New Car Opti Coat 2.0 detail - 2011 Camry SE

[Matt S.]

My parents picked up this 2011 Camry SE at the same time I got my Tacoma, so it is only about a week old. The paint did not have any marring, but did have very light water etching that clay would not remove. After APC wash/clay, I decided to try Wolfgang Finishing Glaze on a finishing pad, and it did the trick quite well. After that, I did (2) 15% IPA wipedowns and went straight to the new Opti Coat 2.0. Having used the original Opti Coat before, I will say this is quite a bit easier to use and has a noticeably longer curing time (aka "fudge factor" ). I did apply it to every part of the car - all paint, glass, plastic, etc. Keep in mind we do not recommend applying it to glass, but I decided to since I am comfortable using the product, so take that for what it's worth.

Here is the car after an APC wash and claying:

Water spots:

After Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, LC Hydro Tech 5.5 via Griots DA, IPA wipedown x2

OC 2.0

And some "after" shots:

You have to look very closely as these did not show up very well, but these are examples of "high spots" that needed to be evened out using the applicator. They look sort of like smudges/inconsistencies in the paint. These didn't show up at all indoors, but were quite obvious once I pulled the car outside - so ALWAYS check your work outside before letting it fully cure!

 

[Matt S.]

Nice shot of DP Gloss Tire Gel

Only used about 3CC on the entire vehicle...

Time to go have some fun, thanks for looking!

 

[termigator]

Looks awesome! That's a real good looking color. I can't believe you only used 3 cc's of opticoat! Going by your figure, that means you can cover six midsize cars and one compact (or two Smart For Two's!) with one syringe!

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Looks great, Matt! I really like that color, too. rops:

 

[Matt S.]

Thanks guys. I'm not usually a fan of red metallics, but this one really pops in the sun (Barcelona Red is the color for anyone who may care).

 

[DetailedByPrecision]

looks great. good advice on double checking your work before letting it cure.

 

[LegacyGT]

Could Opti Coat be applied in direct sun, or would that be a bad idea?

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Could Opti Coat be applied in direct sun, or would that be a bad idea?

I would imagine direct sun would accelerate the cure time, but who knows by how much (whether it would be detrimental to the results or not, that is)

 

[thedirtyshow]

i saw that you used Cquartz on your Tacoma and Opti Coat 2.0 on the Camry. which do you like better and why?

 

[Matt S.]

Could Opti Coat be applied in direct sun, or would that be a bad idea?

While it would probably not affect performance of the product, I would be concerned about it curing way too quickly.

 

[Matt S.]

i saw that you used Cquartz on your Tacoma and Opti Coat 2.0 on the Camry. which do you like better and why?

Can't really come to any conclusions with either product just yet. I will update both threads as I gather more information, but at this point it is too soon to compare them.

 

[Chris Thomas]

Could Opti Coat be applied in direct sun, or would that be a bad idea?

This is a product that you should do per directions and not try to see what you can get by with. Not only should it be shaded, but also applied to cooled panels.


Sent from my iPad 2 viaTapatalk

 

[oldmodman]

Are you applying the product to the car panel by panel, or the entire car before wiping it down? And if it is panel by panel is it necessary to roll the car out in the sun to check the finish after each panel, or can it wait until the product has been applied to the entire car?

 

[RobZ71LM7]

The product is actually pretty forgiving. I applied it in my white walled garage with a bunch of shop lights and had only one high spot. I'd apply a first panel then immediately after applying to a second panel come back and look at the first panel. Any spots that haven't flashed by then on the first panel should be leveled with the applicator.

 

[Matt S.]

The product is actually pretty forgiving. I applied it in my white walled garage with a bunch of shop lights and had only one high spot. I'd apply a first panel then immediately after applying to a second panel come back and look at the first panel. Any spots that haven't flashed by then on the first panel should be leveled with the applicator.

This is exactly what I did and it worked out quite well rops:

I applied to a panel, applied to the next, went back to the first one to check for high spots, then the second, etc.

I then checked over the whole car inside the garage, and then again outside. As I mentioned, those areas in the pics didn't show up indoors but were quite obvious once it was outside.

 

[fishnugget]

Great write up Matt, cant wait for the results.

Since you now have experience with both products, Cquartz and Opti-Coat 2.0, which did you find easier to apply? Was the yellow pad better than the applicators for you? Also, did you go in a criss cross pattern when you applied OC 2.0 or is that not necessary? Thanks.

 

[Matt S.]

Great write up Matt, cant wait for the results.

Since you now have experience with both products, Cquartz and Opti-Coat 2.0, which did you find easier to apply? Was the yellow pad better than the applicators for you? Also, did you go in a criss cross pattern when you applied OC 2.0 or is that not necessary? Thanks.

They both go on quite easily, but Opti Coat seems to "harden" more in a shorter amount of time. They're both completely different products in terms of application, IMO. If you apply Opti Coat correctly, there is nothing to buff off. If there is anything to "level", it is fairly easy unless it's been 20+ minutes. CQuartz as a whole requires buffing, but it is very easy to remove.

As far as the applicators go, the cotton applicators allowed CQuartz to glide on very easily, but fell apart quickly. The foam applicator with Opti Coat 2.0 was also quite easy to use (but not as smooth as the cotton apps) and held up very well. Hopefully this answers your questions.

 

[fishnugget]

Thanks Matt, that helps a lot. One last question....

When you are applying OC, do you rub one area repeatedly or move on after there is a coat to it? Is criss crossing application necessary with OC like Cquartz? Thanks again.

 

[Matt S.]

Sorry, missed that part. I did apply it in a criss-cross pattern. Went over a whole panel up/down, then over again left/right. Not only does this help ensure even coverage, but it also helps knock down / even out any high spots right then during the application process.

No need to rub it in repeatedly. Once it's on, it's on...like I said, you just want to make sure you're getting even coverage.

 

[fishnugget]

Thanks Matt thats very helpful. I will eventually add OC to my car and your posts are helping a ton.