brittmayo

I know there's a separate "detailing" section, but I'm interested in a question specific to the 2013-14 ES, so I thought it made sense to post it here.

I'm thinking about using OptiCoat to provide extra long-term protection for my paint and finish, and I'm curious whether any others in this group have already done so, or run into any reasons not to.

Thanks.

Arty101

Interesting stuff. I'm interested as well.

LexBob2

Will you apply yourself, or have it done? As you know the prep is critical.

jbm79

I have applied OC 2.0 myself on my Starpearl White 300h. I find that it keeps the car cleaner for a longer time as everything seems to just slide right off the car during the rain.

brittmayo

My wife was looking for a birthday present for me. This seems like a good choice.

LexBob2

That would indeed be a nice birthday gift. I've heard nothing but good things about Opti-Coat Pro applied by an authorized detailer.

Around here it costs $400-$800 depending on the amount of preparation needed. Probably in the $500-$600 range on a new car. Not cheap...

Arty101

I knew the product wasn't cheap, but $400-800 applied? Definitely a nice present.

JDR76

Not on an ES, but I applied it on both my Nebula Gray Pearl RX and my Starfire Pearl IS. Amazing stuff. Others are correct - lots of prep work but totally worth it.

brittmayo

My ES is Nebula Gray Pearl - how does the OC look on yours? Also, is there something about Nebula Gray that acts as a bird poop magnet?

Arty101

Haaaa. Same with my ES Nebula Grey,.. and Silver GS... and Pearl White RX I don't think the color is a factor, but who knows. Maybe the OptiCoat will help.

JDR76

First of all, yes, it is a bird poop magnet, though I'd argue that my IS in SFP gets even more.

The OptiCoat on my RX is stunning. I did a lot of polishing before applying, which of course helps, but I have been very happy with the results. Here area couple photos where I tried, but still failed to completely capture the deep gloss it offers:

brittmayo

Stunning, indeed. Thanks.

I hope mine turns out half as well.

alpinefun

JDR76,
Did you do it yourself? How difficult was it?

JDR76

Thanks for the compliment. I'm very happy with it.

JDR76

Yes, I did do it myself. It is not difficult at all, but is a time consuming process. While applying the coating is fairly quick and easy, the prep work is what times the time. My RX was only a few months old, so luckily the paint was in good shape. The thing to remember is that any imperfections (scratches, stains, swirl marks) in the paint will be sealed beneath the coat, so you need to remove those first. It took me about 6 hours to do my RX. Here is what I did:

1 - A good, thorough wash and dry.
2 - Clay barred all painted surfaces.
3 - Polished painted surfaces with a light polish, using my dual action polisher (Porter Cable).
4 - Decontaminated the finish using a coating prep polish.
5 - Applied OptiCoat 2.0.

Hope this helps.