skrules

So I got my IS350 last month and got a clear bra on the front. I am thinking about applying Opti Coat on it next week. I have a few questions before I get in too deep.

1. I have seen youtube videos on applying OptiCoat 2.0 and it seems to be pretty simple. But really how hard is it to apply it on your own? If anyone has done it, I would be interested in knowing how long it took and how hard it was?

2. Is there any way improper application would cause any harm? If so, is that easily correctable?

3. What about applying OptiCoat on top of the clear bra?

On top of the above questions, I want to get my car detailed, paint corrected and the wax stripped before applying OptiCoat. I would like to get a professional to do this.

3. How much would it take to get this done in a shop?

4. I live in the Bay Area (Peninsula region). Are there any good places around here that you guys would recommend?

Thanks a lot guys!

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

1. Application is fairly straight forward with OC2.0 (different for OC pro which you could not purchase anyway), however the prep work requires much time, patience, and skill. OC2.0 varies depending on ambient conditions, however unless you are in extreme hot or cold it is quite user friendly.

2. Harm? No - not to the vehicle. If you apply to heavy you could leave 'high spots' or streaks. These should be leveled (very lightly wiped away) several minutes after application. If you allow them to dry, they will need to be machine polished to remove them.

3. Sure, no problem with it. In fact, the OC will help to protect the clear bra from contaminates just like it does with paint.

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4. This depends on many, many factors. I would recommend finding a shop that is authorized to install OC pro. This will be more expensive, however it is a better product overall. I would expect to pay no less than $600 for a wash, decon, light polish, prep, and coating application.

5. I would highly recommend having the coating installed by the person doing the detailing/prep work. The main reason is that these coatings are very sensitive to surface contamination. If you were to have the vehicle detailed by an OC professional, they would thoroughly decontaminte the surface, polish it to remove surface defects, and then cleanse the surface to prep for coating. If you were to drive the vehicle after this point you risk contaminating the surface (yes, even if you only have a short drive back home).

Also, if the vehicle is driven after being polished and without any paint protection applied you are at serious risk of harming the paint. Unprotected paint would be very vulnerable to water etching, bird dropping damage, bug gut damage, etc etc etc. I know I personally would not allow a customer to leave with no protection on their vehicle.


Here is who I would recommend in the San Francisco area. Let him know Zach McGovern sent you


Immaculate Reflections
www.immaculate-reflections.com
Owner: Jeff McGoveran
Antioch, CA.
(925) 354-7653



Let me know if you've got any more questions.

-Zach

PondScum

You're already going to be spending several hundred dollars getting your paint prepped by the professional. Just have the pro apply the coating as well. By trying to save a small percentage of your total cost, you're putting the entire process at risk. Not worth it unless you know what you're doing.

skrules

Thanks guys. This is great advice. The reason why I wanted to do it myself was because all the shops around me which are licensed to do OptiCoat are asking for over 750$. Meanwhile, normal detailing seems to run for 350$ and under. After spending money on the car and clear bra, I thought I could save some money by doing it myself.

You guys are right. Probably not a good idea to decontaminate the car and drive it to my place only to contaminate more before applying OptiCoat. I do not mind paying 400 to 500$ for detailing and OptiCoat application. But 800$ seems a little too steep. Is this normal price?

On a side note, I am not even sure if OptiCoat is necessary. I wash and dry my car myself. This week I ordered Hydr02 and I plan on applying it next week. If I take good care of the car, do you guys think I can just skip OptiCoat?

UDel

Instead of taking your car to a shop, maybe try to see if you can have a private detailer come to your place and detail your car, that way you won't have to drive it home and risk damage and can do OptiCoat yourself and save some money, private detailers are normally cheaper then good detail shops and do a much better job then what the inexpensive detail shops do.

Is this a new or used IS350? If it is brand new or only a few years old your paint should not need major correcting, paying $600 or more I think is a little steep for a wash, light polishing, and application of Opti Coat 2.0 but then again prices may be much higher in California. I detail on the side and would charge around $400-$450 for a light polish and application of OptiCoat 2.0 unless your paint was in really bad condition and needed more attention.

Applying Opticoat is not very difficult, don't put too much on and spread it out and don't leave streaks. If you do leave streaks you can just have them polished out though. Opti coat is sensitive to anything on the finish like wax or polishing oils so the paint needs to be clean. You can't get it wet for about a day either.

Just remember that Opticoat or any wax will not protect your finish from bird droppings or tree sap and the damage they do when left out in the sun, if bird crap acid can eat through a factory clearcoat in less then a hour in the sun, it will go through opticoat much quicker.

skrules

Thats good information. Now where would I look for such private detailers? Naturally, where can I get reviews about them as well? This is a month old IS350. Paint is in great condition except for swirl marks left by dealer washing. I want to get rid of them before putting on OptiCoat.

