Coating Longevit- how often?

F

firebird

New member
I am finally considering a coating. Is coating the car once a year sufficient? So every year you strip it down and start over? I am reading that some coatings last 2 years so in that case you wouldn't strip it down for 2 years? I am considering Opti coat. Thanks!
 
Hey, Firebird - hope you and yours are all doing well !

Opti-Coat Pro applied properly lasts for years..
All the other Coatings that are very good, have not been out long enough to have the track record Optimum has..
I personally would not want to keep applying or messing with a Coating every year - I just dont have the time...
Dan F
 
Hey Dan! Doing great and hope the same for you and yours!
I am a big Blackfire fan....should I go with Opti-Coat Pro or Blackfire? Hear any reviews on Blackfire?
 
I have clients with coatings that are 3 years old, but most coating manufacturers recommend polishing your car at least every 2 years. If properly cared for you can get whatever the manufacturer says is the durability. The latest info I have found is that after 2 years coatings start to lose the protective quality.
 
firebird said:
Hey Dan! Doing great and hope the same for you and yours!
I am a big Blackfire fan....should I go with Opti-Coat Pro or Blackfire? Hear any reviews on Blackfire?
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I have the blackfire on 2 cars. Not long enough for a durability test, but very easy to work with and looks GREAT
 
Have PBL on a car for 1.5 years, looks great, easy to use, got a touch weak in some areas but still looks good and protecting
 
I have used a few and here is my feedback.

OC Pro - Now at 2.5+ years and still going strong. I expect it to last for years to come and will only redo it if the marring and finish really need it.

CQ original - I got 2+-2.5 years out of this. This had good protection and lasted just like I expected. The 2 year mark was perfect for me to keep the finish in top looking condition.

CQUK - I am at nearly 2 years with this now. Slightly darker finish than CQ but still very similar.





IMO a "coating" that needs re-done every 9-12 months is really just a long life sealant. Really even the 2 year "coatings" are more like extreme life sealants. This include Opti Gloss coat IMO. For me the only real "coating" to this date is OC Pro if you use the "permanent" term within reason as I am aware everything degrades and wears away.
 
I do agree that if the life is less than 9 months it's not a good coating. I wouldn't call them Sealants either as I never got more than 3-4 months of excellent performance from BFWD or iw845.

I did get 18-24 months out of EXO v1, and OC 2.0. Those are the Only long term tested coatings I did so far but I'm running one with gloss coat , Viking coat and fresh application of EXO v2 and 22ple currently. All are daily drivers sitting outside 24x7.

If you don't get 2 years or really close to it there is no point to going through all the prep work, time and expense IMHO.



TroyScherer said:
I have used a few and here is my feedback.

OC Pro - Now at 2.5+ years and still going strong. I expect it to last for years to come and will only redo it if the marring and finish really need it.

CQ original - I got 2+-2.5 years out of this. This had good protection and lasted just like I expected. The 2 year mark was perfect for me to keep the finish in top looking condition.

CQUK - I am at nearly 2 years with this now. Slightly darker finish than CQ but still very similar.





IMO a "coating" that needs re-done every 9-12 months is really just a long life sealant. Really even the 2 year "coatings" are more like extreme life sealants. This include Opti Gloss coat IMO. For me the only real "coating" to this date is OC Pro if you use the "permanent" term within reason as I am aware everything degrades and wears away.
Click to expand...
 
The coatings (Optimum Gloss Coat) on our Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 is still going strong after 8 months.

And thats daily driving out here in the Hot & Dry Desert as well as a 3400 mile round trip from AZ to MO and back!

These days I Pressure Wash first, then Rinseless with D114.

Still Beading like Crazy!
 
When you talk about "all the prep work", the prep work is really the same whether you're applying a sealant or a coating, right? ie you should be preparing the surface the same way regardless of your choice of lsp. right?
 
firebird said:
When you talk about "all the prep work", the prep work is really the same whether you're applying a sealant or a coating, right? ie you should be preparing the surface the same way regardless of your choice of lsp. right?
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Firebird,
Glad to hear you guys are all good !

Yes, the Prep work will be the same, wash really well, clay bar/towel really well, correct really, really, well, clean the paint(Car Pro Eraser, Menzerna Top Inspection, etc..) several times to be sure its super free of anything, then apply the product of your choice..

