My Guide on How to Apply Opti-Coat

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

With the release and subsequent excitement over the consumer release of Opti-Coat I thought I would share the observations/tips/thoughts I have on application of the product.

Paint Prep:
• Polish the paint to your preference/criteria. Much like adding a clear bra, the swirls present in your paint will be “locked in” and Opti-Coat will have to be removed (by abrasion) to remedy the swirls.
• Thoroughly cleanse all areas that are to have the product applied of all wax/polish/sealant etc. To do so (at the recommendation of Chris at Optimum) I used Optimum Power Clean (3:1 dilution)
At this point your vehicles paint will be polished to perfection (or to your acceptance criteria) and all areas you wish to apply the product will be stripped clean and ready for Opti-Coat application

Using the Syringe:
• The product comes in a syringe with a black cap on it. The black cap is a twist off cap.
• The product also comes with a blue tip that can be put on the syringe after you remove the black cap. NOTE: I did not use this blue tip.
• Instead of using the supplied blue tip, I simply screwed off the black cap and VERY gently depressed the plunger of the syringe to allow drops of product to dispense.
• I have found that to do an average sized sedans paint and wheels I use approximately 12cc’s

Application Tools:
• Syringe
• Yellow foam pad
• Proper lighting (this is key to successful results as the product is so clear)

Application:
• Do one panel at a time – I do not know if this still hold true with the consumer version as you now have 30 minutes before the product cures BUT with the pro version setting so quickly I only do 1 panel at a time. I suppose when using the consumer version you should remain cognizant of the time and how long the product has been on the panel to ensure you do not exhaust your 30 minutes before you get back to the panel to remove the “high spots”
• When applying go in a up and down motion to cover the section and then an side to side motion over the same section area to ensure thorough coverage.
• You do not need to be heavy handed with the product. If you barely see it going on you are using enough product - You will see the small streaks (for lack of a better word) showing you that the product is there
• The “streaks” will disappear as the product flashes off and it will become clear, you will not see the product on the paint as it will become optically clear in areas that were not over applied.
• After the allotted time (2-5 minutes for pro version / 30 minutes for consumer version) if you still see streaks or damp spots that is what people are calling “high spots”. Gently go over these areas with either your applicator or a soft micro fiber towel. I would call this a light “swipe” and not a “wipe off” motion. The intent is to remove just enough product to allow it to the flash off on its own.
Note: This is where proper lighting comes into play. Without good lighting you will not be able to properly see the “high spots”. I cannot stress enough how important good lighting is for this.
• Let product cure
• Enjoy the shine!

Closing comments: I, like many of you asked a TON of questions before using the product. My standard operating procedure is to ask all questions before starting a process so that when I am doing the job I am armed with all information to tackle any potential issues.

After actually using the product I was (and still am) amazed at how easy the product is to use. It is essentially identical to Opti-Seal. It is by far one of the easiest products I have ever used - while my pre-application questions did help to give me a sense of confidence I realized that with the ease of application most of my apprehension was in vain.

I have all confidence that if you follow the above guidelines with patience, meaning do not rush through the process you will have a very successful Opti-Coat application.

This is what has worked for me and I hope it helps with questions people may be having regarding the product.

[wicius]

Thanks for this! I have a feeling that I will need this guide in the near future
One question though. In other guides/suggestions it is stated that after polishing you should use 10% IPA and something like Dawn to remove all remaining oils etc. Do you think that using Power Clean will be enough to replace those two?

[ESSO]

Thank you

[BobbyG]

Nice step by step guide!!

[silverfox]

I just watched a live demonstration of this product being applied at detail fest. The application of an IPA wipe down was discussed. The consensus was that IPA can damage the perfect finish you have worked so hard to optain so they applied the product immediately after polishing and buffing the polish to a high gloss finish They did not do an IPA wipe down.

[C. Charles Hahn]

I just watched a live demonstration of this product being applied at detail fest. The application of an IPA wipe down was discussed. The consensus was that IPA can damage the perfect finish you have worked so hard to optain so they applied the product immediately after polishing and buffing the polish to a high gloss finish They did not do an IPA wipe down.

I was a bit surprised by that, just plain water on an MF was all it took. I figured at least something like Opti-Clean would be a good idea but Dr. G said no to that idea.

[Old Tiger]

Very informative thread!

[tj98cobra]

I just watched a live demonstration of this product being applied at detail fest. The application of an IPA wipe down was discussed. The consensus was that IPA can damage the perfect finish you have worked so hard to optain so they applied the product immediately after polishing and buffing the polish to a high gloss finish They did not do an IPA wipe down.

Should a quick ONR wash be done then instead of IPA? I've done a bunch of applications, all with an IPA step. So jealous, I'm 20+hrs away from Detail Fest....

[02heritage]

So if I have done the math correct, for a 3:1 wash with power clean that would be 32 ozs. of power clean to 1 gallon of water. Is that correct? And is mixing one gallon enough or should I mix up 2 gallon. Thanks for your input, I definitely want to do the prep right.

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

Glad to see that some are finding this thread of benefit

So if I have done the math correct, for a 3:1 wash with power clean that would be 32 ozs. of power clean to 1 gallon of water. Is that correct? And is mixing one gallon enough or should I mix up 2 gallon. Thanks for your input, I definitely want to do the prep right.

Go about washing your vehicle as you normally do with whatever shampoo you normally use. When you are done washing the vehicle have a premixed spray bottle at the 3:1 dilution ratio. Spray the solution on the panel, let it dwell for maybe 15 seconds and the wipe it off with a micro fiber towel.