[dinger]

Hi,Looking into this however it can only be applied by accredited Gtechniq detailer's has anyone had this applied to there MINI..here is the demo video..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Z_Up5hUts

 

[jeremybingham]

No this but my wife had a glaze put on her mini roadster s. If you read the press etc these things are fine but VERY expensive; I did a bit of an internet trawl and found a glaze on ebay-the whole kit to treat the whole car for £8 in c pnp and you can get autoglym life shine etc on there too! It is VERY easy to apply -basically just like putting on two coats of polish-a primer and then a glaze and polish off with water. simples and you are there fore paying for the labour. If like me you like polishing a car, then these treatments are a waste of time.
They say you get more for your car when you resell but we never have! just look after it properly!
The interior is a simple spray on job like scotch guard!

Basically don't if you like looking after your car!

 

[jeremybingham]

sorry that should say NOT and 'A Glaze' is the stuff I used!

 

[jeremybingham]

Within a few mins I found this for the sealant and al l the products they do are on there- i'll bet far cheaper to do yourself and it really is VERY easy-this stuff looks v simple-why pay someone to do it;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gtechniq-...213?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19de69eca5

 

[scoobyc]

Crystal cerum isn't on that eBay site? I've used c1 on my gtr and it was good but now use max protect unc-r, it's fantastic but a bit of hassle to put on. If you want decent, cheap protection that you can apply yourself with little hassle try sonax protect and shine.

 

[J1JPE]

A-Glaze was applied by our dealer foc and is EXCELLENT

 

[jeremybingham]

You did well .ours wouldn't but as you say I am very pleased with my diy a glaze results

 

[Wicket]

I have crystal serum on my f56 white silver. I had it done by a destiny company that took the mini before I took delivery. So it was still on its wrapper. I had a sneak peak pre and post crystal serum, and the stuff is amazing. Had the car two weeks now, and the weather has been pants. The road grime eventually sticks but with a quick water/jet spray must grime cones right off leaving the stunning gloss.

It's expensive but really great stuff. The detailer said nothing compares

 

[donnaj1dlh]

I'm about to get mine professionally detailed (well....repaired actually) ....after an unfortunate incident with a Cement lorry that damaged our MINI, Freelander and Boxster GTS :'(

Anyway the MINI got off lightly (and unlike the other two which needs resprays) mine only had a few wee spots that can be removed. So the groundworks company have paid for the MINI to be detailed which means I'm getting the 'full bifta' FOC. The detailer already has her booked in for C1/EXO but says I could upgrade to Crystal Serum if I wanted - and gave him warning. (At a cost of £830 to the company - which obviously includes the cement decontamination steps)

Now you guys know I like my detailing so will I miss it if I do down the CS route? I must admit I don't really feel the love for the MINI like my previous car and I think I might be happy enough to give it a quite detail spray once in a blue moon.

What do you guys reckon to the aftercare/longevity of the CS? I know it has a 7 year warranty (only be keeping the MINI another 3 years) but the detailer also said he'll recoat FOC should a panel ever get damaged.

I've never used these products before due to the curing time, I don't have the garage space to let it cure.......

 

[jeremybingham]

Gosh poor you Donna. You've really had little luck with that mini.so sorry for you. I must admit I used to find it annoying I couldn't polish our a glazed car but found out you can apply a wax over it so t hats now what i do. Dodo juice orange crush on my vo if I feel the need. And purple haze on the black roadsters. The duster has no treatment at all but I don't feel quite the same urge to make it sparkle! Have polished it with turtle wax nano tec!

 

[TraceyC]

While researching the GTechniq Crystal Serum, I came across this page. It shows that if you are new to applying this kind of chemical, you can mess up your paint job's finish. It may be worth paying a professional who can apply the serum properly, and ensure your finish looks great. Sometimes, it really does pay to hire someone to do something. When the thing you need is what they do for a living, they have incentive to do it right.

 

[jeremybingham]

True BUT conversely, i havent tried many things that without a bit of practice i couldnt do; i must admit i am not good at plastering or welding but with time i am sure i could get the hang of it. I applied a glaze to our cars; £400 dealer option and it was the easiest stuff in the world to apply-one coat of polish type stuff then a clear coat polished off damp. simple. basically it is the labour charges that bump the price up-essentailly you have to polish the car 3 times. I am sad and enjoyed it!

 

[donnaj1dlh]

Crystal Serum can only be applied by accredited GTechniq garages. You cannot buy Crystal serum on the open market because of the pitfalls of applying it. Every bottle that the detailer buys from GTechniq MUST be registered to a vehicle - my vehicle has it's own ID which can be traced back to GTechniq.

C1 Crystal Lacquer however IS available to buy and apply by Joe Bloggs. It has slightly less durability (~5years). But you need the optimum conditions in which to apply it.

I think you are confusing the two products.

 

[02fanatic]

Well good for Crystal Serum! Personally if I can't detail my own car I don't want any exclusive product I can't use. Not knocking CS, but hey...half the enjoyment of oning a MINI is caring for it....cleaning, polishing, and waxing or sealing. There are plenty of user friendly products out there!

 

[donnaj1dlh]

I agree and disagree O2 .... I would wholeheartedly recommend CS now that I've had it applied ....and I'm the queen of clean For anyone in situations where car cleaning isn't always convenient - such as living in a flat, no readily available access to water taps or storage space for products or simply don't have the time for full day details, then CS is definitely the way forward. A heavy shower of rain is sometimes all that's required to clean the car.

CS can still be waxed/sealed on top (I currently have the EXO). It just provides extra protection and physical barrier towards contaminants such as bird lime, tree sap etc etc.

Just because you wouldn't consider it, don't knock it.

 

[02fanatic]

I agree and disagree O2 .... I would wholeheartedly recommend CS now that I've had it applied ....and I'm the queen of clean For anyone in situations where car cleaning isn't always convenient - such as living in a flat, no readily available access to water taps or storage space for products or simply don't have the time for full day details, then CS is definitely the way forward. A heavy shower of rain is sometimes all that's required to clean the car.

CS can still be waxed/sealed on top (I currently have the EXO). It just provides extra protection and physical barrier towards contaminants such as bird lime, tree sap etc etc.

Just because you wouldn't consider it, don't knock it.

I'm not knocking it (I said that). But, in fairness, since I've never tried it..or even seen it on a car, I'm big enough to keep an open mind on how good it "really" is.


Where I stand my ground is, why use a product that can damage your car if not applied correctly? That, to me, is just asking for trouble....and loss of control for the care of your own car!


The only time anyone touches my car, is when I cannot do the work myself. It gets down to choices and practicality, I realize. For some, it's simply a great way to protect the car with little or no effort on their part....that's not my thing.....I love washing and waxing my car!

 

[jeremybingham]

Sorry Donna wasnt decrying crystal serum at all and i love how your car looks. Just saying there are other products out there claiming to do similar things that may well be inferior but that you can apply yourself and essentially as long as you are sensible it is just a labour intensive job like polishing. i've been very happy with the a glaze on our cars -one dealer applied at £400 and one i applied myself at £8 for the whole kit. and i cant tell the difference. I have to say the crystal serum does look far superior to the rest at the moment though . J

 

[Blue al]

Would this be a good option for coating jcw Brembo's
I Have a lightly used set, which I will be painting black or graphite before fitting
(Did consider m-sport blue for a while)

Looking to protect these babies before I fit them during the next month or so