Full Detail of my new Veloster.

[Wolfpacker92]

As I stated in my introduction post, I detail as a side business and couldn't wait to detail my new V after I bought it. It was raining something awful as I bought the car on October 29th and we were getting the tail end of Super Storm Sandy. I had to wait for the weekend but it was so worth the wait. I decided to go with the Optimum Opti Guard so I never ever have to wax again! That's right this nano coating is phenomenal and all my clients love it.

I have been using Opti Guard coating for a while now and it is the most durable coating out there. The durability is the reason I love this coating. The coating flash cures in less than 30 minutes and after that nothing other than buffing with machine and polish will get it off. If you get it a little thick it kind of hazes when it cures so you need to buff it with a MF about 5-10 minutes after application to even out the coverage and not get those hazy high spots. I have gotten it a little thick before and it cured that way and I couldn't remove it with APC, Body Solvent, Cosmoline Remover, 50/50 IPA and water, or even straight 90% IPA. I had to break out the Metabo and some polish and get it off.


This coating is perfect for people that don't want to ever have to worry about having to wax again. I have cars that have had this coating for almost 2 years and it beads and sheets water just like the day I applied it. I apply the coating to every painted item, trim, and wheels and it makes cleaning it after application such a breeze. Anyway here's what I did:


Wheels/Wells/Tires: Since the wheels were brand new they weren't too bad and I used my favorite wheel cleaner, Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner on them. I used a variety of brushes including: my favorite wheel brush of all time the Raceglaze XL wheel brush, my Black Magic wheel brush bent to 90 degrees to get behind the spokes, lug nut brush, and micro fiber chenille mitt.


For the tires and wells they got the ol' standby Majestic Solutions Super Green Stuff at 3:1 in a Gilmour 2 gallon pressurized sprayer and the long handle brush I got from Majestic Solutions for the wells and Carand Tire brush for the rubber. The tires were first dressed with Megs Hyper Dressing @ 3:1 with a MS tire applicator then for a second coat to get the look I want, I dressed them with a MS tire applicator and my Tropi-Care tire dressing. Both dressings are water based as opposed to horrible solvent based dressings that just sling off and harm the rubber. This method gives a glossier look like a gel gives but is bone dry to the touch. Wells were treated with Opti Guard. This was my first time trying it on wheel wells but figured it works so well on trim and keeps it from fading why not use it on the wells so they keep that new appearance forever.

The wheels were wiped down with a 50/50 mixture of Alcohol/H2O and then coated with Opti Guard. Wheels we be so easy to clean and brake dust and grime will just wipe off so easy my 9 year old son can do it.


Exhaust: Cleaned with Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner and #0000 steel wool, then wiped down with a 50/50 mixture of Alcohol/H2O and then coated with Opti Guard. Now I can take a dry MF and wipe the soot off the exhaust with no work whatsoever.


Wash: The gas filler area and all badges and emblems were soaked down with MS SGS, agitated with a Swissvax Wheel brush, and rinsed before beginning the wash routine.


You could tell while doing the initial rinse with the PW that there wasn't much LSP on this thing but I needed a good cleaning because to get a good cure from the Opti Guard you need a clean surface with no wax or oils. Since I wanted it really stripped I first did a soak of the entire car with MS SGS @3:1 and after letting it dwell it was rinsed. For the wash I went with my favorite LSP stripping formula and loaded up the foam cannon with 2 oz. of MS Super Foam and 1 oz. of MS Power Prep. Man this combo foams like crazy and cleans even better. I used my CR Spotless for the entire detail and since it produces demineralized pure water I can let it air dry in the NC sun and there won't be a single water spot on this beautiful black paint. I used the 2 bucket method, in one bucket I used 2 oz of Superfoam and an ounce of MS SGS (to ensure everything came off) and the other was a rinse bucket, both with grit guards. I used my Raceglaze wash mitt. The car was then dried with a leaf blower.

Clay: Since the Veloster was brand new with only 11 miles on the clock there was very little contamination on the paint so I went with Bilt Hamber soft clay for this one with CR Spotless water for lube. After a thorough claying the paint was slick as glass.


Opti Guard Prep: After claying and drying the car I noticed some light holograms throughout the paint from the factory buffing. No way I could stand for not having perfect black paint so I decided to polish the V with my Flex and a blue Gloss It finishing pad coupled with Schol Concepts S17. The buffing left a brilliant true "Ultra Black". I then wiped it down (paint and trim) with a 70/30 alcohol/water mixture and a Chemical Guys 530xl MF. Paint was "squeaky" clean after this. Before I polish any vehicle I ALWAYS take paint thickness readings with my Highline Paint meter. Oh in case anyone was wondering about paint thickness of the V, well it's not very thick at all. Most OEM paint jobs are around 220-250 microns and as you can see from the pic the highest reading I could get on the V was 134 microns.




