Those Who Have Used Opti Coat

OK, thanks, Rasky. I want to order some for my wheels. Maybe I'm better off with the consumer 2.0 version?
 
I used it back in November on my single stage white Honda and I am THRILLED with the results. No more dirt in the paint and when I wash the car it behaves like a clear coat. I used Poli Seal to clean it up, a alcohol wipe down, then then Opti Coat.
 
tom p. said:
OK, thanks, Rasky. I want to order some for my wheels. Maybe I'm better off with the consumer 2.0 version?
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I'd go with the Opti-Guard if you can obtain it, though the 2.0 will be a little easier to use in hotter temps, IME at least.
 
David Fermani said:
Think of it this way....Like when a body shop paints a panel, they need to lightly scuff it to promote proper adhesion for the paint to stick. With OC/OG, the same thing is needed. All you have to do is use a light polish (85rd) and this should create enough tackiness to reapply another layer.
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Heh heh, if that was intended to allay my concerns, it didn't work :grinno: Even with PO85

rd being sufficient (and yeah, that *is* significant...bear with me here, hey, I'm just being me...) the idea of polishing an entire panel when I need to do some little spot, well that's just not gonna happen. IF they get it to where I can layer it on for things like spot-repairs, then OK.



I had a coated wheel rebalanced, and thank goodness the weights go on the back side as I just won't care if the "spotting in" looks a bit off. If I had to polish the whole face of that wheel I wouldn't be happy.
 
David Fermani said:
Think of it this way....Like when a body shop paints a panel, they need to lightly scuff it to promote proper adhesion for the paint to stick. With OC/OG, the same thing is needed. All you have to do is use a light polish (85rd) and this should create enough tackiness to reapply another layer.
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....I mentioned this earlier but yeah, that is what my understanding is now. However, initially (IIRC) the official recommendation was that the product would need to be completely removed first. Personally, I'm fairly satisfied with having to "scuff and buff" which is really the only reason I decided to go ahead and use in on the wife's paint (and soon, the in-law's car).



To Accumulator's point, I would still like to see a future version/similar product that I could apply after spot corrections, etc. without having to "scuff" an entire panel.



EDIT: btw, would something like OP II or Opt Finish Polish work just as well to prepare the base layer of OC for re-application? ....better than M205 (considering removal of the oils may require additional effort)? I already have all 3 on hand which is why I ask.
 
SpoiledMan said:
The newest version of OC/OG can be layered and you can perform spot repairs.
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It is also virtually goof proof to apply, very little to go back over, nearly as easy as Opti-Seal now to apply.
 
As I said in my post and others here. No need to scuff to apply another coat or spot repair. Scott Wax is right on this stuff, it's very easy to apply Opti-Coat 2.0. The Opti Guard will dry quicker but still easy to apply, just take your time and prep correctly.
 
Shawn F. said:
As I said in my post and others here. No need to scuff to apply another coat or spot repair. Scott Wax is right on this stuff, it's very easy to apply Opti-Coat 2.0. The Opti Guard will dry quicker but still easy to apply, just take your time and prep correctly.
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Some clarification on the layering...



Chris@Optimum said:
Opti Guard/Coat goes through 3 processes. 1) the initial carrier flashing, 2) cross-linking, 3)resin dehydration/curing/hardening.



Carrier flashing happens within a couple of minutes. After application, the panel will flash to clear. When 90% has flashed clear, you should lightly buff any unclear spots of overapplication. After this first process you can add a second layer that will be like a thicker second coat.



Cross linking will occur within 12 +/- hours of application. After this second process, you can add a second layer that will be like an actual second application of the product.



Hardening occurs when the carrier solvent has been exposed to heat long enough to fully dehydrate from the emulsified resin. At this point (aroung 30 days), Opti Guard/Coat may no longer bond to itself without polishing first. You will see the product smear instead of flash clear and you can actually wipe it off the surface (not easily) as it drys. After this 3rd process, you can still layer but you will need to perform a light polish (Polish II or Finish on a finishing pad) to microscopically "scuff" the coating which will allow another layer to bond.



Let me know if you need further explainations and I will try to address them.
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Chris@Optimum said:
I'm sorry, I meant to address that. The original OC (pro only) went through all three steps in just a few hours-days. It could not be layered at all without a light polish in between applications. We initially stated that it couldn't be layered because in a sense, the polishing step changes the idea of true layering...ie one coat topping another. OC 2.0 has always had the potential to layer, but we didn't discover it until we tried it after its release. Then, we decided it wouldn't be that hard to update the pro version to perform similarly so the pro version got an update.



