How does one maintain the purity of a Gloss Coat finish?


BradB

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1 hour ago, The Guz said:

With XPEL I'm 99% certain that the coating would  have to be polished off so the film adheres to the paint.  

Ahh, glad I asked! Yes, XPEL is what I will be using. 

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Brad, I guess I'm a little late to this party but...as far as using other  products on top  and worrying about changing the characteristics of the coating...I kind of scratch my head when this stuff comes up because pretty much anything that you use has the potential to do that.  Doesn't every car wash have some sort of polymer/surfactant package in it for a variety of purposes (sheeting, beading, cleaning, gloss)?  And of course to an even greater extent QD's, etc.  IMO a lot of the synergy in "Optimum Synergy" is process related, and more decisions about the chemistry, rather than the chemistry itself, if that makes any sense.  I mean, Sal may make sure to put the same polymer in everything he makes so that they all produce the same beading, I don't sense that Dr. G is trying to do that--make the products produce the same beading as Gloss-Coat (or vice-versa).

Your questions about Opti-Seal, it's a WOWA like Zaino Clear-Seal or UPPG--you must have used one of them?

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Your thoughts make perfect sense. And it's what I presumed. But being new to Gloss-Coat I wanted to experiment and experience the hype of a "coating" and didn't want to screw it up, diminish it or improve it with a topcoat or maintenance product. Hence all my questions. 

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Brad, the "experts" have answered your questions better than I could.  Two quick comments - waxes and sealants are easy to confuse but not so easy to differentiate.  Wax (ours at least) contain carnauba and have a natural aspect.  Opti-Seal is all synthetic material.  There is a difference in the look (warm, wet look vs hard shell some say), so personal preference matters.  And there's a difference in durability, with sealants lasting about twice as long.  Second, Optimum has been asked for years about topping Coatings (Pro or retail) and after telling people it wasn't necessary, we finally gave in and told customers they can use any wax/sealant/instant detailer that doesn't contain abrasives.  My car was Coated by Yvan for a video, but I use Opti-Seal as a drying aid almost every wash.  Whether it's psychological or obsessive, I know it won't last but it's part of my routine.

I get to tell new users what products to use and how to use them, and know better than most how close products can be.  There are some definite differences in tasks performed and categories filled.  Dr G is not into product development just to sell more, but wants to provide a compete line and really tries to improve each segment vs present a "me too" product.  For example, Optimum Instant Detailer was something I never used or felt I needed until I got hard water spots on a road trip and found how well it cleaned them up.  Then I used it on a car soaked in a storm and found that it cleaned well, left great (if temporary) gloss without marring, and I keep a bottle in the car for spot usage on bugs, bird bombs, etc.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok, Optimum guru's, I have another question. I am applying Gloss Coat o my red BMW. The BMW was previously coated with Zaino All In One. Would a wipe down with Optimum Paint Prep enough to remove the Zaino? Or does it have to be polished off? 

Thanks in advance. 

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I probably made the mistake of not completely removing Zaino in all areas of my paint. I was erroneously under the impression that Paint Prep would suffice. I thought it was something special. It's really not. Wish I would have saved the $$ and just stuck with IA and a buffer. Anyway, now I guess I am faced with needing to buff out the whole car to be sure I have a fresh slate. I assume I can buff off the Gloss Coat? Especially, I suppose, where it sits on top of the AIO in areas? 

If I left it as is, what would be the worst case? Just less durability? 

I'm particularly disappointed because I used almost a whole 10cc vial. I used a CarPro applicator and didn't think I wasted the coating at all. I spread it very methodically and only refilled my applicator when it ran dry. ( I was hampered by a leaking seal in the syringe which left huge drips on my garage floor. :( $$)  Could the fact that I was potentially applying the GC on top of Zaino, in some areas, affected the application such that it caused some of the extra waste? 

So right now I am trying to decide if I should cut my losses and go back to Zaino or order yet more GC. I hate to, since this was my grand experiment into coatings. Grr. Sorry for the rant, just a bit bummed at my own errors and product expectations. 

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I certainly wouldnt go through all the hassle of trying to polish out the entire car and starting again. I suspect worst case you have some reduced bonding and perhaps less longevity. The worst problem would be that it didnt self level and cure properly and you had bad hazing in places, which you'd want to remove and reapply, but it doesnt sound like that was an issue so I'd just leave it alone and see what happens?

Dont make problems for yourself that may not be there. 

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21 hours ago, BradB said:

I probably made the mistake of not completely removing Zaino in all areas of my paint. I was erroneously under the impression that Paint Prep would suffice. I thought it was something special. It's really not. Wish I would have saved the $$ and just stuck with IA and a buffer. Anyway, now I guess I am faced with needing to buff out the whole car to be sure I have a fresh slate. I assume I can buff off the Gloss Coat? Especially, I suppose, where it sits on top of the AIO in areas? 

If I left it as is, what would be the worst case? Just less durability? 

I'm particularly disappointed because I used almost a whole 10cc vial. I used a CarPro applicator and didn't think I wasted the coating at all. I spread it very methodically and only refilled my applicator when it ran dry. ( I was hampered by a leaking seal in the syringe which left huge drips on my garage floor. :( $$)  Could the fact that I was potentially applying the GC on top of Zaino, in some areas, affected the application such that it caused some of the extra waste? 

So right now I am trying to decide if I should cut my losses and go back to Zaino or order yet more GC. I hate to, since this was my grand experiment into coatings. Grr. Sorry for the rant, just a bit bummed at my own errors and product expectations. 

I agree with the others to leave it as is.  If it has not failed yet stick with it.   

I would have to disagree with paint prep not being special.   It has the lubricity that IPA doesn't have.   It also helps gloss coat level out.   I've never liked using IPA.      

How long  was the AIO on there?   I doubt the protection left behind is not very durable.  Just the nature of an AIO.  What I'm getting at is it could have been so degraded that paint prep did take it off.     

By the way stick with the foam applicator that comes with gloss coat.  I found it works better that the suede and block applicator.  

 

 

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CarPro Reset is a great compliment to Gloss Coat and works very well at keeping the coating clean and beading.  Coming up on 2 years since install on my dad's DD and beading has only fallen off on lower door areas, everywhere else nearly (lets say 90%) beading just the same.  This is on the "old formula" too!  Love Gloss Coat!

Car is dried w/ a leaf blower then ONR used at QD ratio to get off any spots from the hard water, car comes out looking great every time.

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I appreciate your thoughts on Paint Prep. Maybe it did more than I gave it credit for. And my expectations were a bit high, too. Was hoping for an easy fix. :)

The AIO was on about 6 months. In that time the car has only gained 1500 miles, so much of its life its garaged. So the AIO definitely felt like it had some life in it. 

OK, I will give the Optimum applicator a try. I haven't used it yet. As for the CarPro applicator, I ended up using it without a suede cover. Just the bare foam. Seemed to work ok. But I will take your suggestion. 

Thanks for the feedback guys. You've convinced me to save what work I've done and move forward with the yet un-coated panels. I will polish and use PaintPrep and hope for a clean canvas. 

I ordered another 10cc syringe of GlossCoat. Let's hope this one dispenses better! 

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