# Got to love the Optimum range...



## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

I'd bought most of the Optimum range from Detailed Obsession about 4 months ago, had a quick go of it all, and unsurprisingly bought something else the week after and so on, and it got a bit lost in my collection.

After a PM conversation with Damon today, I thought I'd give some of the products a whirl again and see how I got on...

Optimum Car Shampoo

I'd forgotten how lovely this was to use! It suds unlike any other shampoo I have used, and just keeps on creating more and more suds. It smells of apples or pears slightly and is a dream to use. The wash media always feels very slick and well lubricated, and it rinses very cleanly. I think it may just edge DG901 for me.

I'm not sure if it 'leaves anything behind' but my car was looking great just after the wash stage - it definitely enhances the gloss of my paint somehow. One of my favourite shampoo, and a great choice if using with the rest of the Optimum range. If you like suds, I'd recommend you give this one a try!

Optimum Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer

I just love this stuff - it's probably up there with Britemax #6S as my favourite QD. I don't think it protects like the Britemax does, but it smells a little nicer and is a lot cheaper if you buy the concentrate bottle. It's a joy to use as a drying aid, and also on glass and plastics. If you're after a new QD I'd urge you to give this a try, lovely stuff. It definitely adds some gloss to the finish of my paint too, which is always nice 

Optimum Car Wax (V2)

If only all waxes were so quick and easy to use. Couple of squirts, then spread and buff with an MF and you're done. Sure it's not the most durable of waxes, but for near instant top ups after a wash to give that 'just waxed' look, this is a superb choice. It's also ideal for the vinyl roof on my car which is a pain if using a traditional wax, as it tends to clump around the edges, and can be a pig to remove.

I'm looking forward to trying Poli Seal soon too as a base, and getting my Opti Seal back from Mr Hotwaxxx, so that I can layer that down as a base under OCW.

For the money, finish and ease of use I seriously believe that this is one of the best ranges out there. Definitely my go to range for quick spruce ups. Thanks for reminding me how good this stuff is Damon 

Few pics, but my camera is crap, so excuse the quality - but you can see the 'gloss'




























What does everyone else think of Optimum?

Russ.


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## HC1001 (May 27, 2007)

Love the stuff, Opti ID is great but I've mixed reviews of the tyre dressing. Damon (Bigpickle) managed to get a great finish when he used it though.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Which tyre dressing though? They do two, just to confuse matters!


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## ncd (Dec 12, 2005)

Superb finish you've got there. Make's me want a black car again.... then again I remember the joy/hell of owning a black car (also a Clio). Great car BTW :thumb:


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

love the shampoo and OID


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## HC1001 (May 27, 2007)

RussZS said:


> Which tyre dressing though? They do two, just to confuse matters!


Sorry Russ it was this one...........

http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-bond-tire-gel-32oz.html

I think my prep had alot to do with it though............


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

ncd said:


> Superb finish you've got there. Make's me want a black car again.... then again I remember the joy/hell of owning a black car (also a Clio). Great car BTW :thumb:


Thanks 

I've had enough of black though - had three in a row and they are far too much hard work to maintain 

Red next for me... or white!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

HC1001 said:


> Sorry Russ it was this one...........
> 
> http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-bond-tire-gel-32oz.html
> 
> I think my prep had alot to do with it though............


Apparently you need to spray it on using a proper sprayer and leave it to dry - sure I read that somewhere?

This one might be worth a look:

http://www.motorgeek.co.uk/optimum-tire-shine-sizes-p-187.html

Not bad in Gallon size - £28


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Car looks sweet as mate :thumb:, last picture really does show the gloss and depth you've achieved.

Maybe I need to try the OID then if you think it's that good. Still using some of the OCW v1 I still have (bought a gallon bottle off Ron quite a while ago :lol and do find after a couple of layers it lasts ok and really enhances the gloss in particular.

So what's next then Russ


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks Ad 

No idea on what's next :lol:

Maybe Gloss It sample kit...


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

RussZS said:


> Thanks Ad
> 
> *No idea on what's next *:lol:
> 
> Maybe Gloss It sample kit...


cough... Duragloss... cough


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## DuncanMon (May 25, 2009)

fiestadetailer said:


> cough... Duragloss... cough


Noooo let him do the Gloss It .


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

DuncanMon said:


> Noooo let him do the Gloss It .


knowing Russ, he'll get both - he was making a shopping list for Duragloss gear yesterday


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Love Optimum too!

girlfriend got us OCWv2+OS for my birthday, the OCW v2 is my fave product gives a very wet look over the OS which gives a very glassy look

Really looking to ONR and OID


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## Rickyboy (Oct 14, 2008)

Car looks brilliant buddy! The last shot looks ace.

I've not got round to trying the Optimum range yet but you are convincing me to give it a go!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

grayfox said:


> Love Optimum too!
> 
> girlfriend got us OCWv2+OS for my birthday, the OCW v2 is my fave product gives a very wet look over the OS which gives a very glassy look
> 
> Really looking to ONR and OID


Definitely try the 'normal' shampoo too, not just ONR, it really is great stuff.


