Well, Tako was kind enough to send me a sample bottle of Chrystal Guard Quick to try out. Now that the weather is a little nicer, I figured....let's go!

I didn't use the Z however. It has 23 layers of Zaino and it looks great. I didn't want to strip off any Zaino and I didn't think it would be a good comparison if I added CGQ over top of all that Zaino.

I instead used my Stealth. If you remember from my first "Dr Bonz Experiment" it was the Stealth that was used in my first venture into Zaino-Land. The Green Ghost was up for the challange. It has 6 layers of Zaino on it but I really hadn't applied any since around Thanksgiving (other than an occasional spritz of some Z-6 detailing mist). The paint was starting to lose its luster and didn't feel as smooth as it had. Besides, I had been neglecting the Stealth since the Z came out of its long winter sleep. Also, most people are using the CGQ on NEW cars and I wanted to see what it could do on an ELEVEN YEAR OLD car.

I started out by washing the car thoroughly with some Z-7 wash. I then rinsed it off with hot water. As per Tako's directions, I then sprayed the GCQ onto the WET car. I allowed it to sit for about 4-5 minutes. He sent it to me in a 2 oz spray bottle and I used between a quarter and a third of it on this application. The spray was a very fine mist and it seemed that a lot of it just blew away even though there was essentially no wind at all.

Tako recommended wiping the car off with a soft chamois but mine is pretty filthy so I used a soft, 100 percent cotton, made in the USA towel. As the water came off, you started to see a whitish hazy film on the car. It was VERY hard to buff off. I had to apply a lot of pressure and broke a good sweat trying to get it to shine. If I would have continued doing the whole car like this, it would have taken me forever and I would have been about 10 lbs lighter!

I had read in Tako's instructions that you can make the removal process easier by squirting off the car again (with water only) and then drying again. I tried this with great sucess! After squirting off the car again, and again using the towel, NO HAZE and a VERY nice shine. This time there was only a little bit of buffing needed.

The car looks pretty good but it was getting dark by the time I was finishing up. I couldn't get a good visual on how well the shine really was. I will reaccess in the morning in bright sunlight. I will also take some pics.

My overall impression so far is favorable. The process is fairly easy. The total time involved was about 2 hours. It takes a bit more buffing than the Zaino does however. I need to see the car in the light tomorrow for a final opinion, but right now in my garage under artificial lights, it looks pretty good. Also, the car feels VERY smooth to the touch and it is actually difficult to even leave finger prints on it!

I guess one way to look at it is with CGQ you do a little MORE WORK but in LESS TIME and with ZAINO you do a little LESS WORK but it takes MORE TIME. You just have to chose your poison I suppose. Also, it remains to be seen as to how CGQ does in the durabilty department. So far, nothing has even come close to Zaino here.

Stay tuned!

 

you have 23 layers on your car??? I am not going to research this product, but either 1 layer, when applied must take the old layer off, OR if not, you have just built up a think film of this product?? who will be th 1st one to 100 layers??? would that provide enough layers to protect it from door dings??

 

I just applied CG coat #2.
Now the car shines even more and has 300% more depth to the paint.

Now my CG coats have been on top of about 7 coats of Zaino.

Dr. B,
The hazing is real easy to buff if you use a microfiber towel after it has set for about an hour.
I dry the car about 95% w/ a chamois, then detail the door jams, trunk, under hood area, etc. Then I go back and buff off CG. IMHO, I think it is easier than Zaino overall. To achieve a shine, there IS a little more buffing w/ CG vs. Zaino, but the shine is really incredible.

BTW: Pic in signature is one coat CG, attached pic is 2 coats.

 

Well, good morning and Happy Easter to everyone.

I got up this morning and went to mass. When I got home, I took some pics of the Stealth.

Before I took the car out of the garage, I noticed that it was covered with dust. Not from the CGQ but just the stuff you get from the air. No more than when I use Zaino but certainly no less. I hit it with my Cali Car Duster to remove that.

