Opti - coat 2.0 (pro) vs waxing regularly
 

Hi, I'm weighing the pros and cons of using an opti-coat sealant, a detailer offers paint correction and detailing services ($900) and then Opti-coat Pro ($400) for a total $1300.

*edit* I'd also like advice on 2PLE or Clear Bra coatings. I currently use the meguiar's 3-step for cleaning and maintaining my paint. I have dealer-installed cobwebing but overall good finish.


Points are:

Pro for Opticoat: Forms a barrier to protect against debris. Hopefully even small rocks/chipping since the BRZ/FR-S's paint is oh-so precious.

Pro: Easier to clean

Cons: Permanent, unless you machine polish it off, which isn't so bad I guess. But you can't use a pure polish on top of an opti-coat, my guessing is the coat underneath opti-coat could still dry out or degrade.

thats alot of cash.

He's offering that as a full package, as a pro detailer, but there seems no cheaper route (at least through him),which includes:
wash, clay, wheels, interior, windows, 2-step paint procedure, 3-layers of wax (overkill), and then opticoat pro. Procedures take 2 days.

wax then opticoat?

Thought wax needs to be completely removed prior to opticoat.

Opti-coat will not prevent rock chips.

Never heard of waxing a car before installing OC 2.0. Surface must be free of wax to have OC to adhere. Don't walk to another detailer- RUN ! Go to the Optimum forum and you will find all the info you need to make a informed decision . They also have a listing of all dealers authorized to install OPT-PRO.

http://optimumforums.org/index.php?showforum=25

Seems too high for a detail and OC.

I agree, 900 is excessive, you should look into another detailer, especially if this guy thinks applying opticoat on top of wax is ok.

yup - you will need a clear bra....

I would do as the others have stated and shop around, talk to 2 or 3 other detailers. I did not pay close to that and I know for a fact when the opti threads were huge when everyone took possession of there cars the average price was 400-600, and this was from well know detailers.

opticoat will also not protect you from egg shells.. i know from first hand.

try looking up Tru Shine http://www.trushinedetailing.com

If your paint is hammered 900$ might not be out of the question, so the level of perfection you want before OC/OG has to be considered.

You are also asking for the OG pro version which comes with a warranty. I would suggest you ask for OC 2.0 which will easily last 2+yrs and by that time you might need a good polishing anyhow. The price of that is ususally 40% for the 2.0

Cheers,
GREG

For that cost invest in some Adams Products and detail the car yourself! You will get a much better shine with a paste wax glaze combo than opti-coat

I agree with others. $900 is a bit steep considering your car is relatively new with few scratches.

For 1300 I can fly to your city, rent a limo, do a full correction and opti coat pro it for you no problem! Just fyi, anyone that said they were going to wax your car 3 times before applying opti coat = don't trust them! Run for your life! Look on optimumforums.org for a reputable installer in your area.

There has to be some kind of mistake...yes, the detailing package includes waxing. But the detailer in question skips waxing the opti-coat installation is in order.

@Greg Nichols Makes a great point, if a 2 step correction is needed, then there is no way around it. My most recent FRS NEEEDED a 2 step correction. So that adds a complete polishing step, DOUBLES my correction time on the car. :thumbsup:

There have been times when I tell a customer that they dont need the 1 step correction. VERY rare, and then recently a 2 step was needed. It all depends on the current condition of the paint.

This was an obvious flag for me. Selling me on services I don't need.

So I've decided against going opti-coat for now. I washed and waxed my car today and realized I'm too much of a purist to go with opti-coat. I'm just going to get paint correction. And I agree, the detailer is way too expensive for paint correction, I'm going to search my area for other providers.

Cleaned my car and tried out Meguiar's Ultimate Paste wax today, and it's freaking awesome. Much better than their cleaner wax, and also better than Gold Class wax. It gave my Galaxy Blue color this subdued glow that I haven't seen before after a wax, even compared to meguiar's which are usually very glossy; this glows and it smells sexy.

Anyway I'll give further opinions on opti-coat later.

This was a huge flag for me, and I told him (the detailer) that it was an aggressive step;
He said it would be necessary for the lateral scratches, but they really aren't deep. I don't care about lateral scratches so long as the cobwebbing is gone and the CC is in good integrity.

