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      05-19-2014, 08:23 AM   #1
Bluehorseshoe
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So I had my car done about a month ago by a professional approved provider. After the car was done I noticed several areas of the car with fine scratches and light swirl marks.

Provider insisted on doing the car over again to make it perfect. I asked if removing Opticoat would damage clear coat but he said it would not.

Well about a week ago he spent about 6 hours at my house removing and reapplying. The result seemed great as the light scratches were gone.

I gently washed my car over the weekend and now notice many fine scratches once again. I'm so sorry that 1) I got black again and 2) I wasted money on Opticoat.

For those of you that have gone through this process, do you still notice swirl marks and light scratches after Opticoat?
I guess I was expecting more from a so-called paint protector.

What should I do now to remove fine scratches?

I had a 2011 black Range Rover and never had scratches or swirl marks. The paint on that truck was amazing.
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      05-19-2014, 08:29 AM   #2
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I have the Opticoat and have no noticed any swirls or scratches but keep in mind that (i) I have Space Greay and (ii) I have film on the hood and entire front end so I likely wouldn't get/nitce these as much as you would.

Seems to me that this should NOT happen with the Opticoat. Could there be an issue with the work of the guy who applied it? And you are 100% right BMW paint (and most paints these days) sucks. Thank the tree huggers for that!
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      05-19-2014, 06:10 PM   #3
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You guys need to realize that first of all..,, Opti Coat is not scratch PROOF. Black is generally soft paint and is very very easy to Marr and scratch. There are ways to reduce the chance of marring the paint but black is just a pain unfortunately. I maintain plenty of cars so I know this first hand. As for your range rover... You must have not had the same awareness as you do now about marring and defects because I can bet money they were there. This is not the installers fault but improper washing technique. Black is black. Its going to happen.

Last edited by mpower4life; 05-19-2014 at 06:19 PM..
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      05-19-2014, 07:01 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mpower4life View Post
You guys need to realize that first of all..,, Opti Coat is not scratch PROOF. Black is generally soft paint and is very very easy to Marr and scratch. There are ways to reduce the chance of marring the paint but black is just a pain unfortunately. I maintain plenty of cars so I know this first hand. As for your range rover... You must have not had the same awareness as you do now about marring and defects because I can bet money they were there. This is not the installers fault but improper washing technique. Black is black. Its going to happen.
This is correct. Opticoat isn't a forcefield against scratches. It can reduce marring. You still have to wash and detail with kid gloves (i.e. proper technique), like always.
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      05-19-2014, 08:42 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eleven11
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Originally Posted by mpower4life View Post
You guys need to realize that first of all..,, Opti Coat is not scratch PROOF. Black is generally soft paint and is very very easy to Marr and scratch. There are ways to reduce the chance of marring the paint but black is just a pain unfortunately. I maintain plenty of cars so I know this first hand. As for your range rover... You must have not had the same awareness as you do now about marring and defects because I can bet money they were there. This is not the installers fault but improper washing technique. Black is black. Its going to happen.
This is correct. Opticoat isn't a forcefield against scratches. It can reduce marring. You still have to wash and detail with kid gloves (i.e. proper technique), like always.
Eleven11, I know you have BSM, how's your paint holding up? Do you see light scratches in sunlight? I am too OCD and have a very discerning eye. I just think my expectations were too high. I was expecting no scratches after a proper hand wash and dry.
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      05-19-2014, 08:55 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluehorseshoe View Post
Eleven11, I know you have BSM, how's your paint holding up? Do you see light scratches in sunlight? I am too OCD and have a very discerning eye. I just think my expectations were too high. I was expecting no scratches after a proper hand wash and dry.
I can see some very fine scratches, when looking at indirect angles. I will say that these occur less than with a previous Jet Black BMW I had without Opticoat. I no longer wash/detail myself. I have a detailer wash/detail my cars, and touch-less car washes in between. I'm rather obsessed about my car's appearance, and these don't bother me too much. I have to really look for these scratches. I don't recall the name, but I believe there is a product one can use to reduce these swirls, on top of Opticoat.
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      05-19-2014, 09:11 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mpower4life View Post
You guys need to realize that first of all..,, Opti Coat is not scratch PROOF. Black is generally soft paint and is very very easy to Marr and scratch. There are ways to reduce the chance of marring the paint but black is just a pain unfortunately. I maintain plenty of cars so I know this first hand. As for your range rover... You must have not had the same awareness as you do now about marring and defects because I can bet money they were there. This is not the installers fault but improper washing technique. Black is black. Its going to happen.
I am the most over-the-top, anal retentive sort ever seen. I owned one black car many years ago... Yes, I know it is a nice color, but if you have my personality, can't do it...
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      05-19-2014, 09:25 PM   #8
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Yea I used to think opti was some invisible shield, but it scratches and swirls. Did your detailer do a full paint correction? Mine actually needed a good amount of work even though it was just a few days since delivery.

I have white, so not as noticeable, but I don't think you can ever keep black spotless.

I guess if you detail yourself, make sure you have the best detailing equipment and use a two bucket method with a grit guard.

I'm also skeptical how permanent opti really is, which is why I'll use c quartz next time.
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      05-19-2014, 09:55 PM   #9
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I own a BSM 3-series, a BSM BMW bike, and a my SSII M5. Goddamn if BSM isn't the sexiest black color for a car... but holy shit is it a royal pain in the ass to maintain if you are OCD and meticulous about scratches....

