So, does anyone actually WAX their cars anymore?

[CallmeDave]

I guess I'm old to and rather wax the car.
So is this Opticoat as expensive as I hear?

[Miniata]

I try to wax most of my cars once or twice a year. The wax lasts longer than most people's cars since mine are garaged all the time, and since I work nights, they don't get the sun beating down on them very much. Might get a clearbra on the front of the BRZ this spring to help protect against (further) cone damage.

[BRZnut]

Originally Posted by GoSharks

I would say the correct term today is polish rather than wax. I am big fan of Zaino. Opticoat is interesting. I use Zaino 2x per year on all my cars and I love the results. What you don't see much anymore is carnuba based wax fans.

I've used Zanio for years too, and continue to do so even though I opti-coated my BRZ.

And, the Zanio seems to stay on the opti-coat...if I missed a spot buffing the zanio out, that hazy are can be found on the car days later!

With the Zanio it makes the surface very smooth and adds another layer of protection.

[dem00n]

Opti-Coat is still over hyped.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by Orthow

I'll break it down for you.

I didn't mistake your statement. Your statement came off as - "Bought car, paid to have it corrected/coated, wash regularly and don't plan to ever wax the car until the water beading isn't present". Even with an opticoat or similar process I would still wax the car as it surely would help that much more. I don't see opticoat as an excuse to not have to wax your car ever but apparently you do. That's where the inference about the non-purist came from.

Also, it wasn't an assumption it was an inference.. big difference. I took what you said an inferred something as a result. You will find this is how web communities work. Less than 5% of active users on a forum will ever meet in person (stat I've read as I too own a carclub forum) so inferences and assumptions will be made to help support a claim. Sorry you don't like it but it's the way of things.

Opticoat attempts to repel anything you put on it. It's a permanent coating, similar to a layer of clear coat. The only way to remove it is to polish it off. You can choose to wax on top of Opticoat, but it won't last as long as bare paint.

For the purists, traditional wax is still the preferred method. However, unless you like waxing your daily driver every 2-4 weeeks, then I believe Opticoat is the better solution as far as paint protection goes.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by ottopilot

Pure marketing talk. It's like saying, washing a car is pointless because it will get dirty in very little time. I don't think was meant to be a VS thread but this is completely BS, my car's paint beeds a long time after I waxed it, even months later - and that's because there is still wax on it.

Waxes may last for a few months, or it may last for only a few weeks. Opticoat is a permanent coating. Take some Dawn dish washing soap and wash your car with it. It will most likely strip the wax off the paint. Do the same thing on an Opticoated car, and the Opticoat layer will still be there.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by CallmeDave

I guess I'm old to and rather wax the car.
So is this Opticoat as expensive as I hear?

$70 a bottle, which will be enough for 2-3 cars. The expensive part is the correction process. You want your car to be scratch free before applying the Opticoat layer because it's a permanent coating. It's not mandatory but it's highly recommended.

[Sony]

Originally Posted by CallmeDave

I guess I'm old to and rather wax the car.
So is this Opticoat as expensive as I hear?

A tube of Opti-coat 2.0 only costs $50...the expense comes from the prep work you MUST do beforehand. The thing about opticoat is it is a PERMANENT coating, therefore any impurities on the car at the time of application will be permanently bonded to your car underneath the opticoat. The only way to remove them would be to buff and polish the car until the opticoat is gone which would take hours.

That means you MUST clay bar, iron-x and polish your car as well as rub your car down with isopropyl alcohol to remove any oils or residue from polishing BEFORE applying the opticoat. Not only that but any imperfections in applying the opticoat are very difficult to remove because the coating is so hard.

It will usually cost someone $400 to get an application of opti-coat by a professional. The cost of a full detailing ($350) plus the cost of a tube of opti-coat.

[FRiSson]

I like the spray waxes, they only last a month or so, but you don't have to mask off the plastic and rubber parts on the car.

[was385]

Originally Posted by GoSharks

I would say the correct term today is polish rather than wax. I am big fan of Zaino. Opticoat is interesting. I use Zaino 2x per year on all my cars and I love the results. What you don't see much anymore is carnuba based wax fans.

I may be misunderstanding you, but polishing and waxing are two completely different things. Polishing is using abrasives to get out the scratches and swirls in the car, but it does nothing to protect the paint. That's where waxing, sealant, opticoat, etc. come in.

Personally, I still wax and polish (only the minor stuff, anything bigger is done professionally) with a random orbital during the summer. For the winter, it gets a coat of sealant because I really don't want to be outside once a month freezing my butt off. It's looking pretty funky right now.

[Perfections]

Originally Posted by Orthow

I'll break it down for you.

I didn't mistake your statement. Your statement came off as - "Bought car, paid to have it corrected/coated, wash regularly and don't plan to ever wax the car until the water beading isn't present". Even with an opticoat or similar process I would still wax the car as it surely would help that much more. I don't see opticoat as an excuse to not have to wax your car ever but apparently you do. That's where the inference about the non-purist came from.