I believe that 1-step (DA) on Toyobaru paint should be enough. It's in good shape. Also told him that his prices were surprisingly high. He also told me that the car could be safely machine polished something like 15-20 times, LOL. Yeah, right.

Rad even if you're a purist, I'd still opti coat the front end of the car to prevent bug damage. You can buy the consumer version and apply it yourself, it's not hard as long as you can follow some basic steps.

Clear Bra would be more effective as it helps with rock chips too and bug damage can be easitly removed depending on what clear bra you buy

I don't know how big the bugs are in Texas, but I generally do more damage to the bugs when I hit them up here in TN!

Yeah considering a clear bra on the whole hood and roof, but exclude the trunk fender and side panels.

I've also found a good deal on paint correction, going to check that out later, but then may still explore clear bra, opticoat, or other options.

I've got it on part of my hood and the entire front bumper mine is also polish able so when I did a correction on my paint with the Adams stuff I was also able to hit and clean up my clear bra! If you wash the car form week to week you and properly maintain the paint bugs and swirls will be the least of your worries.

Nice, who makes the clear bra, name and type? And what kind of polishing procedures can you do for it?

I have the Xpel Xtreme film and i just used Adams Revive Polish on a Flex Machine polisher at speed 2 with the Adams Black or Macine sealent pad and topped it off with a coat of Adams Quick Sealent since the bumper takes the brunt of any damage.

For anyone looking for more information: paint correction gets expensive quick due to these cars' crappy paint. My 2014 FR-S was acquired in January and had 3500 miles on it when i took it in last week. Had extensive paint correction done, Optioat Pro whole car, extra coating on front end. Bugs are a killer- even with Opticoat you need to try to remove them ASAP. I would however like more shine. Googling what kind of waxes(would rather use paint sealant) are safe. Saw some amazing results with Liquid Glass.

All these die hard opti coat fans LMAO

Its a polymer based product! Let the scamming begin!

SMH.....

I had a similar product put on my car. IBEX or something (Teflon based?). The dealership said I would never have to wax my car and that it would be clay bar-ed before being applied. I washed my car a few months later spotted a few rail dust marks on the paint which means it either wasn't clayed properly or at all. I believe it has all washed away by now. What a waste of money.

$1300?? Is that detailer crazy?

I had a professional do mine (he usually details high end cars like Ferarris, Lamborghinis, etc.) and my car had really bad paint, like scratched all over bad, and this was the night I picked it up (dealership washed my car with a dirty rag prior to delivery).

I got Opti-Guard (Opti Coat professional, or whatever you want to call it), with paint correction, polish, interior, wheels, everything for $250, and then I got Xpel Ultimate clear bra (which costs a little more than just regular 3M) on full hood, mirrors, full front fenders, full front bumper, A-pillars, leading edge of roof, headlights all for $1150 installed. So in total I spent $1400.

If he's charging you $1300 for the same thing I got for $250, I'd run away. Run away fast!

Edit: And my guy didn't require 2 days. I dropped it off late in the evening and picked it up the next morning before work. He worked on it all night. Awesome guy.

Ive tried Opti Seal before and it was a complete waste of money. Did extensive testing, side by side testing. Felt scammed!

Opti seal its to be used on Opticoat right?

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Opti-coat is not the same as Opti-seal which is a different product.

The big advantage of Opti-coat is that it protects the paint against swirls when washing the car. It also gives you a second layer of protection against bird droppings and insects. I've had it on my car for 4 months and it still looks great and I have no paint swirls anywhere.

As others have said, all waxes have to be removed prior to application. The fact your detailer wanted to apply wax first tells me he's never done an application of Opti-coat before. Find someone else. The price is also high. I paid $400 but then my car was just off the dealer's lot when I dropped it off for application. The car only needed a minor bit of paint correction so the price was cheaper.

Good luck! Protecting your car's paint should be the first mod people should think about when they buy a car.

Just DIY. Get a porter cable and have at it. Shops charge 400-500 around here for a polish, and they dont even guarantee to remove all the swirls. I dont blame them for it tbh, its a ton of work especially if you have not taken care of your paint.

That's a lot of $$$ every year or two to keep your ride looking nice.