Hong Kong is hard on paint. Heat, humidity, salt air and dust will strip a cheap coating in months. Here’s how we do it so it actually lasts.

The short version

• We clean and polish the paint properly before anything goes on.
• Two coats of CarPro CQUARTZ or CQ.UK on the paint, GForce on glass, DLUX on wheels and trim. Then it needs 24 hours to cure, dry.
• After that, we tell you how to wash it so the coating stays healthy.

Prep matters more than the bottle

A coating only sticks to clean paint. If you put it over dirt, wax or swirl marks, you seal those in, and it won’t last. We remove contamination, polish if the paint needs it, then wipe the panels clean so the coating can bond.

Why Hong Kong is tough on coatings

Water spots bake on in the heat. Sea air leaves salt. Typhoon rain and city dust keep landing on the car. Tight parking adds light scratches. So we take iron and tar off first, dry every gap, and use products that can handle this climate. Then you still need to wash it properly afterwards.

How we apply it

1. Wash the whole exterior (paint, glass, tyres and wheels) so grit isn’t dragged into the paint later.
2. Remove tar, iron and fallout, then clay if needed. Shampoo alone won’t get that off.
3. Polish in stages if the paint is marked. Coating doesn’t hide scratches; it locks them in.
4. Wash again and wipe with IPA so leftover polish doesn’t block the bond.
5. Dry every gap: door jambs, under the mirrors, filler flap, behind handles, badges and trim. Hidden water leaves ugly high spots.
6. Two coats, about an hour apart.
7. 24 hours to cure. No water on the car.
8. The right product for each surface: CQUARTZ or CQ.UK on paint, GForce on glass, DLUX on wheels and plastics.
9. We show you how to wash and dry it, and when to top it up.

What to skip

• Jobs that skip the deep clean or iron remover.
• Coating over swirls and water spots.
• No IPA wipe. Leftover polish oils stop it bonding.
• Rushing the dry. That’s how you get streaks.
• Anything advertised as “done in a few hours.” Steps got cut.
• Brush tunnels and harsh chemicals afterwards. They strip coatings fast.

Myths

• “10H” or “12H” hardness is marketing. The pencil scale stops at 9H. What lasts is prep, application and how you wash it.
• Ceramic coating is not stone-chip protection. Use PPF on the front if that’s the worry.
• You still have to wash the car. Coating just makes it easier.
• One product can’t cover paint, glass and wheels. Each needs its own.
• Coating doesn’t hide defects. Polishing does.

Book it with us

If you want a coating that holds up here, book Nitro. We prep the paint, apply CQUARTZ or CQ.UK properly, let it cure, and maintain it with Reset, Hydro2 and Reload. Deeper gloss, easier washes, longer protection. No slogans.