ProDetailing

Porsche 911 GT2 (997) Extreme Paint Correction!!!

2012-01-30T00:41:00.000-08:00

The Porsche 911 GT2 (997).... 523hp... 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.... top speed 331 km/h (206 mph). First Porsche 911 to break 200 mph! Only 4 units in Malaysia...

Only 6611 km on the clock... but...

Some of the worst swirls and RIDS...

A 50/50 shot of the corrected/uncorrected paintwork...

For more of this epic correction, click the link below:

The GT2 actually belongs to a private car collection and was hardly used. It was recently purchased by its new owner and we were called in to rescue the paint. It was kept in a warehouse and wiped clean regularly (unfortunately the cars weren't wiped down with Optimum No-Rinse). As the car was hardly used, all of the swirls and RIDS were inflicted by the cleaning process itself.

The original factory Porsche paintwork was very soft and this turned out to be an epic detail. Thankfully one of my detailing buddies, Mun aka muyo (http://hypergloss.blogspot.com/) was able to help me out with this detail.

As you can see from the dust that has accumulated.... the cars need regular cleaning.

Even the air-scoop is not spared...

The first step was to clean off all of the surface contamination with Optimum No-Rinse (ONR).

The signature blue color of ONR and the signature daytime LED running lights of the GT2.

ONR 50/50. All of the dust and surface contamination cleaned with just the ONR.

Wipe clean with ONR and wipe dry. Revealing the condition of the paint underneath all of that dust... The warehouse had metal-halide lights which were great for showing up any paint defects.

All of the scoops and vents were also cleaned with ONR.

Including the petrol cap...

Door jambs...

Closeup of some more stubborn paint contaminants.

After washing and drying with ONR. The surface of the paint was cleaned with Optimum OptiClay. The surface of the paint felt like sandpaper with plenty of contaminants bonded to the surface of the paint.

After just one panel...

After claying and drying it was time to inspect the paint again.

Some deep scratches in certain areas.

This one was too deep to polish out.

The two smaller scratches on top of the A-pillars were superficial and were easily removed.

After... all gone.

The rear spoiler was also not spared and had a stain that was probably caused by tree sap. The carbon fiber weave of the rear spoiler can be seen under the paint...

The paint looked pretty good after just the ONR and clay. ONR not only allows you to safely clean the surface of the paint but it also leaves behind an awesome shine!

The wheels were the cleanest wheels I have ever detailed. This is the condition before even cleaning.

Carbon ceramic brakes.... cost a fortune!!!

You can see the are where the dirt was removed by my finger. Very minimal dusting. Having carbon ceramic brakes probably helps.

There were some stubborn stains that required some Optimum Power Clean to remove.

After cleaning and a layer of Optimum Opti-Seal. Nice gloss to the rims.

The tires were dressed with Optimum Tire Shine.

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup's!!!

Great for trackdays but maybe not so good for our Malaysian rain!

Some wax residue trapped in the rear brake light.

Removed with Optimum Power Clean and a brush.

All done after Optimum Opti-Seal and Optimum Car Wax (OCW). One of the main benefits of OCW is that it gives great shine and protection but does not stain plastic or rubber and does not leave any residue behind.

Taping up with newspaper and 3M masking tape. This step is often overlooked but is critical to minimize cleanup from splatter from compounding.

Mun taping off the rear of the GT2.

Removing the front license plate holder.

I love how the blue tape contrasts against the black paintwork. The air-scoop was also taped off.

Taped off for a 50/50 and to try out the steps required to achieve the results we are after.

Compounding with Optimum Hyper Compound (OHC) and polishing with Optimum Hyper Polish (OHP) with wool/foam and the Makita 9227C/Flex 3401.

Priming the wool pad with OHC.

Great shot of the swirls and RIDS from the metal-halide spotlights.

The paint was VERY soft and these were the holograms left behind after compounding.

We followed up the compounding with OHP and the Optimum Red Foam and finishing was carried out with the Flex 3401 and OHP.

Pretty good result.

Extreme 50/50.

Before:

After:

On with the rest of the car...

Mun at work...

I love the wider 'hips' of the GT2 and this was also a great place to carry out another 50/50.

Before:

After:

Love the clarity of the paint after correction. The Porsche metallic flakes really pop and shine under the halogens.

The rear spoiler was also in very bad shape with some deep scratches across its surface.

Before:

After:

Some of the areas required the 'boot' to be opened and the heart of the GT2 was covered to prevent any dust and splatter from entering.

The GT2 was then given a quick rinse.

And compressed air was used to blow dry the gaps and crevices.

The condition of the paint after compounding. The factory paint was very soft and was easily marred.

The compounding marks were removed with OHP/Optimum Red Foam on rotary and finished with the OHP on the Flex 3401.

Areas which were not machine accessible were done by hand.

There were some water marks caused by water collecting and drying on the engine cover. Very hard to remove as the area had to be corrected by hand.

The carbon fiber is clearly visible through the vents...

And also under the paintwork of the engine cover.

There were also some water marks on the inlet manifold.

Some last minute touch-ups.

The interior was also given a quick clean with Optimum Opti-Clean. As the Opti-Clean is a waterless cleaner, it does not require rinsing and is very convenient for cleaning interior surfaces such as these carbon fiber seat backs...

Beautiful...

Scuff marks on the leather?

On plastic...

The paint was given an IPA wipe down to ensure the surface was completely clean before it was sealed with Optimum Opti-Seal.

Check out the gloss and definition!

Glass surfaces were also Opti-Sealed.

After allowing the Opti-Seal to cure for a few minutes. A layer of Optimum Car Wax was applied for additional protection.

Check out the gloss and depth of the paint!

Zebra stripes?

Just the reflection of the roof.

Some after shots:

While soft black paint is very difficult to finish... it does produce an awesome shine and reflection when completed.

All done and parked next to another black beauty... a DB9.

....!!!

Same condition as the GT2 before we started.

Some final reflection shots of this awesome ride!

I'll leave you with my favorite shot of this detail...

Many thanks to Mun for his invaluable assistance on this detail. Couldn't have done it without your help. Do check out his blog to view his post on this GT2.
http://hypergloss.blogspot.com/2012/01/porsche-gt2-my-first-exotic-hands-on.html

Cheers!!!

Major Correction on a Porsche GT2 Preview

2012-01-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Porsche GT2... The 'Widdow-maker'..... 530bhp.... RWD....

The condition of the paint before...

Swirls and RIDS galore....

After many, many, many hours....

Stay tuned for the full details of this major paint correction.

Optimum Car Wash Review w/ Optimum Opti-Mitt

2011-12-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

OPTIMUM CAR WASH:

Where does this product sit in Optimum's product line considering that Optimum No-Rinse is positioned as a rinse-less car wash. What benefit's, if any, does the Optimum Car Wash offer over the extremely convenient, easy to use and rinse-less Optimum No-Rinse?

The unique selling point of ONR is that there is no rinsing required before or after washing. Just simply mix a bucket of ONR, wipe clean and wipe dry.

However, there are still those that prefer a more traditional type of car wash and this is where the Optimum Car Wash comes in.

Optimum Car Wash comes in a deeper blue color compared with ONR and has a pleasant aroma. As the Optimum Opti-Mitt was specifically designed to be used with ONR and Optimum Car Wash it was also used in this review.

Does it work?

Click on the link below for the full review:

How do you test a car shampoo?

Find a suitably dirty surface, preferably in white color where any dirt residue can easily be seen. Check!

Unlike ONR where you just mix the ONR in a bucket, wipe clean and wipe dry, Optimum Car Wash is a conventional car wash which requires the surface to be rinsed before washing.

