Paint sealant worth it?

[TyphoonFiST]

As stated....is paint sealant worth it .....if so who makes good sealant? Or should I just get the front end done in the 3m clear shield stuff? Curious to know what other have done or used. Also is the interior worth getting scotch brighted?

 

[dyn085]

I use Opti-Seal twice a year after a polish and would rather use that than wax every month. As for Scotch-Brite, you can pick up a can and do that yourself.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Is it worth it? The scotch guard?

 

[dyn085]

I wouldn't pay someone else to do it, but for the cost of a can I think it is.

 

[DvC]

http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-WAC11816-Anti-Corrosion-Protectant/dp/B001TFE38A

is what i use 1-2 a year and wax every month or so and it keeps my paint looking sharp. well worth the price.

 

[Strife]

This should probably be in the detailing section. But in regards to your question, check out a few detailing guides on YouTube and decide for yourself. I think it's worth it, but I'm also very obsessive with keeping my car clean. Though I dont consider sealant to be something only for those who are obsessive as I am.

 

[Vince62]

I have both on mine.sealant and the 3m.But my boss loved my car so much he paid for the 3m but I think. It's worth it.But it all depends how much you like the car.I love mine I'm 53 and it's the most fun car I have ever had.My 69 standard wasn't this much fun.

 

[Cesso]

I have my car entirely coated with cQuartz Finest and I have a 3M Xpel wrap on top of that, I could even coat the Xpel film but we'll see if I go that far. I didn't want to take any chances in the case of rock chips or clear coat fading (orange/red is very susceptible to UV damage and the sun is brutal here in the desert). It wasn't cheap to go this way, but I don't mess around with half-steps.

 

[StevenP]

I'm with Cesso on this, on a new car I feel its worth going the extra mile to ensure protection... I had my car fully covered with Opticoat Pro+ and Optiglass Pro, while not cheap (1350 for professional install which includes 5 year warranty) it sure is nice!

I'm in California and we are in the midst of a serious drought, but low and behold it actually rained (woot!!!) and I was beyond impressed with the beading and water shedding properties of the sealant. The car is parked outside and typically on streets that have a lot of bus traffic, so there is quite a bit of environmental contamination build up, the opticaot has also cut down on this tremendously since less moisture on the surface doesn't allow the fallout to stick so easily.

My main justification for the price came down to weighing out the price of seasonal waxing and bi-yearly claying vs the cost of the opticoat and its maintenance (ONR washes and claying as needed, likely once a year, waxing if wanted but not necessary at all). I figured the opticoat would pay for itself in about 3 or 3.5 years, and since it has a 5 year warranty and is well known to outlast that it became a worthwhile investment in my eyes.

Best of luck with your decision!

 

[Joker328]

This is what I'm going with for the winter: http://www.autogeek.net/maximum-paint-protection-combo.html

No idea how well it will work, but it's worth a shot if it will help protect it from the road salt and whatnot. Also I know I won't be as motivated to wash it as often during the winter, so the more protection the better.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

I'm with Cesso on this, on a new car I feel its worth going the extra mile to ensure protection... I had my car fully covered with Opticoat Pro+ and Optiglass Pro, while not cheap (1350 for professional install which includes 5 year warranty) it sure is nice!

I'm in California and we are in the midst of a serious drought, but low and behold it actually rained (woot!!!) and I was beyond impressed with the beading and water shedding properties of the sealant. The car is parked outside and typically on streets that have a lot of bus traffic, so there is quite a bit of environmental contamination build up, the opticaot has also cut down on this tremendously since less moisture on the surface doesn't allow the fallout to stick so easily.

My main justification for the price came down to weighing out the price of seasonal waxing and bi-yearly claying vs the cost of the opticoat and its maintenance (ONR washes and claying as needed, likely once a year, waxing if wanted but not necessary at all). I figured the opticoat would pay for itself in about 3 or 3.5 years, and since it has a 5 year warranty and is well known to outlast that it became a worthwhile investment in my eyes.

Best of luck with your decision!

Where did you get it done? Is ziebart a good place to get something like this done?

