(Vinyl?) Graphics

[dkory22]

Thinking of applying some Wolfgang Deep Gloss next weekend and I'm wondering if there's anything special I should do for the graphics I have on my hood and bed?  I read on a different forum that Ford adds some sort of vinyl clear coat to their graphics which makes it OK to apply sealant/wax?  Any truth to that?  Would it be better to just tape off and skip the graphics?  Thanks!

[sscully]

I do not have the 3M Matte vinyl on my truck yet but I got some of the CG matte detail spray to try out.  It is made for Matte finishes.

The other thing I think I saw Justin use was Opti Seal on the graphics ???
- Seem to recall this from a Charger thread here on the Cafe ??
I know Justin used Opti Seal ( Coat ? ) on the black plastic panels on a Honda toaster that he detailed.  I just did Mom's Chrysler van, and used Opti Seal on the bumper tread on the back, and it turned out nice.

[Rollingrock]

I do not have the 3M Matte vinyl on my truck yet but I got some of the CG matte detail spray to try out.  It is made for Matte finishes.

The other thing I think I saw Justin use was Opti Seal on the graphics ???
- Seem to recall this from a Charger thread here on the Cafe ??
I know Justin used Opti Seal ( Coat ? ) on the black plastic panels on a Honda toaster that he detailed.  I just did Mom's Chrysler van, and used Opti Seal on the bumper tread on the back, and it turned out nice.

That is correct, Opti-Seal is fine to use...HWM3 also has done a Charger with the same method 

[dkory22]

Guess I'll pick up some Opti Seal :).  Out of curiosity...how long does the Opti Seal last versus other sealants like Wolfgang?

[Rollingrock]

Guess I'll pick up some Opti Seal :).  Out of curiosity...how long does the Opti Seal last versus other sealants like Wolfgang?

I cannot compare but I have run Opti-seal for a better part of 4-5 months

[sscully]

Got around to applying my 3M vinyl vehicle wrap on my grille surround 2 nights ago, and applied Opti Seal ( older version - not the May-2012 version ) to all but one part so the delta could be seen.

The lower right hand corner of the picture shows a crescent shape above the reflection ( the line on the bottom of the gille surround ) .  This is bare 3M vinyl vehicle matte black, the remainder on this side is Opti Seal




The picture did not turn out, but I tried the CG Matte QD on the other side, and it does a nice job of adding some pop to the matte finish without making it glossy.  Also as if the black became blacker ( if that makes sense ).

Don't think the Matte QD is going to do much over the Opti Seal, so for now I am going to finish the Opti Seal application, and see what happens down the road.  Once I do the front and rear bumpers I will be applying Opti Seal about 1 week after, to make sure I have all the air bubbles out of it ( the 3M version I got is porous so air bubbles can be worked out without going to an edge ).

Hand the chance to take a naked Matte to Opti Seal on unmolested Matte Vinyl, so I figured I had better get it documented, never can tell when this opportunity will come up again.

[dkory22]

Very nice!  Upload some more after the bumpers are done!  I didn't get the opti seal ordered yet, but I'm also not sure I'll be applying any sealant with temps in the 90s this weekend  .  I'll try to take some pics when I do work on the graphics.

Thanks to both of you for the help!