# Opti-coat pro for new car



## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

I sent our X5 over to Joe at Orinda Auto Detail for paint correction and an application of opti-coat pro. I didn't realize how much a paint correction will improve the finish of a brand new car, but it does! Joe did a great job and the opti-coat should keep the paint protected for several years. I think it was well worth the effort and I would highly recommend Joe's work if you are in the SF Bay Area.

The wheels were done with opti coat, lenses with opti lens and glass with opti glass. The wheel detail included the interior barrel of the wheels to resist brake dust and road grime. 

Here are some pictures, but I don't think I'm a good enough photographer to really do the finish justice. It looks great in person. We took the car for a drive up the coast to Point Reyes today and got bombed by a bird, but it just rinsed off with a hose and the water beaded nicely.


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## annoyingmouse (Apr 3, 2013)

Eggcellent! It's also worth coating the plastic trim since that stuff is otherwise notorious for staining and\or fading.


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## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

I took the car for a drive through the Sacramento Delta area today. Great drive, but the car came back covered in bugs and road grime. Clean up was simple, when I got home I just hosed it off and drove it around the block to dry it off. There were two tough bug spots that took a little elbow grease with a microfiber cloth, but most of the dirt and bugs just came right off with the hose spray and now it looks like it just got a proper washing.

I like this stuff!

My detail guy offers a 1 week check up after the opti coat, so I'm going to take the car back next week for a quick detail and coverage check on the application.


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## positiveions (Apr 19, 2012)

Looks good.


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## JoeTorbati (May 17, 2013)

Thanks for the kind words! It was great working on your car!!


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## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

I brought the car back for the follow up detail and Joe also applied Opti protection for the leather surfaces. Looks great.

Thanks Joe!


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## bmcbiker (Jul 20, 2012)

The finish is amazing!!!. Congrats on the new car. What is the approx cost for a pro Opti application?


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## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

bmcbiker said:


> The finish is amazing!!!. Congrats on the new car. What is the approx cost for a pro Opti application?


Thanks, I got quotes from all of the detailers in my area and the prices ranged from $600 to $1100. But, the more I spoke to the detailers I realized that the cost of the opti is about $450 and the rest of the cost is the amount of work and effort they are going to put into the detail. In this case, low price may result in less than satisfying results. I chose our detailer based on looking at his results on other cars and discussing what he does as part of his service. I think the results speak for themselves.

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


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## chet31 (Jun 13, 2009)

Question - did your original finish have orange peel? I'm wondering if Opti-Coat diminishes the orange-peel effect, thus making the finish reflect better, i.e. look shiner.


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## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

chet31 said:


> Question - did your original finish have orange peel? I'm wondering if Opti-Coat diminishes the orange-peel effect, thus making the finish reflect better, i.e. look shiner.


It does look shinier, but I really didn't notice if there was any orange peel prior to the opti. I asked Joe what effect it has on that, he will know better than me.

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


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## annoyingmouse (Apr 3, 2013)

Unlike many wipe on, wipe off products, opti-coat does very little to hide imperfections including swirls, overspray, and orange peel. This is why it usually cost so much, as the paint has to be corrected before it goes on.


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## JoeTorbati (May 17, 2013)

chet31 said:


> Question - did your original finish have orange peel? I'm wondering if Opti-Coat diminishes the orange-peel effect, thus making the finish reflect better, i.e. look shiner.


Hi! Before applying Opti Coat the paint should be corrected of defects and polished to a very very high gloss. As for Orange peel the only way to knock this down is wet sanding the car. On a factory finish I personally believe this is a bad ideal. When wet sanding you remove A LOT of paint to flatten it and your right it flatter paint = better light reflection = OMG SHINY CAR. But this should only be reserved for cars sprayed after market with 4-7 layers of clear where you have some wiggle room to sand. Factory paint is just to thin and the bulk of the UV inhibitors are in the top layer. sanding flat your almost def gonna remove this ensuring opti coat or not premature paint failure down the road. Just my 2 cents hope it helps!


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## chet31 (Jun 13, 2009)

I realize you can only eliminate orange peel by wetsanding, or the CarPro denim pads seem to work pretty well. However, my thought was that on the horizontal surfaces, the Opti-Coat would accumulate by gravity more into the recesses of the orange peel, and less on the high areas, thereby diminishing how much the orange peel deflects light. However, the stuff dries so fast that perhaps there is no time for this to happen.


