beginner wanting to use optimum gloss coat on new car

[teriyakisalmon]

I just purchased my first ever brand new car (Acura MDX in Modern Steel Metallic, a dark grey color). I`m interested mainly in keeping it protected through the harsh winters here in New England. I drive a lot in bad weather and my old car got a ton of salt, etc, and I won`t be able to wash outside for the duration of the winter. I have been reading about Optimum gloss coat and I`m thinking about giving that a try.

I purchased Optimum No Rinse and Wax and Optiseal and I cleaned the car with a bunch of microfiber towels I bought from Costco. It wasn`t all that dirty, and now it`s nice and shiny, and hopefully a little protected with the Optiseal.

I`ve been watching Youtube videos on the paint preparation phase.

It seems like most people advise doing some sort of decontamination even though the car is brand new. I don`t understand if I am supposed to use something like Optimum Ferrex or the clay towel or both?

Also, do I really need to purchase the Porter Cable 7424XP and polish the whole car before adding the Gloss Coat?

Any other products that I definitely need for this? Thanks!

[RaydiantDetail]

Hi TeriyakiSalmon,

Welcome to the forum!

I just purchased my first ever brand new car (Acura MDX in Modern Steel Metallic, a dark grey color). I`m interested mainly in keeping it protected through the harsh winters here in New England. I drive a lot in bad weather and my old car got a ton of salt, etc, and I won`t be able to wash outside for the duration of the winter. I have been reading about Optimum gloss coat and I`m thinking about giving that a try.

Congrats on your new ride!

I purchased Optimum No Rinse and Wax and Optiseal and I cleaned the car with a bunch of microfiber towels I bought from Costco. It wasn`t all that dirty, and now it`s nice and shiny, and hopefully a little protected with the Optiseal.

I`ve been watching Youtube videos on the paint preparation phase.

It seems like most people advise doing some sort of decontamination even though the car is brand new. I don`t understand if I am supposed to use something like Optimum Ferrex or the clay towel or both?

At this point you will want to thoroughly wash the car, decontaminate using a product like Ferrex and then follow up with a clay towel or clay bar. Sadly brand new does not mean contaminant and defect free as most dealerships do not do proper prep prior to delivery at all. The ferrex/ iron remover will help dissolve ferrous iron particles on the cars paint, wheels, plastic, windows etc. which will help make the clay step much quicker and easier. Make sure the surface is cool to the touch and do not use these products in direct sunlight and let them dry on the vehicle or it can be a disaster to remove.

Also, do I really need to purchase the Porter Cable 7424XP and polish the whole car before adding the Gloss Coat?

I would suggest machine polishing if you can to remove any swirls/ scratches in the paint and create as flat a paint surface as possible and make sure that opti seal is removed completely. If you feel the paint is in good condition (try to use good lighting and the sun to help you investigate the paint condition) you can use something like a paint cleanser or coating prep polish like McKees 37 coating prep polish/ CarPro Eraser/ or Gyeon Prep which will remove any oils/ remnants of opti seal. You want the paint to be squeeky clean, free of contaminants and free of scratches/ swirls (this is more to do aesthetically as the coating will enhance whatever surface is underneath). In order for the coating to bond properly the decontamination and prep is very important.

https://www.autogeek.net/coating-prep-polish.html
https://www.autogeek.net/gyeon-prep.html
https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-eraser-ipa.html

I would suggest the Griots Garage 6inch random orbital polisher. The kit comes with a few pads but you can always buy a few more. If you can find one used that is another good option. Or if you can borrow one from someone.

https://www.autogeek.net/griots-garage-correct-finish-combo.html

Any other products that I definitely need for this? Thanks!

You will want a good coating maintenance soap like CarPro Reset or McKees37 Sio2 Wash which are specifically designed to help clean and maintain coated vehicles. (Any soap that does not have waxes/ silicones in it that will interfere with the coatings hydrophobic behaviour)

I am sure there are plenty of others who can and will chime in as well! There is a lot to learn but its also very rewarding when you see the finished product. Take your time and do your research since your car is currently protected which was a good first step!

[RaydiantDetail]

This is another great resource on the AGO site with lots of videos and articles and a nice break down of the steps diagram:

https://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html

[teriyakisalmon]

Thanks!!!!

Are the McKees 37 coating prep polish/ CarPro Eraser/ or Gyeon Prep different than the Optimum Paint Prep?

Why get the Griot Garage over the porter cable polisher? Is one better than another?

I had kind of planned on washing just with the Optimum no rinse and wax since I think I can do a rinseless wash inside my garage even in the winter. Not a good idea?

Is it ok to do this in section by section if I don`t have a whole day to devote to this project? i.e. do the decontamination, paint prep and coating on the hood one day, then wait a week and do the right side, etc. etc.?

