OPTI-NEWS: Opti-Coat 2.0 is no longer available to the public. OCP is now the only Opti-Coat.

[Thomas Dekany]

I think he was commenting on looks.

If that is the case, Dan needs glasses. OC looks fantastic.

[Thomas Dekany]

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I would guess investment vs profit? I wonder how many USA manufactures are producing coatings?`


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How much product can a manufacture sell?


I would say they have to be hooked up with an Automotive manufacture and installing coating at the factory on some models or fleet units.`


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Optimum was by far the first and in my opinion as the front runner for years, but they have continued to evolve and change the lifetime product rating reducing the time frame of the new Gloss Coat to that of the many other coating products on the market. Most advertising a couple years of service.


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Or`could the market be changing with Asian companies engineering/releasing coatings ?


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Well, 3D is also a manufacturer right in Santa Clarita CA, Like Optimum in TN. The owner of 3D is a chemist so that is not an issue.

[Dan]

My experience has been that yes, OC is more protective than OEM clears. I even had a customer tell me (who has a jet black BMW) that he can now wash his car without marring it up after the coating was applied.

Scott, in my book that BMW jet black and good don`t belong in the same sentence. I have no doubts OC could improve that.



What really killed it for me with OC was I coated half of a license plate or maybe half of both on my wife`s Jetta. After three years we sold it. I couldn`t tell which side had been coated. No difference.



For neglected cars, sure OC is valuable but in my opinion, for a well maintained vehicle it is of little value to me.

[Dan]

How can it be good for the wheels but not for the paint?

Because I can`t get to the back sides of my wheels nor do I want to LSP them on a regular basis.



Don`t get me wrong. OC is not a bad product. My point is that with proper care, you will get better results using a traditional LSP. Will it be more work, YES.



So in summary: Most important thing for paint... Washing it. I`d rather have the car washed once a week with ONRWW vs a car washed every six months that has OC. OC is effectively just more clearcoat. It is better than some clearcoats but not better than all.

[Junebug]

Clint Eastwood once said a man`s got to know his limitations. Well, I know mine, and trying to "coat" a vehicle with 10cc is about as difficult for me as doing a valve job on a `68 Vette through the side pipes. Hey, that`s me, I like spreading a nice sealant on my B&S red pad and working it into the paint with my old PC. The people I detail for like the look, the slickness and the glow. They also understand it`s not going to last but 3-4 months and they need to come back for another wash/wax. I like that, a simple wash-wax, no correction and boom - done! I can get a couple done in a day (counting interiors) and my back ain`t aching that night. I know some of ya`ll are saying - but but but, if you use (fill in the blank) coating, you wouldn`t need to wax. Yeah, got that part, see mine about having to spread thin? Then we come to the issue of price, my customers are not the high dollar set, even the Beemers and Benzes are the older, lower end stuff that was bought CPO. So ya`ll see I don`t have ANY skin in this game.


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But - I do see more companies coming out with coatings that are cheaper, more product per bottle, more geared toward the average Joe in terms of "user friendly". So, is this the new trend? Are we going to see a price war? Will the big players like Megs, Mothers, etc come out with their own coating? Does "Wipe New" really work like on TV? Will my wife get her hormones straightened out?

[pwaug]

`Will my wife get her hormones straightened out?

Take it from someone who has been happily married for nearly 50 years --- won`t ever happen!!!!!

[Junebug]

D`oh! Thanks pwaug, that`s what I figured!

[autoconcierge]

Coatings in of themselves used properly can be a wonderful addition to the protection of a clients vehicle, where it goes south (IMO) is when the attributes of the particular product(s) are hyped or in some cases outright false claims are conversed to clients.


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I receive many inquires where a client is convinced that their Black vehicle will be "Locked down" and will look "Amazing" forever…………………… I refute this with real world truth and what performance they can truly expect to experience, at this point there is initial confusion but when the precepts `I educate them on with proper maintenance procedures they realize that there is no "Magic product" in spite of what internet claims are made.


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It always comes back to not cutting corners, hucksters have their time for awhile but quality overcomes this in time.