A capful of Optimum Car Wash is mixed in approximately 1 gal of water. The Optimum Car Wash produces a nice thick head of foam and has a very pleasant aroma.

The Optimum Opti-Mitt was soaked into the Optimum Car Wash solution and simply wiped across the surface. Unlike a normal MF towel, the Opti-Mitt holds onto the wash solution and gradually releases it with pressure allowing a more even distribution of the car wash throughout the entire surface area.

The Optimum Car Wash felt buttery smooth with plenty of lubrication to protect the paint against scratching while at the same time packing plenty of cleaning power.

After washing 50/50.

Rinsing off the Optimum Car Wash.

Nice beading on the newly cleaned surface.

After drying.

The Optimum Car Wash did a great job with removing most of the surface contamination. I was surprised how easy and quickly it was to get a clean surface.

However, as the Optimum Car Wash is meant to be a maintenance car wash which does not strip off any existing protection on the paint, there are limits to its cleaning ability and there were some more stubborn stains which were not able to be removed.

More cleaning power was required!!!

Optimum Power Clean was used and easily removed even the most stubborn stains.

OPC effortlessly removes even the most stubborn stains while still remaining safe for the paint.

After cleaning the entire vehicle, Optimum Opti-Seal was applied to the glass surfaces and Optimum Car Wax was applied to protect the paint.

Nice and clean.... and WHITE!!!

Some nice beading in the ensuing thunderstorm...

One white car not convincing enough? How about another... even more dirty!!!

You can see where the neighborhood cat went...

Optimum Car Wash on one side of the hood. Note the generous amount of foam after cleaning.

Quite impressive!!!

Not convinced? How about one more...

Special two-tone paint. White on top and dirt color on the bottom.

All done and protected with Opti-Seal on the glass and Optimum Car Wax on the paint.

CONCLUSION:

Optimum Car Wash is certainly a great product and it worked fabulously well. I have not used a conventional car wash for years and it was certainly a pleasant surprise to use a normal car wash instead of ONR.

ONR is still great for regular maintenance car washes but there is certainly a place for the Optimum Car Wash if some more cleaning power is required or if the surface is very dirty.

detailien @ exoticmods with ZTH for the Honda Hot Import Nights

2011-12-21T17:47:00.001-08:00

A short phone call from my buddy KC.

A simple quick detail.

A change of plans.

6 hours... 10 showcars... 2 supercars... much blood, sweat and tears(???) later...

V8!

V10!!

V12!!!

Click on the link below for the full story:

It all started with a short phone call from my buddy KC. Tom of ZeroToHundred needed to get his mini detailed for the Honda Hot Import Nights car show.

It was a really last minute request and after some head scratching and rescheduling... I ended up at ExoticMods on a Friday evening.

Kermit the frog... with signs of the usual dirt and grime from regular use.

As there was no room in the ExoticMods garage, I started out in the outside car park.

No water? No problem!

One bucket mixed with Optimum No-Rinse to clean the car.

Plenty of tar!!!

Optimum Power Clean was used for the more stubborn stains...

OPC also used for the brake calipers and wheels.

Agitate with a soft bristle brush.

After washing the car was taped off. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for a complete correction so a polish was carried out to remove the surface contamination and minor swirls and to give it a shine before the car show.

Swirls galore!!!

The Flex3401 was paired with a polishing pad and Optimum Hyper Polish to clean the paint, remove some light swirls and leave behind an awesome shine!

The paint was sealed with Optimum Opti-Seal followed by Optimum Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer to give it the maximum gloss and shine!

I'm pretty happy with the results considering what little time we had.

Reflections off the roof.

I love this shot!!! Look a the gloss! The paint looks dripping wet!!!

As I was halfway working on the Mini... KC showed up and started work on the Lamborghini Gallardo.

As there were space constraints we were not able to access the water supply. No problem again. The Raging Bull was cleaned with Optimum No-Rinse and the new Optimum Opti-Mitt. Optimum Opti-Seal was applied followed by Optimum Car Wax for a show car shine.

About halfway through we were joined by Lai (DarkAcoon on ZTH), a crazy detailing enthusiast, who was a great help in washing and preparing the other showcars on that night.

My deepest gratitude and appreciation goes out to him for sacrificing his time until past midnight to complete all of the cars on time.

Next up, the ExoticMods track GTI.

Optimum Power Clean was used to remove the dirt and grime from all of the trackdays.

Nice and clean on the LHS.

More proof of the POWER of POWER CLEAN!!!

While Lai and myself worked on cleaning the cars, KC sealed the paint with Opti-Seal followed by Optimum Car Wax to give the cars a nice shine for the car show.

I like the green of this VW Scirocco...

My favorite shot of the night...

The matt blue ExoticMods Audi R8.

Looks like the blue M&M.

Lai using Optimum Power Clean on the R8.

I like this shot as well.

Still smiling for the camera after so many hours....

KC also started to work on Tom's V12 BMW E34 monster!!!

Cutting with the Flex3401 with a foam cutting pad.

I followed behind with the Flex3401 with a polishing pad.

Nice shine on Tom's battleship grey E34.

The Lambo then received some new shoes...

Not just any Gallardo but a Superleggera.

A light drizzle passed by while the Lambo was parked outside. Nice beading!

KC touching up the Lambo before delivery.

50/50 beading shot.

The heart of the Raging Bull.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio?

The end of a long, long night!!!

It was a pleasure working on all of these cars and enjoyed suffering with my buddy KC and also Lai.

Check out: www.detailien.com for more post and info on the range of Optimum products.

Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) Guide with Optimum Opti-Mitt and Optimum Opti-Seal

2011-10-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

This is a step-by-step guide on how to use Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) with the latest Optimum Opti-Mitt. There is also a section at the end on the proper use of Optimum Opti-Seal.

The Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM) is one of the latest products to be released by Optimum Polymer Technologies. The OOM is specially designed for use with Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) and Optimum Car Wash (OWSH).

According to Optimum Polymer Technologies:

Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM) is made of high density polyurethane foam that is very soft, highly absorbent, and very durable. It is specifically designed to work with Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) and Optimum Car Wash (OWSH) to make the process of washing cars safer and easier. The waffle design creates a much larger surface area for removing all the dirt and grime from teh surface safely and effectively.

For the complete step-by-step guide for ONR and the full review of the Optimum Opti-Mitt, click on the link below:

Fill a bucket with approximately 1/4 full of water.

Put 2-3 caps of ONR into the water. (The exact recommendation is for 30 ml of ONR into 7.5 liters of water.)

The recommended washing medium for use with ONR is either a MicroFiber (MF) towel or the new Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM). The use of a MF towel is recommended as ONR has polymers which encapsulate the dirt and pulls them into the MF towels to prevent scratching of the paint. ONR will also lay down a protective polymer layer on the paint to further reduce the chance of scratching and will also leave behind a nice shine after drying.

In this case we will be trying out the new Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM) which was specially designed by Optimum Polymer Technologies for use with ONR.

According to OPT:
Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM) provides a great wash medium for Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) and Optimum Car Wash (OWSH). The 85-90 pores per square inch allows for the wash solution to flow to the surface and add great lubricity during the wash to protect all automotive surfaces from marring. Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM) is also very absorbent and can pull all the dirt and grime safely and effectively. The yellow backing of Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM) is much coarser and is designed to be used as a bug sponge or cleaning wheels. So in essence, you will get two wash mitts in one with Optimum Opti-Mitt (OOM).

Let's see how well it works.

After mixing the ONR, soak the MF towel or OOM into the bucket.

The material in the OOM holds a lot of water and it is best to allow the excess water to drain out of the OOM first before using.