[Stokdgs]

Thanks!!!!

Are the McKees 37 coating prep polish/ CarPro Eraser/ or Gyeon Prep different than the Optimum Paint Prep?

Why get the Griot Garage over the porter cable polisher? Is one better than another?

I had kind of planned on washing just with the Optimum no rinse and wax since I think I can do a rinseless wash inside my garage even in the winter. Not a good idea?

Is it ok to do this in section by section if I don`t have a whole day to devote to this project? i.e. do the decontamination, paint prep and coating on the hood one day, then wait a week and do the right side, etc. etc.?


The Griot machine is probably more powerful and has a better warranty..
The Porter Cable is a great machine but one has to remember it is a sander that people decided to use to correct paint, etc.,.. It can do this but the other machine was designed to correct paint, and has more power I believe... And the better warranty...

Where do you live ? How bad are your Winters ???

I have used CarPro Eraser blue liquid as the last step cleaner on a number of coated vehicles and never had an issue with it.. I am sure the Optimum will work great as well..
The others will probably be similar..

If you do this section by section, then what happens to the vehicle during the week it is not getting worked on??
If it is out and about every day, and not garaged, then there is going to be a lot of stuff that has to be cleaned off again...
And of course the last step, wipe it down with clean microfiber and the cleaner of your choice..

1 question for you -- After you wash this car, dry it, etc., when you lightly run your fingers over any panel on it, especially the hood, top and trunk, what do you feel ???

Dan F

[The Guz]

I just purchased my first ever brand new car (Acura MDX in Modern Steel Metallic, a dark grey color). I`m interested mainly in keeping it protected through the harsh winters here in New England. I drive a lot in bad weather and my old car got a ton of salt, etc, and I won`t be able to wash outside for the duration of the winter. I have been reading about Optimum gloss coat and I`m thinking about giving that a try.

I purchased Optimum No Rinse and Wax and Optiseal and I cleaned the car with a bunch of microfiber towels I bought from Costco. It wasn`t all that dirty, and now it`s nice and shiny, and hopefully a little protected with the Optiseal.

I`ve been watching Youtube videos on the paint preparation phase.

It seems like most people advise doing some sort of decontamination even though the car is brand new. I don`t understand if I am supposed to use something like Optimum Ferrex or the clay towel or both?

Also, do I really need to purchase the Porter Cable 7424XP and polish the whole car before adding the Gloss Coat?

Any other products that I definitely need for this? Thanks!

Congrats on the new car.

First off I would definitely consider upgrading your towels to something better. The Costco towels have the potential to scratch the surface. Especially the edge. I use them but for dirty jobs like door jambs, engine bay, interior but not so much on paint. I would recommend getting some towels from the rag company as a better alternative to them.

Gloss Coat is one of the easiest coatings to use. Not the most durable but easy to use. The rag company has a video on application so check that out.

I would recommend a chemical decontamination and a mechanincal decontamination just as mentioned above. New cars have contaminants as well. Get yourself an iron remover like Ferrex, CarPro Ironx, Gyeon Iron and the list goes on. I would also consider a better clay towel than the optimum clay towel. The current optimum clay towel is terrible. You can always use a clay bar as well.

I would also agree with at a minimum a polishing step. The claying process will more than likely marr the surface which will need to be polished. If you want to stay with optimum then hyper polish would be the way to go. If you use something else and the coating fails prematurely then optimum will blame the polish used if it is not their own. Been down that road. A polish will not only remove defects from the paint but it will also add that extra gloss that you will lock in with Gloss Coat.

Don`t forget some sort of paint prep. Optimum has their paint prep. They claim that there is a catalyst to help Gloss Coat bond or self level. Smells like IPA if you ask me. Blackfire Paint Prep is good. They all do the same thing in removing polishing oils.

A dual action polisher will make life easier in polishing the paint. Pick that up with some pads and backing plate and you are good to go. Polishing paint is not as hard as one thinks. The PC and Griot`s DA`s are both good machines to work with.





I had kind of planned on washing just with the Optimum no rinse and wax since I think I can do a rinseless wash inside my garage even in the winter. Not a good idea?

Is it ok to do this in section by section if I don`t have a whole day to devote to this project? i.e. do the decontamination, paint prep and coating on the hood one day, then wait a week and do the right side, etc. etc.?

You will have to determine how safe it is to rinseless wash the paint.

It does not take long to coat with Gloss Coat. You can knock that out in a few minutes. If the paint is looking good you can knock the whole thing out in one day or one weekend. Just be sure not to use ONR wash & wax in between or you will have to polish that area to remove the wax in prep for the coating.