When I took the car out of the garage I noticed that under the sunlight there were several more spots that needed to be buffed out. The CGQ leaves a sort of oil film that almost looks like Armor All overspray. Anyway, I buffed those out with a Microfiber towel.

The car looks good, no question. But it just doesn't dazzle me like the Zaino did. Now I am a rookie to this and after reading BillR's post above I may try something different with my next two applications. Perhaps I used too much but it really did take some buffing to remove. I'll probably try a chamois next time as BillR suggested.

Overall, I like the look of the shine. It feels VERY smooth! I can't wait to do my next two layers to see what results I can get. Also, I need to evaluate the GCQ for durability. This will be the BIG test.

RodH: As far as my 23 layers of Zaino, you DO NOT simply remove one layer and replace it with the next! Zaino stacks and the thicker you apply it, the better it seems to protect. You may be correct about the thickness however, I have noticed there is less room in my garage when I pull the Z in!

Well, on to the pics!

 

OOPS! How did that Easter morning pic of the family get in there!

Here is the Green Ghost:

 

I'll have to crop out that damn date later.

Some more:

 

Here is the famous "Liquid Look" angle that I took with the Zaino. Compare this CGQ pic to that one. What do you thinK?

 

Another:

 

The famous "Self Portrait" shot:

 

We certainly don't want to end this with THAT pic.

Here's one with my wife Debbie helping me show off the car:

 

There are obviously several variables that come into play here when comparing these to the Zaino pics. The lighting is of course different. The prep of the car was different (no claying this time like when I put on my first Zaino layers on the Stealth). Different camera angles among other things.

There will certainly be a learning curve for me with this new product. Perhaps the members who really love the CGQ are seeing better results with their NEW paint and the Stealth is 11 years old.

I will continue for the entire three layers and post pics as I go. Any tips (be as specific as you can) on application of CGQ would be appreciated!

See you all later.......

 

Here is a picture of my 1993 Mazda RX-7 done with Crystal Guard. The surface is very smooth to the touch. Works well on older cars.

 

Yah, too bad they aren't the same color b/c that would have really made the comparison work better. Overall, both products are great. =D

 

I like the look of the Zaino though I've never used it myself as I'm hooked on Meguires Gold Class.BTW Dr Bonz,you have a nice looking family.
Greetings from NE Pa.

 

Come to the dark side...

Meguiars Gold Class was what I used before I went to Zaino. Durability and easy of application/removal was never what I wanted, although it does look good. Zaino lasts longer and applies easier. CG seems to sound good, too, as does Blackfire.

Worth a try when your current bottle runs out

 

decisions, decisions... So far I have not used either product. It seems like you should pick one and just go with it. I'm leaning toward Zaino after vieving those sweet pics of DR BONZ Brickyard.

 

Bonz – Great looking Easter morning pic. (It looks like your son was expecting the Easter bunny to slap him.)

Since you already had 6 coats of Zaino on the Stealth, how do you think adding another layer would have compared with the shine you got with the CGQ?
Do you think the CGQ would have looked better, worst, or pretty much the same?

 

Probably not quite as good as with an extra layer of Zaino.

I put on my second layer of CG tonight and as usual it was too dark to take pics by the time I was done so I post them tomorrow hopefully.

I still think that Zaino is much easier to use. You really have to buff to get CG off. I tried the chamois method tonight and it was a little easier but still broke a good sweat making the haze turn to a shine.

Last week, I still discovered that the car needed more buffing the next day when I saw it in the sun. I will apply the last test layer in a week or two and this time I'll try the "leave it on for 45-60 minutes" method, while I do the interior and tires. We'll see if that is any easier.

Check back later for pics.

 

I think that by having Zaino on the car prior to CG makes it a pain in the **** to buff out.

Read this:
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=27408

 

Interesting. You may have found the answer. Thanks.