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

[Envious Eric]

all coatings have their charateristics....OC never cut it for me in any department


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22ple, CQF, ceramicpro, Gtechnique...all excel in their categories, some more than others.


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I.E. CQF has the deepest gloss, ceramicpro is hardest but doesnt look as good and mutes the finish like OC does, 22PLE is more reflective and mirror like, Gtechnique doesnt last as long, but looks good.


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OC never protected against water spotting of bird droppings.` I had a potential client go back and forth between me and someone else.` She really wanted OC and I wasnt pushing it like another detailer.` Eventually, she went to him, had it applied to her beater car, complained to me there were water spots all over the car two weeks later and nothing would remove them without heavily polishing the car again, not to mention the lack luster appearance...WSR didnt work, viniegar didnt work, light polishing didnt work, AIO didnt work...D300 finally worked, but needed a second step to clear up.


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I`ll stand behind carpro and CQF all day everyday!` Overall best in the coating market, awesome CS, and a full line of car care products for after the coating is applied!` Looks the best IMO

[Envious Eric]

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.

I agree for the most part...and do the same for my clients.


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after coating the car, I recommend weekly or biweekly washes.` some think or read online that they can go 3-4 weeks without washing the car and all the debris will fall off the car with ease.` Its just not the case!` You still have to have quality towels, products, practices to get the most out of the coating.` While its more scratch resistant, its not bulletproof!

[builthatch]

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OC never protected against water spotting of bird droppings.` I had a potential client go back and forth between me and someone else.` She really wanted OC and I wasnt pushing it like another detailer.` Eventually, she went to him, had it applied to her beater car, complained to me there were water spots all over the car two weeks later and nothing would remove them without heavily polishing the car again, not to mention the lack luster appearance...WSR didnt work, viniegar didnt work, light polishing didnt work, AIO didnt work...D300 finally worked, but needed a second step to clear up.

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it`s apparent you don`t like Opti-Coat and i won`t argue with you on that. but i have to ask about your anecdote:


one customer where another guy applied it...and it didn`t "protect". do you mean it didn`t keep the clear coat that came with the car safe? or that the coating sacrificed itself and was attacked by these things?


either way, have you found this to be the case in situations where you have applied it as opposed to how it reacted when some other dude put it on?


because, i gotta tell you, if you think that customer`s experience or your experience with the coating on that car is the norm...i wonder how OPT has been selling coatings for so long to guys in this thread who still sell it.


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[Envious Eric]

it`s apparent you don`t like Opti-Coat and i won`t argue with you on that. but i have to ask about your anecdote:


one customer where another guy applied it...and it didn`t "protect". do you mean it didn`t keep the clear coat that came with the car safe? or that the coating sacrificed itself and was attacked by these things?


either way, have you found this to be the case in situations where you have applied it as opposed to how it reacted when some other dude put it on?


because, i gotta tell you, if you think that customer`s experience or your experience with the coating on that car is the norm...i wonder how OPT has been selling coatings for so long to guys in this thread who still sell it.


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I have applied opticoat on about 10 cars...all because the customer requested it after online reviews.` 5 of those clients complained about it not providing scratch resistance (black bmw, white tesla, black range rover, red corvette) and wanted it stripped off and something else put on (22PLE or cquartz).` 1 year later, those clients were happier.


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The other guy who applied the opticoat knows how to apply it and does it all the time.


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I had it on a friends black sapphire bmw and he commented on how bad it looked just 3 months later, and how it wasnt providing any scratch resistance from what he could tell.` We bought him all new car care products and quality towels, yet it still scratched like nothing was there.` He questioned whether or not it was worth it to have a coating on any of his cars.` I applied Cquartz to it about a year ago and he is still happy with the looks and ease of maintenance, and wants it on his new cars coming up.