Glass: The inside glass, including sunroof, got Zep Glass Cleaner with Pop Up glass cleaning towels from Proper Auto Care and buffed dry with a Walmart WW. The outside glass got cleaned with the Zep Glass Cleaner, polished with the Flex and Duragloss Nu Glass then wiped with the alcohol/water mixture described above. Then I cleaned with Duragloss Rain Repel and windshield wipers are not needed at any speed above 40 mph in the rain!


Trim: The trim, faux vents on the hood, areas around the side mirrors and mud flaps got cleaned with the alcohol/water mixture described above then it was coated with the Opti Guard. The Opti Guard makes the trim darker and now it's protected so it won't fade over time.


Interior: Well the interior didn't need a lot so I vacuumed it out with my wall mounted vacmaster. I dusted down the entire interior with some Swissvax look alike brushes from Micheals and then cleaned with MS Leather and Plastic cleaner and a MF mitt. It was then protected with Jeffs Werkstat Satin Prot. For the chrome looking door handles my secret to making them shine while not having any cleaning residue left behind is to use the Zep Glass cleaner. This also works for faux woodgrain plastic and any shiny plastic in the interior.


The door jambs were cleaned with Optimum No Rinse at QD strength and some cheap MFs and then coated with Opti Guard too. My pet peeve is to see a clean car and then when the owner opens the door the door jambs haven't been touched and look dirty.


LSP: Needless to say the Opti Guard has been incredibly successful product for my clients and I have it on both my new 4 runner and the V. People love knowing they will never need any other kind of wax or sealant again and all they have to do from now on is wash it.


I put a small amount of Opti Guard on the Optimum foam applicator and apply it to a panel. It starts to evaporate and cure immediately so you have to work fast. After applying to a panel I wait about about 5 minutes and go back with a Danase Phat MF to smooth out any high areas that there might be. I work my way around the entire car applying to each panel including trim. Like I said before, if it gets thick and cures you have to get out the buffer and polish or it won't come off.


After application the paint had a tremendous amount of reflectivity. It's definately a sealant look so if you don't like that then just stay away from this product because you probably won't like the look. It has a super slick look about it as well and it got even wetter and slicker looking the next day. Here are some finished pics:






And a shameless reflection pic:


I know this was a long post and if you made it all the way through I appreciate it and hope maybe it helps you out in detailing your own Veloster. If anyone has any questions about process or products just ask as I'm glad to help anyway I can.

[OzGuitar]

Hey mate, mind coming over to my place and clean my V as well???
;-)


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[RPW00Mirage]

i wish i had half the gumption to do what you did. your V looks amazing. :thumbsup:

[Wolfpacker92]

Hey mate, mind coming over to my place and clean my V as well???
;-)


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You pay for the air fare and I'm there!!!!

i wish i had half the gumption to do what you did. your V looks amazing. :thumbsup:

Thanks I really appreciate that. The right process and products and you can do it too!

[BluMeanie]

It gleams like a Diamond in a Goat's Ass.

(and that's shiny, by damn!)




(just yankin' yer chain - the car looks great!)


So, if a Marthon Blue Velo were to suddenly appear in your driveway, might it get the same-same?.....

[Wolfpacker92]

It gleams like a Diamond in a Goat's Ass.

(and that's shiny, by damn!)




(just yankin' yer chain - the car looks great!)


So, if a Marthon Blue Velo were to suddenly appear in your driveway, might it get the same-same?.....

Of course, bring it on over. I would love to detail a Marathon Blue and see what it looked like after I finished.

[Zach]

Wow looks great! Very detailed write-up good for us who don't know about detailing.

Since you said you make some trips down near me....round how much would it cost for a nice detail like this?

You can PM it to me if you don't want your prices posted.

[MTD]

Looks great.

Is this opti coat stuff a new product? I've never heard about it up until a few months ago. I'm considering it because I'm way to lazy to do such a long detail and wax myself lol.

[eclipes]

I have heard about this, they put this on rims to avoid brake dust and all. Tho people say you dont ever need to wax again but what if you wash your car weekly or bi-weekly, im sure it will slowly deteriorate and requiring application again. So i prefer to wash my car weekly or bi-weekly and waxing every month, its more work but maintains a better condition. Im sure this opti coat does not repel dust or dirt, you will need to eventually wash your car anyways. Recommend Shining Monkey Wax, it cleans and waxes at the same time.

[Wolfpacker92]

Wow looks great! Very detailed write-up good for us who don't know about detailing.

Since you said you make some trips down near me....round how much would it cost for a nice detail like this?

You can PM it to me if you don't want your prices posted.