[teriyakisalmon]

The Griot machine is probably more powerful and has a better warranty..
The Porter Cable is a great machine but one has to remember it is a sander that people decided to use to correct paint, etc.,.. It can do this but the other machine was designed to correct paint, and has more power I believe... And the better warranty...

Where do you live ? How bad are your Winters ???



I live in New England and the winters are pretty bad. My car is garaged at home and at work, but I have a 50 mile highway commute every day, so I pick up a lot of gunk. Good to know about the warranty on the Griot machine!




I have used CarPro Eraser blue liquid as the last step cleaner on a number of coated vehicles and never had an issue with it.. I am sure the Optimum will work great as well..
The others will probably be similar..

If you do this section by section, then what happens to the vehicle during the week it is not getting worked on??
If it is out and about every day, and not garaged, then there is going to be a lot of stuff that has to be cleaned off again...
And of course the last step, wipe it down with clean microfiber and the cleaner of your choice..



I was thinking more like weekend 1: wash whole car with ONR, decontaminate and clay hood, polish hood, paint prep hood, gloss coat hood. Weekend 2: wash whole car with ONR, decontaminate and clay right side of vehicle, etc.




1 question for you -- After you wash this car, dry it, etc., when you lightly run your fingers over any panel on it, especially the hood, top and trunk, what do you feel ???

Dan F

It feels pretty smooth and looks pretty good to me...but my comparison is my SO`s 3 year old car that had I think literally never been washed til I hit it with the ONR when I got it...

[teriyakisalmon]

Congrats on the new car.

Thanks!



First off I would definitely consider upgrading your towels to something better. The Costco towels have the potential to scratch the surface. Especially the edge. I use them but for dirty jobs like door jambs, engine bay, interior but not so much on paint. I would recommend getting some towels from the rag company as a better alternative to them.



Darn, that`s too bad about the Costco towels. I like that I have like a million of them so I never feel the need to use a dirty one. I looked at the Rag Company site but wow, there are a lot of choices. Suggestions on a good starter set?




Gloss Coat is one of the easiest coatings to use. Not the most durable but easy to use. The rag company has a video on application so check that out.

I would recommend a chemical decontamination and a mechanincal decontamination just as mentioned above. New cars have contaminants as well. Get yourself an iron remover like Ferrex, CarPro Ironx, Gyeon Iron and the list goes on. I would also consider a better clay towel than the optimum clay towel. The current optimum clay towel is terrible. You can always use a clay bar as well.


Which one is a better clay towel than the Optimum one? Is the Blackfire one any good? That one seems reasonably priced...
Feeling a little intimidated by clay bars.




I would also agree with at a minimum a polishing step. The claying process will more than likely marr the surface which will need to be polished. If you want to stay with optimum then hyper polish would be the way to go. If you use something else and the coating fails prematurely then optimum will blame the polish used if it is not their own. Been down that road. A polish will not only remove defects from the paint but it will also add that extra gloss that you will lock in with Gloss Coat.

Don`t forget some sort of paint prep. Optimum has their paint prep. They claim that there is a catalyst to help Gloss Coat bond or self level. Smells like IPA if you ask me. Blackfire Paint Prep is good. They all do the same thing in removing polishing oils.

A dual action polisher will make life easier in polishing the paint. Pick that up with some pads and backing plate and you are good to go. Polishing paint is not as hard as one thinks. The PC and Griot`s DA`s are both good machines to work with.




You will have to determine how safe it is to rinseless wash the paint.

It does not take long to coat with Gloss Coat. You can knock that out in a few minutes. If the paint is looking good you can knock the whole thing out in one day or one weekend. Just be sure not to use ONR wash & wax in between or you will have to polish that area to remove the wax in prep for the coating.

[Accumulator]

I just purchased my first ever brand new car (Acura MDX in Modern Steel Metallic, a dark grey color).

Welcome to Autopia! That sounds great, a good-looking color that`s not too hard to maintain.


I`ve been watching Youtube videos on the paint preparation phase.

Beware of Internet Knowledge ;) It`s awfully easy to make difficult things look easy.


It seems like most people advise doing some sort of decontamination even though the car is brand new. I don`t understand if I am supposed to use something like Optimum Ferrex or the clay towel or both?
Actually, the weird thing is that the Manufacturers don`t insist that the selling dealerships do it as a matter of course. All *sorts* of nasty contamination gets on new vehicles, even the ones that come in a wrapper or even a bag!

A proper chemical decontamination (easy as a series of washes) oughta eliminate the need for a mechanical decontamination, and thus remove the risk of marring (I`d never touch one of my vehicles with one of those Clay Towels).


