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Opticoat 2 years in

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Hey guys,

I am 2 years in from having Opticoat done on a new black Model S. The microscratches and swirls have built up pretty badly over that time, despite hand washing only. For anyone who has been in this situation, what do you recommend for getting rid of those marks and refreshing the finish? I'm presuming the Opticoat underneath is still good and hopefully would have prevented a good amount of the swirls/scratches, but I really am not sure....

Thanks.
 
It kind of sucks that even with the hand washing and Opticoat you still built up swirls and micro scratches, the Opticoat is suppose to help prevent that. That being said I had the paint professionally corrected and then had the car wrapped in Suntek. I did this and no more worries with swirls scratches or special wash procedures . Then to make it really nice I had the new Opti-coat pro plus formula over the PPF and it turned into a beautiful black diamond.
 
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Opti-coat Pro failed pretty badly for me. I had it professionally applied as well as a full paint correction immediately prior.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about OCP.

First off, it's not a paint protection product. It's not comparable to xpel or other paint protection films.

It's really meant to be an extremely thin coating that makes the car more immune to dirt adhesion and makes the car easier to wash.

The guy who applied it for me said straight away that it won't prevent swirls and light scratches. It also doesn't last very long. After two years, I'd say most of it's probably gone already.

For me, the OPC also left the finish not as smooth to the touch, like a clearcoat does. Smooth isn't the right word.. maybe slightly 'tacky'.. when I ran my hand along the body panels, it wasn't a glossy smooth feel. It was a little "grabby". I didn't like that, but once I researched it, that was a normal side-effect of OCP.

In the end, I think there are valid claims to the product, but LOTS of invalid claims. I wouldn't do it again, I didn't think it was worth it, and frankly it didn't repel dirt much differently than not having it applied.
 
I had opticoat pro plus installed just after purchase. In Australia, they want the car to go in for inspection annually. Now two years plus and the car looks better than new. Extremely happy with it and would do it again on another car in a heartbeat. Maybe depends on your installer?
 
I had opticoat on my previous car and really liked it. After a wash the microfiber cloth would slide right over the hood like it was on an air hockey table. Definitely kept scratches and swirls at bay as well. Current car has Cquartz and to me it is not as good as I already have a few fine scratches and the product is not even halfway through its two year lifespan.

I have a local detailer who does paint correction, first stage being buffing to remove light scratches and swirls. Sounds like that would be the path to go down, It is hard keeping a dark car scratch free for sure. I use several microfiber towels on my cars. The newest/cleanest one does the hood/roof/hatch area, the next one does the top half of the sides, then another the bottom half and then the oldest one does the back bumper because that always gets the dirtiest. After a few uses I start with a new one and each one works its way down the line, with the rear bumper towel becoming the tire shine applicant LOL.
 
Opti-coat Pro failed pretty badly for me. I had it professionally applied as well as a full paint correction immediately prior.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about OCP.

First off, it's not a paint protection product. It's not comparable to xpel or other paint protection films.

It's really meant to be an extremely thin coating that makes the car more immune to dirt adhesion and makes the car easier to wash.

The guy who applied it for me said straight away that it won't prevent swirls and light scratches. It also doesn't last very long. After two years, I'd say most of it's probably gone already.

For me, the OPC also left the finish not as smooth to the touch, like a clearcoat does. Smooth isn't the right word.. maybe slightly 'tacky'.. when I ran my hand along the body panels, it wasn't a glossy smooth feel. It was a little "grabby". I didn't like that, but once I researched it, that was a normal side-effect of OCP.

In the end, I think there are valid claims to the product, but LOTS of invalid claims. I wouldn't do it again, I didn't think it was worth it, and frankly it didn't repel dirt much differently than not having it applied.

I agree with this, from what I've seen. I will admit that the hand washes have not all been super meticulous in terms of technique but I hate being a slave to my car. I'll see what my original installer says when he sees the car and report back.
 
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Our OC Tesla group was fortunate to learn car washing from the experts at Glistening Perfection. Coated, clear bra or not, the results of proper washing adds longevity of shine to any vehicle.

Only the ICE vehicle gets to ride through the commercial hand car wash. The Tesla gets the touchless treatment or plenty of power wash rinsing before a light surface wipe with a power washed soapy wash mitt that is re-power washed often before the mitt goes back into the soapy bucket. Machine washed oversized drying towels are used in a light single pass to prevent scratches. The commercial touchless wash using air to dry the vehicle works nicely when the vehicle needs a light cleaning and time is of the essence.

One warning: Always align your vehicle properly before driving into a touchless wash. Side guides can scrape the wheels, and that will ruin your day. Better to spend a bit more and have a detailer wash your vehicle if your touchless auto wash has guide rails.
 
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My wash technique is very hands off. I use optimum car wash applied with a pressure sprayer. That is removed again with high pressure wash, finally I dry with a chamois. Only in the event of really serious soiling would I need use a wash brush on my pressure sprayer, and then it is designed for car cleaning. The whole process takes about 20 mins and the opticoat unquestionably makes it easier to keep clean. I repeat, my car looks better than showroom 2 and a third years in.
 
