Taking off Optimum Gloss Coat

[jw3571]

I`ve had Optimum Gloss Coat on my cars for a 2 years. I`d like to strip it off so I can apply a fresh coat. What do I need to use to take it off? I have a few places I need to polish so i`m sure that takes it off, but what about the rest of the car? The front of my car is wrapped and I did put GC on top of the wrap.

Thanks

[jrock645]

You’ll need to polish the entire car to remove it.

[The Guz]

Yeah do as what was previously mentioned.

For the wrap, you can just wash it and wipe it down with some sort of prep spray and re-coat.

[jw3571]

Thanks, can you recommend a prep spray?

[Stokdgs]

I agree with the guys above..

I like to use a polish if the paint is still looking great, a less aggressive pad, (Lake Country Hydro-Tech Orange) and just polish it all down, and the coating will be gone..
Optimum makes a nice polish for things like this called Optimum Finish.. It leaves a nicer clearer finish to already corrected paintwork, but just remember that you can change some of this around a bit if needed, if for example you use a more aggressive pad, etc..

Am sure there are many other products that can do this just try to stay away from things that add oils ,etc., to the work.. Surely, you will do a wipe down again, before you add another coating if that is your intention, so why make more work for yourself in getting to that end ..

Have always had great results with CarPro Eraser for cleaning the just corrected, polished, etc., paintwork, right before I apply the Coating..

Have always carefully polished clear bra`s with no ill effects.. You have to be very careful because it IS plastic and will NOT dissipate heat very good at all.. It will also not "correct" at all like paint, but it can be made to look better if the gunk that is stuck to it is gone.. I use a rotary so I have to extra extra careful to not damage anything there..

If your clear bra is new and very shiny, and if you are not comfortable with polishing it, then a good wipe down will work ok I think..

Just remember with all clear bra areas, you want to work from the back of wherever it begins TO the edge and try not to push into the edge so that stuff doesn`t get under that edge that you now have to carefully take out of there..

Never work toward the edge unless you are good at lifting up or just lightly touching that edge so again, you don`t accidently push something into that edge line that will look awful and will have to come out before you can go further, ok ?

Sometimes, I may use 1/8" wide 3M tape on the edge if Im worried about getting something in there at the compounding stage..

If you do get something in that long edge, find the very pointed Qtips brand and buy a few boxes of them, and use something (like CarPro Eraser), to carefully get that gunk out and not lift or mess with the adhesive that is holding the clear bra to your paintwork.. Be very careful with all clear bra edges.. :)

Dan F

[The Guz]

Thanks, can you recommend a prep spray?

CarPro Eraser, Optimum Paint Prep, GTechniq Panel Wipe, Gyeon Prep are some. According to optimum their prep spray has a catalyst to make Gloss Coat bond better. I think GTechniq Panel wipe is the strongest prep spray.

Dan made some good points on the wrap.

[jw3571]

An alcohol wipe down won`t work, correct?

[JSFM35X]

After polishing it will. I’d mix it with some Di water. Generally a 15% solution will work Fine. I usually go to a 30% for faster evaporation.


An alcohol wipe down won`t work, correct?

[ride92]

Will carPro Essence remove an older coating of GC? I have GC on my car now and come spring I think I`m going to remove it and do something else, most likely CSL/EXO combo. I also have 205 and Menzerna 3800 I could use. I used essence for my wifes MB GLE350 before CSL and EXO and it worked really nicely to remove the slight haze left by 205 on a MF cutting disk I used to correct.

[The Guz]

Will carPro Essence remove an older coating of GC? I have GC on my car now and come spring I think I`m going to remove it and do something else, most likely CSL/EXO combo. I also have 205 and Menzerna 3800 I could use. I used essence for my wifes MB GLE350 before CSL and EXO and it worked really nicely to remove the slight haze left by 205 on a MF cutting disk I used to correct.

Essence will remove Gloss Coat as there are abrasives in the polish. Just did this myself but stuck with cquartz coatings with essence due to the product synergy.

[jw3571]

So Optimum Paint Prep will take of the Gloss Coat off the clear bra? Will it also remove it from the paint? I was really hoping to not have to polish the whole car before I did GC

[jrock645]

Essence will remove Gloss Coat as there are abrasives in the polish. Just did this myself but stuck with cquartz coatings with essence due to the product synergy.

Do you also get the improved bonding properties when using essence to remove a coating?

[The Guz]

Do you also get the improved bonding properties when using essence to remove a coating?

Improved bonding properties?