The OOM also has an opening which allows your hand to be inserted into the OOM to make it easier to handle. (Note that I have inserted the string into the opening as well to prevent it from flying all over the place.) The yellow portion on top is made of the coarser foam material which is ideal for washing off stubborn contaminants or wheels.

The underside of the OOM is waffled which allows for a more even release of the ONR when in use as the peaks get compressed first and release a portion of the ONR first.

A close-up of the special foam that is used for the OOM. The foam allows dirt to be picked up and trapped within the pores while still allowing the dirt to be easily released when washing the OOM.

After soaking the OOM into the ONR, simply wipe it on the surface with just a little pressure to clean. Note the streams of ONR solution being released from the OOM. Typically, there is no need to wet or spray the surface first before using ONR unless the surface is caked in mud or sand whereby it may be more prudent to hose of the heavy contaminants before washing with ONR.

A 50/50 of a panel washed with ONR. All of the dirt has been effectively removed with just one pass of the OOM. Note the level of dirt and surface contamination that can safely be removed by ONR and the OOM.

Soak and agitate the OOM into the ONR solution again when required to remove any excess dirt that has been picked up by the OOM before moving onto the next section. It is important to ensure that there is sufficient ONR solution being released by the OOM when washing a panel.

A close-up of some of the contaminants released by the OOM.

Another panel being washed with the OOM.

The edge of the OOM can also be used to clean around more intricate areas.

A 50/50 showing half of the hood washed with ONR and the OOM.

Just to illustrate how effective the ONR and OOM combination is at picking up dirt, one pass was made on the dirty side of the panel.

Note the amount of ONR solution left behind by the OOM which helps to prevent scratching while washing with the OOM.

After washing the entire panel, the next step is to simply wipe it dry with another MF towel.

Done.

Washing your car with ONR is as simple as wiping the dirt off and wiping it dry. NO RINSING REQUIRED BEFORE OR AFTER ONR.

ONR is also designed NOT to remove any protective layers of wax or sealants that have been applied to the paint. A side benefit of using ONR is that it leaves behind a fantastic shine after drying thanks to the protective polymer layer.

ONR shine.

The ONR solution after completing the entire car.

Contaminants from the OOM.

NOTE: Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) is designed to be a maintenance wash that is carried out regularly and does not remove any protective layer of wax or sealants previously applied. If there are more severe stains which have been baked in to the paint on surfaces which are exposed to harsh environments of have not be regularly washed, Optimum Power Clean (OPC) may be required to remove more stubborn stains. However, OPC will also remove any protective layers of wax or sealants which will have to be reapplied after OPC.

OPTIMUM OPTI-MITT (OOM):

The OOM certainly feels like it was designed to be used with ONR. It is much easier to use with ONR than a MF towel as the foam holds it shape and retains water within the foam itself thereby increasing lubricity when it is pressed against the surface. The waffle design on the bottom surface helps with the gradual release of the ONR solution while also providing the cleaning ability from the pores in its surface.

The OOM feels like it is more effective at picking up and holding dirt within its pores than a MF towel and often one pass with the OOM is enough to clean the surface. The foam in the OOM also releases the dirt trapped within it more easily than a MF towel which should reduce the chance of scratching even further.

As a result of the foam holding more ONR solution and also the waffled design, I felt that the OOM releases much more ONR solution while washing a panel compared with a MF towel. While this means that more ONR solution is used to clean a vehicle, this can only be a good thing as the additional ONR solution released will further help to prevent scratching of the paint.

The OOM is also much easier to clean due to it being foam rather than a MF design. It certainly does complement ONR and makes cleaning your car faster and safer.

HOW TO USE OPTIMUM OPTI-SEAL (OOS):

Optimum Opti-Seal is a revolutionary paint protection formula with unmatched slickness and gloss. It is designed as a WOWA (Wipe On Walk Away) product which protects paint by forming behind a polymer film. It is safe to use on ALL surfaces including glass, plastic and rubber and has great water beading capabilities. VERY LITTLE OOS is required to protect an entire vehicle and it is VERY EASY to use.

Just squirt the OOS on the foam applicator pad and wipe it on the surface. OOS is designed to be applied very thinly and will flash off on its own and no buffing off is required.

The OOS was applied on glass to show how little is required. As long as the foam applicator pad is still moist and leaves behind some even streaks of OOS as below, there is no need to spray on any more OOS. Typically one panel can be covered with 1 squirt of OOS.

Just wipe on the OOS on the surface and you are done. It will flash off on its own leaving behind a streak free glossy surface with great water beading.

For more information on ONR and OOM please visit:
http://www.detailien.com/p/clean.html

For more information on OOS please visit:
http://www.detailien.com/p/protect_05.html

Detailing Clinic by detailien.com

2011-10-26T19:37:00.001-07:00

My buddy KC organized an advanced detailing clinic for a number of detailers from all over the country including East Malaysia.

His post on this clinic can be found on his blog:

http://thedetailers.blogspot.com/2011/10/malaysia-car-detailing-guru-brings-u.html

These are my pictures from the clinic.

KC explaining the theory of detailing and paint correction to the participants.

Aside from the usual basics, this clinic was targeted at more experienced detailers wanting to learn more about more advanced detailing techniques such as wetsanding, compounding, polishing and also Optimum Opti Coating.

To read more about it, click on the link below:

After washing the car with ONR and demonstrating the benefits of using a specialized washing medium like the new Optimum Opti-Mitt, the surface was clayed and prepared for correction.

Half of the hood was taped off to show the participants a 50/50 on the difference between the original and corrected side.

A relatively deep scratch was identified and a demonstration on how to wetsand the scratch was carried out.

After wetsanding a demonstration was carried out on how easily Optimum Hyper Polish (OHP) combined with the Optimum Double-Sided foam pad was able to remove 1500 grit sanding marks without the need to resort to a compound after wetsanding.

The entire panel was then compounded with Optimum Hyper Compound (OHC) and the Optimum Double-Sided wool pad. One of the benefits of the OHC is the long work time and very minimal dusting compared with most other compounds.

After compounding, the entire panel was followed with OHP.

Before:
Swirls and RIDS visible.

After:

Closeup of after:

After correction the Optimum Opti-Coat was applied on the corrected side of the hood.

The proper method of applying Optimum Opti-Coat was demonstrated.

Participants were then able to try out their skills at wetsanding, compounding and polishing.

KC also demonstrated the use of the steamer to safely clean tough stains in the engine bay and also the interior surfaces.

After letting the Optimum Opti-Coat cure for just an hour. The test vehicle was pulled outside for the demonstration on the effectiveness of Optimum Opti-Coat in protecting the paint.

Optimum Power Clean was sprayed on the entire hood. Normal waxes and sealants would be removed after OPC but the Optimum Opti-Coat is not affected at all thereby providing a permanent protective layer on top of the original paint.

The left side protected with the Optimum Opti-Coat is completely unaffected despite being washed with the OPC.

The water beading is completely unaffected on the Optimum Opti-Coated side while the uncoated side has lost all of the water beading indicating that there is not longer any protective layer on top of the paint.

For more information about future detailing clinics do check out detailien.com or click the link below:

detailien.com

2011-10-11T22:46:00.001-07:00

We have a new website for Optimum Car Care Products.

For full details on Optimum Car Care products, please visit:

Mercedes Benz AMG E-Class Glass Coating and Interior Detailing with Optimum Opti-Clean

2011-08-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Posted the exterior detail and Optimum Opti-Coating of this car here:
http://prodetailing.blogspot.com/2011/08/optimum-opti-coat-on-mercedes-benz-amg.html

After completing the Optimum Opti-Coating very, very, early in the morning... I continued the next day or should I say later that same morning with a light interior cleaning with Optimum Opti-Clean and protected the leather with Optimum Protectant Plus.

