Which LSP is right for me?

W3bb3r04

W3bb3r04

New member
I have tried to do a bunch of research but cannot figure out which LSP I will decide on. I want something somewhat longer term than a current combos even though I like the look. This is going on my red 05 Mustang which is mainly driven on nice days and to car shows. It is washed or wiped down quite often during show seasons so the scratch resistant properties of semi/permanent coatings are appealing. I have tried blacklight/v07, poliseal/optiseal combos, and topped with Wet Obsessions.

Right now I am looking at the current options:
Opticoat 2.0
Gtechniq C1
Possibly Wolfs HardBody or Cquarts.

I definitely want to coat my wheels with Opticoat, so I figured I would try it on the paint as well. Has anyone ever Opticoated their personal car and gotten tired of it shortly after, or not happy with the look? I just dont want to waste the time and effort into something Im not going to be happy with. The anti marring properties do play a big part in the decision though.

All of your help would be appreciated! Here are some pics of the car it is going on.

IMG_1714_zps3f7948d0.jpg

IMG_1720-2_zps7963d2d3.jpg
 
What are you using to correct your paint today? machine type, pad type, product used...

Are you good with your correction abilities and the result you get ?

If so, then the Optimum product will be one of the best for long-term protection.

I have it on my black Grand Cherokee going on 18 months and it is the best thing I ever did. Keeps a lot of dirt from adhering to the surface, so I can go longer before I have to wash it.
The look is great for me. I corrected all the defects out of the paint before I coated it, so I have super clear, glossy paint.

Some people have said they dont like the "look" of OptiCoat, etc., and this is just too subjective to say it is the best thing ever for everyone..

If you want something that is good for several months and then needs to be done again, and is pretty new, read up on Sonax Net Shield.

I have used it on a dozen vehicles, single stage blacks, Jet Blacks, Metallic based Blacks, Silvers, Pewter, etc., BMW paint, Audi Paint, Mercedes, New Volkswagen, ( sorry, I do a lot of German cars), and it has made them all look super great and the water beads are very small and tight and all fall off the car..

This product is not inexpensive, but you can get a lot of vehicles out of 1 can, probably more than you can get out of a syringe of OptiCoat..

It says on the label of this Sonax product that it contains silicone, but I dont see where it is. On clean, corrected, paint, using a yellow circular small foam pad, this product goes on "grabby", so you have to be careful to not drop your pad and watch really carefully that you dont miss a spot, because its clear.
You have to wipe it immediately off, so you have to have a lot of microfiber towels handy. It is easy on towels and does not hurt them.

I like this product now because it will last longer than other sealants and gives a great glossy, smooth finish, and is super easy to use.. Apply, wipe off...

DanF
 
Stokdgs said:
What are you using to correct your paint today? machine type, pad type, product used...

Are you good with your correction abilities and the result you get ?

If so, then the Optimum product will be one of the best for long-term protection.

I have it on my black Grand Cherokee going on 18 months and it is the best thing I ever did. Keeps a lot of dirt from adhering to the surface, so I can go longer before I have to wash it.
The look is great for me. I corrected all the defects out of the paint before I coated it, so I have super clear, glossy paint.

Some people have said they dont like the "look" of OptiCoat, etc., and this is just too subjective to say it is the best thing ever for everyone..

If you want something that is good for several months and then needs to be done again, and is pretty new, read up on Sonax Net Shield.

I have used it on a dozen vehicles, single stage blacks, Jet Blacks, Metallic based Blacks, Silvers, Pewter, etc., BMW paint, Audi Paint, Mercedes, New Volkswagen, ( sorry, I do a lot of German cars), and it has made them all look super great and the water beads are very small and tight and all fall off the car..

This product is not inexpensive, but you can get a lot of vehicles out of 1 can, probably more than you can get out of a syringe of OptiCoat..

It says on the label of this Sonax product that it contains silicone, but I dont see where it is. On clean, corrected, paint, using a yellow circular small foam pad, this product goes on "grabby", so you have to be careful to not drop your pad and watch really carefully that you dont miss a spot, because its clear.
You have to wipe it immediately off, so you have to have a lot of microfiber towels handy. It is easy on towels and does not hurt them.

