Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

To Opticoat Pro or not to Opticoat Pro, that is the question.

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I'll be (hopefully) getting my 85D next month and I've been debating whether I should get opticoal put on it or not.

A slight problem is that I'd have to get it put on even before I see the vehicle, since the service center and the detailer are not exactly close to my home.

Any opinions on if its worth it or not? I'm not so much worried about the cost of doing it.
 
Me too. I have had my car for a few weeks now and I keep wondering what to do. I have sent emails to a couple of detailers recommended here but neither has rushed to respond so I'm a bit concerned about how they will do the job if their sales is so weak. Also I am quite confused about which coating products would be best or, indeed, if it is really desirable at all. I keep reading conflicting information.

So, please do respond to Koryin with some informed opinions.
 
There are 3 options for coating: normal waxes, ceramic coatings like opticoat, and film like suntek or xpel. Some people do opticoat over film as well. I listed them in increasing order of cost to apply, and protection. If you just want car to look great and protect against bird waste, opticoat is far better than normal wax. It may cost up to $1000 to apply, but will last for 5x wax. If you want car to look great and protect against pebble chips, door dings, and small accidents damaging paint, you need film. Film is $4,000 to $8,000 to apply to whole car. You can save by doing just the front and other high risk areas. I filmed whole car. In any event, important to get paint correction before film because you don't want to memorialize any flaws/swirls. That's another ~$500. There are many threads on TMC discussing merits.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Scott_K
If you cant swing the cost of a Xpel and a coating then I would go with just Xpel paint protection film. Nano coatings will require paint correction to remove swirls and mars, not doing so is just wasting money on the coating since the point of the coating is to prevent marring/swirls.
Paint protection film does not require correction work unless your paint is a mess, expect to pay $2000 for full hood, full fenders, bumper, headlights, fogs, and mirrors.

Coatings will make the car easier to clean but dont expect it to make your paint bullet proof, bird bombs will still damage the paint and they offer no protection from rocks their best feature is the reduction of marring.
 
Please do some research and look at the many threads on this subject here at TMC and also at TM forums (use volkerize.com to browse). You will find way too much info from pros, amateurs, owners, etc. Lots of opinions either way. Tomas has the summary....what are you trying to accomplish, how long do you plan to keep your S, how obsessive are you with the look/finish, do you like to do your own wash/wax or do you use commercial car washes, do you drive on rough roads or gravel roads.....all are factors in your decision.
 
I've seen people talk about xpel and Opticoat. Are they using one on part of the car and one on the other? Opticoat over the film? Under the film?

If both on the same area, what's the point?

How good is the films these days (shine/smoothness)? I had the hood and bumper of my old Boxster covered with 3M's film, and it was never as shiny as the real paint.
 
You do not want to do a coating before installing a PPF film, it will not stick if you do it first.
The coating should go over the film and rest of the body.

My installer does Xpel ultimate on the bumpers and fenders then Suntek on the hood. The Suntek does not have as much orange peel and will be shinier than Xpel.


I've seen people talk about xpel and Opticoat. Are they using one on part of the car and one on the other? Opticoat over the film? Under the film?

If both on the same area, what's the point?

How good is the films these days (shine/smoothness)? I had the hood and bumper of my old Boxster covered with 3M's film, and it was never as shiny as the real paint.
 
Lots of posts on this...I had Opticoat Pro applied to my S85D by a detailer who did it in the driveway over 3-4 hours. The car was 3 weeks old, required mild paint correction (which was done beautifully) and the result is a very nice gloss which allows bird poop and road/rain dirt to be washed off easily. Very pleased. Total costs <$800. Metro NYC area.
 
I recommend Opticoat Pro. I had it done on my white Tesla and the prep that they did prior really made a huge difference.

I was less impressed with the work done on my Black Telsa with cQuartz Finest, but I used a different shop and their prep work was done poorly -so the finished product didn't look so great. I am actually taking it back for them to redo it. Really pissed that I spend over $1K to get it done and they guy did a crappy job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpmtifKgEBo
 
I had my last Model S Opti-coated. I will not be having my new one done. Reason is: blemishes (haze spots). My installer didn't buff the product in time and left several permanent haze spots on my car, including one on the back glass. Opti-coat is a permanent coating that CAN'T BE REMOVED. And if the application isn't done right, it leaves permanent damage to your cars paint. Don't do it! You may regret it! I did.
 
Paint correction is a must, and a coating makes cleaning and keeping it looking good between washes a breeze. I had mine coated with cQuartz Finest, and was very happy with the result. You definitely want a reputable and professional detailer handling the job.
 
