I am strongly considering having opticoat done on my daily driver '13 white C4 and my white sport techno wheels. I just visited a local shop here in Cincinnati that is an authorized opticoat dealer. I was quoted $600 for car. From a video on their website they apply coating by spraying it on. Is this normal?

Here is the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfvXqHDXHpQ&sns=em

 

Spray on? Seems bizarre. I've only seen it hand applied.

In your area, I'd check out

www.Esotericdetail.com

Todd is in Columbus, he's one of, if not the top Detailer in the country.

I've read numerous articles written by him and know people who have worked and were taught by him.

It would be worth the two or so hour drive.

 

Just watched the video. These guys don't know what they're doing with a buffer and don't know proper techniques for paint correction. They look like hacks. I wouldn't let them touch my car for free!

Stay away.

 

Opticoat professional is not applied by spraying it.

My 911 is Opticoated and I love it. Very easy to maintain.

 

Thanks for the tip! I've been on phone with them and I'm convinced this is a great shop. They use 2 coatings I've never heard of: 22PLE and ism kamikaze ? Any one have these?

 

Did you notice a big difference compared to pre-Opticoat days? I'm curious how much of an effect this has on our cars. If it makes it easier to clean, I'd be interested.

Also, does it add any shine to the car? I've heard of different products that are like Opticoat, but that are better suited for applications that call for more of a shine than for protection.

 

The stuff is amazing. Like a temporary clear coat with the water beading and shine of wax. Some guys will say it doesn't have the depth of shine that a Carnauba has, but depending on the color of car it's a non issue. Even on my old Basalt black, it was a great product. It lasts much longer than wax.

The professional stuff will actually harden and cure out on the paint. It is not permanent though.

It needs a lot of prep work and preparation before hand as well.

 

Interesting. I'll definitely look into Opticoat info online, as I'm sure it's available all around. But, can you still stack good old wax and polish on top? In other words, do you have to do anything different in your usual upkeep and cleaning of the car?

 

My '14 991 was Opticoated Pro the day after I bought it. I think the results speak for themselves.

 

You can use a wax or sealant over the opti-coat if you like, but it should be necessary.

You need to be careful with polishing as polishing will thin the opti-coat away (just as it does clear coat). With enough polishing you will remove the opti-coat.

 

You can wax over it, but shouldn't be necessary.

Use a high quality car wash soap. See www.detailedimage.com

Never do dish soap, or automatic car washes!

Use a good quality sheepskin mitt too and only microfiber towels.

That website has a lot of good write ups on car washing, etc...

I would not use any buffer or polish on the coating. It will take it right off.

 

Far away...

I hope that vette owner wanted his rotors opticoated!

 

Ha ha. Not really funny though!

Do these guys think they're spraying air freshener ?

 

The Opti Coat is not what gives the car shine, the car needs to be prepped 100% to achieve good results, its all in the prep work. You detailer needs to know how to use opticoat but even more important, how good are they at getting the paint ready for its application.

 

Yup!!

It's the icing on the cake!

90% of the work: proper prep and polishing comes first!