Opti-Coat Pro 3

7058029754 • January 28, 2025

The Benefits of a Silicon Carbide, Lifetime, 4 Layer Exterior Ceramic Coating

Discovering Opti-Coat Pro Ceramic Coatings


     In order to understand  why Opti-Coat Pro 3 is the most exclusive, durable, and longest lasting coating on the market, we must first understand Opti-Coat Pro exterior ceramic coating. The Opti-Coat line of ceramic coatings is the most elite line of coatings. The chemistry behind the coating is the reason why The Opti-Coat line is superior. Most ceramic coatings are made of silicon dioxide which has a glass-like hardness. Silicon carbide has the strength of industrial diamond. Glass is certainly durable, but not as durable as industrial diamond.        


I remember ceramic coating my first vehicle. It was 2015. The vehicle was an Explorer that was 5 years old or so. I believe I used gloss coat or it may have been paint guard, I can't quite remember. What led me to offering coatings wasn't my experience at the dealership applying Simoniz Glass Coat to vehicles. We all knew that stuff was crap. The customer was paying for the warranty. There was no actual protection involved. What led me to Opti-Coat in 2015 was a simple Google search.


      I have detailed many vehicles over the years. It was frustration because I used to spend hours polishing out sone nasty paint on some older cars and all I am putting on after that hard work is a slimy paste wax that lasted only a couple of months. This idea seemed old school. I thought, "It's 2015, someone had to have created something better than a wax or sealant." I Googled, "Paint Protection", or something like that. Optimum Polymer Technologies came up. I visited the site and saw Opti-Coat Pro. The transition from Opti-Coat 2.0 to Opti-Coat Pro was in the beginning stages.


      I called them up and Maggie answered the phone. Her voice was deep and gravely and she was the sweetest tone (despite the deep and gravely part). I asked about 2.0 and she told me that they were starting a Pro Detailer version of it called, Opti-Coat Pro. A ceramic coating. cool. What exactly was that? It's a permanent, transparent layer that gets put on top of the clear coat? This is amazing. I didn't quite understand it, but it still made sense, kind of.


Opti-Coat Pro is a Superior Ceramic Coating

     

In those early days, there really wasn't much training on installing coatings. There was no interior ceramic coating and I never gave thought to that anyway. No YouTube videos on exterior coatings, nothing on the blogs, and no resources that I could find. Who cares, that's not the way of a seasoned detailer. We just use a product until it runs out and then look at it afterwards and gasp that it looks like a six year old just detailed that car.


     Once I understood the chemistry of Opti-Coat Pro it really started making sense. A two micron layer of Opti-Coat Pro contains Silicon Carbide, which is the hard layer and other components to  make the clear coat shinier, self-cleaning, and preserve the paint from fading, or wearing down. The coating rides the contours of the clear coat. If you look at clear coat under a microscope, it has peaks and valleys. Think of a mountain range like the Rockies. Opti-Coat Pro rides those contours covering every part of the clear coat. The factory clear coat has been upgraded. A ceramic coating is like putting on a heavy winter coat over a lite jacket and you have found yourself in Siberia in the winter.


     Why is the Opti-Coat line of coatings superior to all other coatings? One of the main reasons is because Dr. Ghodoussi is the organic chemist who created the Opti-Coat ceramic coating formula. Who is Dr. G.? He has over 40 years of experience in this field. In the 70's, Dr. G. worked for DuPont and PPG. While working for these companies, he developed the formula for the modern clear coat.


     In 2001, Dr. G. started his own detailing products company and focused on preserving the exterior paint of modern vehicles. The very first product was a sprayable, carnauba wax. In 2008, he created the formula for Opti-Coat 2.0 and one of the original ceramic coatings was created.


Every Ceramic Coating is not Created Equally


     The cool thing about ceramic coatings is that they are all different. Coatings cannot be reverse engineered or "copied". Unless you have the exact formula, you can recreate a coating. You have to create your own. I remember in the early days that the Opti-Coat Pro formula was somewhat difficult to use. As the formula was upgraded several times over the years, it became more durable and easier to use. Since every coating is different, they typically offer different attributes. Some are super slick and glossy, but short-lived. Others are less glossy and more durable, but harder to use. Some are glossy and durable at the same time. There are less coatings in the category of glossy and durable. Opti-Coat Pro 3 is both glossy, deepens the color, and is durable and long lasting.