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## Ilovemycar (Feb 19, 2010)

chet31 said:


> I realize you can only eliminate orange peel by wetsanding, or the CarPro denim pads seem to work pretty well. However, my thought was that on the horizontal surfaces, the Opti-Coat would accumulate by gravity more into the recesses of the orange peel, and less on the high areas, thereby diminishing how much the orange peel deflects light. However, the stuff dries so fast that perhaps there is no time for this to happen.


While Optimum claims it is thicker than its competition, it still is only 2 microns thick, if not thinner than that (dependent on vehicle size and amount used; I believe most applications do not use up a full syringe; I know when I did my brother's car, there was quite a lot left). Likewise, I don't see any OP reduction with sealants or carnauba based products either.


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## PeteInCA (Dec 13, 2014)

What is the cost for Opti Coat on a new X5?


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## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

PeteInCA said:


> What is the cost for Opti Coat on a new X5?


Depends on the region. I'm near SF and it was running $800 to $1,000 for an experienced detailer. I could find a few bargains, but I didn't want to go there on our new car. Almost 1 year later, I don't regret the choice.


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## 27freethrows (Oct 30, 2015)

I live in the east bay and will be taking delivery of my X5 in the next month or two. Since you've had your car for over a year, are you still happy with the opti-coat and its installation? I am planning on doing a full coating like you did and want to use a top-notch installer.


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## annoyingmouse (Apr 3, 2013)

27freethrows said:


> I live in the east bay and will be taking delivery of my X5 in the next month or two. Since you've had your car for over a year, are you still happy with the opti-coat and its installation? I am planning on doing a full coating like you did and want to use a top-notch installer.


I DYIed opti-coat 2.0, and it held strong for 2 years. I got rid of my x1, so I have no ideal what condition it's in now.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

chet31 said:


> Question - did your original finish have orange peel? I'm wondering if Opti-Coat diminishes the orange-peel effect, thus making the finish reflect better, i.e. look shiner.


My 535i is full of orange peel. But, it seems to be between the color coat and the clear coat. The surface of the clear coat itself seems fine. I'm seeing the orange peel of the color coat through the clear coat. So, it will be there forever. I think the culprit is the environmentally friendly paints they use in the EU now.

Some high-end cars use a "tint coat" between the color coat and the clear coat to diminish the visibility of the orange peel in the color coat, and give the paint a "deeper" color.


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## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

27freethrows said:


> I live in the east bay and will be taking delivery of my X5 in the next month or two. Since you've had your car for over a year, are you still happy with the opti-coat and its installation? I am planning on doing a full coating like you did and want to use a top-notch installer.


Yes, we are still very happy with the car and with the opti-coat, it is very easy to keep clean and has not shown any signs of wear. I'd do it all over again and I would still recommend Joe's service.

Joe has opened his own business now, so his new contact is www.bayareadetails.com or https://m.facebook.com/ocdetailbayarea

Enjoy your new car!


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## MunnyGuy (Jul 22, 2008)

Looks great!!! I just had the same exact treatment on my 2016 Carbon Black 535i. Asked the Dealer not to touch it and drove it straight to my detailer.

Stays cleaner longer and cleans up easier. Using ONR and vert happy!


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## Ocd619 (Aug 29, 2016)

I'm an authorized installer for optimum in San Diego. 
Love Optimum's coatings and products.

When I find time I'm going to put a coat of Pro Plus on my new alpine white 3 series


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

my personal belief is that the opticoat system is a scam to jack up prices - 'certtified installers' and the company collude to perpetuate this myth that it is worth 1000-1500 AND that civilians cant do it.

I also found the earlier part of the thread- poster didnt know if he had orange peel. OMG, you can see the crap BMW orangepeel in the pictures. There is nothing any coating can do to reduce orange peel- I guess except mud..

Finally, BMW gets orange peel becuase BMW doesnt colorsand/polish before clearcoat. BMWs choice, unfortunately most consumers are clueless so those that appreciate perfect paint get crap.


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## 2014_F15 (Mar 4, 2014)

I don't know if you can successfully apply Opti yourself, but I do know that Joe put in 60+ hours of paint correction work on my car last month when he did the initial opti application. 

The success of the detail all comes down to the detailer and how much work he/she puts into it.

I've used Joe and Opti on two cars now and I'm satisfied that I get my $$$'s worth.

And I should mention that Joe has now opened his own shop in Fremont. Check out OC Detailing if you are looking for him.


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