Does opti-coat protect against swirls & chips?

flyinion

flyinion

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So, with the gf just buying a new black Altima I'm debating whether to go the traditional polish/seal/wax or do polish/opti-coat/"forget about it". Other than the nervousness of being an amateur and using a product like opti-coat on a brand new car for the first time, I'm wondering a couple of things. First, will it lock out the fine swirls that always seem to show up in paint (especially black and dark colors) and does it provide any protection against rock chips?

I guess I'm having hard time fully understanding the benefits of the product. I know it says it's like adding another layer of clearcoat but does it pick up swirls that you eventually might have to buff out? (leading to needing to apply more product) I'm just thinking if swirls eventually show up and there is no extra protection against rock chips then I might as well just go the traditional route that I know.
 
On soft paints, it improves resistance to swirls. Could it help with rock chips, perhaps in theory, in real life, I have my doubts. In many respects, it is just like a little bit more clear. The real advantage seems to be in staying clean. Water spotting, bird bombs and other etching can still happen.
 
When fully cured (can be several months) it is harder than the typical clear, so it will resist scratches, but is certainly not immune.

Don't be nervous, OC'ing my black car was one of my better decisions. Still impressed with it every time I wash.
 
One reason Dr. G created the product and a point of emphasis he made to me in our Q&A is that it provides a true sacrificial barrier. (He didn't use those words but thats my interpretation) Give me a second and I'll get his exact quote. What I mean by that is that when/if you do get swirls and you have to polish to remove them... you are NOT removing the paint. Instead you are now polishing the Opticoat layer!!! Does it help in avoiding swirls? Well, I think if you start being less gentle to the paint then no its not going to stop you from getting some scratches. If you treat the paint the same careful way you did before OC on it then it will help for more than one reason but a good point Chad made is the dirt will come off the paint easier which helps avoid swirls. ....That is (like I said) if you still wash it often enough, etc.


The following was the final of 13 answers / comments from Dr. G in the Q&A from this thread. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ew-extreme-testing-opti-coat-2-0-cquartz.html

Please note the areas I just placed in bold in the quote below.
CEE DOG said:
Thank you so much for your work on this innovative product and as always thank you for taking the time to answer my questions in such an insightful manner.

Corey, I appreciate the time you put into testing and educating forum members on how to use and benefit from different automotive appearance products. As a paint chemist, I was always puzzled why people over-polish their car paint and cause the paint to fail prematurely (we all have seen examples of clearcoat failure). Opti-Coat 2.0 is the most effective way to avoid premature failure of clearcoats.


Our research team spent over 4 years developing and testing Opti-Coat before it was released for professional use and another 3 years to develop Opti-Coat 2.0 for consumer use. This coating has better scratch and mar resistance, better UV resistance, and better chemical resistance than factory clears. Therefore the effects of the elements on Opti-Coat 2.0 is far less than factory clears and there will be much less need for polishing once this is applied on top of the existing clear. Even if you do remove Opti-Coat 2.0 by polishing, you can easily replace it by adding another coat.


Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks again.

Best Regards,
David,
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Very interesting. I know OptiCoat is recommended for paint in flawless condition (typically new cars that have had mild correction done to remove dealer instilled swirls and holograms), but what about on older finishes that have been corrected as good as they can get?

I've put some serious thought into using CQuarts or OptiCoat on my '94, and while the finish may not be flawless by any stretch of the imagination, I feel I could atleast prolong the life of the paint before I experience clearcoat failure and am forced to respray.

Sorry for the somewhat off-topic question :)
 
mark2dx said:
Very interesting. I know OptiCoat is recommended for paint in flawless condition (typically new cars that have had mild correction done to remove dealer instilled swirls and holograms), but what about on older finishes that have been corrected as good as they can get?

I've put some serious thought into using CQuarts or OptiCoat on my '94, and while the finish may not be flawless by any stretch of the imagination, I feel I could atleast prolong the life of the paint before I experience clearcoat failure and am forced to respray.

Sorry for the somewhat off-topic question :)
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Absolutely! Polish it to the condition which you want it and then coat it.
 
CEE DOG said:
Absolutely! Polish it to the condition which you want it and then coat it.
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Awesome! I don't quite have the level of correction I want yet, but I think OptiCoat will be a great investment once I get there. Thanks Cee Dog.
 
Thanks for the info guys. Of course it's made it that much harder to decide now lol. So I understand that you can't put more OC on top of itself. I also understand that it can be removed by polishing. Now comes the tricky part then. How do you tell when you've removed the OC without removing your clear? (obviously you'd know if the clear was gone).
 
The reason I ask that last question is, say I'm polishing to remove swirls that have appeared over time in the OC. How would I know that I've polished it off and it's time to re-coat?
 
