Best coating for scratch resistance?

[RaskyR1]

Rasky, any idea what that car was washed with? Did it go through automatic car wash?

Owner and his wife said they only used touch-less washes when I showed them the damage, but when he dropped it off for the initial correction and coating it was leaking fluid badly and had to go into service right after it left my shop. It`s a 2005 Phaeton so I`m sure it was at the shop for a while.

[zmcgovern45]

The scratch resistance of any coating is minimal at best... end of story. Everyone will have an opinion, so it is hard to take anyone`s comment as truth as we are all likely biased by one thing or another. If you`re set on using a coating, I would recommend trying several out until you find one that suits your needs. Unfortunately coatings are becoming as plentiful as waxes... and if you`ve ever read a thread that starts with "what is the best wax....." then you know how that goes.

My suggestions would be to eliminate touching the car as much as possible.... to me this means careful washing with plush mitt and plenty of shampoo using as little pressure as possible, then rinse with DI water and do not towel dry. Blow out water from cracks and crevices if that is needed.

Have you considered using a product that fills in light imperfections to maintain the surface in between major detailing sessions. You do not want to get into the habit of correcting the car every other week. I`d recommend something like HD Express, CG EZ Creme, or similar for some filling.

Sometimes maintaining perfection is just too risky, so you`ve got to seek alternative methods (filling) although it may seem `wrong`

[TTBear]

The scratch resistance of any coating is minimal at best... end of story. Everyone will have an opinion, so it is hard to take anyone`s comment as truth as we are all likely biased by one thing or another. If you`re set on using a coating, I would recommend trying several out until you find one that suits your needs. Unfortunately coatings are becoming as plentiful as waxes... and if you`ve ever read a thread that starts with "what is the best wax....." then you know how that goes.

My suggestions would be to eliminate touching the car as much as possible.... to me this means careful washing with plush mitt and plenty of shampoo using as little pressure as possible, then rinse with DI water and do not towel dry. Blow out water from cracks and crevices if that is needed.

Have you considered using a product that fills in light imperfections to maintain the surface in between major detailing sessions. You do not want to get into the habit of correcting the car every other week. I`d recommend something like HD Express, CG EZ Creme, or similar for some filling.

Sometimes maintaining perfection is just too risky, so you`ve got to seek alternative methods (filling) although it may seem `wrong`

Thanks Zach. I agree. I guess maybe I should have worded it as "which coating goes on the thickest, such that any scratches are mostly limited to the coating rather than the clear coat", but yes, you`re absolutely correct - I don`t anticipate that any coating is going to give my car a bullet proof finish.

I am intrigued by your suggestion of a filler. (Even though I AM cringing even as I type the word "filler", ) I`ll give it a whirl for one driving season (I`ll save the CQuartz for my wife`s SUV ) As I said, I think I could maybe improve on my wash techniques - at any rate, I think I will just have to accept the fact that with this paint, I am working to minimize damage, rather than prevent it.



Thanks for all of the useful information and suggestions, everyone. Your help, as always, is so very much appreciated.

[zmcgovern45]

Thanks Zach. I agree. I guess maybe I should have worded it as "which coating goes on the thickest, such that any scratches are mostly limited to the coating rather than the clear coat", but yes, you`re absolutely correct - I don`t anticipate that any coating is going to give my car a bullet proof finish.

I am intrigued by your suggestion of a filler. (Even though I AM cringing even as I type the word "filler", ) I`ll give it a whirl for one driving season (I`ll save the CQuartz for my wife`s SUV ) As I said, I think I could maybe improve on my wash techniques - at any rate, I think I will just have to accept the fact that with this paint, I am working to minimize damage, rather than prevent it.



Thanks for all of the useful information and suggestions, everyone. Your help, as always, is so very much appreciated.

That statement is true for all of us... perfection is a goal that is rarely obtained in the world of detailing, and if it is obtained, it usually comes with much risk.

Proper maintenance goes a long way to help preserve the hard work we spend removing defects, but over time every car will need to be polished again regardless of how careful we are while washing/drying.

Bottom line... you`ve got a killer collection of cars. Sounds like you already know how to keep them looking better than 99% of the rest of the cars on the road, so now you should enjoy driving the heck out of that lambo!

[Ronkh]

That statement is true for all of us... perfection is a goal that is rarely obtained in the world of detailing, and if it is obtained, it usually comes with much risk.

Proper maintenance goes a long way to help preserve the hard work we spend removing defects, but over time every car will need to be polished again regardless of how careful we are while washing/drying.

Bottom line... you`ve got a killer collection of cars. Sounds like you already know how to keep them looking better than 99% of the rest of the cars on the road, so now you should enjoy driving the heck out of that lambo!

Years ago Steve from PB told me that no way could I keep a car "perfect". "even if it were museum it would get dusty"

[Swanicyouth]

No, proper washing and drying is the answer.

Prime example right here...

corrected and coated with OCP


And then this OCP after 1 year, still had good gloss, good beading, but....







The above results would have been the same had any of the coatings I`ve tested been used.

Lolz. You must not have installed it correctly.

For whatever reason, it seems coatings do little to anything to prevent scratches. Best thing you can do is clean the car using all the precautions discussed here.

[TTBear]

That statement is true for all of us... perfection is a goal that is rarely obtained in the world of detailing, and if it is obtained, it usually comes with much risk.

Proper maintenance goes a long way to help preserve the hard work we spend removing defects, but over time every car will need to be polished again regardless of how careful we are while washing/drying.

Bottom line... you`ve got a killer collection of cars. Sounds like you already know how to keep them looking better than 99% of the rest of the cars on the road, so now you should enjoy driving the heck out of that lambo!

Years ago Steve from PB told me that no way could I keep a car "perfect". "even if it were museum it would get dusty"

Thanks guys. THIS is also why I come here. Information gleaned from you guys always imparts not only what to do, but what NOT to do, and what to expect, realistically. It`s gaining knowledge from others` experience, that goes the longest way, I think.

Cheers!!

[Thomas Dekany]

Funny, when I discovered an issue with OCP in early 2011 and informed Dr. G it was clearly the product and (2) 40cc syringes were sent out to me because of it, of course nothing was done about the cars that had already been coated with the defective product.

Thank you for helping making Opti Coat the great product that it is.

[Thomas Dekany]

No, he asked what the best coating was for scratch resistance.

Opti Coat IS the best scratch resistant coating. Right?

Opti-Coat Pro is a ceramic clear coating warrantied for up to 5 years¹ with superior resistance to scratching (9H), chemical etching, fading due to UV, and provides outstanding release properties
The Opti-Coat Pro pre-polymer cross links, and forms a continuous protective film on the painted surface it is applied to, similar to a single component isocyanate that forms a clear coat finish.
Opti-Coat Pro has better chemical resistance, scratch & mar resistance, and release properties than any automotive paint coating in use. It provides permanent protection for all modern factory paints and can also be used to protect metal and hard plastic surfaces.

[Thomas Dekany]

Ceramic Pro is the answer. Just messing with you I have no idea. OP if you have some pro installers in your area of whatever coating why not see if they will sell you the pro version of whichever coating they install. Have them give you some tips how to apply, you can apply to your high standards, you get a quality coating better than the consumer level. Thing is im assuming the pros cant sell it to ya.

One would loose their privilege to be an installer for OCP if one were to "sell" it.

[Thomas Dekany]

Chad, the more I read your Opti Coat related posts, (since you have stopped being an OCP installer) the more I don`t want to use OCP or offer it as a service. BUT, then I read this:

+1 with Thomas Dekany regarding Optimum Pro (which you cannot purchase but an authorized Installer can) for the best scratch resistance..

Its on my Business vehicle - `09 Black Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 with 32k miles and hardly a scratch after 5 years..
If you are really after scratch resistance and durability more than anything, this has worked for me and all the vehicles I had, not to mention numerous Clients who are happily enjoying not having to do anything but wash and dry..

Alo, my "new" car is 11 months old today and not one swirl.

No, proper washing and drying is the answer.

Do you really think that I don`t know that washing and drying creates swirls?

Lets look at those 2 after pictures. Are you saying that Opti Coat didn`t prevent scratches/swirls because of the condition of that paint? Or are you saying that some of your customers are incompetent and can`t follow your instructions?

Because whether you are blaming OCP or not, the paint should be pretty much swirl free, since you "train" your customer. So please enlighten me why you posted these pictures? To prove what? I am a little slow.

No, proper washing and drying is the answer.

Prime example right here...

corrected and coated with OCP


And then this OCP after 1 year, still had good gloss, good beading, but....







The above results would have been the same had any of the coatings I`ve tested been used.

[silverfox]

Any thread that starts with the word "best"...is a non starter in this business imo. These kinds of threads are all over the board and rarely produce anything beyond the intended result.

[RaskyR1]

Opti Coat IS the best scratch resistant coating. Right?

I guess if the marketing info says so...

[RaskyR1]

Chad, the more I read your Opti Coat related posts, (since you have stopped being an OCP installer) the more I don`t want to use OCP or offer it as a service. BUT, then I read this:



Alo, my "new" car is 11 months old today and not one swirl.



Do you really think that I don`t know that washing and drying creates swirls?

Lets look at those 2 after pictures. Are you saying that Opti Coat didn`t prevent scratches/swirls because of the condition of that paint? Or are you saying that some of your customers are incompetent and can`t follow your instructions?

Because whether you are blaming OCP or not, the paint should be pretty much swirl free, since you "train" your customer. So please enlighten me why you posted these pictures? To prove what? I am a little slow.

Thomas, I love Opti-Coat, period! It`s performance had zero to do with me dropping it from my offerings. That beings said, I hate what`s become of the coatings industry as a result of over selling coatings. Fact is that they do very little to protect against scratching and my images are just one of many examples of that. Regardless of what coating is used, without proper washing, they always get swirled up. I`m my 5 years of coating cars now I`d estimate maybe 5% of the owners out there actual follow proper care. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can`t make him drink it.

My truck is 11 months old as well and not a swirl on it, but we are detailers with OCD and most are clients will never care for their vehicles that way.

[allenk4]

Is Thomas Dekany on salary or a percentage commission from Optimum Polymer Technologies?

If so, I believe his methods of communicating the obvious superiority of OPT coatings to all other available products is a net negative for the brand.

Just my personal opinion.


Preparing myself for the dreaded "Thumbs Down" from Thomas Dekany