Optimum Opti-Clean is the latest product from Optimum Polymer Technologies and is a revolutionary waterless wash which is suitable for cleaning exterior AND interior surfaces.

The glass and wheels were then coated with Optimum Opti-Coat.

For more details of the detail, click the link below:

First up, the Optimum Opti-Clean on the interior.

The waterless nature of Optimum Opti-Clean makes it ideal for cleaning areas where it is inconvenient to use a regular car wash or even Optimum No-Rinse as the area does not need to be dried after. Just spray on the Optimum Opti-Clean and wipe the dirt away. It is a surprisingly effective cleaner and can deal with most regular stains. For more stubborn stains, it is best to switch to Optimum Power Clean.

Before:

After:

Dust and dirt on the surface.

Spray on the Optimum Opti-Clean.

Wipe off.

Leave it to flash off and dry on its own. Done...

It is very convenient for interior surfaces and saves a lot of time as you do not need to wipe it dry. Can even be used on fabric surfaces like the bottom part of this door panel.

Notice the wet area on the fabric section where the Optimum Opti-Clean was used.

After:

Before:

Dirt on the MF towel:

After:

Back of the passenger seat.

50/50 after Optimum Opti-Clean.

Done.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Back of the driver's side seat. Plenty of scuff marks.

Spray on the Optimum Opti-Clean.

Wipe off and allow to flash off.

50/50.

Done...

Center console.

After:

Plastic door sills.

After: The Optimum Opti-Clean also leaves behind a nice shine on the plastic trim.

Before:

After:

The Optimum Opti-Clean can also be used to clean the leather seats.

The dirt pulled out of the leather seat onto the MF towel.

After cleaning the seats were dressed with Optimum Protectant Plus.

Done...

After completing the interior I decided to drive the car out to take some shots of the car.

The AMG wheels were also Opti-Coated to protect them and make them easier to clean.

Before:

After:

Some sun shots:

Nice triple reflection.

The owner then showed up and I demonstrated the water beading capabilities of the Optimum Opti-Coat.

Sprayed on some water....

Watch it bead off....

The last thing to be done before handing the car back over to the owner was to polish the glass and coat it with Optimum Opti-Coat.

This is where the Flex 3401 comes into its own. The danger with polishing glass with a rotary is the possibility of leaving behind some hazing or scratches due to the rotary action of the polisher. This isn't an issue with a dual-action polisher as it oscillates instead of spins. However, DA's have limited correction capabilities due to this same mode of action. The Flex 3401 marries the best of both worlds as it is a DA polisher with 'forced' rotation. The ultimate correcting ability is not as great as a rotary but it is capable of a decent amount of correction and still finishes off perfectly. Hence, it is an ideal tool to polish glass with.

The glass was first cleaned with Optimum Power Clean, clayed and then polished with Optimum Hyper Polish with a foam polishing pad with the Flex 3401.

After ensuring the surface has been cleaned and polished an IPA wipedown was done and the surface is now ready for the Optimum Opti-Coat application.

All done. There should now be long-term protection and water repellency for the glass with the Optimum Opti-Coat.

Love the reflections in this shot...

That's it..... all done.

Thanks for looking.

Optimum Opti-Coat on Mercedes Benz AMG E-Class

2011-08-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

The owner of this AMG Mercedes had contacted me some time ago as he wanted to ensure that his newly acquired pride and joy was properly protected from the harsh environmental conditions with a protective layer of Optimum Opti-Coat.

Optimum Opti-Coat forms a PERMANENT protective layer on the surface of the paint which helps protect the original paint from environmental damage. The Optimium Opti-Coat adds 2-3 microns to the thickness of the paint and is harder and more scratch resistant than the original factory paint. Optimum Opti-Coat also has superior hydrophobic properties which helps to ensure that dirt or other contaminants are less likely to bond with the paint and to make cleaning and maintaining the paint easier. Should there be any need to remove any stains which have bonded to the paint such as watermarks, the Optimum Opti-Coat can be polished while leaving the original factory paint untouched.

A common misconception with regards to coating is that the coat itself is the most important part of the process. The coating does matter but it is the surface preparation that makes all of the difference to the appearance of the paint and the coating is added as the last step to protect the paint. Any paint defects that are not corrected will be sealed in by the coating and hence it is critical to ensure the paint is properly corrected before coating.

This Mercedes Benz AMG E-Class took well over 15 hours and two-days to carry out the paint correction and Opti-Coating of the exterior and glass surfaces.

A....M....G....

Swirls and RIDS....

No need to PANIC!!!

Optimum Hyper Compound and Optimum Hyper Polish are here to save the day....

After many, many, hours... lots of sweat and a little beer....

Full details of this detail after the link:

Nice number...

As with most white cars which have been kept clean, it doesn't look too bad on first inspection.

AMG wheels not looking their best...

Scuff marks on side skirts...

AMG exhaust tips...

Upon closer inspection, the paint looked dull and there were some stains baked into the hood.

A bit difficult to capture on camera but the slightly darker area in the middle is the stain...

Started out with a complete cleaning of the exterior surface with Optimum Power Clean.

Certain hard to reach areas required a brush...

Stains removed...

Exhaust tips also Optimum Power Cleaned.

AMG wheels also cleaned with Optimum Power Clean and a brush.

Before:

After:

50/50...

Areas such as these vents also cleaned with Optimum Power Clean and a brush.

Fingernail marks on drivers side door handle...

Removed with Optimum Power Clean.

After a thorough cleaning with Optimum Power Clean the car was clayed with Optimum Opti-Clay with Optimum No-Rinse as a clay lube.

The car had a lot of surface contamination and this is what the clay looked like after just one section of the hood.

After a thorough cleaning.... looks pretty good.

Ready for coating???

Not quite.....

Optimum Opti-Coat forms a permanent 2-3 micron protective layer on top of the original paint. As such, it is imperative that all paint defects be properly corrected BEFORE the Optimum Opti-Coat is applied.

It is very difficult to document paint issues with white pain as there is less contrast between the paint and the defects. Upon closer inspection with a halogen lamp, the issues with the paint become more obvious.

Swirls and Random Isolated Deep Scratches (RIDS) everywhere!!!

Even the AMG logo was not spared...

No need to PANIC!!!

All of the vents, plastic and rubber trim were taped off before correction.

A test area was marked out on the front hood.

First up, Optimum Hyper Compound with the Optimum Double-Sided Wool Pad on a Makita 9227C Rotary Polisher.

The compounding is meant to correct the major defects and will have to be followed by Optimum Hyper Polish with a polishing pad on the Flex 3401 Forced Rotation Dual-Action polisher. The Flex is a really great tool as the forced rotation gives it some correcting ability while the dual-action ensures that the finish is perfect every time.

50/50 or should I say 25/25...

If you look closely, you can see a line down the middle with the corrected portion on the right and the remainder of the hood dull and oxidized.

Notice that the front right portion of the hood has been restored to the original white color.

The corrected left side is noticeably whiter than the original paint on the right.

50/50.

Before:
The reflection is dull and not very sharp.

After:
Compared with the picture above there is big difference in the clarity and sharpness of the reflection.

Before:

After:

Plenty of swirls before.

50/50.

This is what the paint should look like!!!

A shot from the roof.... plenty of swirls up here also.

Defects removed after compounding with Optimum Hyper Compound. Although all of the major paint defects have been removed, if you look closely you can see some hazing left behind by the compounding which will be removed during the polishing step.

The boot lid had some major swirls and RIDS.

Taped off for a 50/50.

