Opticoat Review: Beading and Sheeting After 5 Months vs No Opticoat

**ihaveacamaro** · 03-02-2013, 08:06 PM

The video show the beading and sheeting of 5 month old opticoat vs no opticoat.

Opticoat Beading and Sheeting after 5 months - YouTube

Hope you enjoy!

**Nitax** · 03-02-2013, 09:14 PM

Why are you stripping it off?

**ihaveacamaro** · 03-03-2013, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by Zackb911

Why are you stripping it off?

2 reasons:

1) Although my car is my DD, I love keeping it as perfect as I can. That means spot polishing whenever needed and full polish session once or twice a year. I thought with opticoat that I wouldn`t have any more faint swirls or scratches, but even with opticoat, no true daily driver can stay swirl free for long. So I`m polishing it.

2) I find waxing my car therapeutic and relaxing. Originally I thought I wouldn`t miss waxing, but I do. And although I could wax over the OC, it just doesn`t feel the same to me.

So yeah, kind of weird reasons to get rid of a perfectly good opticoat, but then again I`m kind of weird

**Zelfiris** · 03-03-2013, 01:22 AM

Can you comment more on the swirls you`re getting? I`m going to OC my car in 2 months and picking it up tomorrow.

Is it swirls cause by exposure to outdoor or from improper washing/drying? I doubt its the latter for you

**Legacy** · 03-03-2013, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Kouyo

Can you comment more on the swirls you`re getting? I`m going to OC my car in 2 months and picking it up tomorrow.

Is it swirls cause by exposure to outdoor or from improper washing/drying? I doubt its the latter for you

You don`t get swirls from exposure to the outdoors. You get it from washing/drying or QDing.

**Scottwax** · 03-03-2013, 02:46 AM

I can`t see having a daily driver and not having Opti-Coat on it. Makes regular care so much easier. Redid mine in August (bought the car from my Dad, applied it three years prior but didn`t polish it first-more just testing durability) and its still swirl free and beads like when it was first applied. I wax enough cars during the week that using ONR wash and wax is all I want to do to mine.

My results are the same as your video, water just flies off it.

**ihaveacamaro** · 03-03-2013, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Kouyo

Can you comment more on the swirls you`re getting? I`m going to OC my car in 2 months and picking it up tomorrow.

Is it swirls cause by exposure to outdoor or from improper washing/drying? I doubt its the latter for you

I`m not aware of a way to forever keep swirls and scratches away. If you wash your car and touch it, there is always a chance of swirliing, just my opinion. And that is a even bigger chance with me as I wash my car 2 to 3 times a week. My wash process is as clean and safe as I can get it, so I minimize my swirls, but they can and will come back, especially on cars that are easy to scratch like mine. I have just a few very faint swirls, but I like to keep my car as show car ready as I can... so bye bye opticoat as I do my Spring polish.

Also, I drive on the highway 120 miles a week. There`s no way to avoid light scratches from debris hitting my car.

Opticoat is a wonderful product and I`ve had a lot of fun with it, but it isn`t for me personally.

Also Scottwax points out an interesting point. For me, as a weekend warrior, not a professional detailer during the week, I have plenty of time to give my car proper baths, sealant, and wax.

**David Fermani** · 03-03-2013, 06:29 PM

One thing to (re)consider is the love bugs that Floridians get that literally reak havoc on the front end of your car. Having OC on there eliminates these things from ever harming your finish. This can`t be said about non-coatings. Atleast coat the front end of your car! :nono

**Paul Sparks** · 03-03-2013, 08:12 PM

One thing to keep in mind is with a coating when you do get swirls and defects is when polishing you are removing the defects from the coating and leaving the original paint untouched. With the OEM paint being so thin this is definitely a plus. This really comes to paly with bird bombs and bug etchings.

**Guitarist302008** · 03-04-2013, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by Paul Sparks

One thing to keep in mind is with a coating when you do get swirls and defects is when polishing you are removing the defects from the coating and leaving the original paint untouched. With the OEM paint being so thin this is definitely a plus. This really comes to paly with bird bombs and bug etchings.

Especially with thin japanese paint! Last few cars have been Mitsu Evo`s, several others and now a Subaru WRX. I also have to say that I have no swirls.

**ihaveacamaro** · 03-04-2013, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by David Fermani

One thing to (re)consider is the love bugs that Floridians get that literally reak havoc on the front end of your car. Having OC on there eliminates these things from ever harming your finish. This can`t be said about non-coatings. Atleast coat the front end of your car! :nono

Good point, I may just not polish off the coating on the front bumper

**Zelfiris** · 03-04-2013, 06:29 PM

thanks for the detailed response. in my mind I think of opticoat as long term protection and you taking it off after 5 months was a bit alarming for me lol but now I understand

**ihaveacamaro** · 03-04-2013, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Kouyo

thanks for the detailed response. in my mind I think of opticoat as long term protection and you taking it off after 5 months was a bit alarming for me lol but now I understand

It is a good long term protection and I think you`ll be very happy with it. Me taking it off after 5 months is just because I`m a weirdo, not out of necessity at all

**Rob4092xx** · 03-19-2013, 01:20 PM

You will not get swirl marks on Opti-Coat 2.0. It is a hard coating above the paint and will not allow dust, dirt, drying towels, etc., touch the paint. You only get swirls marks in the paint. If you are getting swirl marks, you have gone through the Opti!

**Legacy** · 03-19-2013, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Rob4092xx

You will not get swirl marks on Opti-Coat 2.0. It is a hard coating above the paint and will not allow dust, dirt, drying towels, etc., touch the paint. You only get swirls marks in the paint. If you are getting swirl marks, you have gone through the Opti!

How do you prove that you cannot swirl (scratch) OC?