Opticoat: Can someone explain it to me in layman's terms

[Mandy]

Well, for having my car for less that a couple of week, it sure has gotten dirty awfully fast. I got the Toyo-guard and the Protector cleaning kit included with my FR-S, and I had a little read through of all the products/cleaning kit.

Seemed interesting, and I used to wash my old car by hand, but as usual, I thought I would drop by the FT86Club and see what was swinging in these forums to see if anyone had some pro tips. Well, a million threads later, and it seems like 9/10 threads are all about the Opticoat.

From what I gather it's a paint sealant that everyone seems to be going with, and it's supposed to make future washes easier.

Correct me if I'm wrong, or elaborate further if you can. Just curious about what it costs to be done professionally, and if it's a wise idea to hold out on washing it myself. My buddy has a Boss 302, and he has his hand washed at some place down the road for five bucks that he recommended, but that just seems too cheap to be a well done job.

I was checking out this place in the Tampa area. Seems reputable, and it seems like there's a service for paint coating, not Opticoat in particular, but something else. I was debating giving them a ring, but I thought I would check in here.

TL;DR
1) Terrified of washing car myself with Toyoguard/Protector Stuff
2) What is Opticoat exactly (be elaborate, if possible)?
3) Recomendations in Tampa?

P.S. <3 My fellow 86ers

[supramkivtt2jz]

Youre correct - its clear coat sealer/protector that uses an advanced polymer compound that works very well when applied by someone trained in the product and how to appropriately apply them to the car. It doesnt make it easier to clean. cleaning your car at a regular weekly or biweekly interval results in easy to remove debris, dust, and dirt.

However, i would be very interested to see how it fares during the spring.... plant sperm is a bitch no matter how you look at it.

as for not touching your car because youd ruin something? blasphemy.

Three tips to remember:
1 - use the appropriate tool for the job
2 - dont use anything on the paint that had touched the ground
3 - the best and most gentle car wash is one done by a professional or yourself. machines, diy drive in washes, and sorority girls in bikinis will undoubtedly scratch the paint worse than you will ever do yourself.

If doing it yourself, use common sense. Dont use a tire scrubber on the paint and dont use your wax applicator on the tires.

[husker741]

To go along with supramkivtt2jz, it would be perfectly fine to get opticoat then go get your car washed by those sorority girls. Get a few numbers while you're at it. At least that's what I would do.

[Mandy]

I appreciate the tips supramkivtt2jz. I'm still in that initial phase of disbelief that I own the car, and I want to do everything in my power to keep it pristine. I think I'll still look into Opticoat, but I'll buy some fresh buckets in the mean time, and hold off on waxing.

[supramkivtt2jz]

Originally Posted by Mandy

I appreciate the tips supramkivtt2jz. I'm still in that initial phase of disbelief that I own the car, and I want to do everything in my power to keep it pristine. I think I'll still look into Opticoat, but I'll buy some fresh buckets in the mean time, and hold off on waxing.

Dont worry about waxing - they use a wax remover when opti coating (its clear coat safe). same with every other process. opti-coat is just the new kid on the block and does a decent job. i think youll also like zaino products as well. same class of product.

For ease since this is your first car you own, i say use a decent wash (i found zymol is nice for the price and can be found at advance auto parts) and use a quick detailer. liquid and solid waxes might be a bit intimidating if youve never done a 7 hour detail before. you have to buff out the haze and they leave a residue that can be frustrating to correct.

oh, and by buff, i mean hand buff. an electrical buffer in the hands of a novice can cause serious damage.....

[OrbitalEllipses]

Opticoat wont save you from rock chips (first hand experience ) so you may want to consider a clear bra.

[StOpNG0x]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Opticoat wont save you from rock chips (first hand experience ) so you may want to consider a clear bra.

I hear ya on that man. I got my first ding on my front bumper today. I was so fucking pissed.

Guess I'll be ordering some Dr. Color Chip soon.

In regards to the topic, get the OptiCoat. No questions asked. It makes washing and especially drying the car ridiculously easy. Paint looks cleaner and you can go a little longer between washes (if you can help it).

[b.e]

Well, in layman's terms, OptiCoat (and products like it) and paint sealer are the same compound, acrylic (polymerized methyl methacrylate, to be exact), applied at different thicknesses. OptiCoat is applied thickly, so care must be taken to get the thickness even or it might set with visible ridges. Paint sealant is also acrylic, but applied thinly so there is less worry of misapplication. Acrylic is partly polymerized, so it forms a relatively hard coat that remains flexible enough not to crack when the sheet metal flexes. It's about the same hardness as polyurethane wood treatment.

