Best pre opti coat cleaner? About to do my new avalanche

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ProStreetCamaro

New member
Bought a new 2013 avalanche last week. Luckily the dealer did not induce any surface imperfections. The paint is flawless. I got the bright idea as soon as I got it home to apply P21S 100% wax. While it does look fantastic this truck sits outside 24/7 and is my daily driver. That got me to thinking. What better time to apply opti coat? Paint is already perfect. So I have the opti coat sitting here and was ready to apply. I whipped out the dawn (did not have the blue standard dawn, all I have is the yellow version) and gave it a heavy wash to strip the wax and get it ready for the opti coat.



Low and behold the dawn does not seem to have removed the wax???????? It is beading like gang busters after the dawn wash!!?????????? So my question is...............what is the best product for me to use to get rid of the wax? The dealer did not tell me if they applied anything or not so I am unsure if they applied some kind of sealant. I want to get this thing opti coated next weekend. I was thinking carpro eraser or griots paint prep? What do you autopians think?







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If you have some Optimum Power Clean, that would be a good choice to strip the wax, then follow up with either IPA or Eraser.



That is a BEAUTIFUL rig, BTW... love how the Black Diamond package turns it into basically an Escalade EXT.
 
C. Charles Hahn said:
If you have some Optimum Power Clean, that would be a good choice to strip the wax, then follow up with either IPA or Eraser.



That is a BEAUTIFUL rig, BTW... love how the Black Diamond package turns it into basically an Escalade EXT.
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Hmmmm the only thing I have on hand is megs D101. Would that be effective? Im not even sure if it is safe for painted surfaces? If so at what ratio would be safe and effective? I have some ipa but have never actually used it to wipe down a car. What ratio is recommended for ipa to water?



I have never been a big fan of the avalanche until I seen the black diamond edition and the blue topaz metallic screamed out at me BUY ME BUY ME :pound:
 
ProStreetCamaro said:
Low and behold the dawn does not seem to have removed the wax???????? It is beading like gang busters after the dawn wash!!??????????
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Correct, many others have found the same -- it really isn't terribly effective as a stripper. Works good on greasy dishes, though.



An APC like Power Clean works well, if you have that one. A 50/50 mixture of IPA and water will work.



You really need a perfect, clean surface before starting in with the Opticoat.
 
ProStreetCamaro said:
Hmmmm the only thing I have on hand is megs D101. Would that be effective? Im not even sure if it is safe for painted surfaces? If so at what ratio would be safe and effective? I have some ipa but have never actually used it to wipe down a car. What ratio is recommended for ipa to water?



I have never been a big fan of the avalanche until I seen the black diamond edition and the blue topaz metallic screamed out at me BUY ME BUY ME :pound:
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I know of an Optimum dealer near you.
 
D&D Auto Detail said:
I know of an Optimum dealer near you.
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I am sure you do :wave:



If you were approaching my truck and there were no surface imperfections how would you handle stripping it so that the opti coat can properly bond?
 
Thanks for the help guys. I went out and got it stripped down clean. I forgot I had a bottle of power clean! Still had some not so well defined beads but the paint was tacky if you ran anything across it. Once dry I went full on with the opti coat. Truck looks great! I think I used about 7 or 8cc out of the 20cc vial. Does that sound about right for a truck this size? I did not do any trim with it. I use ultima tire and trim guard plus on my trim.





Oh and Dan it is nice to know you carry optimum products fairly close. I saved your website and will order optimum products from you. Should arrive to me very quickly assuming you actually have the products on hand and ship them out quick? Autogeek tends to take 2 days to ship them another 2 to 3 days in transit.
 
ProStreetCamaro said:
Thanks for the help guys. I went out and got it stripped down clean. I forgot I had a bottle of power clean! Still had some not so well defined beads but the paint was tacky if you ran anything across it. Once dry I went full on with the opti coat. Truck looks great! I think I used about 7 or 8cc out of the 20cc vial. Does that sound about right for a truck this size? I did not do any trim with it. I use ultima tire and trim guard plus on my trim.



Oh and Dan it is nice to know you carry optimum products fairly close. I saved your website and will order optimum products from you. Should arrive to me very quickly assuming you actually have the products on hand and ship them out quick? Autogeek tends to take 2 days to ship them another 2 to 3 days in transit.
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That amount sounds about right, and yes!
 
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