Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating - What YOU Should Know

[Nick McKees37]

Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating!
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Since the word leaked out that I've had Optimum's newest coating - Opti-Lens Headlight Coating - has been on my daily driver for several months now, I began to notice a steady increase in the PM's, emails, and suspicious suit-wearing-gentlemen that follow me at the mall.

Because of this, I deemed it necessary to make a thread dedicated to Optimum Opti-Lens - the much anticipated headlight coating from Dr. David Ghodoussi, the brains behind Optimum Polymer Technologies.


Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating - Let There Be Light!

The words "much anticipated" and "Optimum Car Care" go together like "mashed" and "potatoes" - someone says one and you naturally follow with the other. When Dr. David Ghodoussi shuts his phone off and locks himself in his lab, magical things happen.

"Dr. G", as he's better known on the forums, unveiled four all-new products at the SEMA show last year.

• No Rinse Wash & Wax
• Opti-Lens Headlight Coating
• Opti-Glass Coating
• Opti-Glass Clean & Protect Concentrate

No Rinse Wash & Wax has been on sale for well over a month now and we're excited to announce that the other new products - Opti-Lens, Opti-Glass and Opti-Glass Clean & Protect Concentrate - will be available in a few (very short) weeks.


Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating - What YOU Should Know

Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating is an advanced, resin-based coating that's designed to provide the utmost in protection for headlights, taillights and other poly-carbonate surfaces. Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating forms a permanent bond to the surface, providing permanent protection against harmful UV rays that would otherwise cause your headlights to fade and discolor, taking away from the overall appearance of your vehicle.

Dr. G sent me a pre-production sample of this revolutionary new product shortly after SEMA and I didn't waste any time putting it to the test. I can report that it's extremely easy to use and after 3+ months, it is holding up very well. The headlights on my daily driver, a 2010 Mazda 3, are very easy to clean; bird droppings, bug splatter, dirt, and road grime are effortlessly removed. I'm known for running my cars into the ground so it will be interesting to see how the coating is doing in 1, 2, and even 3 years.

Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating

 

[Chris@AutoCleanse]

Subscribed.

 

[FUNX650]

Hi Nick...

Thanks for sharing the news about Optimum's new products!

Out of curiosity...
Is any "sanding-prep" required on new/newer 'head-lights'...
prior to the Opti-Lens application.

Or does all polycarbonate-lens need to be "scuffed"...
for Opti-Lens to bond?

Reason for asking:
A 2010 model year vehicle's 'headlights' shouldn't be in:
Too-bad-of-a-condition, or even yellowed-out.
(Or at least a person would hope not.)

Thanks.



Bob

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Reason for asking:
A 2010 model year vehicle's 'headlights' shouldn't be in:
Too-bad-of-a-condition, or even yellowed-out.
(Or at least a person would hope not.)

Yeah, no offense Nick, but presumably the factory coating on your headlights is intact, and that might be the application for a lot of members, to extend the life of the factory coating. But some of us have cars where the original coating has failed and been sanded off, and that is the real test for Opti-Lens, how much it outperforms Opti-Coat or the Spar method for restoration.

 

[SonOfOC]

:iagree:Would like the manufactures to perform some kind of comparison. Perhaps subjecting new and old headlights to extreme water, heat, and of UV in the lab. 1 set with nothing, another with Opticoat, and the third with Opti Lens.

Otherwise, I don't even have the slightest yellowing till about the 4-5 year mark and wouldn't want use anymore of my trust fund to find out 5 years later that the product was marginal.

 

[timaishu]

I sanded my brothers headlights and applied opticoat about 2-3 months ago.

They still look as good as the day I applied it. No idea about beading or anything though because he never ever washes his car.

 

[ScottB]

I was told the formula is different versus Opti-coat and the professional version ...

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Would like the manufactures to perform some kind of comparison. Perhaps subjecting new and old headlights to extreme water, heat, and of UV in the lab. 1 set with nothing, another with Opticoat, and the third with Opti Lens.

I dunno, I trust Dr. G, if he says Opti-Lens is better for headlights than Opti-Coat, I believe him, no need for him to prove it. If you want to know if Opti-Lens is going to be better than the factory UV coating, my guess is no, but my plan would be to put Opti-Lens on top of the factory coating next new lights I get.

