imported_Rcrew
New member
The issue of non-beading areas many have mentioned can be cleared up with clay and a tar/iron removal product, if a power clean soak doesn't clear it up.
Longevity and "look" of Opti-Coat
- Thread starter tguil
- Start date
Guitarist302008
New member
Rcrew said:
The problem I see with that is optimum uses the pitch that nothing sticks to it.... that's just not fact.
imported_Rcrew
New member
Guitarist302008 said:
I've never seen OPT publish anything to that effect.
Guitarist302008
New member
Rcrew said:
You know what? Maybe they didn't, but the general consensus has been that "nothing sticks to OC" which is why you see all the time people say coating it with any sort of wax or sealant at the very least won't last very long. Is is easier to wash? Yes IMO it is, but the last time I washed it, there were a lot of things that had indeed "stuck" to the finish.
Kean
New member
Guitarist302008 said:
Hmmm….. I never felt that was the consensus in the community but maybe I’ve been a little selective of what I’ve read on the subject. From what I’ve gathered from others experiences, it’s not a matter of other LSP's not "sticking" to an OC'd surface but (as you mentioned) it’s that they tend not to bond like they do to bare paint or other products that might be more friendly in this respect. As a result, they don’t typically last that long over OC. ….although some products may fare better than others.
As far as contamination, what I gather is that it simply doesn’t attach as easily and/or is easier to remove (relatively speaking). ….and as result, less of it will tend to stay bonded to this finish (requiring clay, etc. to remove). I never felt that most folks in the community were claiming contamination would never “stick” to OC. From my own limited experience with the product, I tend to agree.
Dan
Well-known member
Yeah, a lot of people will believe hearsay. Wax sticks just fine on top of it.
To be perfectly honest, I can't say that I have noticed an appreciable difference in looks when I have topped OC (the only products I topped it with were OS and OCW). I didn't notice enough difference to worry about it one way or the other but I still throw one of these products on from time to time since it only takes 5-10 minutes to do the whole car and I have plenty of each. However, I can say without any doubt whatsoever that both of my vehicles with OC on them cleaned up much easier and therefore have been much less susceptible to wash induced marring.
I haven't seen the product yet that pleased 100% of the people but if you are trying to maintain a daily driver without periodic major full details then I feel there is a good chance that OC will meet your needs.
I haven't seen the product yet that pleased 100% of the people but if you are trying to maintain a daily driver without periodic major full details then I feel there is a good chance that OC will meet your needs.
Guitarist302008
New member
Chris11LE said:
Some people will argue for the sake of arguing or whatever. I'm neither a fanboy, nor a pessimist about this product. I have applied it to many cars at customers requests. I even stated that it seems to have helped my car when it came to sandblasting and chipping. I also said I know a direct hit from a rock isn't going to keep a scratch or dent from happening. I will probably "stick" with it... no pun intended lol. I just will make myself a bit more aware to use a little more potent car wash or something added to the car wash to help cut into some of the road grime that might gather on the finish.
Dan
Well-known member
Chris11LE said:
Do you have first hand experience with a wax not lasting long on top?
Guitarist302008
New member
Dan said:
dude, where have you been? I have contacted optimum myself and while I don't think I still have the email I was told to use naturally either OS or OCW, but that it would not stick as long as it normally would. I was told OS would last about 1 month... it lasted about 1.5 weeks and that is being generous. I didn't bother with the OCW for the simple reason that i'm not wasting more money that doesn't need to be wasted. OC is a good product, great for durability, but for looks it's basically just an OK look. It's not a WOW like a good coat of wax is, and it's not a sheen of glass look like a few layers of a good sealant. It is good for DD's. It's very good. So far... for me anyway it's not worth stripping it off for another product that is so far fairly unproven, so I leave it on and will occasionally just clean up the finish, rough it up a little an add another coat to it as needed. It's not a big deal for me to do so as we all know the application is easy to do.
Dan
Well-known member
Guitarist302008 said:
Duuuuuuude.... sorry I'm getting this image of you:
Not sure who you talked to at Optimum, but the tune has changed lately. On another forum, Chris stated that durability MAY be compromised but it wasn't going to cause the LSP to wash away at the next rain. Instead of blindly believing, you might have tried it. I have tried various stuff on top of OC. The bonding issues are completely overblown. Tom p. duplicated my results with DG105 on top of OC. You even posted in my thread where I demonstrated it lasted a long time, so know you've seen it, or did that memory go up in smoke?
Guitarist302008
New member
Dan said:Duuuuuuude.... sorry I'm getting this image of you:
Not sure who you talked to at Optimum, but the tune has changed lately. On another forum, Chris stated that durability MAY be compromised but it wasn't going to cause the LSP to wash away at the next rain. Instead of blindly believing, you might have tried it. I have tried various stuff on top of OC. The bonding issues are completely overblown. Tom p. duplicated my results with DG105 on top of OC. You even posted in my thread where I demonstrated it lasted a long time, so know you've seen it, or did that memory go up in smoke?
