Headlight sealant: spar urethane vs. opti coat 2.0

Well hot rod, I just did a pair of lights the other night and opted for the opti coat protection. Application was easy, hopefully it will be long lasting!
 
HotRod said:
Here are the directions directly from the AG store.

Directions:

Polish paint to remove any defects.
Clean surface with 15% IPA solution to remove all polishing oils, waxes, and silicones.
Prime the applicator by making an X pattern across the pad. Only a few drops will be needed for each subsequent panel.
Wipe Opti-Coat onto a single panel at a time in a thin layer using two directions, front to back, and then side to side.
Within 5 minutes, inspect the panel with adequate lighting looking for any thick areas that have not flashed away to clear.
Use foam applicator or paint safe microfiber to even out any areas where you see streaks. This step is key, as any spots not leveled will have to be polished if allowed to cure. Panels will feel a bit tacky and will be self-leveling during cure time, so avoid any unnecessary touching, wiping, or contact to produce the best results.
Repeat steps 1-6 for each panel where application is desired. Not recommended for glass.


Its definitely applied differently than the spar urethane, and it needs a perfect surface, as it does not hide scratches at all. The opti coat does not require any special tools for application, as you just use the provided applicator sponge, however you will need a polisher if you have done any wet sanding.
Click to expand...

Sounds like there is a bit of room for error. I think I'll stick with the spar...lol:dblthumb2:
 
Hotrod.....I saw a youtube video of a guy using a razor blade at a right angle to the headlight to scrape off the original coating that hadn't worn all the way off. I actually tried this on a test scrap light that I had and it worked great! I do a lot of used car lot headlights and a lot of them are only messed up about 1/3 of the way down from the top. This works great at first but you have to be very careful that you don't gouge the lens of scrape the edges of the painted surface. Of course, then you have to start sanding with a 400 or 500.
I also have gone to wet sanding by hand after an initial pass with the blade and a 400 disc.
Have you ever tried this method? Anyone else?
 
I was using blades quite a bit when first doing HL in the 90's, and still do occasionally... on a really thick crusty clear coat that would take a lot of sanding. Sometimes a blade will flake it off really easy, where sanding would be tough sledding. You have to be really careful with technique. It's easy to leave "tails" that require extensive sanding to remove... marks where the blade comes to a stop.
 
mr.fusion said:
I was using blades quite a bit when first doing HL in the 90's, and still do occasionally... on a really thick crusty clear coat that would take a lot of sanding. Sometimes a blade will flake it off really easy, where sanding would be tough sledding. You have to be really careful with technique. It's easy to leave "tails" that require extensive sanding to remove... marks where the blade comes to a stop.
Click to expand...

Mr.Fusion.......I can't remember if you already told me this but,....whats your process? grits? wet/dry sand? By hand or machine? Polish or no polish?
 
Subscribed.
I'm looking forward to seeing long term test results. I did an OC headlight treatment on one of the family cars in late May and am very pleased so far. I agree that the gloss and depth of finish doesn't look that impressive at first, but the OC seems to improve during the first week or so. I do know that it's very easy to keep clean. Dead bug guts wipe clean with very little effort. Time will tell.
Bill
 
I've been experimenting doing HL for around 15 years... so procedures vary depending on my mood LOL.

Typical process for me of late... Dry sand with 5" DA starting with what's needed. Sometimes one step(1000 or 1500g), sometimes 2 or 3. (400-1500g) Then wet sand by hand 2000 Unigrit and 3000 Trizact if I'm in a good mood. Love that stuff, been using if for at least 10 years. :xyxthumbs: I've recently picked up more 3" paper but I don't have the griots sander yet. After using 5" for so long... I don't think I can do 3" except on the real small lights. :buffing:

At that point it's ready for your finish of choice. For me it depends on the specific job and the situation. Either coat with spar/spray clear(SEM, etc), or polish it out (plastix is real easy to work with and cheap) with a high-rpm 3-4" yellow or wool pad and at hit it with 303 or Optiseal if not Opticoat, etc. If you polish out... the sanding process has to be done well. Sometimes I'm not thrilled with the spar results (wipe on application can bite sometimes) but it makes the job so easy, since it covers imperfections and gives a nice gloss with no polishing required. When it lays down and blends out perfect, it looks great. Even when it's not perfect... it's glossy and looks good. Oh...I always do a quick wipe with IPA before any coatings.