Just for comparision:

Typical factory clearcoat thickness: 35 to 50 microns
Xpel Paint protection film: 200 microns
Opticoat Pro thickness: 2 microns (2 microns is 0.0000787402 Inches ;) )

At just 2 microns, it does not and will not protect against swirls or light scratches, even though there are claims to such. I guess if the scratch is less than 2 microns, it might help.

For people who are meticulous about washing and conditioning their cars to prevent swirls, that's what's preventing the swirl marks, not the OCP. Be careful of confirmation bias here.

OCP is a ceramic hydrophobic coating to resist chemical agents (dirt, bird droppings, etc). From what I heard it does do that very well, so it's not snake oil. My experience was less than optimal in this department, and I followed all the recommendations and used the ONR two bucket process to wash the car.

Finally, I personally do not believe the claims that OCP is a permanent coating once bonded.
 
Well, no matter how many microns, I can attest to the huge difference it makes. When I got my car delivered, I wiped my finger on the wheel, and got a small bit of "black" smudge on my finger (it was dirty). I then saw a smudge on the trunk, and without thinking, I tried to give it a little buff with that same finger (oops), and it immediately scratched the surface of the trunk lid (micro scratches), I could see them clearly at an angle against the light. The delivery team was kind enough to take it and polish it a bit and remove those micro scratches.

Now I have OptiCoat, and the same action has absolutely no impact. Tesla clearcoat is very soft, and the OptiCoat absolutely hardens the surface and adds a ton of life to it. Does it guarantee no swirls, no -- but I can now rub (even when I shouldn't) dirt or spots and the surface stays completely solid, no marks or micro scratches.

absolutely no regrets on my OptiCoat, and I am going to be adding the PPF soon to the vulnerable areas.
 
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It kind of sucks that even with the hand washing and Opticoat you still built up swirls and micro scratches, the Opticoat is suppose to help prevent that. That being said I had the paint professionally corrected and then had the car wrapped in Suntek. I did this and no more worries with swirls scratches or special wash procedures . Then to make it really nice I had the new Opti-coat pro plus formula over the PPF and it turned into a beautiful black diamond.
Nope, Opticoat will not protect from swirls and micro scratches.
 
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I've never done xpel or opticoat. But I have always hand-washed the car myself and taken all sorts of precautions waxing and drying. My car has no swirl marks.

I first thought about doing all the cleaning myself to keep the paint looking like it should be in a showroom, but that's just not possible without a high-end coating. Highway driving alone will leave you with marks and chips. Swirls will happen during cleaning if not careful, but a rock chip trumps a swirl everytime.

For peace of mind, I'm going for Xpel today or tomorrow. I could throw $2K at some Opticoat, but that's a waste of cash if it doesn't give you full protection and a long-term guarantee (10 years with Xpel). Xpel is on the verge of ridiculously expensive, but so is the price of my peace of mind.
 
I had Nanohide™ applied 30 days after purchase, still no visible scratches or swirls. 2 years out. It really has worked well for me. www.nanohidetough.com I especially liked the self healing features. Saw a demo in Miami which sold me on the product. The used steel wool on a hood of a BMW and then hit it with a heat gun. Scratches disappeared. Not many installers, but I am sure your detail guy can get it.
 
Hey guys,

I am 2 years in from having Opticoat done on a new black Model S. The microscratches and swirls have built up pretty badly over that time, despite hand washing only. For anyone who has been in this situation, what do you recommend for getting rid of those marks and refreshing the finish? I'm presuming the Opticoat underneath is still good and hopefully would have prevented a good amount of the swirls/scratches, but I really am not sure....

Thanks.
If you are able to get it swirl free I would recommend you use a touchless carwash. I have one near me that charges $30 a month for unlimited washes and my old S85D with suntek/opticoat looked amazing at 52K miles when I sold it to a fellow TMC member. Just pull in sit still drive out slowly under the blowers and drive home. Nothing but suds and water and air touch my car. Doing the same with my new 100D except it is suntek / CeramicPro this time around
 
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There are alot of misconceptions out there regarding various coatings, their expectations and really at the end of the day what you get for your money. Yes, some products will perform better than others, but its important to invest more time and money in the Shop or Person installing XYZ product. The right professional will know what is best for you and for your car AND educate you on the benefits, expectations and how to maintain the finish when the services are performed.

Paint coatings WILL NOT prevent swirl marks over time, PROPER maintenance will. A coatings job is to make that maintenance both easier and quicker resulting in time and cost savings over your ownership experience.

A coatings job is to seal the paint on a molecular level from the outside. There are many claims about increased scratch resistance, coating hardness and now some manufacturers claiming their coatings are "Self healing". I can tell you that if you rely on these claims you will be severely disappointed in your coatings performance.

Its VERY important to know what your getting yourself into, paint coatings are not for everyone or every vehicle. Unfortunately alot of products and companies have rushed onto the scene in recent years without the proper experience to know exactly what they are offering to their clients. In good faith they may believe that their product will prevent swirl marks or "help reduce" swirl marks and scratches over time, but then don't take the proper time to educate you on how to maintain their services. This then results to disappointment or unmatched expectations.

This is the real void in the market, and where awareness is severely lacking. We have clients on both sides of the spectrum, and get honest and consistent feedback from every client that walks through our doors. 99.9% of the time our clients that receive one of our coatings on their first car, get it installed on the next.