Why is Opti-Coat Pro 3 an Elite and Superior Ceramic Coating?


     Most exterior ceramic coatings are 1-2 microns thick. This amount is sufficiently thick enough to ride those clear coat contours. Considering Opti-Coat Pro is 2 microns thick and much harder and glossier than the factory clear coat, some other coatings are not as hard as Opti-Coat Pro. Since Opti-Coat Pro is thicker and harder than most other coatings, Opti-Coat Pro 3 is even thicker and harder than Opti-Coat Pro. Opti-Coat Pro 3 is 4 layers of pure silicon carbide. two layers of a base coat and 2 layers of the top coat. This ends up being 8 microns thick and much harder than Pro.


     What this means for your customers is peace of mind of having the most exclusive exterior ceramic coating available. I have had Opti-Coat Pro 3 on both of my vehicles for over three years, and it is performing the same as the day I installed it because of regular maintenance. I never worry about the delicate finish on my vehicles caused by dirt and natures little surprises because of how durable this coating is. Regular cleaning is super easy. Tar wipes right off either with ONR or with a decon pre wash.


     Stop selling an inferior, but decent coating found in little glass bottles that are full of solvents. Start offering an elite coating containing no solvents ensuring that 100% of the coating is staying in the clear coat. Give your customers confidence for whatever nature has to throw at their vehicle.


     


           


Opti-Coat Pro 3

My Detailing Journey

By 7058029754 • June 18, 2025
The Reason Why I Detail

Choosing a Detail Shop with Experience

By 7058029754 • March 11, 2025
I welcome new detail shops opening up. I have reached out to some local detail shops to ask if they want to network with me and get to know them. I love the detailing industry and I like reaching out to other local detailers to find things in common. I enjoy training and giving advice to new and existing shops. Maybe we can teach each other something in business. With that being said, there is a difference between a new detail shop opening and a 20 year old that thinks it would be cool to work for themselves and own a detailing business. They jump on Amazon, buy their tools, towels, and chemicals, load up their VW Golf and hit the road. Their prices end up being so bargain basement cheap because, to them, $100 is a lot of money. They live at home with almost zero overhead. Their business is most likely not a registered business with the local, State, and Federal government. I'm not for preventing this from happening, I'm more for educating them and helping them get established. The more fly-by-night operations there are the less value the industry offers. Detailing is a luxury service. This means that it is something consumers can pay for, but they don't have to. It's like going out to eat. Going out to eat is not nutrition, it's entertainment. I heard Dave Ramsey say this recently and I 100% agree. Since detailing is a luxury and running a shop is expensive. The cost is not going to be cheap. The services we offer produce amazing results. The result is what you are paying for. Someone who spends 4 hours detailing a car and charges $100 is not giving you amazing results. They are practicing on your vehicle and only putting a little money in their pocket. They are not making money. They are actually losing quite a bit. My goal as a detailing business owner is to prop up the industry and help other detailers reach their potential. Most detailers that I reach out to don't take me up on any of my offers. That's ok. Maybe they are fine and don't need a detailing friend. No judgment. I want all of my current and potential customers to understand that experience matters. Just as you would not trust a cardiologist on his first day to operate on your heart, a brand new detailer may not be life and death, but you are not going to get the amazing results like you would with a detailer with experience. The reason that some have told me that they don't see a difference between the two is because they were swayed by the price and are ok with lesser results. I'm ok with that as long as you realize that there us a difference. Not only are the results between a new shop and an experienced one is that the experienced shop has a track record of satisfying customers and being open when you need them. Every single one of these shops that pop up and charge $100 for an interior/exterior detail NEVER endure. They close their doors every single time. On a similar topic, Hanover is a small town. There are only about 10 detail shops. On the other hand, there are almost four dozen Auto Repair Shops. Which tells me that there is room for more detail shops. Also, detailers that only offer mobile never stay around. This is just not a mobile friendly community for whatever reason. Most of the owners of the 10 detail shops in Hanover work full-time jobs. They run their shops part-time at night and on weekends. They only have so many appointments available. This is not a criticism, I am just contrasting the fact that my availability is much greater than theirs. When you book an appointment with us you are actually paying for the absolute best possible results out of any other detail shop in Hanover. This has been my full-time job since 2013. I have more hours of detailing than any two detail shops in Hanover. There is only one shop that has even close to our shop's age. They have seven years and we have 12. But, again, they work an outside full-time job. That matters because it means I HAVE to succeed. I MUST produce the best results I can. Their main jobs can fund their shop, so it's a side hustle for them. I have been detailing since the late 90's. I have surpassed the practice and advanced stage and have entered the expert stage. The final stage is legend. One day I will be there so long as my very loyal, amazing customers continue to use us. The stages are achieved over time. Spending those hours not satisfied with the results and continuing until they are achieved is the progression. Repetition with a focus on efficiency is the key to becoming a detailing legend. Not a legend in the detailing industry. Who cares about that. A legend in my market and area is what I am referring to.