I sanded my brothers headlights and applied opticoat about 2-3 months ago. They still look as good as the day I applied it.

IME in about a year they will be yellowing, then a quick 105/205 polish and they will be clear again and you can re-Opti-Coat. I'm hoping the Opti-Lens will go 2 or 3 years.

 

[g35_coupe]

I would assume this coating will last quite a while longer since I have been told it is an acrylic/silicon carbide coating that can only be removed by abrasives.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I would assume this coating will last quite a while longer since I have been told it is an acrylic/silicon carbide coating that can only be removed by abrasives.

I imagine that might be a description of Opti-Coat, as well. I assume it will last quite a while longer because that is what Dr. G designed it to do, otherwise there wouldn't be much point in making a different coating product for lenses.

 

[Sunshyne]

Looks like a great product. I'm all in. Great for headlight restorations im hoping

 

[Nick McKees37]

Hi Nick...

Bob,

Hello!

Thanks for sharing the news about Optimum's new products!

My pleasure!

Out of curiosity...
Is any "sanding-prep" required on new/newer 'head-lights'...
prior to the Opti-Lens application.

Or does all polycarbonate-lens need to be "scuffed"...
for Opti-Lens to bond?

Sanding/polishing is only required if the headlights are yellowed/oxidized. If you're working on a brand spankin' new car, there (in theory) would be no need to sand/polish the headlights before applying Opti-Lens Headlight Coating. I would, however, lightly polish (let's say Optimum Finish Polish) the headlights on a vehicle that is several months old. A light polish applied with a soft foam finishing pad would remove any contamination without abrading away the factory-applied UV protection. Opti-Lens Headlight Coating, much like Opti-Coat 2.0, needs to be applied to a surface that's squeaky clean and free of contaminants.

Reason for asking:
A 2010 model year vehicle's 'headlights' shouldn't be in:
Too-bad-of-a-condition, or even yellowed-out.
(Or at least a person would hope not.)

You're correct - they "shouldn't be" in too bad of a condition. But let's use that logic in regards to gas pedals sticking and wheels falling off brand new cars. That "shouldn't" happen.

I was actually horrified upon taking delivery on my new-to-me 2010 Mazda 3. The headlights looked like they were 5+ years old. While they weren't trashed, they were far from perfect (remember I work for Autogeek) so a quick polish (I believe I used Meguiar's D300) restored them to optical clarity before applying the Opti-Lens Headlight Coating (I also wiped them down with 15% IPA after polishing).

Thanks.



Bob

Any time Bob! :dblthumb2:

Yeah, no offense Nick, but presumably the factory coating on your headlights is intact, and that might be the application for a lot of members, to extend the life of the factory coating. But some of us have cars where the original coating has failed and been sanded off, and that is the real test for Opti-Lens, how much it outperforms Opti-Coat or the Spar method for restoration.

No offense taken - this thread was created for questions to be asked and theories to be discussed. As I explained to Bob, the headlights on my vehicle had already began to yellow/oxidize so polishing was necessary. I'm sure the factory-applied coating was removed by the abrasive polished used to restore optical clarity. With a cabinet full of "the good stuff", applying a coat of Opti-Lens Headlight Coating was a no-brainer.

I'm sure as Opti-Lens Headlight Coating becomes available, comparisons will be made. I'm anxious to see how well Opti-Lens Headlight Coating holds up on my vehicle. Unless Max adds another 0 to my yearly salary, I'll be driving the Mazda for a while. I'm looking forward to the day 3 years from now when I bump this thread and say "hey look at that, my headlights are still perfectly clear."

I would assume this coating will last quite a while longer since I have been told it is an acrylic/silicon carbide coating that can only be removed by abrasives.

Unless physically abraded away, Opti-Lens Headlight Coating will not be removed ("wear off").

 

[POPPAJ]

I polish my headlights with every detail, just part of the process. They look very good and clear with the lights off. However when the lights are on you can see what looks like a somewhat very light sandblasted look. Could I use the OOLHC to fill and hide this? What I mean is apply, and wet sand as many times as it takes to remove or hide these defects? Much like applying a clear coat finish to paint I suspect.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

the headlights on my vehicle had already began to yellow/oxidize so polishing was necessary. I'm sure the factory-applied coating was removed by the abrasive polished used to restore optical clarity.