So, there was a time when Opti Coat wouldn't layer. It was when it was pro only...before OC 2.0 and before we started calling the pro coating Opti Guard.
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Thanks Rasky. I have read a few posts from Chris before so I knew about the change in recommendation but didn't really know (or bothered researching) the details. Those two posts answer everything what I was asking. ....thanks again.



Just to recap what I understand.... Prep for reapplication (over an existing layer of OC) will depend on where the product is in the curing process(es). For example, a "spot repair" a month or more down the road will indeed require light "scuffing/buffing" of the entire panel to reapply as David pointed out.



Personally, if I do get into that situation, I will likely use OPII or Opt Finish Polish like Chris mentioned since I have both of those on hand already and (from what I gather) they are probably less likely to leave something behind I might worry about like my M205.
 
RaskyR1 said:
I'd go with the Opti-Guard if you can obtain it, though the 2.0 will be a little easier to use in hotter temps, IME at least.
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Chad, thanks again. I ended up ordering the 2.0 version yesterday hoping that it might be slightly easier to work with and I wasn't sure where to find the OG version. I'm going to be doing wheels and will probably attack the wife's car, too. ADS has a really good deal going on this: $53 less a 15% discount :)
 
I decided to try the Ultima PGP instead. And I have to be honest, I'm regretting it. it's not as slick looking as the Optimum. I have 2 coats on there and it doesn't feel smooth at all.

I'm taking it off when I have time.
 
Kean said:
Thanks Rasky. I have read a few posts from Chris before so I knew about the change in recommendation but didn't really know (or bothered researching) the details. Those two posts answer everything what I was asking. ....thanks again.



Just to recap what I understand.... Prep for reapplication (over an existing layer of OC) will depend on where the product is in the curing process(es). For example, a "spot repair" a month or more down the road will indeed require light "scuffing/buffing" of the entire panel to reapply as David pointed out.



Personally, if I do get into that situation, I will likely use OPII or Opt Finish Polish like Chris mentioned since I have both of those on hand already and (from what I gather) they are probably less likely to leave something behind I might worry about like my M205.
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No prob. I just re-posted the excellent info already provided by Chris as he's unable to answer product related questions on this forum. ;)
 
WaxManRonnie said:
I decided to try the Ultima PGP instead. And I have to be honest, I'm regretting it. it's not as slick looking as the Optimum. I have 2 coats on there and it doesn't feel smooth at all.

I'm taking it off when I have time.
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Try the third coat. I hear that's where the magic happens. Also, if you can apply PGP, you can apply OC. :)
 
Alfisti said:
..........Why?
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It's a more concentrated version of the product and leaves behind a thicker layer of protection. It also cures faster which can be a huge plus when coating for clients who need to take delivery of the vehicle soon after application. On a hot humid day I may use OC2, otherwise I always use OG.
 
Alfisti said:
So you can layer another coat of OC2 after 12hrs?
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Yes, as per the quote from Chris below.



Cross linking will occur within 12 +/- hours of application. After this second process, you can add a second layer that will be like an actual second application of the product.
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Kean said:
....To Accumulator's point, I would still like to see a future version/similar product that I could apply after spot corrections, etc. without having to "scuff" an entire panel..
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-AND-



spoiledman said:
The newest version of OC/OG can be layered and you can perform spot repairs
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-AND-



Shawn F. said:
As I said in my post and others here. No need to scuff to apply another coat or spot repair.
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-??AND/BUT??-



Chris@optimum said:
Hardening occurs when the carrier solvent has been exposed to heat long enough to fully dehydrate from the emulsified resin. At this point (aroung 30 days), Opti Guard/Coat may no longer bond to itself without polishing first. You will see the product smear instead of flash clear and you can actually wipe it off the surface (not easily) as it drys. After this 3rd process, you can still layer but you will need to perform a light polish (Polish II or Finish on a finishing pad) to microscopically "scuff" the coating which will allow another layer to bond.
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So, if I'm interpreting this right, there's a window (after ~12 hours but not over ~30 days) where you can avoid the scuffing, but after that it's back to scuffing the whole panel. Am I understanding this correctly?



BTW, I really appreciate the info; I know my concerns aren't really relevant to most OptiCoat users.
 
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