Whiplash Willy
New member
22 months ago (June 2013) I had my couple month old 4Runner Detailed and Opti-Coated (AKA Opti-Guard or Pro version) at Attention 2 Detail NW
Attention 2 Detail NW. Attention to Detail NW | Opti Coat in Portland & Vancouver
For those not familiar, Opti-Coat\Guard is a “Permanent” coating that will add a 2ml thick coating, that is hydrophobic, resists scratches, chemicals, and contaminants. It is permanent in the sense that it can only be removed with abrasives, such as polishing.
Here is my original thread for more details:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/143594-opti-coated-runner.html
This is a somewhat new product in the detailing industry, and it has a lot of skeptics, as it almost sounds too good to be true.
I started this thread to give an update on how my Opti-Coat has held up over the last 22 months. Since it was applied, I have done no maintenance on the coating. All I have done is regular hand washing, which the frequency started at once a week, but has slowly declined to once a month.
As you can see in the pics below, the coating has maintained its water beading and hydrophobic properties, which haven’t changed since the day it was applied! The finish has remained mostly swirl free, except a couple of areas that I may have scrubbed a little too hard, with a not clean wash mitt, however they can only be seen under certain light. I did get a 1 in long scuff in the pass door, when I let my wife take the 4runner to Costco, and someone had opened their door into mine, however it completely came out in the normal wash.
These pics were taken after a quick wash, after 3 weeks of daily driving:
Water not beading because of surface contamination:
There are some areas where the water no longer beads well. The lower sides of the doors, rear quarter and hatch. These areas are regularly caked with road grime. Opti-Coat does resist contaminants, but it will hold on to some stuff, however the grime can be easily removed with a clay bar. In a few months I will be doing a thorough wash and clay bar to fix this, which will have been my only maintenance outside of washing.
I have had experience with Opti-Coat 2.0 (Consumer grade version) that I applied to my last car. I had it on my car for 12 month, before I sold the car, so I knew what I was getting into with the Opti-Guard. It has held up well, and I have no doubt it will hold up for years to come!
This coating is great for those who want to protect their paint, and keep it looking good with minimal maintenance. I would have to clay/polish/wax every 6 months to maintain this kind of finish!
One of my favorite things about this coating is how easy it is to clean! Washing and drying is much easier, as dirt/tar/grime easily come off, and drying is easy with its water sheeting properties. Also bird poop and bugs easily wipe off. In between washes, bird poop can easily be removed in a single wipe of a wet cloth, or paper towel! Also, harsh cleaning chemicals, like highly concentrated APC, won’t damage the coating.
Etching and light to medium scratches won’t make it past the coating, and can be polished out of the coating, instead of your factory clear coat, which these days is very soft and thin! And if you end up polishing through the coating, you can always easily re-apply it to that panel, unlike clearcoat!
On a sidenote, check out what Paul from A2DNW (Who Opti-Coated my 4Runner) just finished detailing!
Attention 2 Detail NW. Attention to Detail NW | Opti Coat in Portland & Vancouver
For those not familiar, Opti-Coat\Guard is a “Permanent” coating that will add a 2ml thick coating, that is hydrophobic, resists scratches, chemicals, and contaminants. It is permanent in the sense that it can only be removed with abrasives, such as polishing.
Here is my original thread for more details:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/143594-opti-coated-runner.html
This is a somewhat new product in the detailing industry, and it has a lot of skeptics, as it almost sounds too good to be true.
I started this thread to give an update on how my Opti-Coat has held up over the last 22 months. Since it was applied, I have done no maintenance on the coating. All I have done is regular hand washing, which the frequency started at once a week, but has slowly declined to once a month.
As you can see in the pics below, the coating has maintained its water beading and hydrophobic properties, which haven’t changed since the day it was applied! The finish has remained mostly swirl free, except a couple of areas that I may have scrubbed a little too hard, with a not clean wash mitt, however they can only be seen under certain light. I did get a 1 in long scuff in the pass door, when I let my wife take the 4runner to Costco, and someone had opened their door into mine, however it completely came out in the normal wash.
These pics were taken after a quick wash, after 3 weeks of daily driving:
Water not beading because of surface contamination:
There are some areas where the water no longer beads well. The lower sides of the doors, rear quarter and hatch. These areas are regularly caked with road grime. Opti-Coat does resist contaminants, but it will hold on to some stuff, however the grime can be easily removed with a clay bar. In a few months I will be doing a thorough wash and clay bar to fix this, which will have been my only maintenance outside of washing.
I have had experience with Opti-Coat 2.0 (Consumer grade version) that I applied to my last car. I had it on my car for 12 month, before I sold the car, so I knew what I was getting into with the Opti-Guard. It has held up well, and I have no doubt it will hold up for years to come!
This coating is great for those who want to protect their paint, and keep it looking good with minimal maintenance. I would have to clay/polish/wax every 6 months to maintain this kind of finish!
One of my favorite things about this coating is how easy it is to clean! Washing and drying is much easier, as dirt/tar/grime easily come off, and drying is easy with its water sheeting properties. Also bird poop and bugs easily wipe off. In between washes, bird poop can easily be removed in a single wipe of a wet cloth, or paper towel! Also, harsh cleaning chemicals, like highly concentrated APC, won’t damage the coating.
Etching and light to medium scratches won’t make it past the coating, and can be polished out of the coating, instead of your factory clear coat, which these days is very soft and thin! And if you end up polishing through the coating, you can always easily re-apply it to that panel, unlike clearcoat!
On a sidenote, check out what Paul from A2DNW (Who Opti-Coated my 4Runner) just finished detailing!