I like this product now because it will last longer than other sealants and gives a great glossy, smooth finish, and is super easy to use.. Apply, wipe off...

DanF
Click to expand...

Dan, would you know how Sonax Net Shield compares to Adams Spray Sealant? With Adams I see about 3-4 months on a car parked outside 24/7, driven a 1000 miles a month and occasionally taken through the local car wash.
 
IMO "long term" LSPs will always offer a trade off. While a coating may last 2 years, you cant expect it to look a good continuously for 2 years as it did day 1. So, if your willing to sacrifice that "just waxed look" for durability, that's fine.

Honestly, I would go with CQuartz for 3 reasons:

1. I use many CarPro products and they always exceed my expectations.

2. I don't think I've ever read a bad review or saw a problem or issue someone had with C Quartz.

3. You likely can get that "just waxed look" with Reload.
 
I have opticoat on 2 of my personal daily driven cars. One was professionally Applied (Son's Subaru) and the other I did myself (Wifes MDX) after watching the process. It looks great and it just passed the 1 year aniversary. One car was done the week of 7/21/13 and the other the first week in agust 2012.

This stuff shines like crazy. Is the most mar resistant LSP I have used and I have used the EXO V1 (My DD M37X) (which I also loved, it is slicker but less scratch resistant). THe Opticoat is more imperviouis to bugs guts and bird bombs than any other LSP I have used. It releases the dirt and contaminants very easily and you can let is sit full of winter salt for weeks waiting for a warm day and then wash it clean with no ill effects.

The only down side is if you expect that super tight beading or the super slick feel you will be disapointed. I would use it again on these DD as it cuts my maintenace down 70-90%. Washes are fast, i did the wheels and no longer need wheel cleaner. a blast from the PW and a swosh with the wheel woolies or Boars hair brush and you are golden.

I applied OPticoat to the headlights, trim, wiper arms, hard plastic wheel wells in the new car all but the winshield and it had also held well.

I Iron-X'd (if thats a word) the cars and it did not seem to effect the coaitng and infact might have increased the slick feel a bit by removing the contaminats. Nothing sticks to this coating.

The EXO beads tigher like a wax, very hydrophobic. dirts does not stick, birst bombs wash off but leave a mark requiring polishing out unlike Opticoat. This car was destroyed after 4-5 months wearing EXO v1 by a hurricane floor. When they towed it away it was still beading like crazy. As it was pull up the incline of the flat bed the water ran off of it like a commercial. The EXO v1 was also susceptable to wash induced marring and the opticoat is not as delecate. I understand the EXO v2 is more durable but I have never tried it. I liked the ease of application in the V1 and the v2 is applied more like opticoat.

I hope this helped, it is based on my experience. BTW I did a Subaru Legacy and MDX plus all 8 wheels with one tube of OC 2.0. Though I was going to have a problem running low on the MDX wheels but it is still going strong.
 
Meticulous -

No, I have not used Adam's anything products, so I cannot tell you how their Sealant compares to Sonax Polymer Net Shield. It says on the can of Sonax "Allows for 6-month protection"

Good luck with your research !
Dan F
 
Thanks guys for the input. I am very confident in my polishing abilities and really like the scratch resistant properties of OC since the car is wiped down often. If I can get something Like Gtech C1 or CQuartz to last me 6 months to a year, I will be very happy! With as much as the car is washed during the car show season, most conventinoal LSP's dont stand a chance. I do like the slick feel but it is not a necessity. To me the most important thing is less marring and protect the freshly polished paint. I also thought about doing the Gtechniq C1 on the paint and C5 on the wheels, then reloading over top, but for the price I can get OC for it is putting me more towards that direction.
 
W3bb3r04 said:
If I can get something Like Gtech C1 or CQuartz to last me 6 months to a year, I will be very happy! With as much as the car is washed during the car show season, most conventinoal LSP's dont stand a chance. I do like the slick feel but it is not a necessity. To me the most important thing is less marring and protect the freshly polished paint. I also thought about doing the Gtechniq C1 on the paint and C5 on the wheels, then reloading over top, but for the price I can get OC for it is putting me more towards that direction.
Click to expand...


