Opti-coat applied this weekend, but it scratches really easily!

[Event]

Hi,



I had someone put opti-coat 2.0 on my brand new FR-S on Saturday. I saw some scratches on the hood so I lightly ran my fingernail over the scratch to see if it`s just a surface scratch or what but when I pulled away I saw that my finger left scratches on the opti-coat! What gives, isn`t this stuff supposed to resist scratches? I`ve used my finger nails with much more pressure on other cars to remove bird **** and bugs and it never left a mark. Why is this happening?



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[Nth Degree]

Opti-Coat will cure hard but for the first few hours it will mar very easily. I usually prefer to keep a car for a half day afterward for exactly this reason and when I can`t I give specific instructions not to touch the surface.

[Event]

Opti-Coat will cure hard but for the first few hours it will mar very easily. I usually prefer to keep a car for a half day afterward for exactly this reason and when I can`t I give specific instructions not to touch the surface.



It`s now 4 days later and it`s still scratching incredibly easily. I was very careful not to mar or scratch the paint the day after it was done. I discovered the easy scratch ability just tonight. Is this normal?



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[Scottwax]

#1 rule, don`t touch the paint unless you are washing, claying, polishing or waxing it.



I`ve seen people scratch PPG Ceramiclear paint by running their fingers across it. As far as your car goes, its kind of hard to say what the problem is without seeing exactly what you are doing to it or how you applied the coating. I`ve had Opti-Guard on my Accord for 3 years now (put it on before I bought it from my Dad) and between he and I, neither of us has put any washing induced marring in the finish. Opti-Coat should be more scratch resistant than the OEM paint but that doesn`t mean you can be lax about how you touch it.

[umi000]

Chris has mentioned that it takes OptiCoat 30 days (if I`m remembering correctly) to fully harden.

[Event]

Ok, so assuming I have hard as metal finger nails and I really did screw up by letting my nails touch the opti-coat, when can I fix the scratches? They are invisible when in daylight, but under harsh light or the sun i can see the scratches clearly.



Or should I assume the opti-coat was improperly installed and should I go back to my detailer?



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[togwt]

Chris has mentioned that it takes OptiCoat 30 days (if I`m remembering correctly) to fully harden.



Opti- Coat takes 90 days to fully cross-link (cure)-Opti Coat cure time and PPF - Optimum Coatings - Optimum Forum (http://optimumforums.org/index.php?showtopic=1917)

[pwaug]

Ok, so assuming I have hard as metal finger nails and I really did screw up by letting my nails touch the opti-coat, when can I fix the scratches? They are invisible when in daylight, but under harsh light or the sun i can see the scratches clearly.



Or should I assume the opti-coat was improperly installed and should I go back to my detailer?



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I think you`d get the best answers from Chris Thomas at Optimum Products. He is very responsive. Email: cthomas1440@hotmail.com Or you could post your question on the Optimum Forum: Optimum Car Care Products Discussion Forums (http://optimumforums.org/) Chris monitors the forum every day.

[maxepr1]

Event, are you sure he put Opti-Coat on? Did you see him apply it? Maybe he Opti-Sealed it. Any photo`s?

[umi000]

Opti- Coat takes 90 days to fully cross-link (cure)-Opti Coat cure time and PPF - Optimum Coatings - Optimum Forum (http://optimumforums.org/index.php?showtopic=1917)



Thanks, wasn`t sure I was remembering the time frame correctly.

[Event]

Event, are you sure he put Opti-Coat on? Did you see him apply it? Maybe he Opti-Sealed it. Any photo`s? I saw him with a big syringe of a clear liquid that said opti-coat on it and I was there for 75% of the application.



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[Thomas Dekany]

As Scottwax said using your fingernail on your paint is a huge no no. Now it needs to be compounded again and OC reapplied. Not the detailers fault.

[Event]

As Scottwax said using your fingernail on your paint is a huge no no. Now it needs to be compounded again and OC reapplied. Not the detailers fault.



I highly respect Scottwax `s opinion and his work, I followed it on another forum, but if paint scratches with light fingernail pressure I can`t see it faring well to something getting stuck in a cloth when washing it or maybe the car rubbing up against a bush. These things shouldn`t ruin the finish. I don`t recall ever being able to scratch the clear coat of my other cars remember with heavier fingernail pressure. Maybe I expected too much from opticoat? I was never told to be incredibly careful around opticoat until it`s fully cured or anything like that. Hopefully Chris will weigh in on whether or not this is normal behavior for the coating. I emailed him at lunch.



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[mikenap]

I highly respect Scottwax `s opinion and his work, I followed it on another forum, but if paint scratches with light fingernail pressure I can`t see it faring well to something getting stuck in a cloth when washing it or maybe the car rubbing up against a bush. These things shouldn`t ruin the finish. I don`t recall ever being able to scratch the clear coat of my other cars remember with heavier fingernail pressure. Maybe I expected too much from opticoat? I was never told to be incredibly careful around opticoat until it`s fully cured or anything like that. Hopefully Chris will weigh in on whether or not this is normal behavior for the coating. I emailed him at lunch.



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Paint DOES scratch with light fingernail pressure, and it DOESN`T fair well to something stuck in a cloth when washing or rubbing against a bush. These things DO ruin the finish. That`s part of where swirls and scratches come from. You might not recall lightly scratching the clear on your other cars, but maybe the colors of those cars were such that you would have a harder time seeing it?



Once cured, the OptiCoat should hold up better to such things than most OEM paint, but if you honestly care about your car`s finish you should listen to the advice of Scott and Thomas and limit the amount of aggressive handling on your car`s paint or the coating. Fingernails on paint, even lightly, can and will leave scratches. If you don`t believe us, look at the pocket behind most door handles and see how scratched up they get.

[Thomas Dekany]

but if paint scratches with light fingernail pressure



Of course it does!!! Any paint. You should never ever use your fingernails on car paint, any more then you would want to put your hand in boiling water, I don`t care what make it is. I believe the issue is a lack of basic understanding on your part. This is of course my personal opinion.



Touch the paint only when you wash your car, or dry it. Opti coat`s ability to reduce marring has been very well documented over the years. It does what it supposed to.