Optimums Opti-Coat

[ScottB]

Well I finally got a chance to try this "coating" system. I received a syringe with 10cc's of this clear product and a blue super then plastic tip. I am not sure if this was a full tube since Jason was kind enough to send to me, but certainly have enough left for at least one very large Suburban also.

So anyhoo I washed up the daily driver this morning and went to town using some of Menzerna's best polishes. After a second wash and IPA wipe down I felt the finish was in best shape for some bonding. I took out a new foam applicator, twisted on the blue tip to syringe and went to work. The fluid comes up very slowly and tip is well dedicated for using very little of the product. I found the product not very slippery but found no trouble in applying. I put several very small drops and started wiping in straight lines as possible.

Over the 1st 1/2 the car I used very little and really was shocked at how quickly it disappeared into paint with no haze. It reacts similar to Opti-seal but nowhere near as slick or glossy. It really looks completely clear when it dries and only shows the slightest of effect while applying. All extra or overlap was easily buffed off with dry MF towel around 10-15 minutes later. I applied on some plastic trim to measure its claims and on sunroof but skipped most other glass since its previously coated with Aquapel. I even used on chrome trim without issue, just a little buff if overapplied.

Unfortunately I got a little brazen since the first side looked so good and dried so quickly. (I also grabbed the Opti-seal to do the wheels as I wanted to see/feel the difference, and again Opti-seal is much more slick feeling immediately). I over applied on the 2nd side in more than one instance but it still buffed off rather well and quickly. It seemed much more user friendly than I assumed.

After allowing the car to sit in the hot Florida 90 degree weather all day it looks quite crisp and clean. I did unfortunately find a couple over application marks on hood that was not noticed and removed. It is indeed more of a coating than a sealant as wiping nor using a detail spray made any difference. (I didnt think it would, but still needed to try just to clear my mind). So tomorrow I think I'll quick polish the hood with 085rd and see if it removes coating and then replace once hood looks acceptable. I hope to do so outside of direct heat as I suspect this is why it wasnt originally noted and then seen this evening. (perhaps it flash dried to quickly).

I have no idea the durability but the claims seem quite rewarding. Even one year with nothing more than standard washes and some detail sprays would be nice on a car sitting outside 24/7, three years is just to much to ask.

My wife thinks car still looks better than when we bought it and thought the coating was much easier on our day versus the standard apply wait and buff off deal. She got to spend a couple hours at BedBathBeyond versus in the driveway. She thinks the new WOWA sealants (and now coatings) are much more in tune with two children and all the errands they bring. All in all so far I am pleased with these newer coating systems and really see the merit in them.

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[Rob T]

Nice review. Will be interested to see your follow up posts on how well this holds up.

[cobraa]

that stuff is not on AG or optimums website.. what is it?

[Setec Astronomy]

I wish you guys would stop taunting us with reviews of this product that we can't get and AG doesn't sell, anyway.

While I'm ranting, the rationale that this can't be sold to the general public lest they mess up their paint, really doesn't hold water. I can go down to Wal-Mart and buy any number of readily available products to mess up my paint, including rubbing compound, crudely applied brush or spray touchup, sandpaper, and hey, what about that Scotchbrite "no scratch" sponge to take some bugs off?

The other (under)stated rationale is to maintain a niche for selected professional detailers with an exclusive market to this product. Unless Optimum really can't produce enough of this to satisfy a larger market, I find it hard to imagine how selling ~$100 syringes of limited shelf-life sealant to a small number of enthusiasts is going to cut into that pro-detailer exclusive market.

[AeroCleanse]

that stuff is not on AG or optimums website.. what is it?

Its a professional use only product. You have to contact Optimum and be able to qualify to use it.