UDel

You can go on detailing sites like Autopia, Autogeek, etc and ask or search for detailers in your area. Look in classified ads in your area or Craigslist ads for detailers. Reviews might be a little tricky for private detailers, you could ask other car people who they use for detailers. Since your IS is so new it will not need any major or even medium correcting, just getting rid of some light swirl marks and applying Opti Coat should not cost you $600. You may want to ask if the Lexus dealer can get rid of the swirls that they put in though dealership detailing is not often very good, you will most likely have a lot of buffer trails which they won't take the time to remove.

Honestly, you could buy a Porter Cable 7424 with the backing plates, polish, and pads for around or under $200 and easily do it yourself in a day, you would save hundreds of dollars over spending $400-800 to get it done at a shop. They are not hard to use at all and you are not going to damage your paint with a PC, it will easily get rid of those wash swirls. If you go that route there is a ton of videos how to use them and I or other members here could give you a quick crash course. I use a PC when I detail on the side and have never needed more.

jw669

iTrader: (8)

Map/List of authorized Opticoat Pro installers:

http://www.theultimatecarcare.com/fi...orized-dealer/

sydtoosic

paint prep is the key if you're going to do it yourself, as Z Mac stated. it has to be done correctly if you want stellar results. $800 is kind of steep, although it depends on the condition of your paint i.e. does it need a 1, 2, or 3 step correction?

skrules

Udel,

I am tempted to get the stuff you suggested, but I am also afraid to mess up the paint. If it were an older car, i would not mind experimenting. But since this is brand new i dont want to screw it up. I will look in the forums you suggested.

skrules

I agree that paint prep is very important. Thats why i want to find someone who is reliable. This is a brand new car with some swirls and a few minor scratches. I would think that it would need one step correction.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

I would typically agree, however if there are even a few deeper scratches a 2 step would be necessary if you are seeking perfection (which I would not recommend if this I your DD).

The reality of the matter is that swirls and scratches WILL appear overtime, especially on a DD. For this reason, I would simply suggest a routine one step with a fine finishing polish to remove light defects and bring out maximum gloss (assuming the car is in good shape like you say it is), have it coated for protection, and then proceed with proper maintenance until the car needs to be polished and coated again (typically at least every 1-3 years depending on how many defects are introduced in that time).

For reference, I charge $650 for a full service exterior detail with OC pro (light polish included), and $500 for OC 2.0. I am a bit lower than most west coast detailers (or other areas where cost of living is higher). So the prices you mentioned before seem to be average.

On the other hand, if you chose to DIY, you could purchase all necessary products for the process and future maintenance for around $500-$600 if I had to take a guess. Keep in mind that this would allow you to polish your vehicles in the future as well, and also maintain your other vehicles if you have another. DIY is definitely "cheaper", however it is very time consuming and obsidian black paint can be tricky even for a seasoned professional, so that is something to keep in mind.

I'd be happy to put together a shopping cart of suggested items for you to be able to do this entire job if you're interested. However, if you think it might be too much to take on, I would highly recommend seeking an OC authorized professional. (Also consider checking out CQuartz Finest coating for a glossier, thicker coating... More info at www.CQFinest.com)

Let me know if you've got any other questions or concerns.

-Zach

UDel

Do what you feel comfortable with but it would be really really hard to mess up your paint with a PC, it is not spinning fast enough to produce much heat especially with its oscillating spinning motion so it would be almost impossible to burn through your clearcoat with regular polishing. As long as you don't keep it in one spot and press down hard for a extended period of time(which you would never do when polishing) you won't hurt your paint with a regular pad and polish unless maybe you accidentally drop the PC on your hood. You could always see if you can find a older painted panel and try practicing on it before trying it on your car. When I got my PC I had no experience with those kind of buffers and had no issues with it.

With a direct drive rotary polisher you can damage your clearcoat much more easily if you are not careful and I would not recommend starting out with one but with a PC they are very safe, still if you are apprehensive about your new finish then you might want to just pay the money for a good detailer to do it for a piece of mind.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Messing up your paint and achieving perfect results are two very different things.

I agree it is very difficult to cause permanent damage with a DA machine, however it takes good technique, knowledge of products, and a lot of experience to work with soft jet black paint. Micro-marring may be difficult for the amateur to detect, but it is something that will leave a lackluster appearance compared to properly finished paint. This is where a professional would hopefully excel due to their experience and greater selection of pads, products, and tools to work with.

-Zach

skrules

Thanks guys,

zmcgovern4, As you said, I would be interested in a list of things I could get to keep my car's paint in good condition. Mine is a red IS350 and it looks like the metallic paint shows scratches easily under light.