Based on your comments I am guess this car is not a Daily Driver, but more of a nice weather / show car. If that is the case I would suggest going for the looks department over the "protection" aspect. But if it is a daily driver then a coating is surly the way to go. I have found that CQ has a slightly "deeper / wetter / glossier" look when compared to OC. But that is just my personal experience with these products.


CQuartz org will last much longer than 6 months - 1yr. I currently am @ 2+ years using CQ and it is still going. And this is on a daily driven car that get a lot of miles put on it. If your dealing with a show car that doesn't get driven much ?I would foresee CQ lasting many years possibly.

I am planing on stripping it off since it has been 2 years and re-coating it with CQUK. This I am told has even better looks than CQ original. Also using ReLoad or Hydro2 as a topper adds to the water & dirt shedding abilities. Reload adds a nice glossing factor as well.




My ongoing CQ Review: http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums...-cquartz-ceramic-quartz-paint-protection.html
 
TroyScherer said:
Based on your comments I am guess this car is not a Daily Driver, but more of a nice weather / show car. If that is the case I would suggest going for the looks department over the "protection" aspect. But if it is a daily driver then a coating is surly the way to go. I have found that CQ has a slightly "deeper / wetter / glossier" look when compared to OC. But that is just my personal experience with these products.


CQuartz org will last much longer than 6 months - 1yr. I currently am @ 2+ years using CQ and it is still going. And this is on a daily driven car that get a lot of miles put on it. If your dealing with a show car that doesn't get driven much ?I would foresee CQ lasting many years possibly.

I am planing on stripping it off since it has been 2 years and re-coating it with CQUK. This I am told has even better looks than CQ original. Also using ReLoad or Hydro2 as a topper adds to the water & dirt shedding abilities. Reload adds a nice glossing factor as well.




My ongoing CQ Review: http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums...-cquartz-ceramic-quartz-paint-protection.html
Click to expand...


It is a car show/fair weather car but it does get driven quite a bit throughout the year going to shows far away. I will probably have about 12k on the car this year just going to shows and driving it on nice days.

I really would like it to look the best it can but I dont want to be adding wax every few weeks or month. I prefer to detail/wipe down with UWW+C so it should not affect the performance or beading of the existing coating. I will definitely consider CQuartz. Does it do well on wheels too? I have some Forgestars that are Piano black that I would love to coat as well.
 
W3bb3r04 said:
Troy would you reccommend the regular or UK for my needs?
Click to expand...


I can't fully answer that as I have not used my CQUK yet. The plan is in the next few weeks. Based on my understanding and current reviews I would say CQUK will look better and fit your needs while being easier to apply. But the best person to ask is Corey @ CarPro-US. He is honest and will be able to tell you what best fits your needs. He has experience with both as well as full customer feedback as well.


 
Dr Oldz said:
From reading your above post, I think CQUK fits the bill perfectly for you.
Click to expand...

TroyScherer said:
I can't fully answer that as I have not used my CQUK yet. The plan is in the next few weeks. Based on my understanding and current reviews I would say CQUK will look better and fit your needs while being easier to apply. But the best person to ask is Corey @ CarPro-US. He is honest and will be able to tell you what best fits your needs. He has experience with both as well as full customer feedback as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback! It also seems like the UK version is more scratch resistant! Looks like I will be going that route! :yourrock
 
Hi all,

To the OP. my personal recommendation to you would be Hi-temp terminator. It handles wipe downs very well and I get 6 months out of the coating on average. I drive my accord regularly and it works well for me.

-aj
 
Hp_junkie said:
Hi all,

To the OP. my personal recommendation to you would be Hi-temp terminator. It handles wipe downs very well and I get 6 months out of the coating on average. I drive my accord regularly and it works well for me.

-aj
Click to expand...

This guy's tried it

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co3mYsDwVhQ]HT-62 Paint Sealant & why I Chose this Product - YouTube[/ame]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top