The reason the websites for the manufacturers are confusing is because this business is completely unregulated, and the manufacturers can say, literally, anything they want about their product, and other's products. For example, most of them make claims about being a ceramic coating, or a glass coating. Complete BS. They add finely-ground sand to increase the specular reflectivity to the coating, but the sand adds no hardness properties (the same way aggregate adds no hardness to concrete), yet they will advertise the coating as "ceramic" to make it sound like something truly scratch-proof. It isn't. It still scratches just like a plexiglass window. Exactly like a plaxiglass window. It's the same stuff.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Originally Posted by supramkivtt2jz

Dont worry about waxing - they use a wax remover when opti coating (its clear coat safe). same with every other process. opti-coat is just the new kid on the block and does a decent job. i think youll also like zaino products as well. same class of product.

zaino is not in the same class of products as Opti-Coat.

Opti-Coat is like a hand applied layer of clear coat which is permanent. It can only be removed through abrasive compounding / polishing. The Zaino line is all conventional waxes / sealants which may be very good at what they do but are not comparable to Opti-Coat

Similar products to Opti-Coat include 22PLE and EXO. These products are in the same class as Opti-Coat

and regarding rock chips, Opti-Coat may help a bit but it is not a force field. My clients who do a lot of commuting who are concerned with rock chips I recommend paint protection film because nothing compares to that. The PPF may still get rock chipped but it can be removed in a couple years and replaced

[supramkivtt2jz]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sparkle

zaino is not in the same class of products as Opti-Coat.

Opti-Coat is like a hand applied layer of clear coat which is permanent. It can only be removed through abrasive compounding / polishing. The Zaino line is all conventional waxes / sealants which may be very good at what they do but are not comparable to Opti-Coat

Similar products to Opti-Coat include 22PLE and EXO. These products are in the same class as Opti-Coat

and regarding rock chips, Opti-Coat may help a bit but it is not a force field. My clients who do a lot of commuting who are concerned with rock chips I recommend paint protection film because nothing compares to that. The PPF may still get rock chipped but it can be removed in a couple years and replaced

Maybe I did not word that correctly, but Opticoat is a product of Optimum Polymer Technologies which sells products in the same class Zaino. I did not state Zaino sells a product directly comparable to opticoat, i stated Zaino sells the same class of product.

[joop1987]

They had a version of a acrylic paint sealer in the 90's. When people saw that it did not shine like regular wax, try tried to remove it ruined their paint.

You can get any body panel repainted for under $300 so why bother.

[polancd]

If you are in the tampa area. Look up gary dean. Just remember you are not paying just for opti-coat. You have to pay for any level of paint correction and detailing that has to be done. How much prep work needs to be done is what is going to drive up the price of the opti-coat install.

[SubieNate]

Originally Posted by b.e

Well, in layman's terms, OptiCoat (and products like it) and paint sealer are the same compound, acrylic (polymerized methyl methacrylate, to be exact), applied at different thicknesses. OptiCoat is applied thickly, so care must be taken to get the thickness even or it might set with visible ridges. Paint sealant is also acrylic, but applied thinly so there is less worry of misapplication. Acrylic is partly polymerized, so it forms a relatively hard coat that remains flexible enough not to crack when the sheet metal flexes. It's about the same hardness as polyurethane wood treatment.

The reason the websites for the manufacturers are confusing is because this business is completely unregulated, and the manufacturers can say, literally, anything they want about their product, and other's products. For example, most of them make claims about being a ceramic coating, or a glass coating. Complete BS. They add finely-ground sand to increase the specular reflectivity to the coating, but the sand adds no hardness properties (the same way aggregate adds no hardness to concrete), yet they will advertise the coating as "ceramic" to make it sound like something truly scratch-proof. It isn't. It still scratches just like a plexiglass window. Exactly like a plaxiglass window. It's the same stuff.

I've done the research and unlike some other coatings, the Opti-Coat/Opti-Guard line of coatings are not a fine sand filler or acrylic type coating. It's a polymer with a silicon-carbide based chemistry that bonds to the paint in a way that common sealants and waxes can't. It is permanent and thick, and with a mohs hardness rating around ~9 it's far from plexiglass soft.

Nathan

[b.e]

9 mohs? You serious? You're saying that this coating can only be scratched by a diamond. A steel knife will find no purchase. Sandpaper will be its equal?