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Plus, Ive never liked the shaddy marketing "terminology" of lifetime protection = up there with dealership scam to me.` I have always told clients, "nothing is permanent or good for a lifetime...clearcoats are supposed to be permanent protection for the colored paint, but those fail over time"


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What detailers SHOULD be saying is something along the following:


"the coating will add increased thickness, more hardness, and will be more durable all the while making the car look better, longer!` It wont last 5+ years, but then again, you are going to need the car to be detailed every 1-2 years if you want it to always look its best, so whats the point of a "5 year protection product" anyway...you will remove it once you get it detailed again, or at least 1/2 of it.`


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wheels on the other hand, it works pretty well against brake dust build up and provides easy cleaning.` But, I have a new and better product that uses less and costs about the same, so its actually cheaper per application.

[Thomas Dekany]

This is MY experience. Ceramic pro - nothing special. I had to wait months to apply it because it needs 3 days of no rain. Finally the rain stopped, still somewhat cold and on the hood it obviously didn`t bond properly because the beading was very different from the front fenders. Didn`t feel hard at all, swirled up just fine (hood). Maybe in southern california it is fine but way too finicky to use up here. Looked nice but not different from other coatings.


Cqp - never received 1 call for it, my bottles would expire, so 2 months after it, i put it on my van, to test. I was told by corey that if the product was "old" it would last no more than 2 months. Sure enough, as soon as I washed it it was gone. Look wise, nice, but nothing out of the ordinary. The paint was polished out to perfection, which is where most of the look comes from anyway.


As far as OC muting the finish, we must be getting different ingredients in our syringes. Not protecting against bird poop? Really?


_9020036.jpg by savingspaces33, on Flickr

[builthatch]

I have applied opticoat on about 10 cars...all because the customer requested it after online reviews.` 5 of those clients complained about it not providing scratch resistance (black bmw, white tesla, black range rover, red corvette) and wanted it stripped off and something else put on (22PLE or cquartz).` 1 year later, those clients were happier.


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The other guy who applied the opticoat knows how to apply it and does it all the time.


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I had it on a friends black sapphire bmw and he commented on how bad it looked just 3 months later, and how it wasnt providing any scratch resistance from what he could tell.` We bought him all new car care products and quality towels, yet it still scratched like nothing was there.` He questioned whether or not it was worth it to have a coating on any of his cars.` I applied Cquartz to it about a year ago and he is still happy with the looks and ease of maintenance, and wants it on his new cars coming up.


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wheels on the other hand, it works pretty well against brake dust build up and provides easy cleaning.` But, I have a new and better product that uses less and costs about the same, so its actually cheaper per application.

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sounds like those of us who use OPT coatings have been duped and all the lab and field testing OPT has done is false.


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edit: this has gotten so silly.


*unsubscribed*

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edit 2: i don`t know how to do that, haha. oh well.

[Thomas Dekany]

Eric you are contradicting yourself. How can it provide protection on wheels but not on paint? When it comes to coatings, if the product is not put on properly you will know. So you can go around bad mouthing OC, but you are doing a bad job at it. If OC is as bad as you claim on paint, no way would you like it on wheels. How would that even be possible? Is it possible that you put too little OC on? I mean with cqp you have to put on 2 coats. Maybe that was the issue, not so much the product`s fault. Later on i will take a picture of my neighbor`s beater`s truck that sits outside 24/7. Never hand washed, always gets cleaned at the swirl o matic. Even when dirty, it is glossy. Over 2 years passed since i corrected it and coated the car with 2.0 - based on your claim, how is that possible?


As far as maintenance - it is simple. Wash it, and wash it regularly. Again, if your customers are swirling the coated paint, and complain so soon, when other detailers have the opposite experience, I would say it isn`t the product. Just saying.

[fdresq4]

In my opinion, this HAS NOT gotten silly.` As a client/consumer, I see it as "Real World" experience/views from professional detailers who are sharing their stories.` I respect and learn from many of the pro`s on here and `have learned a great deal from the discussions going back and forth.` It does get emotional, maybe not the best of words, but I appreciate and can understand a loyalty to something.