I'm curious too, should you polish enough to be SURE you removed OC or just enough to get the swirls out? As I understand it OC doesn't layer. Is that because it doesn't stick to itself or does another application dissolve the previous layer similar to other waxes/sealants?
 
To your question ... no, it doesn't help prevent swirls or scratches. I have to be equally as careful with Opti coat as I did before Opti coat. It's peace of mind knowing your paint has anither layer of protection, and ease of maintenance (no more waxing or sealants) that you are buying.
 
OC beads very nicely. If you've polished off OC then it will no longer bead. That's how you can tell. If it were me I would polish carefully and check. You can always polish an area more I'd you didn't remove all of the OC
 
flyinion said:
The reason I ask that last question is, say I'm polishing to remove swirls that have appeared over time in the OC. How would I know that I've polished it off and it's time to re-coat?
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Very nice? I can't wait for the answer
 
flyinion said:
The reason I ask that last question is, say I'm polishing to remove swirls that have appeared over time in the OC. How would I know that I've polished it off and it's time to re-coat?
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I would like to know as well. Interesting stuff.
 
Shortymgee said:
Very nice? I can't wait for the answer
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You would be able to tell if you polished thru if your paint seemed to have no LSP. Beading would fall away and dirt/ contaminants would start sticking again. OC beading is pretty impressive...you would know if it was gone.


Sent from my ViP4 viaTapatalk
 
yakky said:
I'm curious too, should you polish enough to be SURE you removed OC or just enough to get the swirls out? As I understand it OC doesn't layer. Is that because it doesn't stick to itself or does another application dissolve the previous layer similar to other waxes/sealants?
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The reason is because it doesn't stick to itself. OC is thick enough that when you do get very fine lines (scratches) from washing you can use a finishing polish with a finishing pad to remove the fine scratches and still have OC left so you could theoretically do this a number of times before you have to recoat.

Also, if I can ask Chris to repeat himself or dismiss this... Chris did you say in the past that we can in fact add another layer of OC after we have polishing it... Not removed it but just polished it (roughed up the surface) with a finishing polish? In other words say someone has polished the OC a good amount of times with finishing polish and there is a spot that you can tell the OC is worn through. Can they at this point go ahead and prep the surface free of oils and add another coat of OC or do they have to make sure they removed the rest of the OC?
 
I have used opti coat on 4 cars now(2 black, one pearl, one red) over the last 5 months, so I cannot comment on long time durability(that has been done elsewhere). I have been quite impressed with this product in all respects. On very soft black(Infiniti G35), it has definitely helped decrease wash-induced marring, and makes washing easier, as it "sheds" dirt more easily, meaning less rubbing. On a black C4(notoriously hard paint), it looks great, and requires less washing. It has even convinced me to start using waterless washes, which have worked out well. Don't be mistaken, you still have to be careful, but it is a quality product, and not too difficult to apply.
 
Chris@Optimum said:
You would be able to tell if you polished thru if your paint seemed to have no LSP. Beading would fall away and dirt/ contaminants would start sticking again. OC beading is pretty impressive...you would know if it was gone.


Sent from my ViP4 viaTapatalk
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I see I see
So just simply sprinkle water as I work. Easy enough.
 
seaho said:
I have used opti coat on 4 cars now(2 black, one pearl, one red) over the last 5 months, so I cannot comment on long time durability(that has been done elsewhere). I have been quite impressed with this product in all respects. On very soft black(Infiniti G35), it has definitely helped decrease wash-induced marring, and makes washing easier, as it "sheds" dirt more easily, meaning less rubbing. On a black C4(notoriously hard paint), it looks great, and requires less washing. It has even convinced me to start using waterless washes, which have worked out well. Don't be mistaken, you still have to be careful, but it is a quality product, and not too difficult to apply.
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I second his answer as I have a black Infiniti 05 G35 and I can say that Opti-Coat does add protection from swirls but you still have to be careful. My car has significantly less swirls than it would have had, had I just used any sealant or wax. My car is so much more cleaner and dust free than when I used BFWD or whatever its called.
 
Chris@Optimum said:
You would be able to tell if you polished thru if your paint seemed to have no LSP. Beading would fall away and dirt/ contaminants would start sticking again. OC beading is pretty impressive...you would know if it was gone.


Sent from my ViP4 viaTapatalk
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Hey Chris,

My biggest concern with Opti-coat is the need to completely remove the coating if I need to fix a section. God knows that my cars are constantly pelted with SoCal freeway debris. Not a big issue with waxes or sealants for a buck or two but I would love some true body armour. Do I misunderstand the issue?
 
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