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Wow too bad, gosh you'd think in this day and age of high tech everything there would be something to totally resist bird doo that could be put on a car or truck.
Unfortunately bird droppings (as well as bug guts) are very harmful. As mentioned above, the purpose of any sort of paint protection - waxes, sealants, nano coatings - is to provide a sacraficial layer of protection on top of your paint.
This means that when a bird bomb lands on your paint, it must eat through the layer of protection before it causes harm to your paint. It has been proven that nano coatings are the most durable, chemical resistant form of protection. They will provide a better chance of stopping a bird bomb or bug splatter from damaging your paint, however nothing is completely resistant to damage and every vehicle should be treated with the utmost care to avoid damage (ie removing the contamination as soon as possible).
I called around and all of the shops in Los Angeles charge 1200 to 1400 for Opticoat pro plus on a rx350 size vehicle. That is for minimal to no paint correction.
You'll find that many professional coatings have prices that are set by the manufacturer (minimum advertised price, or MAP), so installers cannot go below the minimum in order to keep everyone on a similar level.
Optimum's MAP has grown exponentially over the years as demand for their product has increased.
To be fair, the product is expensive and it does take time and experience to apply it, but I would hope that the prices mentioned above would include at least a one step paint correction process. That is just my opinion though... I suppose they must be selling it like crazy to maintain those prices, and in the LA market I would not be surprised.
I called around and all of the shops in Los Angeles charge 1200 to 1400 for Opticoat pro plus on a rx350 size vehicle. That is for minimal to no paint correction.
It's your money but paying $1200 to $1400 for a protective coating is highway robbery. It won't protect your vehicle from the bad bird crap, it won't stop chips, nicks, scrapes, or even swirls and scratches. You could respray your hood, roof or trunk if it gets damaged for less then that and what happens if you get in a accident or your car is totaled? I guess it depends on how long you keep your vehicle and if you want to pay that much for a little extra protection but I would recommend getting a PC, polish your car, applying a good sealant or wax like Blackfire, Collinite, or Zaino over spending that kind of money for a coating. If you want more protection you could get some products like opti coat 2.0 for around $60 and apply it yourself, it is not that hard.
As an example, we tend to average around 18 hours of labor on most extensive new car prep services that include a professional grade coating. Factor in the labor and product cost, and $1000+ is not unreasonable.
To get away from the detailing scenario, consider this instead - a pipe bursts in your house and you need it repaired. It takes a plumber and a contractor 10 hours + material to fix the issue and they charge you $2000. Would it seem unreasonable? Someone who is well versed in plumbing and home construction would likely think you are nuts for paying someone that amount of money on what he considers to be an "easy job", yet someone who does not know how to do the work and does not possess the time or tools to learn how to do it would gladly pay for it to be done.
It all just depends on your skills, abilities, free time, etc. There is no right or wrong way to spend your money. If something is worth it to you, go for it.
Seems like the prices in CA for these services are up a notch from what we charge here.
Opticoat is not a fun coating to work with because of it's quick flashing. Very easy to do in a controlled temperature environment, which is key. Step away from that or try to do it in the hot/humid and you're screwed. Gotta be like speedy Gonzales with that stuff.
Opticoat Pro Plus was applied to my 2016 RX350 Caviar Back yesterday and it looks sweet! My car should have looked like this upon delivery at the dealership. The gloss factor is impressive.
Ryan at Extreme Autowerks (Cerritos, CA) did the correction and application. He shared a lot of knowledge and tips to help me keep the opticoat as swirl free as possible. He educated me about proper washing techniques and told me to stay away from automatic car washes.
The gloss is from the prep work, not the Opticoat. That's the biggest misconception out there when people ask " how much gloss does the coating add". Realistically probably between 0-5% if you have some type of gloss meter. It's all in the polishing.
The gloss is from the prep work, not the Opticoat. That's the biggest misconception out there when people ask " how much gloss does the coating add". Realistically probably between 0-5% if you have some type of gloss meter. It's all in the polishing.
That makes me extra glad I went with someone who has lots of experience and knowledge. There is no way I could have gotten the paint to look this good before applying Opticoat. Ryan said there was some contamination that he removed with a clay bar.
It's funny how the paint looked fine to me at delivery. I thought...well, I can't see any swirls, looks pretty good to me. After Ryan got done with it, it just looks WOW!
03-02-16, 04:59 AM
The gloss factor is impressive. 