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

I really will have to try something from the Optimum range. If you were on a limited budget what would you get?

Car looks fantastic mate


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

MatrixGuy said:


> I really will have to try something from the Optimum range. If you were on a limited budget what would you get?
> 
> Car looks fantastic mate


Cheers 

I'd say Opti Seal (which I didn't use) is the star product - you just wipe it on and leave it. You can see it adding gloss as it cures! It also works well on glass, plastic and most of all wheels as a wheel sealant.

I'd also get the QD (£18 buys you a concentrate which makes 1 US Gallon). It's a great drying aid, glass cleaner and general QD.

Then I'd also add the shampoo, Poli Seal (AIO) and OCW (Spray Wax).

The first two are the must haves though, with the others all being easy to use and great value for money.

This sample kit is great value too:

http://www.motorgeek.co.uk/optimum-care-sampler-p-376.html

Oddly though, nobody seems to sell the Protectant from that kit on its own.

Their Compound II and Polish II are supposed to be great too, with ZERO dusting...

HTH

Russ.


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## millns84 (Jul 5, 2009)

Your Clio looks amazing - But doesn't it always? 

I've got most of the optimum range. My car's currently wearing 1x poli-seal, 3x opti-seal and 2x Natty's red - although I'm not sure if the Natty's red was really necessary and it was certainly the most time consuming step! I guess the big advantage with optimum products is that they're all a doddle to use and it doesn't take you half as long!

I agree that the car shampoo is also excellent and you really don't need much in a bucket - It'll last AGES!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

What do you think of Poli Seal? I've not used it yet... 

Opti Seal really is awesome. For the look and durability you get for 5 minutes of effort, it's amazing.


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## millns84 (Jul 5, 2009)

It's good stuff - Really easy to apply and it genuinely removes and/or fills swirls. It comes off very easily too and there's no dusting either... What else could you want from an AIO? I've got the 32oz bottle and I think I'll be using it for a good few years!


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## Andrew M (Nov 17, 2006)

I absolutely love alll the Optimum stuff I've used, i think it is a brilliant range, have been using poli-seal, polish and compound for a couple of years now and think they are brill. Have moved onto Polish II now as well as Opti-seal and really like the Opti-seal. Have not yet bought their shampoo but will do so very soon, I have been meaning to since the review by Ross.

The star for me is the Poli-seal, so easy and lovely to use with a nice working time.


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## Omnic (May 13, 2009)

Interior guard plus is very nice product indeed


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Omnic said:


> Interior guard plus is very nice product indeed


I don't think we can get that product here


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## Omnic (May 13, 2009)

Why not? What I'm missing here?


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## mistryn (May 17, 2007)

ive tried the optimum car shampoo imo its on par with DG901, i personally cant see a huge difference. but from 901 imo it does leave a a glossy layer finish (whether shampoos do leave "something" behind is up for discussion as some would argue no and the main purpose of shampoo is to clean) 
one thing i did notice (like yourself) with the OC shampoo it did have a more lubricant feeling on the paint, wash mitt did seem to glide a lot better/easier than 901 i found

i might re try OC shampoo again as my car is filthy after not cleaning it for 2 weeks and doing fair few hundred and more miles


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## Copey (Aug 15, 2009)

I love the car, i really want a clio 197 as my next car, going to look into it next year as need biuld my no claims up abit first, looks great mate. great finish aswell.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks 

They lack a bit of torque, but make up for it with AMAZING handling and grip. Best car I've owned by far.


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

hi russ ive got loads of duragloss samples i can drop of to you if you want a play with them 101 111 601 652 105


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

That would be great! Do you live near to me then? How much do you want for them?

Cheers,

Russ.


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## akimel (Oct 25, 2008)

I am surprised that no one has yet mentioned Optimum No-Rinse. It has become an indispensable part of my regular detailing regimen. I still periodically wash my car the old-fashioned way, but I love not having to use the hose. I suspect ONR is one of Optimum's most popular products, at least here in the States.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

It has quite a following here too - I do love it, but I prefer to foam and pressure washer rinse my car if it's quite mucky, which it tends to be with all of the rain over here!

I do have some and use it though


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## akimel (Oct 25, 2008)

RussZS said:


> It has quite a following here too - I do love it, but I prefer to foam and pressure washer rinse my car if it's quite mucky, which it tends to be with all of the rain over here!


If I had a foam lance, I'd want to use it all the time, too.


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

RussZS said:


> That would be great! Do you live near to me then? How much do you want for them?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Russ.


im from shropshire so your only about 40 mins away dont want anything for them you in over weekend pm me if you want


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thank you! I'll bring you some samples in return. I'll come and meet you somewhere your way at least. I'll send you a PM later in the week.

Thanks 

Russ.


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## Copey (Aug 15, 2009)

RussZS said:


> Thanks
> 
> They lack a bit of torque, but make up for it with AMAZING handling and grip. Best car I've owned by far.


K-tec panel filter and map sorts the torque issue out, im really considering one, they look and drive amazing, i think the best hot hatch out at the minute, a real beast around the track, you dont like that far from me either.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Where you from Copey?