[imported_Rcrew]

Agreed, Bob. Hype is a huge concern, as is proper education of our customers. If we are leaving them with the impression that their car will be dialed for the rest of its days with no detailing maintenance required, that is a huge disservice and will only bite us and our industry in the end. Even though I believe the tag-line "never need to wax your car again" is valid in reference to OCP, I don`t leave it at that when speaking to a customer. Rather I flesh out that statement, give them practical background info on how the product works and what it means moving forward.

I like what you had to say about quality overcoming hype and corner-cutting in the end, and feel that customer education goes hand in hand with this.

[Thomas Dekany]

Because I can`t get to the back sides of my wheels nor do I want to LSP them on a regular basis.


Don`t get me wrong. OC is not a bad product. My point is that with proper care, you will get better results using a traditional LSP. Will it be more work, YES.


So in summary: Most important thing for paint... Washing it. I`d rather have the car washed once a week with ONRWW vs a car washed every six months that has OC. OC is effectively just more clearcoat. It is better than some clearcoats but not better than all.

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1 - How do you get better results with an LSP vs OC? (same care for both)


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2 - is it possible that you assumed that OCed car don`t need washing? Because I`d much rather wash my car with OC weekly than with an LSP over it.


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3 - Coating or no coating, regular, proper maintenance is still a must, no matter what coating one uses.`

[Thomas Dekany]

Coatings in of themselves used properly can be a wonderful addition to the protection of a clients vehicle, where it goes south (IMO) is when the attributes of the particular product(s) are hyped or in some cases outright false claims are conversed to clients.


`


I receive many inquires where a client is convinced that their Black vehicle will be "Locked down" and will look "Amazing" forever…………………… I refute this with real world truth and what performance they can truly expect to experience, at this point there is initial confusion but when the precepts `I educate them on with proper maintenance procedures they realize that there is no "Magic product" in spite of what internet claims are made.


`


It always comes back to not cutting corners, hucksters have their time for awhile but quality overcomes this in time.

`


You are better than me, because I usually try to convince people to trade their black car in for something lighter or discourage ordering black to start with. However, if the detailer does his job, and educates the client, that coated black paint can and will look fantastic for a long long time. Not to mention the swirl prevention.

[House of Wax]

However, if the detailer does his job, and educates the client, that coated black paint can and will look fantastic for a long long time. Not to mention the swirl prevention.

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I think that`s the key part we can all agree on.` Honestly the coatings that have come out in the past few years are all pretty amazing, but it`s critical that people understand it doesn`t give them the green light to throw caution to the wind.` If a person is going to continue using the swirl-o-matic 5000 down the street, their car is going to look like crap no matter what is on it.

[Scottwax]

For neglected cars, sure OC is valuable but in my opinion, for a well maintained vehicle it is of little value to me.

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My 10 year old Accord has been coated over half its lifespan (3 years when my dad owned it and 3 years now with me) and since being coated its just been washed and you`d be hard pressed to tell the paint wasn`t freshly applied. Makes care so much easier. Wash. That`s it. And for me, that`s the real value.`

[Scottwax]

I think that`s the key part we can all agree on.` Honestly the coatings that have come out in the past few years are all pretty amazing, but it`s critical that people understand it doesn`t give them the green light to throw caution to the wind.` If a person is going to continue using the swirl-o-matic 5000 down the street, their car is going to look like crap no matter what is on it.

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That`s what I tell my customers. The coating is more scratch/scuff/mar resistant but it isn`t bulletproof. There is no such thing as a safe brush or safe automatic car wash. I show them how to use ONR (and whenever I go back, it seems like half my customers have a jug of ONR in their garage) and educate them on proper care for their finish. Even link the write-up I have here for them. I`ve had several thank me for showing them how to care for their cars and how much less time it now takes them.`

[RaskyR1]

You are better than me, because I usually try to convince people to trade their black car in for something lighter or discourage ordering black to start with. However, if the detailer does his job, and educates the client, that coated black paint can and will look fantastic for a long long time. Not to mention the swirl prevention.

Only if that client is willing to put in the time and effort to keep it that way. IME most do not. I explain the care to my clients, provide articles and videos for reference, and even offer product at a very generous discount. Most will buy all the products and tools needed to care for their vehicles, but when I follow up with them few actually use the stuff.


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Seems to me that it`s mainly the true car enthusiasts who are willing to spend the time required. Then there are those who simply bought a brand new car and want to know/feel that their paint is protected. These seem to be the ones who fail to follow up with the proper care.