I see making assumptions has made you make an *** out of yourself since I don't ever smoke pot. Perhaps that's your thing, but thanks for attempting to judge anyway. So when Chris at optimum tells me that I will get a month from OS and I use it I am "blindly believing" now? That's cool, whatever does it for you.
Dan
Well-known member
Sorry, you just give me that spaced out vibe. Certainly starting with DUDE, doesn't help. You've been posting "things you've read" all around this forum. How about some first hand experience instead of the misinformation? Better yet, I've posted my results, PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG. Someone...do it! But for the sake of sanity, no more I've heard this or that, or pulling crap out of thin air like this one:
http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-de...5-longevity-look-opti-coat-2.html#post1539252
http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-de...5-longevity-look-opti-coat-2.html#post1539252
Over at "that other forum" Chris from Optimum posts quite a bit and I know he has said stuff wont stick to it. Again, semantics....was he referring to dirt, dust, etc, or was he referring to topcoats (wax, sealants, etc) or was he referring to both?
I dont have x-ray vision (not even sure that would help) so I wouldnt be able to tell just by looking if a topcoat I applied "didnt stick", or even accurately how long it DID stick. Im just going by what someone who works for the manufacturer says. If he was geared towards hyping the product you would figure the answer would NOT be in any way "negative".
My car, even dirty, looks better than a lot of cars I park next to/see. Is that because of the Opticoat? I have no idea. I CAN tell you that a lot of the below-the-door-line stuff comes off the car a lot easier than it did before Opticoat and on my non-OCed vehicles. Things like road tar, etc I can wipe them off with my wash mitt with only a little extra elbow grease whereas before I would almost need to resort to claybar to get rid of it all.
I havent tried topcoating my car with anything so I wouldnt be able to say first hand if I can tell a difference when it is and isnt topcoated. I might try it just to see, but I wont be offended or surprised if it looks like its on there one day and gone the next.
I agree with a previous poster that said for a DD, Opticoat is an excellent idea. Luckily I like the way it looks my car so I can have my semi-garage queen protected and looking decent without much work. As much as I like working on/detailing my cars, family takes up most of my free time right now.
I dont have x-ray vision (not even sure that would help) so I wouldnt be able to tell just by looking if a topcoat I applied "didnt stick", or even accurately how long it DID stick. Im just going by what someone who works for the manufacturer says. If he was geared towards hyping the product you would figure the answer would NOT be in any way "negative".
My car, even dirty, looks better than a lot of cars I park next to/see. Is that because of the Opticoat? I have no idea. I CAN tell you that a lot of the below-the-door-line stuff comes off the car a lot easier than it did before Opticoat and on my non-OCed vehicles. Things like road tar, etc I can wipe them off with my wash mitt with only a little extra elbow grease whereas before I would almost need to resort to claybar to get rid of it all.
I havent tried topcoating my car with anything so I wouldnt be able to say first hand if I can tell a difference when it is and isnt topcoated. I might try it just to see, but I wont be offended or surprised if it looks like its on there one day and gone the next.
I agree with a previous poster that said for a DD, Opticoat is an excellent idea. Luckily I like the way it looks my car so I can have my semi-garage queen protected and looking decent without much work. As much as I like working on/detailing my cars, family takes up most of my free time right now.
Guitarist302008
New member
Chris11LE said:
Dan knows everything... you'll see the longer you're here lol.
Guitarist302008
New member
I'm just giving you s*** Dan lol.
Dan
Well-known member
Guitarist302008 said:
Ha. Sorry, I'm sharing firsthand experience, with pictures in another thread I've started. Maybe its just me, but something I've done and provided evidence of carries a wee bit more weight than what someone else said.
That said, I could certainly can see where someone at Optimum might have had difficulty in telling what was on the surface because all the Optimum products exhibit very relaxed beading.
Bare Opticoat:
476S on OC (two months IIRC):
The pic of beading on bare Opticoat....how old was the Opticoat at that point? If I took a pic of the beading on the hood of my car you probably wouldnt believe it. It looks completely different than your pic of Opti (on what Im assuming is a roof?) Granted, my car isnt parked outside everyday, but it has gone thru 2+ years since Opticoat-ing and that included all of last winter without being washed once.
The Opti on anything near a horizontal panel on my car is downright hydrophobic....as fast as I shoot water at it, it beads up and rolls off. The vertical panels are little slower and tend to sheet water more than bead but that could be because of other contaminants stuck to the Opti (yes, bad stuff does stick to Opticoat
it just seems to come off easier than if it were on something else)
The Opti on anything near a horizontal panel on my car is downright hydrophobic....as fast as I shoot water at it, it beads up and rolls off. The vertical panels are little slower and tend to sheet water more than bead but that could be because of other contaminants stuck to the Opti (yes, bad stuff does stick to Opticoat
it just seems to come off easier than if it were on something else)