CT5-V Blackwing with CQuartz Professional and STEK PPF
This ain’t your grandaddy’s Cadillac…
Will there ever be that last great high-horsepower, manual transmission, front-engine, rear-wheel driven sedan? We keep hearing about manuals going by the wayside, but new ones keep popping up. Not that we’re complaining or anything, but if this is the last from General Motors, what a way to tie it off. All the style of the new Cadillacs with the heart of a Corvette and some seriously infectious presence had our resident German and Japanese car aficionados ready to dive into this detail!
New car? Bring it straight to Areté Auto Salon!
Listen, we aren’t trying to be all doom & gloom here, but the more miles you put on your car before having paint protection film applied, the more chances there are for rock chips to accumulate. The owner of this Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing picked it up from the dealer, and the next thing we knew, it was at our front door for his detail. Ok, he did stop at home first! But the point is, he didn’t decide to go on a road trip before getting the right protection. It’s tough, but a little restraint goes a long way.
For those of us that can’t stand those little nicks around their cars, paint protection film (PPF) is the strongest defense. It’s thick enough (STEK has both 8 and 10 mil thick films), optically clear and chemically resistant enough to deliver the performance that we here at Arete Auto Salon look for. Applied on its own or as part of a larger detailing service, the best time to have PPF applied is Day 1.
Paint Correction and CQuartz Professional Ceramic Coating
It’s shown a bit more in the video, but our initial detailing of the vehicle removes any contamination that manages to find itself on the vehicle. Along with waxes or sealants, this isn’t anything we want to be left on the paint prior to PPF application, paint correction, or coating. It’s a new car, which can be a toss-up in terms of condition these days, but thankfully we had minimal paint correction to perform.
In addition to the front-end coverage that this Cadillac has with STEK DYNOshield PPF, the wheels, windshield, exhaust tips, and paint are all protected by a CQuartz coating! Our Level 2 CQuartz Professional coating detail has three layers of this next-gen ceramic coating on the paint, with specifically formulated CQuartz coatings for the other surfaces.
“So, what’s a detail service like this going to run me?”
Short answer- it depends on a couple of things (but we’ll try to keep it simple):
Your vehicle- how large it is, and what condition the paint is in before we start the detail.
Paint Protection Film Coverage- do you just want your front bumper and mirrors covered, the whole front end with impact areas, or the whole car? Glossy, matte, or one of the many other finishes we have?
The CQuartz Coating Package- we are a CQuartz Finest Reserve accredited shop, meaning that we have access to ALL of the CQuartz coatings (by our count, there are 6 options for paint alone)
These are the main elements of the detail, and we work with you to give you a recommendation for your vehicle, your driving habits, or aesthetic goals. STEK PPF packages start at $500 for Basic Coverage and a Full Front End starts at $2000. Our Paint Correction & CQuartz Coating packages will range from $735 (for minimal paint correction and a basic CQuartz coating on a coupe) to upwards of $2100 (advanced paint correction and CQuartz Finest Reserve). Figuring out what’s going to protect your vehicle the best is what we’ll be doing when we see the vehicle and get to meet you!
Thanks for reading and next time you’re looking for comprehensive protection for your vehicle come and see us! We have the area’s largest specialty facility for auto detailing and protection including a lab-grade water system and a clean room for film installations.