pdthas Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I just had my car recently polished and waxed by a professional detailer. I decided to do the optimum gloss coat myself. I know that most applications with this product usually involve polishing the car, light surface prep, and then opti-coat. Since I didn't want my car's paint to be unprotected until I put the coating on (about 1-2 weeks), I had the detailer apply a coating of wax on it knowing I would have to remove it before doing the optimum gloss coat. What's the best way to remove this layer of wax prior to the optimum gloss coating application? I don't have access to a polisher so I was thinking of using a product like Griot's Garage Paint Prep (http://www.amazon.com/Griots-Garage-11135-Paint-Prep/dp/B004UQQVJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458007112&sr=8-1&keywords=griot+paint+prep). It is a spray on, leave for about 5 minutes and then wipe off. If I had to wash the car prior to applying the optimum-gloss coat, it would be done using a rinseless wash (Optimum No-Rinse Wash & Shine) since I'll work in a carport area without a hose bib nearby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Welcome to the Optimum Forum! I'm not familiar with Griots Garage Paint Prep, but if it's similar to Optimum Paint Prep Solution it should remove any wax. ONR is good to clean the car prior to coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdthas Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Thanks. So there is no need to polish the new layer of wax off with something like Optimum Hyper polish? I wasn't sure if a paint prep solution would be strong enough to strip all the wax off. I was going to wash it, clay it and use a paint prep as the final step before putting on the optimum gloss coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowejackson Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I guess it depends on the wax, some of them are really quite tough. I have not used Paint Prep nor the Griots but a light polishing will guarantee the wax is removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdthas Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 Thanks Lowe, I'm a little new at this but can light polishing be done by hand? I don't have a polisher or orbital to use for this. If I use a polisher, what would the steps be? ONR wash>clay>polisher>paint prep>Opti-gloss coating? thanks for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Since you had the car professionally polished, clay and a second polish should not be necessary. And yes, Prep Solution is strong enough to remove wax/seal. Do a thorough Prep job, wipe with a clean microfiber (the paint should squeaky clean), and you're ready to apply Gloss-Coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdthas Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 ok, thank you for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowejackson Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Thanks Lowe, I'm a little new at this but can light polishing be done by hand? I don't have a polisher or orbital to use for this. If I use a polisher, what would the steps be? ONR wash>clay>polisher>paint prep>Opti-gloss coating? thanks for your help I will bow to the Ron's greater knowledge of the paint prep. Just in terms of hand polishing, whilst it will not be as effective as using a machine it can give reasonable results. Using something like Hyper Polish and a mild pad would remove any wax but if the paint prep will do the job then just use that instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdthas Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 ok thanks, maybe I'll try both to be safe. I didn't want to create a separate thread for this but is there anything wrong with applying optimum gloss coating outdoors (assuming it's not windy and not going to rain that day)? If it is ok, should it be applied when it is sunny or cloudy outside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 There are mobile detailers who apply Coatings out of doors all the time. Sunny or cloudy shouldn't matter, just watch for the flashing so you can go back over the surface (curing is dependent on heat & humidity). One caution is wind blowing dust or pollen onto the surface before it cures...you need avoid that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 And there's nothing wrong with polishing prior to using Prep, just take care (easy to add marring vs. removing). Hyper Polish is great with Coatings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdthas Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 Thanks for suggestions. A few more questions came to mind if you have the time. If I wanted to add a second coating after the 1st, what's the minimum time to wait? I'd like to avoid any prep work in between coats so I'm wondering if I can just wait 1-2 hours and then add the second coat. Since about 5cc seems to be enough for a car, any problem with a first and second coating being about 5cc each? Also, since the life expectancy of glass coat is around 2 years. Does the coating essentially wear down to where you have the clear coat surface back again? Any issues with recoating with another layer of opt-coat gloss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Yes, you can add a second layer of Gloss-Coat an hour after the first. 5 cc should be sufficient but that depends on how heavy the coat and how much is covered. Eventually the Gloss-Coat is degraded to the original clear coat and you can reapply, but after prepping the paint again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdthas Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks Chris. One other question. I applied the opti-coat today and noticed a high spot a few hours after it was applied. I tried to rub it off but it was too late. Since it not that noticeable unless you look at it under there right angle, I think I can live with it. If I want to fix it, is it possible to polish it out by hand? If I wanted to leave it as, will it eventually disappear over time as the coating itself wears off over the years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron@Optimum Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 It's your call whether to lower or let resolve itself naturally. A light polish (Hyper Polish) by hand will lower the high spot by reducing the Coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.