorted marine hardware lying about!

Ha, don't be misled, its all family stuff, mostly owned by those richer than I!!

:wq

[tankplanker]

Originally Posted by familymangreg

GTechniq's CSL bonds immediately as long as you've panel wiped and prepped the surface correctly. Don't leave any more than a few minutes or like I say you'll need to machine polish off. Of course, I appreciated other sealants may well be different. The GTechniq products seem to be what a lot of pro detailers are using at present, particularly Crystal Serum Black which is a pro only product (needs wet sanding if you get it wrong!).

The GTechniq CSL gives the sealant protection and the EXO the finish and hydrophobic properties.

:wq

They sound like cool products, I'll have to give them a try sometime soon. Wet sanding really scares me so I don't think I'll be trying that one.

I use mostly poorboys products at present. Their sealant needs to be left on for at least an hour and it really needs a machine polisher to shift it on a warm day.

[aab203]

All these products aren't cheap - I put a basket together for the GTechniq stuff and I am almost at £300

I watched a lot of videos on this subject last night - also came across these guys - BD Clean. Anyone here used their products? I find there is too much choice and I quickly get lost!

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by aab203

All these products aren't cheap - I put a basket together for the GTechniq stuff and I am almost at £300

I watched a lot of videos on this subject last night - also came across these guys - BD Clean. Anyone here used their products? I find there is too much choice and I quickly get lost!

Yes, and it gets even more expensive when you reverse over a glass bottle of Crystal Serum Light... trust me, I know :-(.

I didn't do a vast amount of research into the alternatives, but I have seen an awful lot of good things said about GTechniq, notice a lot of detailers use there stuff and have family members who have researched and used the product.

Whether I use it again depends on how long this coating lasts, hopefully a few ears if I top up the top coat of EXO as appropriate!

:wq

[yeoman]

Just wanted to share images of water/ rain beading 3 months after Boora application.

[aab203]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Just wanted to share images of water/ rain beading 3 months after Boora application.

Nice. Did you apply Boora to the glass around the car too, or a separate product?