Major paint defects removed after compounding. The area will still need to be polished to removed the slight traces of hologramming caused by the compounding.

After polishing...

By the time the compounding was finished, it was getting pretty late and some 'refreshments' were required to keep me going...

Polishing with Optimum Hyper Polish was carried out next. The combo of the Optimum Hyper Polish and the Flex 3401 left the paint flawless and guaranteed that there were no holograms left behind.

The front grilles was also corrected with the Flex and Optimum Hyper Polish combo.

Much better...

Couldn't resist taking this shot of the unique patterns left behind by the Flex...

The original Mercedes paint also looked great with a lot of depth and clarity after polishing. The metallic flakes in the paint really popped out which I tried to capture in this picture.

The B-Pillars were also very badly swirled up and the paint was very soft and easily scratched.

After compounding...

After polishing to remove the compounding marks.

Passenger side...

After:

It was now time for coating... Note the nice gloss and depth to the paint even before coating.

After coating...

I love these reflection shots...

All of the plastic trim including the front grille were also coated with Optimum Opti-Coat.

It was very, very, early in the morning by the time I got done applying the coating. I wanted to get the coating completed immediately after polishing and also to give the coating time to cure by the next day. Optimum Opti-Coat cures to the touch in 30mins and 'fully' cures in about 12 hours. Depending on weather conditions it will continue to harden over the next few days before achieving its maximum strength.

I really do love these after shots. The paint looks amazingly glossy with a deep wet look even on white.

This really does make it all worthwhile.

Will post the interior cleaning and glass polishing process and pics in another post.

Thanks for looking.

Optimum Opti-Coat Review - Update after 15 Months

2011-07-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

How long does the Optimum Opti-Coat lasts? Does it really work?

- Optimum Opti-Coat is supposed to form a PERMANENT protective layer on top of your existing paint and is designed to be harder, more scratch resistant and has better water beading characteristics than the original paint.

- Optimum Opti-Coat is supposed to last and protect for as long as the coating is taken care of properly.

- Another advantage of getting your car coated is that should there be any issue with with scratches or watermarks which requires polishing or compounding, only the Optimum Opti-Coat will be affected as the original paint below the Optimum Opti-Coat will not be touched.

Does it really work? How long does it last?

The only way to tell is to try it out...

The surface of this test vehicle suffered from clearcoat failure. IF the Optimum Opti-Coat really works and forms an additional permanent protective layer on top of the paint, the coated area should remain the same and the paint should not oxidize and revert back to the original condition over time.

Early-May 2010: A section of the test area was taped off and corrected before the Optimum Opti-Coat was applied.

After correction. Nice and shiny with the gloss restored.

Time to try out the coating...

The surface really looks great!!!

Mid-May 2010: Great water beading!!!

June 2010: Still the same reflection...

May 2011: Water sheeting ONE YEAR LATER!!!

August 2011: After 15 MONTHS!!!

Does Optimum Opti-Coat work?

They say a picture tells a thousand words..... at least this saves me from typing another 738 words.

Extreme Watermark Correction and OptiCoating on a Honda Civic

2011-07-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

The owner of this new Civic had called my buddy KC to come and rescue his ride but due to some unfortunate events which KC explained in his blog http://thedetailers.blogspot.com/2011/07/is-pain-necessarily.html he was unable to carry out the work.

The Civic's owner had waited over a month and so I was roped in to help out with the heavy work... but seriously, many thanks to KC for inviting me to assist in this detail.

Let's get started.

Doesn't look too bad from here.

Upon closer inspection, the windows had some pretty severe watermarks. The owner noticed these marks just after buying the car. When he brought it up with Honda Malaysia they told him basically that it was his problem and this could not be fixed under warranty....

The driver's side windows and the front windscreen were the worst affected.

Click the link below to find out if the watermarks could be removed:

The front windscreen...

We decided to remove the marks with the Flex 3401 with a foam cutting pad and Optimum Hyper Compound. We decided against using a rotary with a wool pad as the rotary may caused some visible scratches to the glass. Due to the forced rotation dual-action capabilities of the Flex, it has enough cutting power to remove even severe watermarks but is still able to finish off perfectly due to its orbital rotation.

Was in a rush to complete this job and didn't manage to take a picture of the Flex. Here is a picture that I took earlier of the Flex 3401. Not cheap but worth the investment.

The severity of the watermarks and the difficulty in removing them really did surprise me. It required multiple, multiple, multiple passes to remove them. Here is a picture of the Optimum Hyper Compound being worked onto the glass.

Despite his medical condition, my buddy KC also helped out with the removal of watermarks around the edges where the Flex could not reach.

Before:

After:
Crystal clear.

The glass was then prepped for coating by cleaning with Optimum OptiClean and an IPA wipedown to completely remove any polishing residue.

A layer of Optimum OptiCoat was applied to provide additional protection against watermarks and also for long-term water beading abilities.

Thanks for looking.

BMW Detailing Clinic with Master KC

2011-07-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Master KC, thedetailers.blogspot.com, recently held a detailing clinic for the BMW Club Malaysia where the members of the BMWCM were given a free detailing clinic that covered all aspects of detailing including machine correction.

The event was organized by a few of the BMWCM committee members and was held in an open car park near one of the member's office.

Click the link below for more:

The owner of this lovely E60 530d is being taught on the proper compounding technique much to the amusement of the other members.

Compounding was done with Optimum Hyper Compound and the Optimum Double-Sided wool pad.

The owner had to be physically restrained by KC to stop compounding.... :-)

Next was polishing using the Optimum Hyper Polish and the Optimum Double-Sided Red Foam pad.

The member's inspecting the finish... The Hyper system combo with the Optimum pads makes correction easy and hologram free even for a first time rotary user.

Mmmmmm..... smooth.....

May the force be with you..... a crash course in detailing.

2011-07-26T19:53:00.001-07:00

My buddy KC @ thedetailers.blogspot.com was supposed to conduct another detailing clinic a few days ago but is temporarily out of action and had to cancel. However, he had one participant who purposely flew in from East Malaysia to learn from the master himself. Unfortunately, Yoda was unable to teach the young padawan about the ways of the force... a call was made and it was left to me.... Obi-Wan to demonstrate the ways of the force to the young padawan....

The force was most certainly strong in this one as he had waited two months and traveled hundreds of kilometers to seek the master himself.... unfortunately he had to make do with me. :-)

Anyway.... may the force be with us all... and on with the story.

I met the young padawan (hmmm..... makes me sound like an old uncle.) at his abode. I brought along his Makita lightsaber and other supplies from the master. I only had a couple of hours to train him in the ways of the force.

A sample vehicle was required....

Note the horrendous condition of the paint with some patches of clear coat failure, many swirls and RIDS (Random Isolated Deep Scratches)..... PERFECT!!!

Will the young padawan be able to master the force without master Yoda? Click the link below to find out:

The young padawan apprentice was first thought about the legendary Optimum No-Rinse or ONR. Legend has it that the ONR does not require any rinsing to clean the car and it was time for the young padawan's first test..... (Note: As the writer of this blog may not be in a sane mental state, the identities of all involved have been protected.)

After the ONR, a demonstration of the cleaning ability of the Optimum Power Clean was carried out as well as the proper technique for claying with ONR as a lube.

The surface was now ready for correction and a section of the hood was taped off for a 50/50. Pretty severe swirls.

As the young padawan's lightsaber was still brand new and in the box..... I lent him mine instead. The surface was compounded with Optimum Hyper Compound with the Optimum Double-Sided Wool pad and followed by polishing with the Optimum Double-Sided Foam pad.

Some wetsanding was also demonstrated on a deep scratch.....