I'm no expert on this and I'm sure there is a lot of variation between mfrs., suppliers, and year-to-year, but the factory coatings I have seen fail have had to be sanded off. It fails on the part of the lens with the highest UV exposure, so that part of the lens turns yellow. Then there is a transition area where there is some coating left, that looks blotchy, then there is a part where the coating is still good. So the old coating has to be removed in the transition and good area, and polishing doesn't do it, only sanding.

So I'm not sure if it was just the coating on your car that was yellowed and you polished off the yellowed part of the coating, or if the factory coating is really gone. It doesn't really matter, if Dr. G has formulated this product for lights, then as far as I'm concerned it's the product to use on headlights (and I'm hoping maybe trim) rather than the Opti-Coat I've been using.

I'm sure there are other members who will want to know how Opti-Lens compares to the Spar Urethane method, and that's really interesting to me from a technical standpoint, whether a one-part easy-to-use product like Opti-Lens can outperform the Spar or even the "real" UV-cured headlight coatings, but that doesn't have any real-world value to me like it does to the headlight restoration guys--who I'm sure will be feeding us results on this product.

Sheesh, I think I had too much coffee this morning, time for me to shut up already.

 

[FUNX650]

Any time Bob! :dblthumb2:

Thanks, Nick, for your responses to my inquiries.
I appreciate them.

I've got the perfect test/review-vehicle ('98 P/U)
for when Opti-Lens becomes available to the masses.



Bob

 

[Nick McKees37]

It doesn't really matter, if Dr. G has formulated this product for lights, then as far as I'm concerned it's the product to use on headlights

That's about as deep as I dig into the subject. I let the expert do all the heavy thinking and I simply take his word for it and use the products. I don't like to spend a whole lot of time thinking, analyzing and dissecting "theories" that I'm not properly educated on.

My headlights were yellowed/oxidized. I polished them. I applied Opti-Lens Headlight Coating and they look great. There's my analysis. rops:

I'm sure there are other members who will want to know how Opti-Lens compares to the Spar Urethane method, and that's really interesting to me from a technical standpoint, whether a one-part easy-to-use product like Opti-Lens can outperform the Spar or even the "real" UV-cured headlight coatings, but that doesn't have any real-world value to me like it does to the headlight restoration guys--who I'm sure will be feeding us results on this product.

Comparisons are inevitable - that's what makes this hobby (errr obsession) so enjoyable.

Sheesh, I think I had too much coffee this morning, time for me to shut up already.

Have another cup for me.

 

[FUNX650]

Would like the manufactures to perform some kind of comparison.

Comparisons are inevitable - that's what makes this hobby (errr obsession) so enjoyable.

Speaking of comparisons:


Due to the money-making potential (for manufacturers and Detailers)...

It appears that many UV-Coatings specific to:
'Correction/Protection' of polycarbonate headlight/taillight lenses...
are now making an appearance on the car-care-products-scene.

As such:
I wonder how AI-ValuGard's: NiteBrite permanent coating technology...
Will stack-up to their competitors...


Bob

 

[Chris Thomas]

Opti Coat will add all the attributes to lenses that it does to paint. But, polycarbonate needs a little more from a coating than paint to be "Optimized"

Opti-Lens is a hybrid coating based on Opti Coat. We added acrylic for flexibility due to the constant expanding and contracting and increased the UV absorber content to accommodate the absence of protection inherit to polycarbonate.

This combination along with the attributes of silicon carbide (Opti Coat) is the 1-2 punch for headlight protection that makes it the ultimate lens coating. And considering that it doesn't have to be sprayed or lamp cured, it's also the easiest.

 

[FUNX650]

Hi Chris...

-Must any of the existing OEM-polycarbonate-lenses'-"coating(s)" be:
Scuffed/sanded/compounded/polished/etc...
Prior to these lenses having an Opti-Lens Coating application?

-Is Opti-Lens: 'Layerable'?

Thanks.



Bob

 

[spiralout462]

Good question Bob! I am interested in this new coating for my 2012 vehicles but I don't want to sand on lenses in excellent condition.