And here I thought that Xpel was a "must" limited only b/c of budget, and OptiCoat Pro or cQuartz Finest was an "absolute" must. Another forum member in my area had paint correction, full front, and mirrors, OptiCoat Pro the entire car, plus Air80 tinting for all windows (body colored roof) for $2,800. The work looks good. The guy uses in-shot computer cutouts of Xpel to eliminate/minimize the knife near your car. I'm tempted to do the same, consider a full wrap if only a little more, or just go with OptiCoat Pro. My car is already 2 years old with 30k miles (I'm buying used), so the value proposition of the Xpel is diminished. That said, I'm the type that doesn't wash regularly and when I do, I take the car to a car washing place that does use a brush system. My Toyota paint has held up fine against that, but I hear I won't be so lucky with Tesla's low VOC paint.
 
I have had the opti pro on my pearl white Sig for almost 3 Years and would get it without hesitation next time...all the environment has thrown at my Tesla has simply wiped right off. Still shines like new!
 
Optimum changed their pricing policy late last year. Because of that, most installer need to charge more (minimum prices enforced). The warranty also changed.

Also check the Ceramic Pro coatings. I've had 4 layers of Ceramic Pro 9H done on my car 2 weeks ago. I can't say anything about durability but the shine is a bit better than Opticoat Pro without the temporary gloss added.

In the end, my take is that the installer makes a bigger difference than the product. Shop for a detailer, ask him what he thinks. As I've read before : a detailer should propose you a couple of options, not sell you ONE product.

The same applies for film. Suntek VS Xpel ? I don't know, but a crappy job is a crappy job, even if the product is awesome.

Additional info :
Here's the warranty on the OptiCoat Pro. The warranty is now 5 years (on a vehicule that is less than 5 years old) VS the lifetime warranty they had before. Which is the same as 1 coat of Ceramic Pro 9H.
 
Last edited:
I had my last Model S Opti-coated. I will not be having my new one done. Reason is: blemishes (haze spots). My installer didn't buff the product in time and left several permanent haze spots on my car, including one on the back glass. Opti-coat is a permanent coating that CAN'T BE REMOVED. And if the application isn't done right, it leaves permanent damage to your cars paint. Don't do it! You may regret it! I did.

Opti-Coat CAN be removed....you should be able to have a trained and qualified detailer remove the existing coating, and apply a new opti coat correctly, or a different coating of your choice.

- - - Updated - - -

Optimum changed their pricing policy late last year. Because of that, most installer need to charge more (minimum prices enforced). The warranty also changed.

Also check the Ceramic Pro coatings. I've had 4 layers of Ceramic Pro 9H done on my car 2 weeks ago. I can't say anything about durability but the shine is a bit better than Opticoat Pro without the temporary gloss added.

In the end, my take is that the installer makes a bigger difference than the product. Shop for a detailer, ask him what he thinks. As I've read before : a detailer should propose you a couple of options, not sell you ONE product.

The same applies for film. Suntek VS Xpel ? I don't know, but a crappy job is a crappy job, even if the product is awesome.

Additional info :
Here's the warranty on the OptiCoat Pro. The warranty is now 5 years (on a vehicule that is less than 5 years old) VS the lifetime warranty they had before. Which is the same as 1 coat of Ceramic Pro 9H.

Well said...seek out an installer that can give you what YOU want and do it in a manner that meets or exceeds YOUR expectations.

Forget about what you hear on the forums...so often, readers get so caught up on what they actually read, than what they WANT and NEED.

People compare tints for example on numbers they read on paper and what claims are posted online. Nothing beats going to a few local shops around you, seeing for yourself what the film looks like, and what YOU are educated about what YOUR needs are. A true professional will first listen to you and your situation, and he/she should offer you a solution that best fits you and your budget.

In the end, it's like choosing a tire. Going from something that is H-Rated to something that is Z-Rated WILL most often give you amazing difference. Now, try comparing the top 3 Z-Rated tires...then the difference is most likely noticed by a sophisticated driver...say one that has been racing or autoxing for years and truly KNOWS what to look for and can use the abilities of the tire to his/her advantage. The average guy cannot truly push the tires to the limits and decipher which is the best for him/her. So, going from a standard tire to a premium racing tire can make all the difference in the world no matter which brand of Z-rated tire you choose.

That philosophy can be said about tint, clear bra, coatings, etc. Find a trustworthy and knowledgeable professional, and you'll be heading in the right direction.