After compounding the sanding marks...

Some 50/50 shots of the young padawan's use of the force...

Before...

After...

After correction, the apprentice was schooled in the ways to protect the paint with Optimum Opti-Seal followed by Optimum Car Wax.

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Not too bad for a young apprentice holding a lightsaber for the first time.

I wish him lightspeed, all the best and MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.......

Honda City Optimum OptiCoat

2011-07-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

My buddy KC (thedetailers.blogspot.com) was supposed to detail and OptiCoat this brand new Honda City but unfortunately he is temporarily out of action at the moment.

This detail couldn't wait as the owner had just taken delivery of her ride and wanted to ensure that it was properly protected from the beginning. KC had explicitly told her NOT TO WASH THE CAR as improper washing could have scratched and damaged the paint.

This is the condition of the Honda City when it arrived. The car is brand new and has been driven about 300km since delivery.

As expected there was a certain amount of dirt on it from not being washed for a week. The owner was apologetic about the condition and had wanted to get it washed before sending it over.

Click the link below to continue reading the details of this detail and OptiCoating.

The car was sprayed with water to wash away the any excess dirt and Optimum Power Clean was used to ensure the surface was cleaned of any contaminants.

A soft bristle brush was used to clean hard to reach areas and also the wheels.

While cleaning the wheels I noticed some damage on the front drivers side wheel and later informed the owner of this. It appears like someone had inadvertently hit a curb or some other object.

Inner wheel wells also brushed clean.

After the cleaning it was time to clay the car to ensure the surface is completely clean and ready for correction. A sample of Optimum OptiClay was used with Optimum No-Rinse as the clay lube.

Clay before:

As expected for a brand new car, there were only very minimal surface contaminants.

Clay after:

The only problem on the entire car was this nick in the paint on the passenger side door that may have been caused by someone opening a door while parking next to this car.

After the exterior claying, a light cleaning was carried out on the interior surfaces.

For the interior, the new Optimum Opti Clean was used. This product is a waterless wash which makes cleaning interiors and other surfaces such as door jambs easy as there is not water and hence no need to dry after. Just wipe the dirt off in one go.

Inside of the passenger door.

Some remnants of the plastic protective wrap which was not completely removed during delivery of the car.

Cleaned and plastic removed.

Dirt on the door jambs.

50/50 with Optimum Opti Clean.

Done. Leaves a nice shine behind also.

Grease from door hinges.

Removed with Optimum Opti Clean.

Nice and clean.

Optimum Opti Clean is also safe to use on plastic and rubber interior trim.

Some strange looking stains on the inside of the doors.... looks a bit like Leopard spots!!!

Cleaned off with Optimum Opti Clean.

More spots.

Removed.

Stains on rubber door liner.

50/50 after Optimum Opti Clean.

Not much work on the interior as it was still new.

The engine bay was also cleaned up with Optimum Opti Clean.

As expected for a brand new car, the paint look pretty good after the cleaning.

Let's bring out the halogen light for a closer inspection. As with all white cars, capturing any defects is going to be a challenge.

Water spots galore. All over the paint...

No major swirls or scratches so no compounding required. Just to make sure the paint is hologram free, the Flex 3401 Dual-Action Polisher with forced rotation was used.

As this was essentially a DA, the Optimum Hyper Polish was sprayed on the surface. However, I found that it was still better to spray it directly onto the pad.

The unique patters of a DA with forced rotation.

After. Difficult to see but the watermarks and other slight paint defects have been removed.

Nice clarity to the paint.

Taping up the plastic and rubber trim as we go along.

The glass was also not spared with severe watermarks.

Taping up before polishing the glass.

Before:

After:

Glass was also coated with Optimum OptiCoat providing protection and permanent water beading for the glass.

The chrome door handles were also not spared from watermarks.

After:

After polishing and making sure all watermarks and other paint defects have been removed, it was time to OptiCoat the car.

The professional version of Optimum OptiCoat was used.

Afters:
Nice gloss to the white paint. The coating cures to the touch in 30 mins and fully cures in 24 hours. The coating will continue to harden and depending on weather conditions should reach maximum hardness within a week.

The wheels were also OptiCoated making cleaning and removal of any brake dust much easier.

Final shot before being returned to the owner.

Back home...

Thanks for looking.

OptiCoat FAQ:

Why coating?

- Optimum OptiCoat is harder, more chemical resistant and has water beading abilities when compared with the normal clear coat of a paint. It resist scratching thereby ensuring less swirls and damage to the paint and provides an additional layer of protection over the original paint. Should there be a need to polish off any watermarks or light scratches in the future, the original paint is still protected as only the additional layer of OptiCoat is being polished.

How long does the coating lasts?

- Optimum OptiCoat is designed to last indefinitely and bonds to the existing clear coat of the paint increasing paint thickness by 2-3 microns. The coating can be considered permanent unless it is removed.

Do you still need to maintain the coating?

- Optimum OptiCoat protects the paint, increases water beading and reduces the ability of dirt and other contaminants from sticking to the paint. However, this does not mean that dirt will just rinse off and as the OptiCoat is still exposed to the environment it will still require regular washing but because of the coating, washing is much quicker and easier. If regular washing is not carried out and there are more stubborn stains, Optimum Power Clean can be used to remove the stains but the coating will not be affected.

For more information about Optimum products or OptiCoat, please visit optimumcarcare.blogspot.com.

Optimum Opti Clean Review- Waterless Car Wash!!!

2011-05-23T01:12:00.001-07:00

Is it really possible to wash a car without water?

Optimum Polymer Technologies just released a waterless car wash called Optimum Opti-Clean.

Does it work and is it really 'water' less? Can't you just use ONR at QD strength?

Click on the link below to find out....

Optimum Polymer Technologies is already well renowned for the Optimum No-Rinse (ONR).

ONR is actually a revolutionary rinse-less wash system where the ONR cleans the car and is just wiped dry after. No rinsing required. The ONR also leaves behind a protective polymer layer which increases the shine of your car.

For more details on ONR: ONR Guide

Optimum Polymer Technologies has now taken the basic concept behind ONR and has released a waterless wash, Optimum Opti-Clean.

Does it work? No better way to find out than to try it on a white car. Based on the Opti-Clean label, it is meant for convenient light cleaning and it is specified that when there is heavy dirt build up to use ONR instead.

So here we have a white car with some light dirt buildup. The perfect test case for Optimum Opti-Clean.

On the front right of the hood.

The product is very easy to use. Just spray on and wipe off with a clean microfiber towel. (Note: It is important that a microfiber towel is used as the polymers in Optimum Opti-Clean and ONR will trap dirt within the microfiber's themselves to prevent scratching of the paint while cleaning.). It is also important to note that the microfiber should be changed once there is significant dirt buildup to ensure that the paint isn't scratched by the dirt itself.

Here we go..... just spray on....

As to the question of whether you could use ONR at QD strength instead? The Optimum Opti-Clean seems to be of a thicker consistence than ONR QD. There seems to be a more even spread on the paint with less run-off. It also feels a lot slicker on the paint and gives the impression that the polymers are protecting the surface while cleaning.

After one wipe. Some dirt picked up on the edges.

After half the hood. Nice and clean..... Earlier stains removed.

Dirt picked up by the microfiber towel. Best to use a clean section of the towel for the next panel.

50/50 on the roof. Nice deep gloss even on white.

Test on the lower panel behind the front wheel.

The recommendation for dirtier sections of the car is to spray on more Opti-Clean and leave it for a few seconds before wiping off. Wiped off the middle section below leaving the top and bottom for comparison.

All done!!!

Dirt picked up by the microfiber towel.

