Opti-guard vs. C-Quartz
 

I asked a local detailer recently if they offer Opti-coating as a service and he said that they are certainly willing and able to do it, but they typically recommend C-Quartz and C-Quartz finest instead because they believe it to be a superior product. Can anyone with experience chime in and give me a quick for dummies" explanation of the differences? I'd also like multiple opinions on which product you guys would use. Thanks!

I'm no expert on CQ or OC. However, I looked into both as well...and everyone seemed to steer me more towards OC. Both seem like great products. This guy did quite a bit of side-by-side testing on a few cars:

Take a look at the testing here

There are quite a few OC vs. CQ reviews out there. My takeaway is that OC lasts for the life of the vehicle whereas CQ has a 2-year duration.

This has been my understanding as well. If this seems to be the only major difference, I can't imagine why one would choose to do CQ over OC.

Thanks for the link. From the look of it he doesn't have a particular preference. If that truly is the case, OG's longevity would be my choice.

Oc is permanent, finest has better release properties, sheeting water faster and easier. If your looking to keep your car as a garage queen or want it looking perfect over its lifetime your going to have to polish it every 2 years thus finest is the best choice. If this is a daily driver or you're not a perfectionist and don't care if your car has some swirls in a couple years oc is the choice.

Oc is not permanent , but it does hold it's ground for quiet sometime .
It all depends on the weather and how often it gets washed , I have noticed mine is faded in some spots , will redo in the summer

I got the CQ treatment, my guy says it was better for darker cars, gives more depth, I have to agree. you can see my photos here.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21286

Your right it's not permanent, it can be sanded off.. But other then that it's there forever.

Can you actually see where OC is applied and where it's not?

A chemists opinion: they are nearly identical. Acrylic with ground sand in it, with the acrylic providing the bulk of the physical properties.

I use a thinner acrylic coating (a paint sealer), and reapply it myself annually. Honestly, I can't see the point of OC or similar unless the paint has been flattened first (to get rid of the "orange peel" finish). My car is a daily driver, so it'll get dinged eventually regardless the coating it has.

Yes you can. Not only where it's applied, but even after its cured you can see where you've missed and where it's applied, with either coating.

While some of what you say is correct, here's a benefit you may not know of. Opti coat, or cquartz finest is so thick that it will take most of the damage from wash induced swirls. Later when you want to polish the paint to get it back to perfect you'll be polishing off the coating unlike your acrylic paint sealant which offers next to nothing in comparison.

im getting opti coat done in a couple of weeks (when weather will permit) for my raven frs. ill try to post before and after pics if i remember :)

If you take personal preference out of it, overall, Opti Coat is superior to anything else that the average person can purchase. If your opti coat has failed, that is due to user error.

As far as look - 90+% is prep, but Opti Coat is very wet looking. In fact all coatings will look excellent to most people, due to the paint receiving correction work prior - (hopefully)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8178/8...abfe0f4e_b.jpg
P1120824.jpg by savingspaces33, on Flickr

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8078/...1d175d97_b.jpg
PC260005.jpg by savingspaces33, on Flickr

If you learn to maintain your paint the right way, and wash your car regularly, 4 years from now the result will be the same as when the car was first coated. 8 years, the same. You can't say that about semi permanent coatings, but they are superior to traditional waxes and sealants.