I don't believe Opti-Coat should be applied over anything besides bare, IPA wiped clear.
Review and Extreme Testing: Opti-Coat 2.0 and CQuartz
- Thread starter CEE DOG
- Start date
Thanks guys. So I'm assuming the OC is a better product than the BFCS? Why would one choose to seal rather than coat? Serious question.
If I want to strip the BFCS in order to go the OC route, what would be the best way to do that? Dawn Ultra wash or something? What's the proper IPA mix?
If I want to strip the BFCS in order to go the OC route, what would be the best way to do that? Dawn Ultra wash or something? What's the proper IPA mix?
Dr_Pain
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- Nov 28, 2012
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The main reason to sealing over coating is that you can change your mind and strip as many time as you want with little more than a few hours, whereas the work involved to coat/recoat is a LOT more (therefore cost more).... and if you change your mind you basically have to polish the coating off to restart
Dawn does leave some residue. Proper stripping includes claying, polishing and IPA wipe down will take care of that for you (or finishing with a coating prep, which is what I do)
Proper IPA mix depends on the manufacturer. PBL suggests using the dedicated coating prep, but PBMG did reply that a 15% IPA was Ok; CQuartz suggests Eraser etc.. so best to check with the manufacturer
Seal over coat? It sounds like these coatings offer more protection, so why seal over coat. If its coated and protected, why would you want to remove it? Trying to learn.
Becciasm
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- Jul 6, 2009
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I think he meant seal 'as opposed to' coating
choosing the sealing option 'over' the coating option, as 'instead of'
Whether to seal or coat is purely personal preference. Speaking from my own experience, you have to reset your expectations a bit when switching from sealants to coatings. The coatings' primary purpose is paint longevity, not appearance. So you don't get quite the gloss or the feel of a top-notch sealant when switching to coatings. Not to say a coated car doesn't look sharp when properly cleaned up; they sure do. I personally like knowing the vehicle has an invisible shield on it, protecting it from dirt, IFO, bird droppings, and water spots, and will accept a drop in glossiness. But it depends on what your goals are, and what the vehicle is primarily used for. If I had, say, a fully-restored classic car I took to shows, but rarely drove, I'd probably favor sealants over coatings. However, to maintain the new appearance of a DD, a coating is probably your best bet.
One of my beefs with marketing (and Internet lore) related to the coatings is the notion that they're "permanent." While a coating may be permanent in a chemical sense, in the real world, sooner or later you're going to need to have a door-ding repaired, or a panel replaced due to accident, and the coating will have to be re-applied to the panel. So the notion of "permanent" coatings bugs me a bit, but I've gotten over that now.
Right now, I've got one vehicle with OC 2.0 on it, applied by me; another vehicle has OC Pro, applied by a professsional. In my case, the OC Pro vehicle has a noticeably nicer gloss to it, and I'm very happy with it. I'd probably recommend going that route, if you decide to try a coating.
One of my beefs with marketing (and Internet lore) related to the coatings is the notion that they're "permanent." While a coating may be permanent in a chemical sense, in the real world, sooner or later you're going to need to have a door-ding repaired, or a panel replaced due to accident, and the coating will have to be re-applied to the panel. So the notion of "permanent" coatings bugs me a bit, but I've gotten over that now.
Right now, I've got one vehicle with OC 2.0 on it, applied by me; another vehicle has OC Pro, applied by a professsional. In my case, the OC Pro vehicle has a noticeably nicer gloss to it, and I'm very happy with it. I'd probably recommend going that route, if you decide to try a coating.
Correct, sorry that wasn't clear. I've got 2 cars that are Opti-Coated, one with the consumer product, the other with the professional product. Prior to my foray into OC, my go-to sealant was Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant (DGPS), which I'm still a fan of. And you most certainly get resistance to those hazards with sealant, but a coating should provide greater resistance and last longer as well.
Great thanks. I have a ruby red metallic mustang, and the metal flake is VERY apparent in sunlight. I wouldn't want to dull that at all. Guess I should stick to a sealant huh?
You can get a very nice gloss with OC Pro; should look good on a car with metallic flecked paint. Here's my car immediately after OC Pro application:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0p8fiesoqw0fkc7/IMG_1450_copy.jpg
(I couldn't embed the image for some reason.)
Becciasm
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- Jul 6, 2009
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YES. absolutely.
There are currently, and most likely always will be, arguments for or against 'permanent' coatings vs traditional LSPs, just like the 'carnauba' vs 'sealant' argument itself has stood the test of time.
Sealants and waxes will provide that sacrificial barrier against the environment.
Coatings provide a longer-lasting sacrificial barrier (among other benefits).
I used BFCS on mine. I don't see it mentioned much, if at all, lately. It looks like people like the Optimum poli-seal and EXO v2 these days?
What would be the way to go about removing the BFCS to apply one of these others? Is Clay, finishing polish, IPA wipe enough? Should it be washed again after an IPA wipe or is a sealant/coating ok to apply right after?
What would be the way to go about removing the BFCS to apply one of these others? Is Clay, finishing polish, IPA wipe enough? Should it be washed again after an IPA wipe or is a sealant/coating ok to apply right after?
Core, that car looks good! What did it run you to have it done? I can handle all the prep work once I know what needs to be done.
You can get a very nice gloss with OC Pro; should look good on a car with metallic flecked paint. Here's my car immediately after OC Pro application:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0p8fiesoqw0fkc7/IMG_1450_copy.jpg
(I couldn't embed the image for some reason.)
If will be coating, follow the coating's instructions. For OC 2.0, you would need to remove any residual LSP (using a DA, if necessary), wash thoroughly with Dawn or APC (likely 2x), and then an IPA wipedown. You could clay first, if need be, especially if you'll be using a DA to remove the existing LSP.
At that point, the finish should be "naked," which is what's required for OC to bond. Definitely do not use a pre-wax; many of those have fillers which you definitely don't want on the vehicle.
The guy who did it is a fan of the BRZ/FR-S twins, so he offered a discount on one of the owners' forums. I think it was a pretty good deal.
I mentioned some of the prep in another post, though I didn't address doing any paint correction. That's the biggest pain, because once your coating is on, you can't get to any defects. So put in the time to get out every last swirl, chip, etc before putting on any coating.
severecaraddict
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- Aug 24, 2013
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Does anyone know if Opti-coat is safe to use on single-stage paint jobs? My parents have his & her Maxi Taxis and while the orange one is gel coat, the maroon one is single-stage, color only and my dad is always obsessing over keeping the finish out of the sun, away from droppings, etc. He purchased it this way.
severecaraddict
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- Aug 24, 2013
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"Google is my friend". I've read that it wasn't designed for SS paint, but that people have had good luck with it. Not sure what to do now. Feed back please
It's it possible to apply DGPS or liquid glass over opticoat? I want more shine and sicknesses to hopefully repel dirt/make it easier to remove. Btw I have an asphalt FR-S that was opticoat less than a month ago. Been through a few toothless carwash since then.
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