I must say that the Optimum Opti-Clean was really easy to use. It also left behind an amazingly glossy appearance!!! Check out the pictures after just wiping with Opti-Clean.

Good stuff and highly recommended for light cleaning. Great glossy look after cleaning as well!!!

Optimum Opti-Coat Update

2011-05-21T17:50:00.001-07:00

Some pics after driving through heavy rain last night.

Still superb water beading from Opti-Coat after 4 months!!! Even after washing repeatedly with Optimum Power Clean!!!

Does the Opti-Coat work? Judge for yourself....

Swirl Free? The Impossible Dream?

2011-05-15T01:19:00.000-07:00

Just had the pleasure of meeting up with two hardcore detailing enthusiast this past week.

*For confidentiality reasons the identities of these car crazy individuals have been kept a secret..... if you think I'm referring to you please email me and I'll confirm if it is you.... :-).

Case 1:
One has been using a regular car shampoo (sounds similar to Knight Riders car) and meticulously using the two-bucket method and CD scratch testing every microfiber towel used on his ride. I must say that his pride and joy is completely swirl-free and the interior matches the exterior condition. Most impressive!!! He has just gotten a bottle of Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) which should make keeping his ride clean while maintaining a swirl-free finish much quicker and more convenient.

Case 2:
The other has only washed his ride exclusively with ONR from new and it is also immaculate AND swirl-free. Seeing his ride in person certainly validates the concept behind ONR and reconfirms that when used properly, ONR is just as effective as a two-bucket method in maintaining a swirl-free finish but so much more convenient and easy to use. Not to mention the water savings from not having to rinse before and after washing with ONR.

Both of their rides were in immaculate condition and testament to their passion for car detailing.

Speaking of passion, I have added links to two new detailing blogs below of two young and very passionate detailers. Good luck and look forward to seeing more of your posts!!!

hypergloss.blogspot.com
zero2herodetailing.blogspot.com

Optimum Opti-Coat - Proton Exora

2011-02-17T00:49:00.001-08:00

Optimum Opt-Coat on a Proton Exora.

Finally got round to Opticoating the Exora. The weather's not been that great and the white color is great at exposing all of the dirt and water spots that are baked in to the paint.

Check this one out... stains on the hood.

Water spots on the roof.

Striping on the paint like a zebra.

First up, Optimum Power Clean to remove the stains followed by claying with ONR lube to pick up any remaining surface contaminants.

Looks much better after justs the Optimum Power Clean and claying.

Closer inspection of the paint with a halogen light. Plenty of swirls on the paint.

Taping up for a 50/50.

As I wanted to compare the Optimum Hyper Polish with Meguiar's M205, I started out a test section with M205. Based on my previous experiences with M205, I expected it to work smoothly but surprisingly the M205 gummed up and caked onto the paint making removal a challenge. After just two passes I gave up and tried the Optimum Hyper Polish.

On this particular vehicle's paint, the Optimum Hyper Polish was so much better than M205 and I was truly surprised to find that it worked into the paint very well and had lots of lubricity and an almost buttery feel to it. Nice to work with and great results.

50/50.

After correction.

50/50.

The Optimum Hyper Polish.

Done. Nice and clean.

The paint was then wiped down with IPA to ensure that it was as clean as possible before the Optimum Opti-Coat was applied. All paint, glass and plastics were coated.

Some afters.

It started to rain halfway through the Opti-Coat application. After about half-an-hour the Opti-Coat should have cured enough to touch.

Amazing gloss and depth to the white color.

Its been nearly a month now and the Optimum Opti-Coat has held up fantastically well. It seems to be a lot harder for dirt to stick on the paint and the water beading is amazing!

Optimum Opti-Coat Water Beading (3 months)

2011-02-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

Amazing water beading from Optimum Opti-Coat even after 3 months!!!

Optimum Opti-Coat Water Beading after 3 months.

2011-02-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

Just an update on the Honda CR-V which was Opticoated wtih Optimum Opti-Coat after 3 months.

The owner has been ecstatic about the performance of the Optimum Opti-Coat and has commented that the water beading is fantastic and that dirt doesn't really stick to the paint. It is also very easy to wash and has stood up to washing by commercial car washes very well.

There is very minimal micro-marring on the paint indicating the Optimum Opti-Coat is much harder than the factory clear coat.

Enough of words.... enjoy.

A video of the water beading and another Opti-Coating will be posted shortly... stay tuned.

Optimum Opti-Coat Update

2010-12-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Update on the Optimum Opti-Coating recently carried out on a Honda CRV.

Original post:
http://prodetailing.blogspot.com/2010/11/optimum-opti-coat-honda-crv.html

The car has been sent to a regular car wash for two months after coating. It should be interesting to see how the coating copes with this 'abuse'.

So far so good....

The lighting isn't great but under the street lights it looks great!

Stay tuned for more updates.

Optimum Opti-Coat - Honda CRV

2010-11-17T17:06:00.001-08:00

Brand new Honda CRV coated with Optimum Opti-Coat.

The Optimum Opti-Coat is designed to form a protective layer on top of the existing paints clear coat which is more resistant to scratching and other contaminants. The full effect of the Optimum Opti-Coat can be seen in this earlier post where the Optimum Opti-Coat was able to protect paint which suffered from clear coat failure even after 5 months!!!

http://prodetailing.blogspot.com/2010/10/optimum-opti-coat-review-water-beading.html

For this detail and Opti-Coating, the car was washed with the usual Optimum No-Rinse (ONR) wash and clayed with ONR lube. It is very important to ensure the surface of the vehicle is properly prepped BEFORE coating with Optimum Opti-Coat as the coating forms a semi-permanent protective layer on top of the existing paint.

After washing and claying the surface is carefully inspected to identify any other paint defects that have to be addressed before applying the Optimum Opti-Coat.

Upon initial inspection, the paint does not look too bad but...

Under the proper lighting conditions, there were some issues with water spots on the paint.

The spots are more visible under halogen lights.

The engine bay was also detailed and the Optimum Opti-Coat applied to the plastic surfaces.

To remove the water spots and other minor defects on the paint, Optimum Hyper polish was used with a rotary. The surface was then wiped down with IPA to ensure that any contaminants were fully removed so that the Optimum Opti-Coat fully adheres to the paint.

The paint after light correction. Water spots and other minor paint defects removed.

Prepped for Optimum Opti-Coating.

The Optimum Opti-Coating is carefully applied to ensure full and even coverage of the paint surface.

Some shots after coating.

Thanks for looking. For more information on the Opti-Coating check out:

http://optimumcarcare.blogspot.com/

Optimum Opti-Coat Review - Water Beading after 5 months.

2010-10-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

Just uploaded a video showing the water beading of Opti-Coat after 5 months. No special maintenance carried out other than washing with ONR on a regular basis.

The original post on the Opti-Coat can be found here:

http://prodetailing.blogspot.com/2010/05/optimum-opti-coat-review.html

The results are quite impressive considering it has been 5 months without anything being applied to it.

BMW E90- Paintball Stain

2010-09-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

From the bmwclubmalaysia.com forum:
http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36873

Hmm.... paintball stains that cannot be removed by a 'detailer' whose only recommended is to re-spray the car???

Sound like a challenge...

Read more after the link.

I met up with the owner one night to take a closer look at the damage. The greenish streaks were indeed present and quite visible under certain lighting conditions.

What was also evident was the damage caused by the 'detailer' in an attempt to remove the stains. I did a test spot by hand to see if it was indeed possible to remove the stains and arranged for another day to remove the remainder of the stain.

After a couple of weeks, I finally found some time to carry out the stain removal and arranged for the owner to bring the car over.

