2 years with Opti-coat - not very happy

[conman1395]

What's the point if the coating is still there if it's not hydrophobic?

OC may be "permanent", but IME it looses much of its hydrophobic nature of exposed to harsh chemicals or environments.

This is the only way I can explain the NUMEROUS reports of OC not beading/sheeting well after a period of time.

My experience is its lasts forever on the roof (not exposed to salt/wheel cleaners), but petered out on bumpers and wheels after a while.

So, let's assume the presence of the coating on the paint is permanent. If it's not beading / sheeting well after a while - what's the point?

Resistance to etching, ability to clean, and having a "sacrificial layer" .

[swanicyouth]

Resistance to etching, ability to clean, and having a "sacrificial layer" .

I hear you and all that, but let's be real here. Nobody is going to stick with, recommend, or praise any coating unless it beads & sheets well.

Ease of cleaning to me is almost synonymous with hydrophobicity. So, I don't see anything that beads poorly cleaning easily.

[conman1395]

I hear you and all that, but let's be real here. Nobody is going to stick with, recommend, or praise any coating unless it beads & sheets well.

Ease of cleaning to me is almost synonymous with hydrophobicity. So, I don't see anything that beads poorly cleaning easily.

I agree with you on that, but it's been mentioned already that coated areas lacking hydrophobicity are still easier to clean. The claim from OCP to be impervious to most bird dropping is certainly appealing to me however. So I wouldn't mind having to do a topper every now and then to keep those qualities as well as the hydrophobic properties.

[hawaiian]

(1) wash car (2) SONAX paint cleaner may be applied by hand with applicator pad (3) wash car with CarPro RESET (4) Apply OPTI SEAL

[AGOatemywallet]

I'm not saying to hit it with a polish, but a non-abrasive paint cleaner. I've measured before and afters of paint after paint cleaning and I got no measurable reduction, even with using the DA.

If you clean it with a paint cleaner and it's not beading or sheeting after a month, I feel like it's pretty definitively gone. I'm just saying to use that as a test to see if it's really there or not. With both being entirely reasonable possibilities.

Were you also able to measure an increase in the PTG readings after application of a coating?

I wonder after using PoliSeal...what is actually causing the paint to bead; the "revived" coating or the PoliSeal?

[zmcgovern45]

The point is that your paint is still protected.

To regain hydrophobic properties, you can simply apply a spray sealant/wax quickly and easily if you wish.

In all reality, after 2-3 years most vehicles will benefit from at least a light polish to restore complete gloss and clarity, after which a new coating will need to be installed anyway. IMO this is why all other brands have completely avoided any claims past the 2-3 year mark, as the likelihood of the loss of beading/sheeting is rather high at this point, and therefore many people will wrongfully assume the coating is no longer present anyway. Just my opinion though.