Detailer's Domain: FRS - New Car Prep, Opti Coat, and Clear Film

[DetailersDomain]

Subject - Scion FRS
Requirements - Full Exterior Paint Correction/Opti Coat/ Clear Film installation. (Full Hood, Full Fenders, Mirrors, Lights, Door Cups)

For a new car this one was in pretty bad shape. The typical sticky paint from the imports made this one tedious to work on
Exterior

- Wheels were prepped with Sonax Wheel Cleaner and cleaned up with various brushes
- Tires were spritzed down with Adam’s All Purpose Cleaner and washed down
- Wheel wells were cleaned up
- Washed with 1Z einszett W99
- Wolf's Decon Gel
- Wash down and rinsed
- Door jambs were cleaned up
- Nano Scrub AutoScrub
- Dried
- Tires dressed
- Masking
- Paint Measurement
- Sonax 5/5 Fine Abrasive Paste - Microfiber DA Cut Pad - Griots Orbital
- Sonax 3/6 Nano Polish - Uber Green Pad - Griots Orbital
- Opti Coat
- Inspection with Fenix, 3m Sun Gun, Infratech, and natural sunlight
- Wheel wells were cleaned and dressed
- Rubber and Plastics Treated
- Exterior windows and mirrors cleaned and sealed
- Exhaust tips cleaned
- Windows were autoscrubed, cleaned, and sealed

Products used

Links to products used -

1Z einszett W99
Wolf's Decon Gel
Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner
NanoSkin AutoScrub System
Sonax Compound 5/5 - Coming Soon
Sonax Nano Polish 3/6 - Coming Soon
Opti Coat
Adam's Super VRT
Optimum Metal Polish

Tools used
Uber Wool Wash Mitt
Uber No Name MF Towels
Griot's 6 inch Random Orbital Polisher
Uber Buffing Pads
Defelsko Paint Meter
Fenix TK35
Brinkmann
Kranzle Pressure Washer
Cam Spray Foam Canon
2 Grit Guard Buckets with Caddies
Uber Firehose Nozzle
Metro Air Force Blaster

Before














Dan inspecting the car


We ran late into the night with this one. (limited prep shots)
Wash


Rinse


Tires being cleaned up




Paint Correction
Before shots







50/50




Polishing away



After polishing


Clear Film Installation







Afters

[djdnz]

Looks great, the black really shows nicely when it's properly detailed

[jarviz]

pics look great and car looked even better in person

[picus]

Nice to see guys doing full front end film on these cars. I think its smart. Nice work on the paint too. Interested to hear more about the Sonax polishes...

[bimmerboy]

amazing job as usual. So did you opti-coat before or after the clear film?

[W2]

Incredible job! These cars look simply amazing in black when all polished up. Thanks for the pictures.

[jarviz]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

amazing job as usual. So did you opti-coat before or after the clear film?

i believe it was clear bra'd and then opti-coat'd

[picus]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

amazing job as usual. So did you opti-coat before or after the clear film?

Generally speaking it's film then OC. There isn't much sense OC'ing under a film (just makes the surface tacky for the installer); but OC'ing on film helps with ongoing maintenance of the film.

[jarviz]

I got my car opti-coated but was wondering if there is a way to tell - not that I'm questioning the installers.

How can I tell if it's still there over time? Does it feel different than the reg paint? I heard that opti-coat can be scrubbed off during washing or even rocks.

[picus]

Originally Posted by jarviz

I got my car opti-coated but was wondering if there is a way to tell - not that I'm questioning the installers.

How can I tell if it's still there over time? Does it feel different than the reg paint? I heard that opti-coat can be scrubbed off during washing or even rocks.

Heya. I've applied OC to ~100 cars now over 4 years; generally speaking the easiest way to tell is beading after it's clean. The "after" part is important since when the surface is dirty it won't bead. As an example, I live on a dirt road and after ~3 days the lower part of my car won't bead. After a simple wash it beads like nuts. OC should always have some sort of beading even if it's indistinct. If you're noticing panels that aren't beading/sheeting try to clean them well (a good wash and maybe ab apc or ironx); if OC is still there the beading should return.

Feel is another way, but that can be tough since OC can pick up contamination.

RE: scrubbed off... I first applied OC to my fathers car just over four years ago. He is horrible at maintaining it (go dad), he will basically go touchless or wash himself (poorly), or occasionally go through a soft cloth. The car is parked outdoors. I washed it ~4 weeks ago and aside from some water spots on the roof it was still beading as well as when I applied OC. I am not saying you couldn't abrade OC off (you can, I have), but it takes quite a bit of abrasion. Via washes/rocks/etc I think it would take quite a long time, like 5+ years. Luckily even if it is removed somehow it can be re-applied fairly easily if you have experience with it. Of the ~100 cars I've applied to none have had issues with degradation, but if they were to I would just re-apply free of charge.

[DetailersDomain]

yup opti coat on the clear film.

picus how have you been haven't seen you around on any of the forums lately.

clear film is definitely smart on these.

[Sony]

What type of clear film was used? I don't see it listed anywhere...was it 3M or Xpel?

[DetailersDomain]

ventureshield was used.

[White64Goat]

Opti OVER the clear bra??? That makes no sense to me whatsoever. If the clear bra is designed to protect from rock chips etc., just how much more protection could you possibly get from putting OC over it? I am truly skeptical.