I've had a few clients ask me about coatings. I would like to answer in a semi intelligent way. Can you use detail sprays or waxes over them? Can you wax over them? Do they need any special wash products? Just some general info is what I need, I know it is probably best to stick with the same product line, but I have just started to get into the coatings,so I have little experience. Thanks for your help
Answers Yes Yes not really Where are you located? feel free to give me a call. I will shoot you a PM.
Might also be good to ask you - which coatings are you referring to, by brand name if possible? The one I have been using lately ( Optimum Opti-Guard, Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0), are so slick that nothing sticks to them very well or long and will come right off with water. So this changes what you will be wanting to advise your Clients too. Did your Clients ask you about the Durability of the coatings ? Dan F
I have largely a constant group of clients. I didnot want to go the durability route,but rather the dirt and scratch resistant nature as many wash they're own cars. Do not want to cut my own throat! I do however have clients with exotics that want something that will last until I see them yearly
Opti-Coat has better resistance to chemicals (acid), scratches and release properties than other automotive coating currently in use. This coating has a 2-4 µ (microns) applied thickness and a hardness of 9H (Pencil Hardness) when fully cross-linked and provides a semi-permanent coating. Its application is similar to that of a single component Isocyanate that forms a semi-permanent clear coat finish and lasts almost indefinitely. Unlike waxes and paint sealants that require frequent reapplication Far beyond washing, cleaning and detailing your automobile inside and out, the best preservative action you can take is to cover the car with a car cover. It provides the best protection against industrial fallout (IFO) dust, dirt; ultra violet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation; bird excrement and windblown debris Therefore, it can be used to protect wheels, brake callipers, engine compartments. It forms a permanent coating; comprising of sub micron particles that are created by controlled reactions or by breaking down larger particles it forms a continuous film on the surfaces it is applied to. This coating is semi-permanent and can only be removed by polishing, sanding, or solvent paint removers. It is very resistant to alkaline car wash concentrates (used by car wash spas and tunnel wash companies) Nanotechnology Coatings - http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/136613-nanotechnology-coating-products.html#post1448634 This article may contain backround info that might help you answer any questions your client might have..
The Shine Shop -- I think that these new coatings, especially Optimum's 2 are going to be what everyone typically will want anyway.. Most people I think, want something that will last and make the washing, etc., easier on them, when they are not getting the vehicle Detailed. Everyone will still need the Interior, Trunk, Engine Compartment, done, so we are not losing out too much on repeat Clients, and - the coating may need some re-clarifying to remove scratches, etc., from the most finicky Clients too. And the added bonus of the increased gloss on the carefully prepped paint by the Sealants is going to probably generate even more interest. I know, the Dealerships still sell stuff like Perma-Plate, Fire Glaze +2, etc., for how much ? $400-500??, and you still need it "refreshed" yearly??? And people still fall for that 40+ year old technology (and I use the word technology really loosely here). Here now is a an incredible segway to start the conversation regarding Sealants that are pretty much state of the art and look - no yearly, reapplications etc., and the paint is not chock full of embedded debris as much if any, as what happens to those Dealership products too... I finally applied Optimum Opti-Guard and Opti-Coat 2.0 to all 3 of our personal vehicles, and let me tell you, it's the best thing I ever did, to protect their paintwork, gloss the heck out of said paintwork, make washing way,way, easier, and lessening the bi-annual and annual work I used to do to bring all 3 of them back to how they should look in front of a Detailer's home... There should be a Warning Label with Optimum Opti-Guard and Opti-Coat 2.0 that reads - " Caution ! when washing and rinsing your vehicle after this product has been applied, dried and cured, you MUST be cautious to stand away from your vehicle when Rinsing it after washing - the water is going to come off so quickly, that you may not have sufficient time to move out of the way, and your clothes, shoes, etc., will get wet!" In my Full Time Detailing Business, I'm promoting and selling the heck out of this product, knowing that it alone without any help from me will bring in even more business as people see their neighbor's vehicles extreme shine and how it now repels dirt, etc., so much better for years to come.. It's a win-win, in my opinion. Dan F
As Bryan mentioned, yes, yes, not really. Yes you can use products on top of it if you wish, but it sort of defeats the purpose of the coating. They don't need to use any "special" wash products, but the do need to use quality wash media and technique if they want to get the most out of the coating. IME a lot of the clients cars I've coated will see touch-less washes in the winter and maybe some hand washes in the summer. You will find they still accumulate bonded surface contaminants, but those can mostly be remove with products like IronX and TarX without affecting the coating. I've also had a few clients with 1+ year old coating jobs come back in as they accumulated some light marring...usually from service at the dealer but some have just been washed induced marring on their part. The coating is still present and beading like a champ though. For these clients I have been offering a discount on the reapplication of the coating if their vehicle requires polishing that will compromise the current coating. So basically don't assume you're loosing a client as a result of selling them a long term coating. Here is some of the info that I use to sell the coating to my clients...(quote from my review on Detailed Image AAP blog) Opti-Coat is a one component moisture cure clear coat much like a one-component moisture cure isocyanates paint. Once it is applied, just like other clear coats, there is no need to add boosters or other maintenance products to replenish it. Opti-Coat vs. Urethane clears Much better scratch and Mar resistance Much better release properties (readily sheds dirt and oil) Much better UV resistance (no yellowing over time) Much better gloss retention Does not oxidize (will continue to bead water and release dirt for years). David Ghodoussi, CEO Optimum Polymer Technologies, Inc I can say that this product has been a blessing for me and my clients! Since I have a full-time career and only detail on the weekends, I’m often left with very little time to care for my own vehicle. Now that my vehicle is coated with Opti-Coat it stays cleaner longer, attracts less dust, shows reduced marring, makes washing and drying a snap, and best of all it frees up more time for doing other things in my life. I no longer need to spend half a day washing and waxing my car every week, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I simply just don’t have the time anymore. I also applied Opti-Coat to my wife’s car. Her busy schedule doesn’t afford me much more than a few washes a year and I wanted to preserve the look and life of her paint as much as possible. The time-saving feature of Opti-Coat is truly a benefit and a strong selling point for many of my clients. Most importantly, I feel Opti-Coat is revolutionary for both consumers and the detailing community. By offering this product to our clients we are, in a sense, offering a renewable clear coat, but with much better properties. I’ve been using this information to help sell Opti-Coat to my clients for a while, but it is especially important for clients with new cars sporting very thin OEM paint (80-90 microns). Even though this is a permanent coating, I really don’t try to sell it as such. Instead, I educate the customer about the product and highlight the benefits, including that future polishing will remove less OEM paint, since the majority of light swirling and marring will be in the coating. I also like to explain that Opti-Coat offers increased UV protection to replenish the small amount potentially removed during polishing. I'm also starting to offer a few other coatings but haven't done any long term testing with them yet. Rasky