Thanks hope it helps out some looking to detail these incredible looking cars. I'll shoot you a PM on the other.

Looks great.

Is this opti coat stuff a new product? I've never heard about it up until a few months ago. I'm considering it because I'm way to lazy to do such a long detail and wax myself lol.

Its been on the market for a few years. Also there is a difference between Opti Coat and Opti Guard. Opti Coat is a very durable and I mean highly durable coating that can be purchased by anyone. Opti Guard is a permanent coating that can only be purchased by certified installers of the product. Opti Guard is the exact product for someone such as yourself that doesn't want to have to do repeated waxings to maintain paint protection.

Oh and I have a very good friend in Ontario that can do it for you. He's an incredible detailer and Opti Guard installer and if you need his info just PM me.

I have heard about this, they put this on rims to avoid brake dust and all. Tho people say you dont ever need to wax again but what if you wash your car weekly or bi-weekly, im sure it will slowly deteriorate and requiring application again. So i prefer to wash my car weekly or bi-weekly and waxing every month, its more work but maintains a better condition. Im sure this opti coat does not repel dust or dirt, you will need to eventually wash your car anyways. Recommend Shining Monkey Wax, it cleans and waxes at the same time.

No you can wash daily and it won't come off. Believe me I've tried as I stated in the write up. First I was exposed to it was a detailer in Florida that washed his car weekly with DAWN after application. After weekly Dawn washings for an entire year the coating was still intact, and you can't wash your car with anything more LSP harmful than Dawn. The only and I do mean only way to get this coating off is to break out the machine and buff it off with polish. I wash my cars weekly and I've never been let down my Opti Guard. So you should try it out and wash to your hearts content because it won't come off. Now if you like playing around with different waxes and sealants to see which look you like best then this product isn't for you and I can completely understand that as I used to be that way myself. But with kids and their demanding extra curricular activities and schedules I just needed a coating so all I have to do is wash and go now. Oh and you can wash a car coated with this so quickly. As one of my clients said that owns a Dark Blue Shelby Mustang, "My car just never really looks dirty now".

[MTD]

Nice good to know. I'm going to see if there are any in my area.

[Wolfpacker92]

Nice good to know. I'm going to see if there are any in my area.

I went back to edit my post while you were posting this evidently, LOL. I have a very good friend in Windsor, Ontario that is a certified Opti Guard installer and is an absolutely phenomenal detailer. If you need his info just PM me.

[loVester]

On one hand, the car looks great. Nice.

On the other hand, this sounds kind of like a sales pitch somehow.

If anyone else gives these products a run, please post back with your results! =]

[captainofiron]

Great job, that paint looks amazing.

you know any detailers/installers in southern new mexico or west texas?

[dianebrat]

I can't believe no one has made the appropriate comment on the amazing job you've done (a few came close):

ohhh shiny!

Very nice!

[Wolfpacker92]

On one hand, the car looks great. Nice.

On the other hand, this sounds kind of like a sales pitch somehow.

If anyone else gives these products a run, please post back with your results! =]

Thanks and yeah I guess it could seem to be a sales pitch for products but I'm not endorsed by anyone thus you can see the varied brands I use. I've used a ton of products over the years and these have settled in as my go to products. I just like to help others out so they can avoid the trial and error. Most of the products I use are comparable in price to the crappy OTC Walmart detailing supplies but far out perform them so I like to let the general public know they can get much better for their money.

Great job, that paint looks amazing.

you know any detailers/installers in southern new mexico or west texas?

Thanks I appreciate it and I don't know any installers in that area off the top of my head but I can check with Optimum and see who's in the area and shoot you a PM.

I can't believe no one has made the appropriate comment on the amazing job you've done (a few came close):



Very nice!

LOL now that's the one I was waiting for!! Thanks for the compliment I appreciate it. I always laugh when a couple comes to pick up a car I've done and the husband rolls his eyes at his wife when she says "ohhh it's soooo shiny!"

[Guhboechat]

Very nice man

[x_Diesel_x]

Alright Im sold.. Where do I get this Opti thingamajigger and how much is it?..


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[Variable]

Well Done Sir! I will be posting this on my facebook Veloster Page. In fact, Your hard work should not go UN-rewarded.

If you pay for the Shipping, You have earned yourself a Free Tee Shirt. Just PM me your Size. Silk Screen or Embroidered.

[GreyGhost12]

As an "ex-detailer" of many years, many years ago, I'm VERY impressed with your work. As a detailer yourself you know what kind of PITA black is of ALL colors to keep looking tip-top.

Great job! I understand the whole "not having time" thing to keep a car detailed as I used to. That's why I got the Triathlon Grey... When it IS dirty it doesn't look that bad at all. And most of the light scratches just blend in or hide in the metallic.