[FotiosF90M5]

Originally Posted by metrathon

Yeah ... that's what I thought. He seemed like a really cool guy, maybe he had a bad day, I don't know. I don't want to hurt his business at all, but he needs to do something about this. I will contact him and show him this thread.

But what are my alternatives? Should I ask my money back and go somewhere else or should I have him try again?

That's just shitty. It's almost like instead of correcting he made it worse. My car has never had paint correction of any kind although it could use some. My car doesn't look like that. Black sapphire. Sorry man, that really sucks. If he's smart he will refund the money. He has to know he fucked up.

[TwinPowerF30]

Did you pay for paint correction or did you just ask him how much to apply opti-coat and he said $450?

[metrathon]

Originally Posted by weiweiwei

Did you pay for paint correction or did you just ask him how much to apply opti-coat and he said $450?

I've been promised the whole shebang: paint correction & opti-coat. You can see the results.

I talked to the guy. A few things he said:
- The original coat on this car in unusually hard. But what I keep hearing everywhere else is that the coat on the F30 is very soft. Another contradiction.
- This kind of black paint is impossible to make it look flawless. But I've seen black cars with OC and they do look mirror-like, at least before the first wash.
- He will try at it again, putting as much time as needed, with some special tools reserved for high dollar jobs.

Like I said before he seems like a real nice guy and I don't want to cause him any trouble. I will give him another chance, we all deserve that. This time we agreed he will work on a panel first, finish it, and see how it looks. If it looks great, he will do the entire car. If I'm not satisfied, he will fully refund me and I'll have to try my luck somewhere else.

I think that's reasonable. I will keep you guys updated.

[AMJAM]

Originally Posted by metrathon

I've been promised the whole shebang: paint correction & opti-coat. You can see the results.

I talked to the guy. A few things he said:
- The original coat on this car in unusually hard. But what I keep hearing everywhere else is that the coat on the F30 is very soft. Another contradiction.
- This kind of black paint is impossible to make it look flawless. But I've seen black cars with OC and they do look mirror-like, at least before the first wash.
- He will try at it again, putting as much time as needed, with some special tools reserved for high dollar jobs.

Like I said before he seems like a real nice guy and I don't want to cause him any trouble. I will give him another chance, we all deserve that. This time we agreed he will work on a panel first, finish it, and see how it looks. If it looks great, he will do the entire car. If I'm not satisfied, he will fully refund me and I'll have to try my luck somewhere else.

I think that's reasonable. I will keep you guys updated.

Sorry but the guy has sold you a whole load of BS. Not to mention was happy to take your money for a half assed job. Maybe if the guy was honest give him a second chance. To me he either lacks the ability to give a quality finish or he couldn't be bothered either way get a refund and get a real professional to do it. His next attempt may have make the situation worse costing you more to rectify.

[GuiltyNL]

Indeed BS. Even a rock hard paint can be corrected 100%!

We do a lot of detailing work for examplemthis uni black Porsche:

[bananachipz]

+1 to all that's being said..

I just did my wife's Honda cr-v. It took me close to 8 hours (it's white, and brand spanking new with little defects). That was just cleaning, claying, single step polish, cleansing, and opti-coating.

Just be careful when he talks about "redoing"... It's quite a bit of work, as he has to compound off all the opticoat, then re-correct. honestly, I'd say it's a two-day job to do that.

[GuiltyNL]

I agree with bananachipz, I also think this is a 2 day job!

[GrooveBlender]

I got my F30 opti-coated five days after delivery and it was still a two day job, they polished waxed and removed any swirls after that they prepped the car with two-three coats of opticoat while checking it under white LED lights. They said that Opti-Coat typically takes 8-12 hours to cure and they kept the car in a sort of a clean room overnight. Also all of this was done inside and not outside.

The Opti Coat is quite easy to get off by doing a simple polishing routine and if anyone says the blemishes are now sealed in then dont worry just go to a good detailer and have them polish the car as normal and it should be fine.

I was very impressed with the work at the time. But one issue I have is that where I stay it gets very dusty and usually all of our cars are cleaned everyday by a cleaner in the morning (this is very typical of India and it is quite cheap to get done here for about 10 dollars a month). These cleaners are not pros and use Rags to clean the car. I have given my guy microfibre towels but still these things happen anyway in just about 5 months there are swirl marks on the car and the water repelling qualities are almost gone. Even though the treatment was for about $300 including labor at the time and I thought it to be worth it I would probably not go for this again as the treatment doesnt last the time I would have liked it to last and hence not justifying the cost. I will go with a regular detailing job once every 8 months or so.

[GrooveBlender]

Originally Posted by GrooveBlender

I got my F30 opti-coated five days after delivery and it was still a two day job, they polished waxed and removed any swirls after that they prepped the car with two-three coats of opticoat while checking it under white LED lights. They said that Opti-Coat typically takes 8-12 hours to cure and they kept the car in a sort of a clean room overnight. Also all of this was done inside and not outside.