Also, do I really need to purchase the Porter Cable 7424XP and polish the whole car before adding the Gloss Coat?
Depends whether you see any marring that bothers you. It`s virtually (not literally, but close for practical purposes) impossible to correct swirls/scratches by hand.


Any other products that I definitely need for this? Thanks!

VERY, *VERY* good lighting/inspection conditions. And better eyesight than mine.

What about paying a Pro to do the work?

[The Guz]

Darn, that`s too bad about the Costco towels. I like that I have like a million of them so I never feel the need to use a dirty one. I looked at the Rag Company site but wow, there are a lot of choices. Suggestions on a good starter set?

Here are my personal used towels from them:

Coating removal: Edgeless 300
Polish removal: Edgeless 365
Detail spray/wipe down: Eagle Edgeless 350 (I find them to be better than the 500)
Rinseless Wash Drying Towel: Pluffle
Rinseless wash towel: Eagle Edgeless 350
2 bucket drying towel: Griot`s PFM




Which one is a better clay towel than the Optimum one? Is the Blackfire one any good? That one seems reasonably priced...
Feeling a little intimidated by clay bars.

Any other option is better than the optimum clay towel. I rarely say it but the optimum clay towel is garbage. Leaves residue all over the place and doesn`t glide smoothly on the paint. I use the Griot`s fine grade clay mitt and like it. The link posted up above for the Griot`s clay alternative will also work.

Have not used the blackfire one so I can`t comment on that one.

[2002glxv6]

No expert here just my opinion, and everyone has one.
Optimum makes great products and I use them every week and have for several years. Gloss-coat is fast and easy to apply, a good affordable starter coating, but after using it on several cars it`s not so durable IMHO. Just my experience.
If you are going to spend the your time and money to prep and protect your new baby (which is time very well spent) I would consider going with maybe a Gyeon coating. Their updated Q2 Syncro package w/ Skin is worth considering. Yes, it is a much more expensive and more time consuming to apply 3 layers, but the results are pretty impressive.
The Gyeon Cure that is included with the package is not needed once you apply the final layer Skin.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/gyeon-syncro-bundle.html

On feeling for how smooth (free of contamination) the paint is on your hood, try putting your hand a sandwich bag. This makes a huge difference in what you feel.

All free advice. Take it for what it worth.

Good luck, and enjoy your New ride for many years!!

[teriyakisalmon]

No expert here just my opinion, and everyone has one.
Optimum makes great products and I use them every week and have for several years. Gloss-coat is fast and easy to apply, a good affordable starter coating, but after using it on several cars it`s not so durable IMHO. Just my experience.
If you are going to spend the your time and money to prep and protect your new baby (which is time very well spent) I would consider going with maybe a Gyeon coating. Their updated Q2 Syncro package w/ Skin is worth considering. Yes, it is a much more expensive and more time consuming to apply 3 layers, but the results are pretty impressive.
The Gyeon Cure that is included with the package is not needed once you apply the final layer Skin.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/gyeon-syncro-bundle.html

On feeling for how smooth (free of contamination) the paint is on your hood, try putting your hand a sandwich bag. This makes a huge difference in what you feel.

All free advice. Take it for what it worth.

Good luck, and enjoy your New ride for many years!!

Oh @#!@&*~!!

I tried the sandwich bag thing and it`s totally not smooth at all! Ordering decontamination supplies ASAP.

Will look into the Gyeon. Definitely want something easy and something that will last.

Pro ceramic coatings seem to run ~$1600 or so in my area. Seems I can do it for a fraction even with buying the equipment. As long as I`m not incurring a huge risk of ruining anything, I think i`ll give it a shot.

[teriyakisalmon]

So here`s what I have sitting in my cart currently:
Griot`s garage & Meguiar`s paint protection kit: https://www.autopia-carcare.com/griots-garage-meguiars-polishing-kit.html#.W3dgdJNKilM
Optimum Ferrex
Gyeon Q2 Syncro bundle: https://www.autopia-carcare.com/gyeon-syncro-bundle.html#.W3dg0JNKilM
Griot`s garage fine surface prep mitt: https://www.autopia-carcare.com/fine-surface-prep-mitt-griots-garage.html#.W3dhPZNKilM
McKee`s 37 Universal detailing clay and lube combo: https://www.autopia-carcare.com/dp-clay-combo.html#.W3dhX5NKilM

Total <$400 and if I add in $100 worth of Rag company microfiber towels I`ve done the project for $500, which is less than a third of what the pros charge. Plus if things go well I have materials left over to do SO`s car as well.

Thoughts?

[2002glxv6]

Thoughts?

Now wait for a 20% - 25% off sale.

[rlmccarty2000]

Don’t forget the shampoo. I would suggest CarPro Reset. There is a sale on today that will save you 25%!