Ok, so after a few (it was actually about 4) days of tar removing, claying, compounding & polishing in prep for my Opti-coat application on the AutoBio...I managed to get through it all! From here on out, every vehicle I own will don opti-coat; it truly is THAT good.
Most of what I used came from Detailers domain...the only exception being my compound and a few other items I already had on hand.
What was used:
Adams Car Shampoo (w/ Hotsy foam cannon)
Uber Genuine Wool wash mitt
Autoglym Intense Tar Remover
Uber 5.25" Microfiber cutting pads
Uber 5.5" Foam polishing pads (Orange Med. & blue final)
3m Perfect-It Cutting compound
3m Perfect-It Finishing compound
Chicago Pneumatic Rotary polisher
Optimum Opti-coat
As you may or may not already know, Opti-coat is a permanent coating....so prep is the key here as any imperfection left in the paint will essentially be "locked-in" post Opti-coat application.
This is what we started with...yeah...thats ALL tar.
Some of the worst areas...
Look at all the fancy swirls on the hood!
Oh, and some wonderful scratches/scuffs on the wheel arch!
Hood after:
Wheel Arch After:
The opti-coat was a bit tricky to apply on a white vehicle IMO, and requires additional care & LOTS of light to get even coverage!
Let it sit for 24 hours (to be on the safe side) and this is what you get:
If the water drops become any larger, gravity takes over and they roll right off. Like I said....It's amazing stuff.
I'll have to do a proper shoot of the results when I get some time as these were all done with the ol' iphone for convenience.
Couple others I had on hand:
So if you're in the boat I was, and finding yourself looking for an alternative to the bi-annual waxing of a daily driven car.....Opti-coat it!
-S