Optimum Opti-Coat

Do you recommend any sealants?
Does Optimum Opti-Coat last for a lifetime?
Does it work on faded paint?
When should I apply Optimum Opti-Coat?
When do you Recommend Opti-Coat?
When is Opti-Coat Required?
Can you fix my swirls?
Do you recommend Opti-Coat for older cars?
More Opti-Coat Info & What to Expect

Do you recommend any sealants?

I've heard about some new sealants that are supposed to last for the life of my car. Are they for real?

Answer:

There are "sealants" and then there are sealants. Optimum Opti-Coat has given us truly exceptional and long-lasting results. It is difficult to apply and I would categorize it as a truly professional product, so I can't recommend that every vehicle owner attempt it on their own.

Does Optimum Opti-Coat last for a lifetime?

Does it really last THAT LONG?

Answer:

Frankly, we don't know yet. It's too soon to tell. But we have had exceptional results from this product on the vehicles that we and our Xpert Auto Detailers associates have done personally.

Plus, we have heard from other detailers that the product is still beading water up to two years after application. In our opinion, that puts Optimum Opti-Coat into a category almost to itself.

Does it work on faded paint?

My clearcoat is almost gone -- it has lost almost all of its shine. Maybe it's time to repaint. Do you think Optimum Opti-Coat could help with a paint job that is past it's prime?

Answer:

I don't have personal experience with using Opti-Coat on faded paint, but there is an excellent write up on Autopia.org back in 2010, and the detailer has kept posting followup pictures. If you have any doubt, about Opti-Coat, I recommend reading this post, written 2 YEARS later. Optimum Opti-Coat Review

When should I apply Optimum Opti-Coat?

I just waxed my car last week. Can I add Optimum Opti-Coat now to protect my paint and wax?

Answer:

Optimium Opti-Coat chemically bonds to your clear coat. Any waxes, greases, silicone, dirt, overspray and other surfaces contaminants must be removed before you apply it. Although Opti-Coat is long-lasting, it can be removed by buffing or by repeated use of mechanical car washes with spinning brushes.

So the ideal time to apply Opti-Coat is right after we have buffed your car. This is the most affordable and economical time to apply the sealant because almost all of the surface preparation has been done. We just need to add a final alchohol wipe-down to remove any traces of silicone, wax or grease immediately before applying Opti-Coat

When do you Recommend Opti-Coat?

Does Opti-Coat make sense for every car?

Answer:

No, but I believe that Opti-Coat is a sensible investment for most cars. If you are preparing your car to sell it, then it probably doesn't make sense to spend this much just before selling.

When is Opti-Coat Required?

Is there any time that you would strongly recommend Opti-Coat?

Answer:

Yes! Sometimes we are asked to buff a car and the clear coat is either so old or so thin that we are hesitant to make the corrections because we are afraid that the clear coat will fail in a few years. Optimum Opti-Coat adds a measurable-thick layer to your clear coat that is approximately 1/10th of a mil in thickness. This extra protection is highly recommended for black vehicles, older vehicles and any other vehicles where we know that this is probably the last time that we can risk buffing it.

This 1995 BMW in our gallery (Optimum Opti-Coat Gallery Entry ) really needed the extra protection.

Can you fix my swirls?

We highly recommend Opti-Coat for heavily swirled vehicles because -- face it -- we're going to have to remove some clear coat during the buffing process. Opti-Coat will protect the remaining clear coat.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words:

Answer:

BEFORE AND AFTER

Do you recommend Opti-Coat for older cars?

I have a impulse red, 2004 Pontiac GTO. It is In need of a good buffing. The interior is spotless, but the body is covered in fine scratches. Wax will hide them for a while, but I want them permanently gone. The windows are also very spotted. How much would I be looking at for a full body buff and polish and the hard water spots off the windows?

Answer:

Our Buff and Wax package would be a good start, but truthfully, it will not be enough, because it's only a single glossy pass with the buffer. I would recommend:

Chemical wash to remove hard water stains. If you can see hard water stains on the glass, they are almost certainly also on your clearcoat. Hard water stains are mineral deposits that are harder than your clearcoat so it's best to remove them with a mild chemical bath, buffing them away will remove more clearcoat than necessary.
Clay to remove overspray and surface contaminants.
Rotary buffing on selected panels (if your paint is in good enough condition for a deep buff) This will remove all of the fine swirls and scratches. However, some deep scratches may remain -- these will be improved but not eliminated.
Orbital compounding to remove the dullness that a good rotary buff will always cause.
Orbital glaze to make your clear coat shine WITHOUT WAX.
Wax or Sealant.

We can do this for roughly twice the price of our Buff and Wax package, depending on how bad the hard water stains and scratches are. That includes all of the above, plus we will hand-polish all the chrome, rims etc.

Something to consider: Have you considered Optimum Opti-Coat? Check out this gallery entry here : 1995 BWM gets Optimum Opti-Coat

The results can be amazing on older cars. This actually adds a thin layer on top of your clearcoat that can last for years. Since the first 5 steps above are the same for when we apply Opti-Coat this would be the ideal time to apply it. We could put Opti-Coat on for roughly $200 more. I know that's expensive, but the product costs a lot and we have to do even more preparation than the above 5 steps, and the application itself is a bit tedious.

This would be the perfect time to Opti-Coat because the Opti-Coat will protect the remaining clear coat on your older car.

More Opti-Coat Info & What to Expect

Everyone always seems to say that their favorite product is the best. Do you have any independent information from other detailers attesting to the virtues of Opti-Coat?

Answer:

I understand completely. In fact it's really frustrating to auto detailers when manufacturers over-hype their products. So let me set some reasonable expectations here

Washing.
Opti-Coat is not magic fairy dust. You will still have to wash your car!
Scratches.
Opti-Coat protects your clear coat, but it is not bullet proof. If you drop a brick on your hood, it's going the scratch and dent -- ok?
Brush Style Car Washes.
Brush style automatic car washes will eventually wear through the opti-coat and swirl your paint. Please don't waste your money and our time on Opti-Coat if you are going to send the car through brush style car washes.

By-the-way, Optimum Car Care has not to my knowledge ever over-hyped Opti-Coat.

Having said all that, here are some third parties who also attest to the virtues of opti-coat.