Normally for me, the whole process moves along quickly. Doing spar is easier and quicker. Even some of the tougher cars I can do in less than 30 min. A couple weeks ago I did 6 cars on a dealer lot. Doing the spar finish, they were taking less than 20 minutes on average. There were a couple quickies, but most were full process sand and spar.

btw, I work out of the back of my rig and use a 1000w inverter so I don't have to run drop cords or move the vehicle, etc. Doing anything for a dealer is about volume and efficiency, and they are getting a good price. So I admit one of my goals is to work quick... but still #1 is to try to make the lights look great.
 
mr. fusion......Wow! Your quick! lol It definately takes me longer, but the more I do, the better and quicker I become. I tried that Griots 3" machine and didn't care for it. (just my taste) I had a ton of swirl marks that I ended up hand sanding out later when they showed up during the 3000 grit step. It sucked for me because then I had to go backwards and try to remove the swirls. It was like twice the work. I couldn't get used to the dry sanding part either. The machine seemed pretty dang noisey also. Being a mechanic of 22 years, I feared for a long lasting life from it with that much noise. Who knows? Maybe I got a lemon...lol Nevertheless, I traded it in for the 6" griots which I will be using for detailing. I'm feeling more comfortable with wet hand sanding right now. (But ALWAYS open to other's ideas and suggestions) Thanks for all your advice....much appreciated!
 
Mr. Fusion...... Is it just me, or does it seem like different makes/models have harder or softer composite material in their headlamp lenses? I'm wondering if thats why some are harder or easier to sand? Example....it seems like the Honda's and Chrysler's sand real easy and don't leave a bunch of sanding marks(swirls....ect). Other cars like Mitsubishi Eclipse and Chevy trucks seem like I really have to be careful and sand the heck outta them each step to make sure I don't get to the 3000 trizact and then see some 800 deep scratches left behind that I never noticed until then. I end up having to go back and re-sand by hand with 1000 to remove the marks, then work my way up to 3000 again. Anyone?
 
Definitely looking forward to updates since I am looking into offering this to my clients when doing headlight restorations.

Can you use the same foam applicator pad several times? I would assume the coating will make the pad harden when it dries on it?
 
Im interested as well. I have been coating headlights with Opti-Guard for the past few months. Im going to go pick up some of that Spar Urethane and Mineral Spirits myself and give that a try.
 
This is very nice review of two real world products. The step by step including photos make this a perfect how to headlight restoration! :props:

Thanks for taking the time to post it! :dblthumb2:
 
Part-timer said:
Mr. Fusion...... Is it just me, or does it seem like different makes/models have harder or softer composite material in their headlamp lenses? I'm wondering if thats why some are harder or easier to sand? Example....it seems like the Honda's and Chrysler's sand real easy and don't leave a bunch of sanding marks(swirls....ect). Other cars like Mitsubishi Eclipse and Chevy trucks seem like I really have to be careful and sand the heck outta them each step to make sure I don't get to the 3000 trizact and then see some 800 deep scratches left behind that I never noticed until then. I end up having to go back and re-sand by hand with 1000 to remove the marks, then work my way up to 3000 again. Anyone?
Click to expand...
Yes, some lights can be a pain for sure and some are a breeze. It used to be a lot bigger deal when I was polishing out everything. When using a wipe on or spray on coating (thicker product... not a thin "invisible" sealant like opti-coat etc) it doesn't matter so much because the coating hides most flaws.

