Opti Coat may not be for me

[tguil]

I was just about ready to order some Opti Coat 2.0 and "go at it" on my 2012 white Ram and my wife's 2011 white Tacoma, but then I was overwhelmed by a sense of "why".

I first considered Opti Coat when I realized that I may have compromised a repainted hood by a bit of fairly aggressive buffing. I talked this over the the owner of the body shop and he said that if I ever have problems with the paint, the shop will redo it.

Now about the rest of the reason for using Opti Coat...long term protection against a harsh environment for paint. This is something I really don't have to deal with. Although I live in a state with harsh winters and long hot summers, neither truck is overly exposed to this harsh environment. Living in the country with only one large city very "clean" within fifty miles, I have very little urban pollution to worry about. Both trucks are garaged every night. The Ram spends most of its daytime hours in the garage. (My wife and I are both retired.:) )

Both trucks a detailed as needed using Meguiar's products. Right now my wax of choice is Meguiar's Ultimate applied two three times a year. Both trucks are washed with my own two step process....a quick and nasty wash with a hose and Meguiar's shampoo to get off any big stuff followed by a careful wash using Optimum ONR and soon ONR with wax. Sometimes I follow the ONR with Meguiar's Ultimate Spray Wax.

When I notice any minor scratches or marring, buffing and rewaxing partial panels is quick and easy.

So....is Opti Coat something that I really need in my detailing arsenal? One more thing...I like slick paint. :)

Tom :cool:

[glen e]

I get where you're coming from. I have OC 2.0 in my closet and use it for several different things, but never for entirely coating my car because I like detailing it too much. I find products change, and I get different types of glosses on my car that I like. But I do use it for "high-traffic" areas.What I mean by that is areas like the front bumper for bugs, the side mirrors or the dorsal fin for XM; things that I don't want to wax or I know get high abrasion in use.I do some interior trim pieces of the car that I just want to make sure stay clean. It is the hands down winner on wheels and barrels. But for the broad areas of paint, I rather do a 1,2, or 3 step process all the time.

But I am glad I have it.....

[EvolutionDetail]

I'm a fan of slick paint too, but I do love coatings
This is how I see it, ,many people use sealant and wax. But with the way it is applied, it does not seem very durable to me.

For say a dawn soap can remove your wax, then there should be plenty of other factors that can degrade the wax layer on the paint.

I much prefer putting on a coating and not have to worry about it for another year or 2

I would rather only detail the vehicle when is NEEDED than whiping out the polisher to do a 2+ day detail job

[swanicyouth]

POSSIBLE DETRIMENTS:

-Any "touch ups" or "spot buffs" you do you will have to re-coat the whole panel. That could mean buying another syringe if you have none left.

- anything with abrasives may remove it

- no more slick paint

- OC may not look as good as a freshly waxed car

- OC beads well, but not as well as fresh wax IME

- no more playing with glazes, waxes, or sealants (no real point with OC IMO)

- some have experienced water spotting

- some (like me) have had the coating wash away within months. No 100% guarantee it will last if you are DIY'ing it.



POSSIBLE BENEFITS:

- lasts forever, no more reapplying waxes

- resists harsh chemicals, degreasers, pH extremes, and APCs. Basically resists anything that comes as a liquid (except abrasive polish). No."limitations" on what you can use on it. No special soaps or "maintenance" products required.

- you can still play with spray waxes and QD.

- may clean / shed dirt easier than waxed surface

-should still be able to use "clay" or non abrasive paint cleaners as needed

- makes your total paint thickness a little thicker

- cheaper in the long run (or even the short run compared to the cost of some waxes)

[tguil]

A factor to think about...as a retiree I do have time...sometimes too much. Causes me to over-think minor details. :)

An example of my "real" need or lack of need. I waxed both trucks last October. They were still beading in April with only minor marring from using a Meguiar's brush during the winter to get of the big/tough stuff before using ONR. (Yes, I still have one of those wonderful brushes. Makes a "nasty" job "quick". I plan to buy a pricey boars hair brush when the Meguiar's brush finally wears out.) Usually my spring detail involves a an application of Meguiar's ColorX applied with a PC. (I use Meguiar's Ultimate Polish when necessary.) A month or so later, I wax again with Meguiar's Ultimate Wax. It takes me only about an hour to apply and remove either wax. If I were to apply Opti Coat, it would probably take me several hours to remove the wax that I have already applied...a thorough cleaning with PrepSol followed by polishing with Optimum Polish II.

Supposedly with Opti Coat there is less need to correct marring and/or scratches, but when it is necessary it seems to me that it would be more of a hassle.

If my trucks were exposed to the harsh environment that many of your vehicles are subjected to, for sure I'd be trying Opti Coat.

I still sort of go by some advice given a long time ago by a certain "famous" detailer named Mike..."Find a product you like and use it often." finally I got smart after driving black vehicles for over thirty years and switched to white. "Often" does come around as frequently.

Tom :cool:

[yakky]

There is no reason you can't top OC if you like. Plenty of people have put on durable sealants on top and gotten good durability. Its a good coating, but it won't make an LSP slide off.

[arack]

OptiCoat is awesome. You should consider it. The whole wax thing is really just for look anyway. Opticoat is adding to your clearcoat.

There is no other product on the planet that adds to your clearcoat. C Quartz does not add anything to clear coats and lasts less than 18 months.

If you want to do it, do it. If not, no big deal. I did 4 cars and am extremely happy with it. The scratch resistance is amazing. It has shortened my detailing steps, but so what? Who really wants to spends hours waxing anyway? Good luck.

[VP Mark]

Go for the oc. You can always top if later if you feel like it. You won't regret it.

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