Downside to Opti-Coat?

Nth Degree said:
Without going into too much detail I will simply say; OC is great for a vehicle when ease of maintenance outweighs the the desire for optimal appearance.
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This is comparing apples to oranges. Ease of maintenance you can measure to some extent with how much effort one would take to wash a vehicle before and after Opti-coat. You can also measure the durability since it's a unit of time. Appearance is purely subjective -- there's no unit of measure that's consistent from one person to the next. Number of "wows" per day? Number of "ughs" per week? :)
 
Thomas Dekany said:
PS: why not use Cquarts finest? Supposedly it looks much better than 22ple
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Because Carpro wants you sign waivers and wants a business name and all of that stuff. I understand where they're coming from, but I think in a way it's stupid and only causes them to lose business, otherwise I would have tried it myself a long time ago, but no one wants to sell it so oh well. Move on to something else.
 
Andy408 said:
This is comparing apples to oranges. Ease of maintenance you can measure to some extent with how much effort one would take to wash a vehicle before and after Opti-coat. You can also measure the durability since it's a unit of time. Appearance is purely subjective -- there's no unit of measure that's consistent from one person to the next. Number of "wows" per day? Number of "ughs" per week? :)
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I'm not saying it doesn't look great when applied but even with OC a car can and will develop swirls and other marring. For a customer who is going to want swirls and scratches polished out once or twice a year and will keep up with proper washes and regular waxing/sealing it might not be the best choice unless the paint thickness is of concern. Now if the car is not going to be properly maintained, then, of course it is a great option.



Properly educating a customer about the cons, as well as the pros, is important. It also goes a long way for building the trust of a customer. People who choose to purchase, rather than are sold, will always be happier with their decision in the end.
 
I am not sure who the last sentence was directed at, or why you even brought it up, but I am hoping that you are not suggesting that we do not educate our customers. Also, if appearance is a priority, than I'd assume that the customer is well thought about maintaining a mar free finish. In that case, OC is superior to any other traditional wax/sealant in my book as far as helping a mar free finish. On the other hand, if the car needs to be polished every 6 months, and that same customer is only concerned about appearance, someone didn't teach the client how to maintain a mar free finish. What do you say?



Nth Degree said:
I'm not saying it doesn't look great when applied but even with OC a car can and will develop swirls and other marring. For a customer who is going to want swirls and scratches polished out once or twice a year and will keep up with proper washes and regular waxing/sealing it might not be the best choice unless the paint thickness is of concern. Now if the car is not going to be properly maintained, then, of course it is a great option.



Properly educating a customer about the cons, as well as the pros, is important. It also goes a long way for building the trust of a customer. People who choose to purchase, rather than are sold, will always be happier with their decision in the end.
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Thomas Dekany said:
I am not sure who the last sentence was directed at, or why you even brought it up, but I am hoping that you are not suggesting that we do not educate our customers. Also, if appearance is a priority, than I'd assume that the customer is well thought about maintaining a mar free finish. In that case, OC is superior to any other traditional wax/sealant in my book as far as helping a mar free finish. On the other hand, if the car needs to be polished every 6 months, and that same customer is only concerned about appearance, someone didn't teach the client how to maintain a mar free finish. What do you say?
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I was not referring to anyone specific. I have just heard numerous counts, both from other detailers and car owners, of people having the impression that OC is a magic force field of protection.



I agree with you about proper maintenance but the old saying "you can lead a horse to water..." rings true so often in this industry. I am referring more to cars, like garage queens, that are given a light polish from time to time to maximize gloss, not necessarily due to a need for correction.



Don't misunderstand my posts as a knock on OC. I think it is one of the best products available and ideal for 95% of customers and 99.9% of cars on the road. I just think its capabilities are oversold or misunderstood by some customers.
 
So it looks like my sealant options are:



1) OptiCoat

2) Cquartz finest

3) 22ple



Again, this is a Honda that will be parked outside, so it's no Ferrari :) Should I strive for one over the other or any of them will be more than good enough for this car?
 
I would take a good look at CQuartz UK ;) Unless your having an authorized installer apply Finest in which case its the bees knees. If your looking for DIY UK is turning heads
 
chefwong said:
I DISAGREE. PPF is just as suspect to water spotting , and IMO, is my hydroscopic (porus) than paint.
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My thinking was it would protect the paint for later on, e.g. remove the film just before selling the car or maybe when they have time to take care of the car better. The paint underneath should be ok



I don't believe there is that much to gain with opti-coat or other sealants if the owner is parking next to sprinklers and can't put time in to maintain the exterior.



I guess the cost of the film install vs. cost of correcting the defects later would be something to consider.
 
Honestly, you might be better off with a standard sealant that resists water spotting. In my experience, OC works great for the first 5-6 months before the beading becomes more relaxed, but if you keep a very slick standard sealant on it every 3-5 months, you might get less spotting. DG105 is one of my very favorite sealants and it's so cheap to buy OTC and really resists water stains. Spotting you will get, but it will wash off pretty easily. Powerlock i've also had good luck with. Something that is resistant to alkaline, bird crap, etc. DG is resistant to these things, but i'm sure there are others that are as well, maybe someone could suggest one of those.
 
Nth Degree said:
I'm not saying it doesn't look great when applied but even with OC a car can and will develop swirls and other marring. For a customer who is going to want swirls and scratches polished out once or twice a year and will keep up with proper washes and regular waxing/sealing it might not be the best choice unless the paint thickness is of concern. Now if the car is not going to be properly maintained, then, of course it is a great option.



Properly educating a customer about the cons, as well as the pros, is important. It also goes a long way for building the trust of a customer. People who choose to purchase, rather than are sold, will always be happier with their decision in the end.
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Agreed on all points -- you're just talking motherhood and apple pie. Now what did this have to do with the original topic of this thread? :)



ybajwa said:
My thinking was it would protect the paint for later on, e.g. remove the film just before selling the car or maybe when they have time to take care of the car better. The paint underneath should be ok



I don't believe there is that much to gain with opti-coat or other sealants if the owner is parking next to sprinklers and can't put time in to maintain the exterior.



I guess the cost of the film install vs. cost of correcting the defects later would be something to consider.
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IMO, if the owner is parking next to sprinklers and can't put time in to maintain the exterior, the PPF would really just amount to a really expensive sacrificial layer above the paint.
 
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