 

[StevenP]

I found my installer via some research on the newest iteration of Opticoat. While looking through the search results on google I was led to a discussion on the Tesla Forums, and came across a ton of great reviews for my soon to be installer. In the greater San Francisco Bay Area there are only two licensed installers for Opticoat (the company doesn't like to have multiple licenses in the small area).

I just did a very very brief search on Ziebart, and didn't notice a link for opticoat products, but they seem like they do good work, I'd suggest giving them a call and asking about it. As previously mentioned by Cesso, Cquartz is also a great product, so if Ziebart offers either one I'd say roll with it. I chose Opticoat because they have been around the longest and have a well documented track record of longevity and customer satisfaction, but Cquartz is a fine product and if it was all that was offered in my area I wouldn't feel bad about it for a second.

So yeah, I'd start with a call to Ziebart and ask if they do opticoat or cquartz, if not I'd ask if they know of a detailer that does. And make sure the detailer/installer is licensed by the company, otherwise you won't get warranty coverage!

 

[TyphoonFiST]

How much on average are people paying for this sealant?is it worth it to do the wheels....interior etc.

 

[JBO]

I have Ceramic pro plus on the paint and wheels, ceramic pro rain on the windscreen and ceramic pro textile and plastic on the interior.
I have had this on for two weeks and haven't needed to wash the car yet!
When its raining lightly you can see the droplets hit the windscreen and disintegrate into hundreds of tiny droplets then ball up and roll straight off the windscreen.

Here are some pics…

 

[tjd_tdi]

Wolfgang Deep Gloss sealant. That is all.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

How much on average are people paying for this sealant?is it worth it to do the wheels....interior etc.

Littering and.....littering and....littering and...

 

[StevenP]

Opticoats interior option doesn't carry the same lifespan as its exterior products, so I chose to pass on it, I'm pretty damn careful and clean on the inside of my car anyways. If anything I'll probably just scotch guard the cloth parts and get some fancy plastic protection product with similar application ranges, but no real need with how often I'm wiping things down.

Doing the wheels would help a little with the INSANE amount of brake dust this car puts out, less moisture = less grip for the dust and other contaminants, but there are other products that are probably more cost effective for wheels.

 

[TurboTinCan]

Another vote for Ceramic Pro. I have 4 coats of Ceramic Pro 9H and a top coat of Ceramic Pro Light on the exterior and wheels, plus their glass treatment on the windshield and front windows. I skipped the interior treatments since I'm OCD with my interior anyways. Coated my wife's 2016 Escape inside and out with it as well. The stuff is worth the price, has a lifetime warranty. I've had the car around 6 months now (not garaged) and water still beads up like glass marbles everywhere. It has resisted swirl marks better than the Opti-Coat I had on my Evo X too.
I wouldn't recommend the dealer treatment though. Lasts maybe 6 months and you can get it done somewhere else cheaper and better. Besides you want the paint under the protectant to be in good shape and dealers are terrible detailers.

 

[Mr.Fister]

I'm in michigan and winter is coming. I washed, clayed, did two coats of blacklight, one coat of jetseal, then waxed this weekend. I'm wanting this paint to last. The jetseal is kinda pricey but the bottle will most likely last me a good 4 years and so far it seems to be working. The wax needed some motivation to be worked in, and I'm sure that was because of the jetseal. I might be overdoing it, but I'm pretty sure a few good coats of wax should last the cold season. I've got a cheap power washer and the torq foam cannon that I'll be hitting my car with weekly to get the road salt and other nasty crap this state throws down off the paint and undercarriage. Most likely going to invest in a leaf blower to help dry the car so the freezing action doesn't mess with anything either. I can't wait to live somewhere warm again.

 

[1FAST5OH]

Where did you get it done? Is ziebart a good place to get something like this done?

Another vote for Cquartz or OptiCoat. Cant go wrong with either.

Only insured, certified installers can apply the professional line of OptiCoat and Cquartz. The cost is going to vary by your area, paint condition, installers hourly rate. They do make consumer grade products but it is not something you want to try yourself unless you're experienced with paint restoration with a rotary or DA.

Expect to pay at least $1000 on the cheap end if your paint is in perfect condition. There will still need to be defects removed and the clear flattened before they can apply.

Here's the links to their locators:
http://opti-coat.net/approved-dealers.php

http://www.cqfinest.com/find-an-installer/