There is no equivalent. You would have to use one of those products or Gloss Coat. You are correct that gloss coat won't darken as much. If you need trim restoration, gloss coat would not be the product to choose.
Just to add to this thread. I never tried the original version. With that said a fellow Autogeek forum member sent me a bottle to test out and I reviewed it on my channel. I did enjoy using it and the hydrophobic behavior is very nice. Very minute difference in the water beading compared to a true coating but still nice. I did experience a strange static issue when applying it which went away after a few minutes. I mean to the point where I could feel it stand the hair on my arms.
I would venture to say that this is a lite version of Gloss Coat.
As a caution to everyone, don't smell the product unless you want your nostrils to burn. Would recommend waring a respirator with this one.
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Hopefully these updates make it a more durable coating. From my experience that was the achilles heel of it which is why I moved onto a different coating that performed much better.
On 2/19/2021 at 7:51 AM, Mr.Outback said:Am curious how Opti Glass Pro compares to the 2-part glass coatings from Glassparency and Crystal Fusion. The 2-parters claim their first coat smooths the glass, improving the 2nd coat's bonding and protection. Are the final results between those different coatings pretty much the same (a silicon carbide layer on glass ) ?
Also, how does Optimum Glass clean and Protect 's protection differ from Opti-Pro Hyperseal ?
Glassparency is not that great. More hype then anything. Needs constant maintenance every 3 months. I polished it off after trying it. OptiGlass is a better product compared to Glassparency.
GC won't get slick. It will stay tacky. You will have to rely on a topper if you want slickness.
3 hours ago, mr_robot said:I would like to do another layer for sure just to cover areas I might have missed.
Just a Power Clean wash and paint prep?
No need to use power clean.
If you wait until the first wash then a simple wash with ONR, paint prep and a apply gloss coat.
if you are going to apply it now then go ahead and lightly remove the dust and apply the second coat. No need for a prep wipe.
I get that but besides optimum I have used other coatings from various manufactures ranging from cquartz, gtechniq, 22ple, adams, shine supply, gyeon. I may have missed a few more but Optimum is the only one to have stated this. Take 22ple for example as they don't even have any polishes in their line up, excluding their primer polish that is deemed optional. They don't come back and state one must use their polish products if the coating has low performance. I have not heard the others I listed state this either. If anything it comes down to the application of the coating itself where user error comes into play.
Sure he can. It will bond to the areas that don't have even coverage. I am not new to coatings and I applied two coats of Gloss Coat in the past without any issues. Many have even applied gloss coat a few months down the road after a decon wash and prep wipe.
Yvan and Dan had mentioned many times on the podcast and some of the videos that a second coat can be applied.
If you followed Yvan's application video then you will be fine. You can also add another coat if you wanted to. On an average size sedan you should have about 5cc's left if you go with two coats.
From my personal experience Optimum is the only coating company that I have encountered that stated if the coating fails prematurely or has poor performance then it was the fault of the user for not using Optimum products (polishes, prep wipe, etc). So just be aware of this if you do have issues with the coatings performance.
On 11/18/2019 at 9:29 AM, Samuel said:Wow! Thanks a lot for that complete and informative reply!
what do you think about doing a pre wash by spraying Onr on the paint prior to sweeping with the sponge? So that way the dirt and grime starts to dissolve and encapsulates in onr solution.
Sam
It is not a bad idea to pre spray the surface. It will give you more lubrication.
It is also a good idea to clean the BRS every now and then with some APC.
Yvan used to mention to just dunk it in a bucket of ONR to clean it out. Seemed to work fine when I tried it.
Gloss Coat doesn’t harden like other coatings.
Retirement didn't last long. Yvan has been announced as a global ambassador for Lake Country.
Depends on what the warranty says. Warranties as mentioned don't mean that much. But at times like this you are going to have to take it up with your installer or contact someone at Optimum.
23 hours ago, Iann said:It will be a year in 2 weeks
In that time has a decontamination wash been performed? Contaminants still stick on the paint and will mask the hydrophobic properties of any coating. It may be worth to do a decontamination wash and see if that helps.