The Filter and Map make a little difference, but it's not R26 type torque... needs the Corsa VXR engine ideally IMO, with the Clio's chassis and look


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## Copey (Aug 15, 2009)

RussZS said:


> Where you from Copey?
> 
> The Filter and Map make a little difference, but it's not R26 type torque... needs the Corsa VXR engine ideally IMO, with the Clio's chassis and look


Im from newcastle-under-lyme, stoke sorta way, so isnt miles away. u any good on paint work touching up? as mine is awful on my car and could do with some advice. got some nasty scratches, swirls etc

Filter and map should see around 15-20bhp increase with roughly the same torque increase. im not a big fan of the VXR, the turbo is good but the power delivery is very snatchey, id take a cooper s works engine or something similar. but the clio is designed for track use, where most of the time your hitting high revs to stay in the 197's power range. R26's are nice aswell but are not as nice to look at i dont think.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Yeah, happy to give you a hand with paint correction if you need it, not a problem at all.

You seem to know your Clio's! What do you have?


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## Copey (Aug 15, 2009)

Ahh brillaint, im not very good with paint you see so dont wana go much further incase i ruin something, will have to pop over sometime, when i get a weekend off or something, will let you know.

i drive a C2 GT, couple of pics in here http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=131117

I only know alot about clio's because like i said i really really want one, so have planned ahead and read anything and everything about them, its french and quick, thats enough for me lol


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Yeah no worries, feel free to pop over when you're free.

Is the GT a limited edition? A girl around the corner from me has one in black with white wheels - seems to shift pretty well too.


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

Phew!! I'm glad I'm not the only "Optimum" whore around - ONR is the first
thing I pick up when reaching into the products bin. OOS, OID and OCW II 
are never far behind, just love the idea of WOWA and the fantastic results!

Regards,
Steve


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## Copey (Aug 15, 2009)

RussZS said:


> Yeah no worries, feel free to pop over when you're free.
> 
> Is the GT a limited edition? A girl around the corner from me has one in black with white wheels - seems to shift pretty well too.


Sounds good mate, il drop you a PM or something, i go back uni in september so will try to pop over bfore then.

Yeah it is, standard then are ok at 110bhp as there light but mine completely different to what it was, its had a custom induction kit, remap and an uprated inlet manifold, its pretty quick to be fair. But thats the thing, i allways want something faster, so the clio fits the bill perfectly. french may not be the most reliable but i think there probably the most fun.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

A mate of mine's R27 is currently with OMEX being supercharged... 280BHP... should be fun!!

I'll take you out in it if you come down  I'm off the week after bank holiday too if that's any good to you?

Russ.


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## Copey (Aug 15, 2009)

Thats going to be a right weapon,scary fast lol

thats also good a good thing about french, they are generally easy to tune and respond well to engine mods, yh i should be free, i will need to find out what shifts im working, but will let you know mate. i will look forward to a run in the clio 


sorry to juump in your thread with all the talk about tuning and so forth.


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## millns84 (Jul 5, 2009)

Lowiepete said:


> Phew!! I'm glad I'm not the only "Optimum" whore around - ONR is the first
> thing I pick up when reaching into the products bin. OOS, OID and OCW II
> are never far behind, just love the idea of WOWA and the fantastic results!
> 
> ...


Actually Steve it was reading some of your posts that made me decide to give Optimum a go! Not disappointed either! :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Couple more pics after a coat of Opti Seal:














































I love Opti Seal so much. Did the whole car, including glass and plastics in 5 minutes!

Russ.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Oh and it's being lowered about 20mm very shortly on H&R Springs - should look a lot better with the lower stance


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## Bluetacker (Feb 6, 2009)

It looks fantastic! 

I currently have and love ONR and OCWv2 and am going to have to get some Poli-Seal and OS and give my car the full optimum works after reading this thread! :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

I got some Poli Seal from Gareth yesterday too, so I'll probably strip it all off and go Poli Seal then three times Opti Seal over the weekend 

Thanks for the comments. I just love how easy this range is.


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## Bluetacker (Feb 6, 2009)

No worries, you obviously take great care of it, and it shows in the finish you get!

Bet it'll look even better with a poli-seal base and those extra OS layers. I'm sure you've tried OCW as a topper, but if not, it might be worth a go to see if you like the look. OCW seems to make the finish warmer and slightly deeper than a pure sealant, but you do sacrifice a bit of crispness (but keep the flake pop!). :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Yeah I've got OCW too, which I used in the pics in the first post. I love how it looks layered with OOS. 

I'm going to give the tyre dressing a bash next. I've got Zym0l at the moment, which is nice, but I think I need something wetter looking with my car.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

looks sweeeeet Russ :thumb:

speed, looks, ease of use - what more do you need 

I have some samples of the rest of the range here as well, including the super duper APC and interior product. Polishes are good too, especially the Finish Polish.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks Damon 

I'm keen to get some of their Metal Polish too - looks to be superb stuff. Glass towel is supposed to be amazing too - you just dampen it slightly and it does its stuff.

I'm getting the II Comp and Polish from Gareth when he's back


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