[jlb85]

Let us know if you cna get to it with the 85rd. I just did our truck and will have to re-do a few panels (just haven't found time yet!). I applied it to everything, and forgot to buff off within the few minutes in some areas. The side view mirrors were terrible the next day. I wiped with Mineral Spirits and a rough cotton towel and it took 3 tries to get it off. The chrome bumpers had the same issue, but the mineral spirits did nothing to the coating. So polishing it will be :) Just in a few weeks...

Although this stuff is easy to use, it is way to hard for most DIYers out there. But I think most of the people on AutoGeek would probably be able to use it :)

[CEE DOG]

Thanks for the great review Scott!

Setec, while I tend to agree with you to a point you should call Optimum and see if you can sign off on something to get some for yourself. I think probably since this product specifically states to be used on paint it comes with more liability then something like sandpaper that doesn't specifically state to apply to your paint. Probably even some lawyering was involved with the decision on Optimums part. I bet they just have to have the end user sign off on it.

[cobraa]

I see. I think it's stupid. Anyways, why would I want to apply a 100$ protection that's suppose to last 3 years to a customer? I prefer to put Klasse that last 6 months and every 1 or half year, he comes back for a clay+ sealant treatment. And for ourself, we, at AG, detailing maniac, you think we wouldn't polish-detail every year our cars for a refresh haha? It's Ok, optimum can keep their secret formula for themself :)

[richy]

Scott..I've tested it too against Aquartz on my Infiniti FX35. I had missed a small mark and discovered it several days later (under the side mirror). I took a mf with some DG 501 and it removed it effortlessly and still retained its qualities. Don't reach for your Menzerna quite yet bud. Try DG 501 first. The other observation I made was in terms of slickness, it improved after a day or two. I have now tested Opti Coat, Aquartz and Cquartz. I can provide links to the tests if anyone is interested, although they are not on this forum. Since you can't buy it here, I did not post it here.

[Setec Astronomy]

Setec, while I tend to agree with you to a point you should call Optimum and see if you can sign off on something to get some for yourself. I bet they just have to have the end user sign off on it.

Nope, went through this on another board. You have to have a TIN, plus sign the waiver, and perhaps be grilled on your WOWA experience. I guess maybe part of it is that if you've got to spend a half hour on the phone with each user making sure they put it on right, you don't want to have a lot of users. I guess I could understand it if there was a franchise fee involved, that would make a lot more sense given the description of the intended marketing and the companion interior product.

[ScottB]

Scott..I've tested it too against Aquartz on my Infiniti FX35. I had missed a small mark and discovered it several days later (under the side mirror). I took a mf with some DG 501 and it removed it effortlessly and still retained its qualities. Don't reach for your Menzerna quite yet bud. Try DG 501 first. The other observation I made was in terms of slickness, it improved after a day or two. I have now tested Opti Coat, Aquartz and Cquartz. I can provide links to the tests if anyone is interested, although they are not on this forum. Since you can't buy it here, I did not post it here.

I ran outside this morning with camera in hopes of seeing all those little crazy beads from the morning dew. NOPE, none, nada .... the one evening where I actually would not have minded a little dew on the daily driver and zippo. Well perhaps tomorrow morning.

I have seen your reviews on the other forums for the other coating systems. It seems Opti-coat is the easiest and most flexible to apply/remove effortlessly (I cannot imagine getting a heat gun out myself). Thanks for the idea on hand cleanup, I was also wondering if something like this might work. So you dont need to reapply another coat in this area afterwards ??

I do know that Meghan took a shot at carrying the Aquartz line and it did not work out at least currently. I do want to grab a bottle of Reload and wonder if it might work over Opti-coat too. Hmm ???

Anyone found great results using Optimums Quick Detailer over Opti-coat too ??

[richy]

I ran outside this morning with camera in hopes of seeing all those little crazy beads from the morning dew. NOPE, none, nada .... the one evening where I actually would not have minded a little dew on the daily driver and zippo. Well perhaps tomorrow morning.

