[reeltime]

Thinking about applying opti coat 2.0.. I've read a lot and the general consensus is that it's amazing stuff. What do you guys think? Figured id get your opinion before I spend $80 on it

[jwzimm]

I've got it on my car. It is pretty awesome stuff. The finish is not as good as a high quality wax but it is supposed to last damn near forever.

Be VERY careful applying it though. It is really meant for professionals to apply (I took it to a shop). Once it cures you have to abrasively remove it (i.e. sand/polish it off).

[bob.g]

i prefer semi-permanent ones like CQ UK. Since i buff the car once a year, im slowly removing the permanent one anyway (unless it's a very light polish).

[reeltime]

Originally Posted by jwzimm

I've got it on my car. It is pretty awesome stuff. The finish is not as good as a high quality wax but it is supposed to last damn near forever.

Be VERY careful applying it though. It is really meant for professionals to apply (I took it to a shop). Once it cures you have to abrasively remove it (i.e. sand/polish it off).

I like this stuff because its marketed as a permanent thing so I really don't have to wax..the shine looks good enough. I heard you can just put a layer of wax on top..not sure how that would look. They made a newer version which is more user friendly (Opti Coat 2.0). The newer version takes about 30 minutes to set instead of 2-5 minutes with the original so its much easier

Originally Posted by bob.g

i prefer semi-permanent ones like CQ UK. Since i buff the car once a year, im slowly removing the permanent one anyway (unless it's a very light polish).

I didn't even look into those options but semi-permanent doesn't sound too bad...just incase you mess-up

[bob.g]

look into cquartz uk, it's easy to apply, lasts about 2 years, and there's enough for at least 2 applications so really you're good for 4 years (or you can get the bigger 50ml bottle for even more applications). Plus CQ looks wetter/glossier then opti coat..

[mlifxs]

I found that opticoat works well on wheels. Fortunately I found someone selling half a syringe of it. I'm too chicken to try it on the whole car.

[SHEEDI]

im in process of applying CQUARTZ UK, I will post some pics after

[reeltime]

Originally Posted by mlifxs

I found that opticoat works well on wheels. Fortunately I found someone selling half a syringe of it. I'm too chicken to try it on the whole car.

The new version looks so simple. I feel like it's as easy as applying wax/sealant by hand.. As long as you pretend it's not permanent

[reeltime]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

im in process of applying CQUARTZ UK, I will post some pics after

Yeah post them up. All these permanent/semi-permanent look pretty good

[psnt1ol]

Regardless of which coating you are going with.....make sure your paint is polished to the highest standard. You want your paint to be immaculate (no swirls, scratches, water-spots, etc). You don't want to seal in all the imperfections.

The surface also has to be squeaky clean prior to the coating application. There are some prep work involve. In short....applying the coating is relatively straight forward with the exception of removing the high spots. Getting the paint ready for the coating is where all the work is at.

I tried out several coatings (Opti-coat, CQ, CQUK, GTechnig C1 and EXO) for the last couple of years and they all served me well. Currently, my car is wearing CQUK.

Remember this....
A coating is still just a layer of protection for your clear coat. It is not a force field. It still could be scratch and still could get water spots when the conditions are right.

[psnt1ol]

Originally Posted by bob.g

look into cquartz uk, it's easy to apply, lasts about 2 years, and there's enough for at least 2 applications so really you're good for 4 years (or you can get the bigger 50ml bottle for even more applications). Plus CQ looks wetter/glossier then opti coat..

I agree with the glossiness of CQUK. I seriously doubt you will be able to save the remaining content of the bottle for 4 years once opened. It most likely will crystallize way before.

To get most from CQUK, you should maintenance the coating with companion products like ReLoad or Hydr02 every few months and don't use any car wash/shampoo that has a gloss agent. Use a shampoo that will rinse clean (no residue or a film). Ultima Paint Guard wash or the new CarPro Reset are great for this application.

[reeltime]

Originally Posted by psnt1ol

Regardless of which coating you are going with.....make sure your paint is polished to the highest standard. You want your paint to be immaculate (no swirls, scratches, water-spots, etc). You don't want to seal in all the imperfections.

The surface also has to be squeaky clean prior to the coating application. There are some prep work involve. In short....applying the coating is relatively straight forward with the exception of removing the high spots. Getting the paint ready for the coating is where all the work is at.

I tried out several coatings (Opti-coat, CQ, CQUK, GTechnig C1 and EXO) for the last couple of years and they all served me well. Currently, my car is wearing CQUK.

Remember this....
A coating is still just a layer of protection for your clear coat. It is not a force field. It still could be scratch and still could get water spots when the conditions are right.

I just finished the whole thing actually. Clayed my car, and the polished the whole car with Meguiars M205 on a LC orange pad (I figured less aggressive compound, more aggressive pad) then I did an IPA wipe down on the whole car and finally went to town with the opti coat. Wasn't too bad at all and the end product seems to be very good. The paint looked flawless before I applied the opti coat so let's hope the coating does what it's supposed to

[ddas]

A good read on Opt-Coat (pro) http://detaileddesignsautospa.com/blog/opti-coat/