The Opti Coat is quite easy to get off by doing a simple polishing routine and if anyone says the blemishes are now sealed in then dont worry just go to a good detailer and have them polish the car as normal and it should be fine.

I was very impressed with the work at the time. But one issue I have is that where I stay it gets very dusty and usually all of our cars are cleaned everyday by a cleaner in the morning (this is very typical of India and it is quite cheap to get done here for about 10 dollars a month). These cleaners are not pros and use Rags to clean the car. I have given my guy microfibre towels but still these things happen anyway in just about 5 months there are swirl marks on the car and the water repelling qualities are almost gone. Even though the treatment was for about $300 including labor at the time and I thought it to be worth it I would probably not go for this again as the treatment doesnt last the time I would have liked it to last and hence not justifying the cost. I will go with a regular detailing job once every 8 months or so.

Pic after Opticoat

[Benjo6]

This begs an important question: is opti coat worth it? can't new swirls and scratches dig into the opti coat, then would you have to strip the entire opti coat or risk sealing them on the next reapplication? ... I guess I fundamentally don't understand what opti coat is any info would be appreciated

[GrooveBlender]

You can find more information here: http://www.opti-coat.com/

But in essence its a ceramic coating very much like a clear coat that they claim is permanent. But permanent is the key word in less harsher environments than in mine I guess the clear coat could and would last a really long time say like America and specially in Europe but in India where your car gets cleaned every day by hard cloth than microfibre its probably not a great idea to get done as it wont last very long.

The treatment I got done happened in front of me (leaving out the curing part) so I know it was done according to instructions by the company that manufactures the product.

Like I said in my previous post I do believe in this coating 100% and recommend you get it redone from someone who knows what they are doing and you will enjoy your cars looks for a long time to come.

[Chris@Optimum]

Hello everyone. I was asked to comment here by an authorized Opti Coat Pro installer who has concerns regarding the level of correct deemed necessary prior to applying Opti Coat Pro (Professional) or Opti Coat 2.0 (consumer).

First, Opti Coat is optically clear and will not fill defects at all. So...although the protection and attributes of the coating will not be affected by the remaining defects, you will have to remove the coating to remove the imperfections. It is very important to discuss expectations and guarantees with any detailer. I would have known from the price that this car wasn't getting 90+% correction or at least that the installer may be using the consumer version based on his price.

Second, while this information is known to me and others in the business, it's not easy to find a reputable detailer from the customer's standpoint because of the multitude that claim to be detailers. What you should ask is for a guaranteed % of correction and whether the installer is authorized by us to use our professional coatings. Then you can contact me or visit our forum to confirm the info.

I'd be happy to answer any application questions you guys may have whether they relate to the consumer or the pro version.

[metrathon]

Originally Posted by GrooveBlender

I got my F30 opti-coated five days after delivery and it was still a two day job, they polished waxed and removed any swirls after that they prepped the car with two-three coats of opticoat while checking it under white LED lights. They said that Opti-Coat typically takes 8-12 hours to cure and they kept the car in a sort of a clean room overnight. Also all of this was done inside and not outside.

The Opti Coat is quite easy to get off by doing a simple polishing routine and if anyone says the blemishes are now sealed in then dont worry just go to a good detailer and have them polish the car as normal and it should be fine.

I was very impressed with the work at the time. But one issue I have is that where I stay it gets very dusty and usually all of our cars are cleaned everyday by a cleaner in the morning (this is very typical of India and it is quite cheap to get done here for about 10 dollars a month). These cleaners are not pros and use Rags to clean the car. I have given my guy microfibre towels but still these things happen anyway in just about 5 months there are swirl marks on the car and the water repelling qualities are almost gone. Even though the treatment was for about $300 including labor at the time and I thought it to be worth it I would probably not go for this again as the treatment doesnt last the time I would have liked it to last and hence not justifying the cost. I will go with a regular detailing job once every 8 months or so.

From what I know:

- You shouldn't have waxed the car prior to OC application. Most probably the OC didn't bound to the original clear coat because of the wax.
- Not sure multiple coats of OC are better than just one.

[metrathon]

Originally Posted by Chris@Optimum

Hello everyone. I was asked to comment here by an authorized Opti Coat Pro installer who has concerns regarding the level of correct deemed necessary prior to applying Opti Coat Pro (Professional) or Opti Coat 2.0 (consumer).

First, Opti Coat is optically clear and will not fill defects at all. So...although the protection and attributes of the coating will not be affected by the remaining defects, you will have to remove the coating to remove the imperfections. It is very important to discuss expectations and guarantees with any detailer. I would have known from the price that this car wasn't getting 90+% correction or at least that the installer may be using the consumer version based on his price.

