2012 Kia Optima, new car prep and Opti-Guard coating

RaskyR1

Rasky's Auto Detailing
2012 Kia Optima Turbo, new car prep and Opti-Guard protection

This car belongs to a longtime client/friend of mine and he really wants to keep it better maintained then his previous vehicles. After explaining the options available to him he decided on Optimum’s Opti-Guard for the exterior and the Leather Masters duo on the interior. The overall condition of this vehicle was very good, having just over 5000 miles on it, but it did need a good claying and light polish. Given the condition and color of this vehicle I don’t have much for before pics…I actually debated even posting this one, but I kind of like the car and felt it was worth showing even if it was a cream puff job. ;)


Process:

Wash – ONR
Wheels – Sonax Full Effect
Tires – Optimum Power Clean
Clay – Meguair’s Mild Clay with ONR as lube
Paint correction – Optimum (updated) Hyper Polish via GG6 equipped with 3” & 5” Optimum MF finishing pads
Paint Protection – Optimum Opti-Guard (Paint, trim, wheels, lights, jambs)
Glass – Meguiar’s D120
Interior – Quick vacuum, wipe down vinyl/dash with 1Z Premium Cockpit Cleaner, Leather Masters Strong Cleaner and Protection Cream on seats
Exhaust tips – Optimum Metal Polish

Before

Owner ran through a touch-less wash before he dropped it off…I told him to request his money back!!!
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Black trim had significant marring but the paint itself was in great shape with only a few scratches here and there.
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While I like the look of the front grill, it really is one of those grills that is a pain to clean. These were hand polished and then coated with Opti-Guard later.
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New Optimum products arrived just in time. :)
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My first go with the new Optimum MF pads
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I’ve used various applicators for applying Opti-Guard now, but my favorite is definitely the CarPro micro sued applicators wrapped around the CarPro foam block.
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On the door jambs and wheels the supplied foam applicator works best with all the crazy contours.
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For the really intricate surfaces, like the front grill on this car, I like applying Opti-Guard via airbrush.
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Much better and now cleaning should be a breeze!
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Finished pics!
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I can’t believe this is a Kia!!!
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Kia logo on door sill lights up red
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I had hoped for sun to show off this nice pearl white, but unfortunately mother nature had other plans…guess the Brinkmann will have to do…
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Thanks for looking!

Rasky
 
Kia/Hyundia has really stepped up. Great job Chad. Are you diluting the Opti-Coat via airbrush or spraying it straight?
 
Thanks Guys!

Kia/Hyundia has really stepped up. Great job Chad. Are you diluting the Opti-Coat via airbrush or spraying it straight?

I'm just spraying it straight Todd....used about 10cc total on the car (can it even be diluted? If so with what?). I originally bought my air brushes for applying OG to the whole car, but I can't get it adjusted properly to spray a 3" pattern. I'm may look in to getting a nicer mini-gun at a later date, but for now I'm very happy with the CarPro applicators for the body.

I swapped out the .8 tip for a .3 tip and it sprays nicer now but with a more narrow pattern. ;)

I also coated only half the rear license plate as a test to see if there is a difference in cleanliness over the winter and to also show the owner how well it releases dirt. :inspector:
 
Thanks Guys!



I'm just spraying it straight Todd....used about 10cc total on the car (can it even be diluted? If so with what?).

In the thread over on .org about this, SuperBee364 posted some follow-up about a conversation he had with Dr. G at SEMA on the subject:

SuperBee364 @ .org said:
Got a chance to meet/chat with Dr. G during SEMA. What a great guy. He spent about 30 minutes talking to me, taking the time to field every one of my stupid questions at length. Learned a bunch of stuff, including one that's applicable to this thread: how to cut Opti-Coat for spray application.

I told Dr. G about how I was intrigued by Anthony Orosco's spray application of Opti-Seal and Opti-Coat, and that I had been spraying both of them a bit. I told him about how it was still rather easy to get areas of over application with OC, following up with asking how I could cut it to make spray application easier. Dr. G recommended cutting Opti-Coat with up to 50/50 xylene. He ran through various solvents, but ended up recommending xylene for it's quick-to-flash properties.

In theory, this should allow a heavier, noticeably wet coat to be applied, without running in to cloudy areas of over application. Next week, I'm going to polish the OC off of half of my hood and re-apply it using a 50/50 OC/xylene mix. I'm chosing the hood, as it's a horizontal panel constantly exposed to the harsh desert south west sun. I want to see if cutting OC like this for spray application will have any negative long term effects on the OC film. Dr G believes that there won't be. His only caution was that, by cutting OC with xylene, the resulting layer of OC will be thinner than it normally would. Since spraying results (depending on how you spray it) in a thicker layer anyway, I'm hoping that the result will be an easier to spray product with normal coating thickness. Guess we'll see... :)
 
I can really tell where you had sprayed the grill in that pic. You did an excellent job, I really like this Kia.

I really want to try the air brush for this and a few other products. I just don't know enough about airbrushes to know what to buy or what to look for.
 
Great work as always Chad, that KIA is kicking !! Kinda cool looking,....hows the weather up your way? Here in kentucky its now begining to get cold....But, our Basketball team is warming things up this year....Go Big Blue !!
 
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