22 hours ago, Iann said:Well yes essentially my only complaint is the hydrophobics. And I'm complaining about it because it leads me to question wether it stops at just the hydrophobics or if the integrity of the coating is not fonctionning properly and thus is not protecting my car like it should.
I do feel like it does seem to scratch easily but I have been told it's normal. A lot of micro scratches on top of my trunk before the car's very first wash has me questionning the quality of the coating (Or the job they did on the clear coat of the car before applying Opticoat on it)
My installer has no idea what happened. And he went as far as saying that he doesnt want to do the sides because he feels they are fine (Are they?) and because he does not know what happenend to the car after I left with it ... almost making it seem like it was something I did (Or did not do). Claiming he had tested it when I came back for a wash yet no testing was done (See my other post above)
The first thing is that coatings are not impervious to scratching or swirling. In the big picture the layer of coating is just to thin when applied to the paint. After a year you will more than likely need a polish for this exact reason you mentioned about micro-marring. Most come from the washing and drying process.
Have you thought about polishing and re-coating yourself? Most of these multi year claims are just that, claims. Lab claims are different than real world performance.
How long has the coating been on the paint?
I gave this a go today and it is in an interesting product to work with. The prep is the time consuming part as the actual application part is 15-20 mins. I applied it to an entire car. I went right for it and did not practice on any spare panels. If the application is good on the first coat then there is no need for a second coat. If there is some streaking, then wait and apply a second coat. That will resolve the issue. The reason for the streaking is the lack of product on the pearl wave applicator towel.
I did apply it to an area where there are signs of clear coat failure knowing it will not restore it. It is more of how long will the clear coat restorer prevent the further failure of the clear coat.
I also wet sanded the headlights and applied this right over the 3K grit sanding marks. Turned out well.
I used about about 1/2 of the bottle and knocked over the bottle spilling out 1/4 of it. Not a big fan of no control when dispensing the product. Hopefully Optimum resolves that in the future to allow for better product distribution.
Time to wait until the 48 hour cure time before polishing and applying a coating.
Infotainment screens are sensitive. They often have a coating on them. Polishing has certainly removed that coating. It is possible that is what you are seeing.
One is all you need. Maintain with opti-glass clean & protect.
What Meguiar's soap are you using? Sounds like it is Gold Class. If it is then it has the potential to mask the properties of an LSP. ONR won't bead on the surface. It tends to sit flat. Use a different soap that has no gloss enhancers or wax such as optimum car shampoo. You should get that water behavior.
On 8/22/2018 at 9:56 AM, dale.m said:Not sure if it’s already answered but how thick is one layer of gloss coat measured in microns?
I would not worry too much about the thickness of not only Gloss Coat but other coatings. It is negligible anyway.
On 8/24/2018 at 9:09 AM, dale.m said:Now if we layer glosscoat, would that multiply the micron measurement by two or be negligible?
also, when it comes time to reapplication in a year or two, is polishing necessary if the finish still looks good?
I believe you are wanting to know more about the hardness level. I would not buy too much into the claims of hardness for any coating. They can still be scratched and swirled just as easily as clear coat. They are not impervious to damage. Coatings do help with wash induced marring , which is going to happen compared to a wax or sealant.
When it comes to reapplication this is where I am going to not agree with what was preciously posted. In the time frame of 1-2 years the car is going to need a polishing. I say that because one the longevity/durability is going to vary by the environment the vehicle is exposed to. For example someone who lives in a dry climate will get more longevity/durability compared to someone who lives in a snowy environment where chemicals are used. 1 year actually seems about right for gloss coat anyway.
In that time you will also have some marring. That is going to happen the more one touches the paint. Just the nature of the beast. Good washing technique is important but you will notice areas that will need to be polished out eventually.
Road grime is another thing to consider. Road grime especially in areas that deal with a lot of rain will eventually contaminate the coating and degrade some of the gloss. This is a great write up by Mike Phillips and he makes some valid points.
So to reapply I would go ahead and repolish 1-2 years down the road and reapply. You will remove defects and of course impart gloss with a polishing step.
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Next Spring is 5 years on Opti coat pro plus application. Can i have re applied early ?
in Ask the Optimum Experts
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Not a problem.