How hard is it to apply opti coat ?
 

Hi guys just wanted to know if it's really difficul to apply opti coat on my FRS. I got my car out of the dealer a month ago. I see opti coat is sold as a syringe and a an applicator pad. Is it that simple as to wash the car with a neutral PH shampoo and afterwards just apply a bit of the syringe of opticoat on the applicator pad and let it cure? .
Tnx

Do some searches in here and on YouTube for Opticoat videos. It's somewhat labor intensive. I used the Nitro 3D product (different company) and was very happy with the results.

Did you mean HD Nitro Seal?

Yes

Similar question.

Locally, an Opti-Coat job is $400+. I can buy Opti-coat for $80 and do it myself, I'd assume. Is it somewhat user-friendly? I'm not a novice, but I'm also not a super professional, either.

Let's assume I would have the car professionally detailed ahead of time.

Look for videos and see if it's something you want to tackle. I'm 58 and have been cleaning/waxing/detailing my cars since I could drive and the Opti was not something I felt comfortable doing without having seen someone do it in person, that's why I did the Nitro. My car is black and I did not want to screw it up by not knowing how to do it. The Nitro is also a 2 part system but I felt comfortable using it and I was happy with the results. The Nitro once applied can be left on for 24 (recommended if you have a garage) before buffing off.

First 3 pictures are with the Nitro on waiting to buff off.

Attachment 70256

Attachment 70257

Attachment 70258

Attachment 70259

Attachment 70260

Attachment 70261

Attachment 70262

Attachment 70263

(This was done about 18 mos. ago)

Looks sharp. How does it hold up against rock chips up front?

So far, so good. Can't complain. Nothing is really going to stop a rock with a little heft to it from leaving a mark.

So has it still chipped all the way to the plastic?

A wax/low mil thickness coating is not going to stop rock chips. You need a high mil clear film for that

Opti requires a full car treatment before application. Which is why it's so expensive for a detailer to apply. It requires a full wash, buff and polish followed by another wash and rinse. The reason being that Opticoat is a permanent ceramic coating and any debris or impurity in the paint will be trapped underneath the opticoat and the only way to get it out would be to buff and polish the car until you physically wear away the coating because it is impervious to chemicals. So it is VERY important to remove any impurities from the paint before application.

The application itself is also very tough (although it's much easier with the new formula apparently) as the working time for the product is only about 10 to 15 minutes and the cure time is about an hour. If the product is applied unevenly and is allowed to cure then it wont looks right and will need to be buffed until it is removed or fixed which is difficult and risks burning your paint.

Original Opticoat was originally only sold to professional detailers who could provide Opticoat with proof of insurance. However with Opticoat 2.0 that practice is no longer needed as it has a longer working time and it is now sold to the general public.

Opti-Coat 2.0 is the general public/more user friendly version of the product. However, it is not as durable as the Pro version. The Pro version has a MUCH longer durability and is reserved for pro detailers only because of the extremely short work time. Be sure that you are comparing apples to apples as the 2 products differ greatly.

It's fairly easy to do. I wouldn't say go for it if you don't have a random orbit DA. You need to wash, clay, polish with optis de irnoizing polish, whipe down, apply even thin rows of opti across the panel your working. Minimal amount of liquid on opti applicator.
I would do a light cut and polish with a DA like my rupes before I began optis polish then the coating.