Here is what I have learned on year-5 of Opti-Guard on my Black Grand Cherokee..
- Some soaps will get into it and not rinse as freely as others - especially all that colored stuff that comes out of the brush-it, slap-it, or both, type drive through car washes..
- I have to use them on occasion while making that 4,000 mile round trip drive to Texas and back..
- The amount of bugs and crap that hits the coating is way less than it used to be because they just cant stick and embed, and washing it is so much easier - especially the wheels and the inner
wheels..
- CarPro Reset is the first soap I have ever seen and used that helps clean my Opti-Coat finish and not add junk to it..
- The finish after year-2 started feeling like it had embedded gunk in it - I resisted the temptation to claybar or do anything to it..
- The finish is still on there, the paint is very clear and glossy, and there is very, very, little scratching to be found anywhere.. I can see all the metallic particles in the paint very clearly and see no scratches, etc..
- The vehicle looks really great and I like to take it to Dealerships and park next to new black vehicles there and see how much better mine still looks..
- The less you mess with the Coating, the longer it will last on the vehicle in my experience..
- I have not - ever - added any type of wax, etc., to the top of this Coating, and just wash it, dry it and enjoy the clarity and gloss..
- In my experiences with my personal vehicles and Clients, the less you mess with it after applying it and curing, the longer it will last - if you start abrading it at whatever level you do - if you could actually measure this - then all bets are off as to its longevity..

Good luck with your research and plan !
Dan F
 
I was not as anal with my Decon and final pre lsp clean up if I knew I'd be right back here is 2-3 months. Quite frankly I will never use wax or a sealant on a daily driver again. The coatings make maintenance washes so easy for so long the only argue s t for wax or sealant is if you can't polish or have a show car you think looks better with some other goop.

Again my opinion. I won't argue what you think looks better. If you like it use it. It's all good with me.

firebird said:
When you talk about "all the prep work", the prep work is really the same whether you're applying a sealant or a coating, right? ie you should be preparing the surface the same way regardless of your choice of lsp. right?
Click to expand...
 
Stokdgs said:
Firebird,
Glad to hear you guys are all good !

Yes, the Prep work will be the same, wash really well, clay bar/towel really well, correct really, really, well, clean the paint(Car Pro Eraser, Menzerna Top Inspection, etc..) several times to be sure its super free of anything, then apply the product of your choice..

Here is what I have learned on year-5 of Opti-Guard on my Black Grand Cherokee..
- Some soaps will get into it and not rinse as freely as others - especially all that colored stuff that comes out of the brush-it, slap-it, or both, type drive through car washes..
- I have to use them on occasion while making that 4,000 mile round trip drive to Texas and back..
- The amount of bugs and crap that hits the coating is way less than it used to be because they just cant stick and embed, and washing it is so much easier - especially the wheels and the inner
wheels..
- CarPro Reset is the first soap I have ever seen and used that helps clean my Opti-Coat finish and not add junk to it..
- The finish after year-2 started feeling like it had embedded gunk in it - I resisted the temptation to claybar or do anything to it..
- The finish is still on there, the paint is very clear and glossy, and there is very, very, little scratching to be found anywhere.. I can see all the metallic particles in the paint very clearly and see no scratches, etc..
- The vehicle looks really great and I like to take it to Dealerships and park next to new black vehicles there and see how much better mine still looks..
- The less you mess with the Coating, the longer it will last on the vehicle in my experience..
- I have not - ever - added any type of wax, etc., to the top of this Coating, and just wash it, dry it and enjoy the clarity and gloss..
- In my experiences with my personal vehicles and Clients, the less you mess with it after applying it and curing, the longer it will last - if you start abrading it at whatever level you do - if you could actually measure this - then all bets are off as to its longevity..

Good luck with your research and plan !
Dan F
Click to expand...


Dan,

Try the PBL coating shampoo. I tried it last week. Love it.
 
Firebird, fyi, Opti Coat 2.0 is no longer made and Opticoat Pro and CQfinest are only available to authorized installers. PBL, Opti Gloss and CQurartzUK are available to you among others, but those three are the most popular at the moment.
 
When I coat my car I want to apply multiple layers. Like 5. Can one apply 2-3 coats at one application, and then simply IPA wipe a few months later and then apply more coats on top? Or is a polishing required at that point? I'd like to do this before and then again after winter.
 
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