After washing with Optimum No Rinse (ONR).

Not a bad result from just washing with ONR.

Out with the halogen light for a closer inspection of the damage. You can see where the 'detailer' rubbed some sort of product into the paint in an attempt to remove the stains thereby causing extensive scratches and damage to the paint.

The clear spot on top is the test spot which I did earlier.

There was also another stain on top of the drivers roof which would also require correcting.

The rest of the hood was also pretty swirled up with plenty of Random Isolated Deep Scratches (RIDS).

Let's see what we can do about the stain that the 'detailer' said cannot be removed and requires a re-spray.

As usual, its best to start out with the least aggressive combination for the job. In this case I opted to try out the latest spray polish from Optimum Polymer Technologies, the Optimum Hyper Polish paired with a Meguiar's polishing pad with a Makita 9227 Rotary.

After just one pass.... job done. Stain removed.

However, the finish of the paint still left much to be desired as there were plenty of RIDS left behind by the previous attempt by the 'detailer' to remove the stain.

Time to step if up a bit with the Optimum Hyper Compound paired with Meguiar's foam cutting pad.

Some improvement but a few of the scratches were very deep and I decided not to cut any further as the main objective was to remove the stain.

The stain on top of the driver's roof was also successfully removed.

A picture of the stain that the 'detailer' said was impossible to remove and required a re-spray.

Final pictures after compounding, polishing and finishing.

Thanks for looking. Comments and feedback are most welcome as always.

Honda Accord Optimumized with Optimum Hyper Polish and Compound

2010-09-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

Its been a while...

Just got a shipment of products in from the US from Dr. G of Optimum Polymer Technologies including the latest Optimum Hyper Polish and Optimum Hyper Compound. As usual, the best way to test out any new products is to try it out on the softest and hardest to finish black paint...

It just so happened that he owner of the black Honda Accord which I did 9 months ago asked me to look into some issues which he was having with the interior and exterior of his car. The original post can be found here:
http://prodetailing.blogspot.com/2009/12/honda-accord-detailer-installed-swirls_19.html

This was the state of the car when it arrrived:

This was how it left...

Read more after the link.

The problem the owner was having was with water marks in the black paint which were impossible to remove by washing alone.

There were also some scratches on the rear boot lid.

The owner also requested that the interior be detailed, especially the leather seats.

First up, steam cleaning of the carpets.

50/50 of the leather seats.

Steaming in progress.

For more stubborn stains, Optimum Power Clean was applied before steaming.

New checkered pattern for Honda leather seats...

There were some spots on the side bolster which look like they have been touched up before and I didn't want to risk cleaning that location. The owner was informed of this when he came to pick up the car.

After steam cleaning, the seats were dressed with Optimum Protectant Plus. Compared with other leather conditioners, the OPP is very, very easy to apply with great results.

Some afters...

The wheels were cleaned with Optimum Power Clean, Optimum No Rinse and Optimum Opti-Seal. Tires dressed with Optimum Tire Shine.
Before:

After:

On with the exterior... as usual my preferred choice of car wash, Optimum No Rinse.

50/50 of the hood after ONR. Clean and glossy but as expected, the water marks are still present.

Finished ONR the entire hood.

Taped off for a 50/50.

Closeup of the water marks.

The new Optimum Hyper Polish and Optimum Hyper Compound.

As always, the least aggressive product was tried first, the Optimum Hyper Polish with a Meguiar's polishing pad on a Makita 9227 rotary.

Optimum Hyper Polish- First impressions were very good. Very little product was used as only a few of the spray bottle were required to prime the pad. The product has a nice consistency to it with very minimal splatter and absolutely no dusting. The polish has a buttery feel to it with a very long work time and was easy to remove. Good stuff.

Big improvement with the gloss and most of the water marks have been removed. Most, but not all...

Time to step it up a notch with the Optimum Hyper Compound and a Meguiar's foam cutting pad.

Much better...

50/50.

Optimum Hyper Compound- A bit thicker in consistency than the OHP and hence a little more difficult to spray but still quite impressive, combining aggressive cutting power and a decent finish. Again, minimal splatter and dusting with a long work time.

The rest of the car was completed with OHC/Rotary followed by OHP/ROB and sealed with Optimum Opti-Seal followed by Optimum Car Wax.

It started to rain halfway though the detail which allowed for some nice water beading shots...

Some afters, after drying...

I do like this shot.... looks like glass.

In order to minimize the recurrence of the water marks, the owner was advised to carry out an ONR wash and to protect the paint with OCW regularly.

Thanks for looking. Comments and feedback are most welcome.

Nothing to do with detailing.... but....

2010-07-22T16:55:00.001-07:00

Amazing video of an amazing car...... with the voice of my racing hero Ayrton Senna.

Sit back and enjoy....

Water Beading on Honda City

2010-06-09T02:59:00.000-07:00

Manage to snap some shot of the water beading on the Honda City after an evening shower. Not bad compared with absolutely no water beading before the detail.

Honda City - Quick Detail

2010-06-07T01:42:00.000-07:00

Was going to carry out a quick detail on another Honda City. I had originally planned on using Optimum Power Clean to clean off any contaminants on the paint surface followed by Optimum Opti-Seal to seal it off and then topped off with Optimum Car Wax. Based on previous experience with these products, once applied, the paint had a 'just polished' feel to it. Like polishing without polishing.

As with all plans, thing are subject to change....

The condition of the car before:

That's the benefit of having gold paint. Can't really 'see' the dirt on the car. Perfect of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Detailers).....

Anyway...

Although its not that obvious in this picture the hood of the car has been sprayed with a hose. There is very little to no water beading at all.

Wetting with a hose again.

No beading at all...

After some time, some sheeting action seen at the edges of the hood.

The car was then treated to a full wash with Optimum Power Clean. The idea was to remove any contaminants and then proceed to seal and wax the paint for a quick detail. Unfortunately, even the Optimum Power Clean was not strong enough to deal with some of the stains such as these on the top corner of the roof.

On with Plan B...

To read more about 'Plan B', click the 'Read More..." below.

First the details of the detail.

The wheels were cleaned with Optimum Power Clean followed by Optimum Opti-Seal.

Scratches on the door handle were removed with Meguiar's Scratch-X with a foam applicator pad.

Scratches and other paint transfers were also attended to. The big scratch was too deep to remove but the other minor scratches were taken care off.

On with the paint correction. The problem (or advantage, depending on how you look at it) of gold paint is the difficulty of picking out the swirls and scratches.

As you can (or cannot see) the paint was in decent shape with some swirls marks but not too many severe RIDS.

As I wanted to keep this a quickish detail, I decided to try Meguiar's M205 on a polishing pad with a rotary. The results were very good and required just one step to achieve the level of correction I was after.

Taping off for a 50/50 in the hope to be able to capture the difference on camera.

As you can clearly see (not!!!) the swirls and minor scratches are clearly visible in this uncorrected section.

Whereas on the corrected side the swirls are completely removed and the reflection of the halogen lamp is more sharply defined.

From the top.... in case you get confused, the left side is corrected and the right side is the original condition.

Another 50/50. This time the corrected area is on top with the original portion below.

Lets try another location. How about the boot lid.

At least the swirls are more readily visible in this picture.

After correction.

50/50. Left uncorrected, right corrected.

Uncorrected.

50/50.

Corrected.

The stubborn stains on the corner of the roof were also easily removed with M205.

The scratches and paint transfers were also removed where possible.

Followed up the M205 with Optimum Opti-Seal and Optimum Car Wax. Glass areas were also sprayed with Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer (UQD).

Even the gold paint now had a nice deep gloss to it.

Thanks for looking.