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With that being said, we had a discussion`about`coatings at work.` Guys have read the posts and have done their research on the products and more so the recent changes.` What seems to come up, in consensus, is the lack of response from any one officially from Optimum.` I know that Mr. Dekany, Scottwax, and Built have sort of done that but I don`t believe them to be direct employees of Optimum.`


Considering that we live in a world where social media has taken over maybe it would be wise for an Optimum representative to engage in conversation or be more forth coming?` Perhaps better communication and roll out of Gloss Coat in favor of Opti Coat 2.0?` `I realize that it could turn into a free for all and would hope that folks would be professional and use restraint in their actions.


Two`co-workers I had referenced earlier in the start of this thread have decided to go with CQuartz simply based on perception and the way Opti Coat 2.0 and G.C. was handled.` Sadly, their trust in the company was compromised.` Right or Wrong, perception and image makes a big difference.


One thing that does seem to be of concern, in my reading, `is that there may have been Pro`s who were using O.C. 2.0 instead of Opti Pro but charging for an Opti Pro application.` If that was the case why scrap 2.0 and not directly address those incidents and take those to task if that was found out to be true?


Once again, I am an Optimum client/consumer and hope that Optimum rethinks about 2.0 and learns from this experience.


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BTW...Built...nice come back win for your Tigers!` A good weekend for the SEC West

[Jean-Claude]

_9020036.jpg by savingspaces33, on Flickr

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Thomas, I am not saying you`re right or wrong. But using this image as an example of OCP`s gloss is a bit misleading. In that lighting, just about any car`s paint that is not hammered would look good. In this lighting, a swirled up car would look pretty stinking good. At any rate, any image can be enhanced to improve the looks. We all should accept the value of the words spoken by the person with a certain rapport for whatever it`s worth.


Am I right in understanding the only CQF job you`ve done was the one on your vehicle after the shelf life expired? How many CQF projects have you completed within the shelf life?

[Thomas Dekany]

Thomas, I am not saying you`re right or wrong. But using this image as an example of OCP`s gloss is a bit misleading. In that lighting, just about any car`s paint that is not hammered would look good. In this lighting, a swirled up car would look pretty stinking good. At any rate, any image can be enhanced to improve the looks. We all should accept the value of the words spoken by the person with a certain rapport for whatever it`s worth.


Am I right in understanding the only CQF job you`ve done was the one on your vehicle after the shelf life expired? How many CQF projects have you completed within the shelf life?

`What type of light would you like to see OCP`s gloss under?

[Jean-Claude]

`What type of light would you like to see OCP`s gloss under?

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I don`t have to see it under any light. I`ve installed Opti-Coat for years as well as having installed a lot of OCP and been an authorized installer(and still am). I`ve seen OC2.0 and OCP under all lighting conditions I can think of and don`t need anyone else to reinforce or realign what I already believe to be true through personal experience.`


My point was this. That lighting doesn`t make for a quality argument of anything looking good because it makes just about anything look good. If you feel differently about my view of lighting, it`s all good. We don`t have to agree bro. Just expressing an unbias view of a specific aspect of an OCP gloss debate that is going on.


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You`ve expressed certain feelings about CQuartz Finest in the past and I was curious how extensively you`ve used it Thomas. Have you experienced the product beyond your personal ride after the shelf life had expired?`

[Envious Eric]

Thomas, any car in the garage will look good, even one that is all swirled up.` That pic proves nothing...ive taken before pics of cars prior to a 3 step correction and it looks glossy.


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My biggest complaint is with OC not looking great...once applied, after 3 months, after one year...on wheels, who cares about the looks, you arent going to see a huge gloss factor on the wheel inners, and if that is a concern, I am not using OC.` I use it because it works pretty well as repelling brake dust, but so does 22PLE and ceramic pro and CQF, all of which LOOK better than OC, IMO!


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I have OC`d my own car a while back, just the hood to test...didnt reduce the marring I was putting in compared to the fenders, and it waterspotted on me while the fenders didnt.` I cant tell you why, it just happened.` And YES, I applied it correctly and thick enough, and it sat outside for two days, with overnight inside the garage.