Second, while this information is known to me and others in the business, it's not easy to find a reputable detailer from the customer's standpoint because of the multitude that claim to be detailers. What you should ask is for a guaranteed % of correction and whether the installer is authorized by us to use our professional coatings. Then you can contact me or visit our forum to confirm the info.

I'd be happy to answer any application questions you guys may have whether they relate to the consumer or the pro version.

Chris, thanks for jumping in. What is the main diff between OC 2 and Pro?

[Chris@Optimum]

Opti-Coat Pro is a more concentrated professional version of Opti Coat 2.0. It takes more care to apply and cures faster. If applied correctly, it will provide a thicker coat... but will vary with application methods and amount used. If the same installer used both in the same manner, OG would be thicker. Professionals will prefer Opti-Coat Pro because they can give the car back to the customer sooner without concerns about exposure to the elements and it will reach full hardness faster so its ready for real world exposure sooner.

Consumers will prefer Opti Coat 2.0 because it applies like Opti Seal which is very easy. You can easily cover an entire panel before it flashes, you have more time to spread it over the panel before you'd have a problem, and if you do have a high spot that dries you can fix it by hand with Optimum Finish instead of needing a machine and compound. Less experience and effort are needed.

As for the resin, the attributes and performance are the same with both: improved scratch, chemical, and environmental resistance/faster cleaning with less effort/dramatically less chance of etching from leaving contaminants on the surface. It may still stain, but won't permeate like normal clear coat will even with waxes/sealants applied.

The main difference is cure time and thickness per application. Because you can layer both, there's no reason for a consumer to favor one over the other, but professionals should use Opti-Coat Pro for the reasons mentioned above.

[Detailers Domain]

take a look at this Golf R we just did brand new - however needed a proper prep prior to the Opti Coat.

Detailer's Domain - Paint Correction and Opti Coat - VW Golf R

[metrathon]

Originally Posted by DetailersDomain

take a look at this Golf R we just did brand new - however needed a proper prep prior to the Opti Coat.

Detailer's Domain - Paint Correction and Opti Coat - VW Golf R

Can't see the pics. Same on http://www.detailingbliss.com/

[Detailers Domain]

are you sure you can't see it.

http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/...vw-golf-r.html

[metrathon]

Originally Posted by DetailersDomain

are you sure you can't see it.

http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/...vw-golf-r.html

Now it works. Amazing work. Perfect paint after the treatment.

What do I need to do to have my car done like this???

[GrooveBlender]

Originally Posted by metrathon

From what I know:

- You shouldn't have waxed the car prior to OC application. Most probably the OC didn't bound to the original clear coat because of the wax.
- Not sure multiple coats of OC are better than just one.

Hmm I dont know how you understood this but I havent waxed my car 'yet' after opticoat, but it doesnt last as long in my environment and I probably will wax it sooner than I had expected.

Multiple coats are recommended on Opti Coats site and Chris can confirm. Multiple coats in most applications doesnt mean that you let the first coat dry and then apply the second one it means the number of passes you do to get the correct finish.

[metrathon]

Originally Posted by GrooveBlender

Hmm I dont know how you understood this but I havent waxed my car 'yet' after opticoat, but it doesnt last as long in my environment and I probably will wax it sooner than I had expected.

Multiple coats are recommended on Opti Coats site and Chris can confirm. Multiple coats in most applications doesnt mean that you let the first coat dry and then apply the second one it means the number of passes you do to get the correct finish.

"... I got my F30 opti-coated five days after delivery and it was still a two day job, they polished waxed and removed any swirls ..."

[GrooveBlender]

Originally Posted by metrathon

"... I got my F30 opti-coated five days after delivery and it was still a two day job, they polished waxed and removed any swirls ..."

Ok so this prep work happened BEFORE the Opti Coat happened to remove any swirls from the paint work they prepped it which does involve a polish and a sealant and then they wiped down the car with IPA lto remove any oils or excess. Here are instructions from the Opti-Coat site to apply opti-coat, as far as I can tell my car got prepped the exact same manner and I am pretty happy with it:

1 - Polish paint with Optimum Polish II or Optimum Finish to remove any defects.
2 - Clean surface with 15% IPA solution to remove all polishing oils, waxes, and silicones.
3 - Prime the applicator by making an X pattern across the pad. Only a few drops will be needed for each subsequent panel.
4 - Wipe Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 onto a single panel at a time in a thin layer using two directions, in a circular or front to back direction.
5 - Within 5 minutes, inspect the panel with adequate lighting looking for any thick areas that have not flashed away to clear.
6 - Use foam applicator or paint safe microfiber to even out any areas where you see streaks. This step is key, as any spots not leveled will have to be polished if allowed to cure. Panels will feel a bit tacky and will be self-leveling during cure time, so avoid any unnecessary touching, wiping, or contact to produce the best results.
7 - Repeat steps 1-6 for each panel where application is desired.