ipse dixit

No, Opti-Coat will not protect against road rash or scratches. For that you need some type of car condom (or car-dom) like clearbra, etc.

TheAnswer

So why don't you guys opti coat instead of waxing? From what I can tell Opti coat seems easier.

I read somewhere you don't get the "wow" factor with opticoat and a good wax job looks better, but anyone have anything more specific to say than that? I'm a bit confused.

Maverick1

I wash the car with Zaino car wash which is great because it cleans well without taking off the old wax/polish.
If the paint feels smooth then I skip claying it.
For wax/polish I use a product called "Rejex" which is the best stuff I have found that gives your paint a super slippery surface.
The best thing about Rejex is that it lasts 6 to 8 months so you don't have to waste so much time detailing and have more time for other things.

Ezkill

It's because no product is perfect and virtually no product, be it wax or sealer, lives up to all manufacturer claims.

It's always a compromise and a pro versus con scenario. Opti-coat is good but it does not provide as nice or deep finish as a good wax in my opinion. It can get damaged over time and removing it is going to require buffing out the panel. I personally didn't like it because as I mentioned I'm a bit OCD about paint and I find the need to fix even the smallest imperfections immediately. If you're not like that then it might be a better solution for you.

It really comes down to more constant application (2-6 months depending on the wax) versus less shine and depth but also much less frequent application. The less frequent application time is slightly offset by opticoat repair time should it need it. Like most things in life it really comes down to personal preference and some sort of compromise.

wanderfalke

Quote(Now if you get into the habit of doing this every time you wash- which you should as it saves time, pretty much eliminates water spotting, toweling and the hideous air blasting technique- then you will find that the way the water sheets off tells you when its time to wax.)

What are the drawbacks to forced air. I use it to remove most of the water and get the residual trapped in door handles ect. I like the fact it is filtered and I don't have to touch the car. I have learned to use it with some degree of finesse not just holding it close and blasting the heck out of it. I quickly wipe off the little drops that remain with a soft waffle cloth. I do wish I could perfect the sheeting method.I live close to the ocean with a high salt air and bird fecal matter factor.

wanderfalke

edit out double post

chuck911

Wow. Thanks.

Maybe the best way of seeing what's wrong with blowers is to start by thinking about how best to wash without one. My approach, is to start at the top and sheet rinse each area as soon as its washed. This way, as soon as an area is washed clean its also dry, so no chance of spotting. You can clearly see each area and know right away if anything needs a second pass. When you're done washing there's not much left to towel except a few seams and crannies. The whole time you were washing and rinsing with water flowing gently over the car.

Using the blower there's lots of spray nozzle rinsing. Spray nozzles are awful. Hydraulic forces are powerful enough to drive water into all kinds of places you really don't want it going. Yes driving in the rain does that too but not quite the same any anyway we're supposed to be cleaning not replicating driving in the rain! All the repeated spraying keeps water drops all over the car, where they dry and spot and make it hard to see everything's really clean. Then you hit it with the blower, now powerful air forcing water into more places you don't want it going. Never mind all the extra time and trouble. We won't even mention the zen-like soothing transcendental calm of communing with the 911 shattered by the racket of a fricken leaf blower. Instead just stick with the way the blower will still leave you needing to towel the same creases and crevices- at least unless you really get in there with a powerful blower, in which case now you are for damn sure forcing water where you don't want it going. And then you still get to go after it with a towel!

You will get less spotting with a deionizer. But water quality varies greatly across the country. You may need reverse osmosis, or maybe something else is causing your spotting. Either way, I would go with a sheet rinse. It takes a bit of practice learning new habits but I think you'll find it's worth it.

ipse dixit

Whether Opti-Coat (or CQuartz or other similar type of synthetic coating) is as good, or better or worse than, traditional wax is really left to the eye of the beholder.

Which one is better for you, really turns on personal preferences.

I don't wash my own car, much less wax it. So to pay for a professional wax job every couple of months makes an application of Opti-Coat seem like a bargain.

And even if I did wash my own car, I just don't want to spend hours waxing it. If I'm going to spend that much time with the car, I want to be driving it.

I know some people find washing/waxing to be therapeutic and relaxing. I get it, but I just don't get it for me.

So, again, you just have to find your own comfort zone and go with it.

chuck911

Oh man you are screwed! The sea air leaves a film on everything. I would Opti-coat the door jambs, inside the hood, engine area, lights, wheels, suspension, pretty much everything I could get at. I might even do the exterior paint. Won't look as good as wax and might be better overall in your extreme environment. Besides its kind of a judgment call, and some guys are quite happy with the way it looks.

You really should skip the blower though. Unless its a time issue or something. With a towel, when its dry its clean. With a blower its dry and clean where you can see- but some of that water was blown places you can't see. In a marine environment that means salt being carried into places it might not otherwise go, where it will build up and remain once the water dries.

I once drove through a flock of seagulls. They all drop a load on takeoff, and what a miracle, they all missed me! Or so I thought. Until I got home and realized they had only missed the windshield- the rest of the car was plastered! Between the sea air and Sea gulls you got your work cut out for you!

chuck911

Some guys do Opti-coat, and really like it. Search around, there are excellent photos of both on RL. In terms of looks, and you can see this even in pictures, the coatings produce a very high shine that tends to make the car "pop". But its a hard look, almost as if the car is wearing armor. With wax there is more of a deep gleam, which when done right makes the actual surface of the car very hard to see. One is a spectacle, the other mesmerizing. Take your pick.

jlanka

Thanks Chuck - the sheet rinse really sounds intriguing and I will try it this morning.

Grunty

I wash the car pretty much weekly and then polish at least a part of it every week, rather than all at once. I put down a base off klaase sealant and then put the good ps21 over it. On the bra I just put the ps21, no klaase.
Rather then do it all and then wait months, I do a bit here and there to refresh it as I go.

Team Plutonium

Granted I travel way too much and don't get to drive it every week... but boy do I feel I neglect the poor 911 reading this thread. LOL!

wanderfalke

[QUOTE=chuck911

Using the blower there's lots of spray nozzle rinsing. Spray nozzles are awful. Hydraulic forces are powerful enough to drive water into all kinds of places you really don't want it going!
[/QUOTE]

I agree the weather trim around the window can harbor a lot of water. Not quite sure how to get it out of the door handles without blower. On my large truck the sheet method is out because there are areas I can not reach. Over the coming weeks I will practice the sheeting method.

I think there is tendency to try to blast the dirt and grit off before taking a washing mitt to it. That drives the water where it should not be then out comes the master blaster which gets rid of 99% of the water and blows the rest to places you do not want it.

chuck911

The only time I would try blasting dirt off is if there were great big dirt clods, sand, grass, twigs, pine needles, etc stuck on there. Even then I would use a more gentle flow to soften things up first. I've been to the beach, miles of dirt and gravel roads, yet hardly ever seen the need to do this other than a few really dirty areas. Routine blasting before washing a car that really has nothing more than typical road grime makes no sense at all.