Poli-seal, Opti-Seal and OCW performance

**charlestek** · 11-03-2010, 10:00 PM

I layered my car with Poli-Seal, Opti-Seal and OCW about a month and a half ago.
I've been using Meguiars car wash on the car fairly frequently. As far as I can tell the combination thus far has poor durability as I no longer get any beading (although I remember some people commenting that the products don't cause beading) and I've got some water spotting etched on top of the products (that is if they still are there at all). I did have one week where it rained and I did not get to wash the car for a number of days,
so water dried on the car.

Originally I was going to use Klasse glaze, and from what I read on the autogeek description page it looks like it will provide a hard shell protection for the car. I'm sorry I wasted time and energy with the Optimum products. With the winter coming up I had hoped that the Optimum stuff would give me good protection for awhile, but it looks like not so.

I guess I will do some searching on the site for Klasse reviews, any comments from people that have used both lines of products would be great, as well as other people's experience with Optimum's durability.

**Setec Astronomy** · 11-03-2010, 10:06 PM

Which wash are you using? And at what dilution ratio?

**charlestek** · 11-03-2010, 10:15 PM

It is the Meguiars gold consumer wash (I'm waiting for an order of Optimum waterless car wash ordered from autogeek, which should arrive tomorrow.

I dilute it according to the instructions, 4 bottle caps per gallon.

BTW, I just searched and got this thread on favorite sealers:http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/29815-opinions-best-sealant.html
but I do not get all the abbreviations for products. I think there is an abbreviation list somewhere on this site???

I realize too that I'm probably opening a can of worms asking opinions on sealant products. I see a high number of votes for Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant on the favorite sealants thread. Given the time of year and the weather in Boston at best I might get to use an unheated garage. I probably can't do a complete buffing swirl removal until warm weather, so the Klass All-In-One looks attractive.I am definitely looking for something with an eye toward a good number of months of winter protection.

**Rob T** · 11-03-2010, 10:27 PM

I wouldn't put much emphasis on the water beading. These products don't bead much to begin with.

I've got 4 months of durability out of Opti-Seal, and that was through the winter months (in Southern California).

**charlestek** · 11-03-2010, 10:36 PM

Given my impressions by looking at the paint, I'm feeling that I'd be lucky to get that much time for protection with the Optimum products. When I wipe the car dry after washing I see a lot of recent water spots etched that are easy to see as you wipe the water film off the car. Given that I washed the car frequently, and don't think we have exceptional acid in our rain, I think this points to the Optimum products as giving me no protection from water spots. We have a long winter in Boston, so I need something durable, and the acrylic in Klasse looks like it would be tough. I would use the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant, but I'd have to buff out the swirls first before applying it then I'd have to do something like use my mom's garage in CT for 12 hours for it to cure.

**Dubbin1** · 11-03-2010, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by charlestek

I layered my car with Poli-Seal, Opti-Seal and OCW about a month and a half ago.

If you would have stuck to one product other then mixing them then I'm sure you would have had much better results. It also depends on what kind of prep work you did before putting the sealant on.

**charlestek** · 11-03-2010, 10:44 PM

Dwayne, I clayed the car, cleaned it with Isopropyl alcohol, then did swirl removal with Meguiars 205 with a Porter Cable XL machine and what I believe to be the proper Lake Country pads. I busted my *ss taking a number of days to do the swirl removal thoroughly.

**Dubbin1** · 11-03-2010, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by charlestek

Duane, I clayed the car, cleaned it with Isopropyl alcohol, then did swirl removal with Meguiars 205 with a Porter Cable XL machine and what I believe to be the proper Lake Country pads. I busted my *ss taking a number of days to do the swirl removal thoroughly.

Did you do an IPA wipe down again after polishing? I don't use the Megs shampoo, maybe its stripping the wax/sealant? I have had excellent results with Opti-Seal.

**charlestek** · 11-03-2010, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by Dubbin1

Did you do an IPA wipe down again after polishing? I don't use the Megs shampoo, maybe its stripping the wax/sealant? I have had excellent results with Opti-Seal.

I think I did another wipe down, but don't remember now. It is indeed possible that the Meguiars wash stripped the products, but I believe they advertise it as being gentle and preserving waxes. I probably should post something on the Meguiars forum and ask.