I'll break it down to you in the simplest way I can to help educate you on new technology. The best part that not many people grasp as a benefit to these new coatings is you can't etch them. I'll explain, have you ever burned ants with a magnifying glass? You wax creates beads which everyone likes right? Beads act as magnifying glasses and consolidators of minerals on your paint allowing your clear coat to etch, making a depression in the clear that can only be fixed by polishing with abrasive compounds. Opti coat on the other hand is immune to etching, from water, bugs or bird crap. Can you say this about ANY wax or paint sealant? No.. Also like someone else has mentioned, the thickness of the coating, allowing you to wash the car, 85% of swirls come from the washing and drying process. You will damage the coating, allowing you down the road to polish the coating to remove the swirls thus saving your clear coat and the uv protection built mainly into the top % of the factory applied clear.

I'm from the old school and have polishing cars for 17 years, but even I realize the benefits of this new technology. Ease of maintenance along with truly protecting your paint, coatings are the future, embrace it. Coat your car and top it with wax for nostalgia purposes if you like

[Chewie4299]

Originally Posted by Orthow

I'll break it down for you.

I didn't mistake your statement. Your statement came off as - "Bought car, paid to have it corrected/coated, wash regularly and don't plan to ever wax the car until the water beading isn't present". Even with an opticoat or similar process I would still wax the car as it surely would help that much more. I don't see opticoat as an excuse to not have to wax your car ever but apparently you do. That's where the inference about the non-purist came from.

Also, it wasn't an assumption it was an inference.. big difference. I took what you said an inferred something as a result. You will find this is how web communities work. Less than 5% of active users on a forum will ever meet in person (stat I've read as I too own a carclub forum) so inferences and assumptions will be made to help support a claim. Sorry you don't like it but it's the way of things.

Originally Posted by SubieNate

Optimum Polymer Technologies (The creators of opti-coat) say specifically that waxing is pointless because it will slide right off the car in very little time. They say it won't hurt, but for long run protection it's not going to do squat. I personally follow my washes up with a light spray wax or good instant detailer.

A GOOD layer of wax is about .2 microns thick once buffed out. Opticoat lays out anywhere between 2 and 3 microns thick. You want depth? Thickness of the clear layers protecting the car is a big part of that. Additionally, it's WAY more scratch resistant than a standard clear coat, so when you do wash it, you don't develop new swirl marks nearly as quickly (Some swirls are going happen regardless of care and technique if a car is washed regularly, it's impossible to get 100% of the surface contaminants to lift into the wash mitt/towel/etc.), and the coating is immune to UV damage, meaning, if you miss a few washes your clear isn't suffering greatly as a result.


Does it give exactly the same look as a wax? No. But the science behind the coating and why it works is sound. The guy that runs the company is PhD chemist afterall.

Especially when comparing to waxes that cost $200 a can, if a car is daily driven, there is no reason not to at least consider a permanent coating like Opti-Coat or even CQuartz as an alternative. The level of protection is so much higher it's not even really a comparison.

Tradition is cool and all, but function trumps all. At least learn up on the science before making negative "Inferences" about how people care for their vehicles.

Cheers
Nathan

Yep.... love my opticoat. I hated waxing. Although I have to admit it is much less frustrating to clean the FR-S than my old Wrangler.

[Books]

oh look, another opticoat vs wax debate? Pros and cons to each, and to each their own. Though, there is an unusually large opti-coat following on this forum.

I wax my car almost every other month and in between I use some sealant, tire dressing, clean windows, etc. the works. I enjoy every second of it and also because I have the time to do it. I'm not that old, yet I guess I have an old school mentality. It might not be as good as a professional detailer, but it's my own work and i'm proud of it.

It's all about convenience and 'soul', much like Manual vs Auto. Waxing has soul

[fasteddy]

I still use Collinite 845 insulator wax. I put on 1-3 coats every year or less. It holds up great, the car stays cleaner and water beads right off. I have tried other synthetic sealants such as Zaino and end up back to using the 845.

Two to three coats of 845 will add that deep wet look that I like. The key is to use good car wash soap from Adams, Zaino or something similar. If you go to the touch-less car wash regularly you will strip the wax of sooner due to the strong chemicals they use.

As a former professional body man who has spent quite a bit of time detailing I am not drinking the "opticoat" koolaid. I do not want to add a semi permanent coating on top of the clear. I clay bar my car and touch up what is needed with the buffer before applying wax. That would remove any coating such as opticoat. There is nothing wrong with a quality wax.

I got a small dent in my hood driving my car home from the dealer from a rock that fell out of a truck. I also have a few chips up front here and there. For me I will plan on repainting the front in a couple years if the chips get bad. Personally I would rather do that then look at a clear bra. I can do this myself for little cost though.

Pat