Professional Coatings

[imported_series1]

I haven`t started a thread in years, so I hope I`m putting this in the right spot. Sorry to beat a dead horse in regards to coating discussions but something has been bothering me lately. How come professional coatings (opticoat pro (even opticoat pro primer), cquartz finest, gtechniq crystal serum) are only offered to people who operate a business? Are manufacturers worried about people coming after them for the guarantee they offer? Has any hobbyist or weekend warrior gotten their hands on any of these to apply to their own cars? Is it a well kept secret that hobbyists who don`t operate a business can request these in order to have what we think is the best?


Just curious because I doubt many hobbyist detailers on here want to take their car to another detailer since we all enjoy the feeling of working on our own cars. Any comments, answers, or further questions are welcomed

[MrCLRider]

I think part of the reason is so the cost to "install" the coating is maintained as to keep its value for both the person installing the coating and owner of the car. `If everyone and their mom could buy the "pro" versions of the products the cost would vary drastically. `I believe there is MAP pricing for each coating.

[jmsc]

I know that gtechniq crystal serum requires wet sanding (not polishing) to correct/undo/fix an application not done properly. I`ve been on here 12 years. I`ve learned a lot but never wet sanded.`I wouldn`t touch crystal serum even if they gave it to me for free. Imagine a`hobbyist/consumer trying to wet sand never before ever doing it.


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The other reason is to bring in business to gtechniq`s dealer network.

[Scottwax]

I guess mostly to keep the integrity of the application intact. Companies have no real way of telling if the hobbyist or weekend warrior wanting their coating is actually skilled enough to do the proper prep and apply the coating correctly.`


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At least with Optimum, you can get Opti-Coat 2.0 which is still an excellent product.`

[JoeyV]

The reason is simple. In the average persons mind, it`s never their own fault if something goes wrong, it`s always either someone else`s fault, or in this case, the product`s fault.


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I am an authorized Opti-coat PRO installer, so I`m going to speak specifically about that one.


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The PRO version is thicker and flashes off MUCH faster than the 2.0 version with a working window of about 30 seconds compared to 10 minutes for the 2.0. So, if the product is applied by a DIY who doesn`t have experience (99%+ of the population) and has a high spot, they can either blame the product right then and there for "not working properly" or, do a bit of research and find out that to even out or fix this, the product needs to be polished off. At which point they will try to polish and possibly ruin their paint, and then blame the product again.


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I personally believe THAT is the main reason for keeping it PRO-only.


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That aside, if you are a relatively experienced DIY-er, and know how to properly maintain and care for your car, the 2.0 version will be more than enough for you anyways. That version is readily available through many vendors too. If you want to go with glass based coatings, the "compromise" of C-Quartz Finest would be C-Quartz UK, which is non-pro.