Opti-coat doesn't hide anything though, so it's important to get a nice finish with the polish. It's a little more work, but the advantage is that the result looks very natural and "perfect"... no chance of orange peel or streaks from a product application.
 
mr.fusion said:
Yes, some lights can be a pain for sure and some are a breeze. It used to be a lot bigger deal when I was polishing out everything. When using a wipe on or spray on coating (thicker product... not a thin "invisible" sealant like opti-coat etc) it doesn't matter so much because the coating hides most flaws.

Opti-coat doesn't hide anything though, so it's important to get a nice finish with the polish. It's a little more work, but the advantage is that the result looks very natural and "perfect"... no chance of orange peel or streaks from a product application.
Click to expand...

So you are using the Opti-coat on everything now?
 
Thanks for the pictorial explaination looking forward to the updates. My only try at a restoration was thanks to the other post and came out great. Will pick up some opti and try that route also.
 
HotRod said:
Well, I have concluded my original spar urethane longevity test with the two year update. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...eadlight-restoration-new-uv-sealant-idea.html And now I am ready to try the unpolished version, and see how long it lasts, but I am testing it head to head against Opti Coat 2.0 to see which lasts the longest. The test car is the same car in my original thread, a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis that does not get too much washes or wax jobs, plus it sits outside 24/7. The passengers side light will be treated with the Minwax spar urethane(unpolished version) and the drivers side with the Opti coat 2.0.


Minwax Spar Urethane/mineral spirits VS Opti-coat 2.0

Here is my step by step process for this test.



Both lights were washed, and then masked off with painters tape to prevent scratching paint and chrome trim.


Here is my sandpaper of choice, 1500, 2000 and 3000. Anything more aggressive and it would have been overkill, the old spar urethane treatment is very soft and thin, so it was very easy to remove.


I use this meguiars sanding backing pad to aid in the wet sanding process.


I soak all the sand paper in a bucket of water with grit guard. My chosen soap for lubricant is Meguiars hyper wash.


I soak the light down by spraying water before wet sanding.


And begin sanding, starting with 1500, 2000 and finish with 3000.


Close up picture of sanding "slurry" remnants of 2 year old spar urethane.


Finished sanding.


Finished sanding.


Now here is where the whole process changes, the opti coat side needs polished before application and the spar urethane does not and is ready for application now. Here is my polisher of choice for the opti coat side, my dewalt rotary with orange and black pad.


The compound and polish I used for the opti coat side is Megs M105 and M205.


And here is the drivers side light after polishing and ready for Opti coat 2.0. But first it needs a wipe down with IPA to remove all polishing oils, and insure a proper bond.


Here is the finished side of the Opti coated headlight. I applied it with the provided sponge, and basically followed the instruction on the syringe.


Here is my spar urethane supplies, I use a measuring spoon to make sure I get the 50/50 spar urethane/mineral spirits correctly mixed. I use a plastic wax free cup, and use a pop sicle stick to mix everything up.


Here is what the mixture looks like.


And here is my applicator, a blue scotts shop rag folded up.


I wipe the mixture on side to side with the spar urethane. Remember, I did not polish these lights before applying this sealant as it is not necessary and hopefully provides a better "bite" for the sealant and maybe lasts longer as well.


And here is the finished Spar urethane side.

Both lenses look good after the process, but I must say that in my opinion, the spar urethane side looks slightly better than the opti coat side in person. But the real test will be which will last longer. I will keep up on this, and try and take pictures every 3 months and post here, if anyone is still interested. Please keep giving me suggestions on this process, as I am still learning myself. And I encourage other members to do tests like this to get more comparison and get different climates factored in as well.
Click to expand...
which of the spar/mineral spirts u put in the cup first did u put the mineral spirts first or the spar/ or the spar then minerals spirts reason why i ask seems like i done a car and it started to peel off now im begining to thnx i done something wrong or call me 8033208843 reggie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top