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I have CQ`d about 60-70 cars at this point.` one stands out as having water spotting issues, but that was because while I told the guy to keep the car in the garage overnight, he didnt and it rained that night (within 4 hours after being applied).` Thats not a product issue, thats a user error issue.


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Personal preference, but I dont like OC for anything but wheels...end of story.` You may not like CQ, but you have no seat time with it.` I dont like OC because I have used it and am not impressed.


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And the Ceramic pro stuff is a PITA to apply, which is why I dont really like it.`


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I did a 3 way comparison on my car with 22PLE, CQF, and CP...


best gloss - CQF


best scratch resistance - CP


best reflections - 22PLE

[RaskyR1]

I`ve actually never had any issues with the looks of OCP (nor have my clients), or it`s protection against bugs and bird poo. That being said, with a hard line on a solid black panel, it`s a night and day between OCP and QCF. Now if you put two identical cars side by side, both polished to perfection and each coated with a different product, it would be harder to see the difference IMO. My issue with OCP is Optimum, not the product.


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I will also add that after 2 years of having my car coated with OCP it was still swirl free, though I could see a noticeable difference in gloss after polishing a panel this spring to apply CQF. This was after washing, IronX, Tarminator, another wash, and claying. The amount of dirt or "brownness" on my white polishing pad was surprising. To be fair, I did neglect my paint over the last winter.


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After having CQF on my car for several months I can say I enjoyed washing it much more, it looked better, had a slicker feel, and I like the way the water sheets away water better too. Unfortunately, I traded it in last week, but rest assured, my new ride will be getting CQF.


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A few of my repeat clients who`ve had me coat multiple cars have enjoyed Finest more too, not that they were disappointed with OCP. Their first car(s) had OCP and now they`ve tried having CQF applied to their newest cars after seeing it offered on my site and talking to me about it.


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Here is an example


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First car


http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/1...9+%2Bopti-coat


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Second car


http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/1...t-application/


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Owner email.

[Chris@Optimum]

I saw someone ask for an Optimum Rep to look in on this thread, but I don`t see any direct questions for me that weren`t addressed by my other post. If I have overlooked some, please feel free to PM or email me at info@theultimatecoating.com

[Thomas Dekany]

Thomas, any car in the garage will look good, even one that is all swirled up.` That pic proves nothing...ive taken before pics of cars prior to a 3 step correction and it looks glossy.


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My biggest complaint is with OC not looking great...once applied, after 3 months, after one year...on wheels, who cares about the looks, you arent going to see a huge gloss factor on the wheel inners, and if that is a concern, I am not using OC.` I use it because it works pretty well as repelling brake dust, but so does 22PLE and ceramic pro and CQF, all of which LOOK better than OC, IMO!


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I have OC`d my own car a while back, just the hood to test...didnt reduce the marring I was putting in compared to the fenders, and it waterspotted on me while the fenders didnt.` I cant tell you why, it just happened.` And YES, I applied it correctly and thick enough, and it sat outside for two days, with overnight inside the garage.


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I have CQ`d about 60-70 cars at this point.` one stands out as having water spotting issues, but that was because while I told the guy to keep the car in the garage overnight, he didnt and it rained that night (within 4 hours after being applied).` Thats not a product issue, thats a user error issue.


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Personal preference, but I dont like OC for anything but wheels...end of story.` You may not like CQ, but you have no seat time with it.` I dont like OC because I have used it and am not impressed.


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And the Ceramic pro stuff is a PITA to apply, which is why I dont really like it.`


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I did a 3 way comparison on my car with 22PLE, CQF, and CP...


best gloss - CQF


best scratch resistance - CP


best reflections - 22PLE

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Reading replies like Chad`s reply after yours is what makes me reply to you. Just because "YOU" are not impressed with the look, where others are, doesn`t make it so.`


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As far as photography, you must be a very good one, if you could take a picture of a swirled finish, that would look as good as the one I posted. The reason I posted it is because of your "opinion" of OC.`