Your Exterior Doesn't Really Need to be Detailed!

By 7058029754 • March 10, 2025
A wash at home or at the automatic car wash does not take the place of an exterior detail. My shop is in a small town, but we have a lot of cars. I never thought I would ever see the day where I need to convince people to get their exterior detailed. When customers call me or drop off their vehicle, they, of course, want the interior detailed. When I ask them about the exterior the response I get so often is either, I don't care about the exterior or I will just run it through the car wash. I don't understand this thinking. The point in having your vehicle detailed is to hit the reset button on it and make it look new again. Why would you only want half of your vehicle to look new? I completely understand not wanting to spend a lot of money and If given the option, many people would choose interior only. The exterior added to the interior detail does not cost all that much more. I make strong effort to keep my entice everyone to have the entire vehicle detailed. I understand budgets. Most shops around me have an interior/exterior packaged together and then you end up getting a big discount. These shops are new and they are young and live at home, so their prices reflect their overhead. They package it this way because it is more convenient for them and reduces objections. $100 is a lot of money to them. You as the customer choses both interior and exterior because the price point is usually quite low. What you end up with is not a detail. It is a detail you could have done yourself. They are actually using your vehicle as practice. With that being said, there is a huge difference between what these cheap mobile shops can do and what we do. Our results are worlds better, the vehicle is preserved and it stays cleaner for longer. What we use is more durable against the elements as well. I have nothing against these new and mobile shops. We all had to start somewhere. I started where they are as well, just not mobile. I have reached out to several shops in Hanover over the years to lend them advice and training. Some have taken me up on it while most don't respond. Regrettably, most of these shops pop up and are gone in a few month because they think it's easy money. It's not easy money. It's hard work and takes skill and determination and a business mind-set to make it work. I have seen many detailers exterior details. They have 13 different options and 13 different protectants to apply. Just to distinguish and exterior detail from a wash; an exterior wash is something that can be done at home or at the automatic car wash. You can soap it up, scrub it down, rinse and dry. This is basically what the automatic does except it does it for you. An exterior detail is using appropriate, paint safe chemicals in a specific order to pull the different kinds of gink out of the clear coat or top layer of the paint. There is dust/dirt laying on the paint and there is sticky dirt stuck in the paint. The wash in the driveway removes the former while the exterior detail removes the latter. If you are looking at a detailing menu and you are confused then you should not book an appointment with them. No matter how many options and how confusing detailers make it, there are only two different exterior detailing options. They are an exterior detail with protection applied and an exterior detail with polishing or "buffing" as it is known in Hanover with a protectant applied. It's that simple. Detailers try and make it confusing only because they are confused and think everyone needs a whole bunch of options. Do yourself a favor, rather than be persuaded to book by a cheap price, trust a detailer that does this for a living, is reliable, trustworthy and offers high quality. Let someone else allow their vehicle to be practiced on instead of yours. Don't let the price make the decision for you. Let the decision be made based on how many people have been thoroughly satisfied and the experience the detailer has. You are paying for results, not time. Definitely don't pay for someone's lack of experience on your vehicle that you have spent so much money on. You avoid using Jiffy Lube for your oil changes because you value quality. Keep the same thinking when choosing a detailer.
More Posts →