I have seen your reviews on the other forums for the other coating systems. It seems Opti-coat is the easiest and most flexible to apply/remove effortlessly (I cannot imagine getting a heat gun out myself). Thanks for the idea on hand cleanup, I was also wondering if something like this might work. So you dont need to reapply another coat in this area afterwards ??

I do know that Meghan took a shot at carrying the Aquartz line and it did not work out at least currently. I do want to grab a bottle of Reload and wonder if it might work over Opti-coat too. Hmm ???

Anyone found great results using Optimums Quick Detailer over Opti-coat too ??

OC will not bead like a wax does. It shows its stuff when it is hit with a lot of water. It just disappears. Use a leaf blower in combo with washing and your drying towel will shed tears from lack of use, LOL. The heat gun was for the Aquartz. Cquartz EASIER to use than even OC is, I found.
As far as the spot that was removed, no, I did not reapply b/c I tested it with water and it reacted the same way as the rest of the panel. DG AW looks amazing over OC or any of them! I find that doing an ONR wash does the trick much more often now as dirt does not stick to it as easily as before. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on it Scott.

[rwright]

I see. I think it's stupid. Anyways, why would I want to apply a 100$ protection that's suppose to last 3 years to a customer? I prefer to put Klasse that last 6 months and every 1 or half year, he comes back for a clay+ sealant treatment. And for ourself, we, at AG, detailing maniac, you think we wouldn't polish-detail every year our cars for a refresh haha? It's Ok, optimum can keep their secret formula for themself :)

How about from a marketing standpoint? Think of how you can market this type of protection plus the potential revenue. Open your mind a little.

[Anthony Orosco]

How about from a marketing standpoint? Think of how you can market this type of protection plus the potential revenue. Open your mind a little.

This is absolutely correct.

Just because Opti-Coat is a permanent coating does not mean your clients cars do not need upkeep. I have been applying Opti-Coat to cars now for years and they all come back to us for monthly and many for weekly washes. It does not mean you're putting yourself out of work but rather look at it as opening up more roads for revenue.

For example, we get a new Porsche in the shop and the client asks, "What's do you recommend for protection, a good paste wax?" This then allows us to explain the 3 types of protection we offer. 1) a carnauba wax 2) a polymer sealant and 3) Opti-Coat. We can then go into a greater explanation of the benefits of OC over the others.

The question then comes, "How much?" I tell them $300. This includes paint prep plus application and the total time is maybe 2 hours. If the paint is in need of serious correction then we are looking around the $500 to $700 range.

We have a "package" deal which includes paint prep, Opti-Coat, window tint, clear bra and interior coating and the cost starts around $1500 and can go up to $2500 or more depending on the amount and type of paint protection film and tint.

So one should always keep their options and mind open when seeking to grow their business.

Anthony

[RaskyR1]

I ran outside this morning with camera in hopes of seeing all those little crazy beads from the morning dew. NOPE, none, nada .... the one evening where I actually would not have minded a little dew on the daily driver and zippo. Well perhaps tomorrow morning.

I have seen your reviews on the other forums for the other coating systems. It seems Opti-coat is the easiest and most flexible to apply/remove effortlessly (I cannot imagine getting a heat gun out myself). Thanks for the idea on hand cleanup, I was also wondering if something like this might work. So you dont need to reapply another coat in this area afterwards ??

I do know that Meghan took a shot at carrying the Aquartz line and it did not work out at least currently. I do want to grab a bottle of Reload and wonder if it might work over Opti-coat too. Hmm ???

Anyone found great results using Optimums Quick Detailer over Opti-coat too ??


I was using a little Optimum Instant Detailer as a drying aid (help reduce chance of marring) on my car and I got slight streaking....not sure if it is because of the coating or not but it didn't happen on my wife's car when I washed it right after mine and hers does not have the coating. :dunno:

Using the sheeting method with Opti-Coat is awesome BTW! ;)



Thanks for the review Killr. Looks like I may have been a little heavy on my first application. :props: