Optimum Opti-Coat Review

S

seech

New member
I received a sample of Optimum Opti-Coat with a shipment of Optimum products from the US.

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According to Optimum, Opti-Coat forms a permanent coating that acts as a second layer of clear coat that bonds to all surfaces. As the Opti-Coat will seal in any paint defects or contamination on the surface, it is only sold to professional detailers who have to sign a release form before they can purchase the Opti-Coat.



Naturally, after signing a release form and reading about how Opti-Coat forms a permanent coating that acts as a second layer of clear coat, I had to try it out for myself.



Although the Opti-Coat is supposed to provide an additional layer of protection on top of the regular clear coat, what better way to try out a product that is supposed to act as an additional layer of clear coat than on a car with clear coat failure?



I had carried out a trial in 2009 on a Mazda 626 which suffered from clear coat failure on the trunk of the car. At that time I was evaluating the correction potential of a few Meguiar's products.



Some pictures from that trial. Before:

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After:

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Note that despite the clear coat failure as evident in the first picture, the paint defects were removed by compounding. However, this was only temporary as the paint would fade back to its original condition due to a lack of a clear coat.



While not designed for this purpose, would the Opti-Coat be able to act as a 'new' clear coat? Only one way to find out.....



The condition of the car about a year after the initial trial.

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After an ONR wash.

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Inspired by the Porsche Design Cayman I did a couple of weeks earlier, I decided to replicate the stripes by taping off the middle of the trunk for the trial.

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Compounded the trial area with Optimum Compound II + Meg's 2.0 Foam Cutting Pad.

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Although the OCII may lack the cutting power of M105 and required multiple passes, there was no dust, it had a very long work time and finished off very well. Can't wait to get my hands on the new Optimum Hyper Compound.

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Original condition:

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50/50:

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After OCII:

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As the Opti-Coat will permanently seal the surface of the paint, it was critical to ensure that the surface was properly prepared so the OCII was followed up with Optimum Polish II and Optimum Finish.

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Ready for Opti-Coat:

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A few drops of Opti-Coat were applied to the surface of the paint and spread with a foam applicator pad until evenly distributed. For a product which is supposed to form a permanent coating, it was surprisingly easy to apply with no mixing of parts A & B or any special application techniques. In fact, the Opti-Coat was more like a supercharged version of Opti-Seal.



The Opti-Coat dries to the touch in 30 min and fully cures in 12 hours.



After Opti-Coat:

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Can't say that there's much difference but the real test will be to see if the Opti-Coat can act as a 'new' clear coat and how long it can protect the paint.



Got the LED light out for some shots. Untreated:

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50/50:

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After Opti-Coat:

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More comparison shots:

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Should have taped off one line down the middle and it would really have looked like the Porsche Design Cayman...

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It will be interesting to see how the Opti-Coat performs over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more updates...
 
Thanks guys. Will be keeping an eye out on how long it lasts and if it is indeed possible to recover a clear coat failure situation.
 
I can see it now, hacks coming along and flipping a car that really needs a repaint.



I'm eager to see how it holds up.



Cheers,

GREG
 
Great review and pics. We've been waiting for several months to use ours, but we're eager for get a chance to finally use it hopefully soon
 
Greg Nichols said:
I can see it now, hacks coming along and flipping a car that really needs a repaint.



I'm eager to see how it holds up.



Cheers,

GREG
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Hahaha... I can see that happening as well. No need to repaint.... just send it over and we'll Opti-Coat it. :)





MuttGrunt said:
Great review and pics. We've been waiting for several months to use ours, but we're eager for get a chance to finally use it hopefully soon
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I'm also planning on trying it out on a panel which is in good condition to see how long it holds up. Still trying to figure out a good test for that.



mystickid said:
You do great tests seech. Thanks and keep us posted pal.
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Thanks. Am very curious to see if it works.
 
Excellent work Seech. It's nice to see someone show the effects of serious paint correction on paint that needed a new coat. The saying about "you can polish a turd" comes to mind. :)



I am really impressed with your work on this test and I am looking forward with everyone else to the results.
 
D Tailor said:
Excellent work Seech. It's nice to see someone show the effects of serious paint correction on paint that needed a new coat. The saying about "you can polish a turd" comes to mind. :)



I am really impressed with your work on this test and I am looking forward with everyone else to the results.
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The only regret was that I should have put down another line of tape down the middle to really get the twin stripe look. :lol



Scottwax said:
Cool test, definitely want to see how OC holds up under these conditions.
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corrswitch said:
Cool test. Keep us updated.
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Will be interesting to see how long it holds up.
 
Hi seech,



That's a good test you are executing. I am looking forward to the results, maybe have to wait for a long time :D
 
vx55 said:
Hi seech,



That's a good test you are executing. I am looking forward to the results, maybe have to wait for a long time :D
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Yeah... won't be anytime soon. Will try to post regular updates but if the stuff lasts for a couple of months then it may be a viable alternative for those cars with clear coat failure.
 
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