Both my cars have been opticoated. On the M5 I swear I could just wash it, no wax, and it looks like pure sex, no swirl in sight. On the BSMs i slave with waxes, quick detailers, etc, just because if I look at it from the wrong angle I will see the fine spiderweb swirl... I suspect the same is true for the other deep, dark BMW metallics. As much as I love the dark colors, and how perfect they look from 10 feet, I just can't bring myself to buy another one based on how they look up close. I seriously think BMWs clear coat is just too soft, and its near impossible to get it wrapped before BMW puts it through a swirl mark-leaving car wash.

i am really curious about some of the newer up and coming aftermarket coatings... how are CQuartz or the other coatings holding up for those who have had them for a while now?
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      05-20-2014, 12:35 PM   #10
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Thank you gentlemen. Takeaway: Black is beautiful but a nightmare to maintain.
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      05-20-2014, 07:44 PM   #11
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I would have to agree with everyone here, Black on BMW is extremely soft, the Opti Coat will help it.

That being said how old are your mitts, are you blow drying the car, grit guards, 2 buckets, foam gun, clean drying towels etc...I'm sure you are on top of it.
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      05-23-2014, 02:37 AM   #12
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New wash mitt and edgeless microfiber drying cloth. ONR two bucket method plus I pre-rinse the car section by section. Gently pat the car dry. I'm no expert but have been doing this for 25 years and am very detail oriented.

I am considering the master blaster for drying, is it worth it?

Also, any recommended product for removing very fine scratches on top of the Opticoat? Called the manufacturer and they suggest Optimum GPS. They have so many polishes that it's very confusing to determine the mildest.
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      05-26-2014, 06:12 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluehorseshoe View Post
I am considering the master blaster for drying, is it worth it?
I've been using a backpack blower for 10 years, and another similar design before that for about another 10, though probably too redneck for the avg folk on the board, it works very well...
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      06-20-2014, 07:34 AM   #14
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I had opticoat put on my BSM 3 series about 4 years ago. It didn't really protect against swirls. And I was really anal about washing with the 2 bucket method, etc.

I now need to have my car polished again because its pretty swirled up and I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

Sometimes I think it would have been better to just have the car polished and waxed like normal because then I could just hit it with a polish now and then to spot fix scratches without having to worry about the opticoat.
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      06-24-2014, 11:32 AM   #15
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If you think of opticoat is a sacrificial layer, more so than a shield, you'll be better off. It's a great product, but not an impenetrable shield.
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      06-27-2014, 10:48 PM   #16
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Opti on out black QX80 -Not scratch proof but does help. Its been year since the install. I am the only one who hand washes the car and i still have light scratches in some places. I plan on taking it for a small paint correction soon. Opti still works well, the scratches are much less than without and the car washes easy and looks great with no wax.
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      07-04-2014, 01:10 PM   #17
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Short comment on experience since Opticoat application. I was expecting dirt to rinse off easier with Opticoat but it seems just the opposite... Dirt seems to stick to my BSM paint.
So far, based on my personal experience, I see no advantages of Opticoat versus traditional wax. Hopefully I'll realize the benefits in the future.
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      07-26-2014, 11:41 PM   #18
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There is so much hype and false information surrounding Opti-Coat it's not funny. It's a fine product in of itself. But I would venture to say hundreds, if not thousands, of owners have been sold something they did not understand and were not aware of how to maintain. This could be said for many coatings installers as well.

Between the lack of effort put into educating owners and the corners that have been cut in the prep and application, mark my words that more of these stories will come about. I know of guys who have a great reputation(and some that don't) cutting necessary steps out and misrepresenting the product and service associated with the application.

No two Opti-Coat /Pro installers are necessarily the same. Better read up and educate yourself if the guy selling it to you is not educating you prior to money changing hands.
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      08-11-2014, 01:59 AM   #19
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Opti

Does anyone know a good installer in Los Angeles?
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      08-11-2014, 06:39 PM   #20
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Does anyone know a good installer in Los Angeles?
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      06-02-2015, 08:00 PM   #21
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Would like to know a good installer in Los Angeles as well.
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      06-16-2015, 08:20 AM   #22
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Paint coatings do offer tremendous benefits compared to traditional waxes and sealants, however it is true that there is an incredible amount of false information being passed around about these newer technologies.

Perhaps the most common misunderstanding is that these coatings will prevent scratches and/or chips from occurring. This is unfortunately not the case. Paint coatings will cure harder (sometimes only slightly) than your bare paint, so they can provide some resistance to light marring and swirls, however every vehicle (coated or not) will develop swirls and defects over time regardless of how careful you are when maintaining it. Proper maintenance will drastically reduce the severity and rate at which you accumulate defects, so it is still a very important part of the equation, but in genera every vehicle can benefit from a polishing process every 1-3 years depending on how it is maintained and driven. When a vehicle is polished, the coating will be degraded or removed, and therefore a new layer will need to be applied. For this reason, claims of "lifetime warranties" or "permanent durability" should not be a deciding factor for any of these products because if you ever want your vehicle polished again, the coating will be removed at that time.

I explain some more about paint coatings in my article below.

The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern


I personally use coatings on my own vehicles, and polish them every 2-3 years to enhance gloss and then add a new layer of protection. Overall, it is considerably easier to maintain a vehicle throughout those 2-3 years than a vehicle with traditional waxes or sealants, and my cars look great. Paint coatings are without a doubt the best form of temporary environmental protection for your vehicle, but they certainly are not miracle products that require no maintenance.


Please let me know if you've got any other questions! I am always happy to help.

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