Paint Correction

Do I need Paint Correction Polishing?

Vehicles that have been neglected for many years may not completely benefit from just Polishing. Generally those who need a polish are car owners who keep their vehicle in a garage or car port. Thus protecting their Paint from the full weight of our harsh elements.

 

Can any vehicles be polished? 

Yes! Almost any vehicle can be polished safely. Vehicles that have at least 95-130 microns of clear coat can be polished safely. Although vehicles with such a low amount of clear less than 95  would benefit more from a ceramic coating. Ceramic Coatings are a great way to maintain older cars. As ceramic coatings preserve the life of the clear coat, by acting as a sacrificial layer of protection. Please Ceramic Coatings for more information.

 

How do you Polish a vehicle?

First I clean the tires of the vehicle. I start by pretreating the tires in its entirety with different products safe for tires and wheels, or rims as some say. I scrub the sidewall and detail out the wheel wells, lug nuts, spokes and barrel of the tire. I rinse then dress the tire last. Then I rinse the paint surface to remove dirt particles. Then I wash using a presoak shampoo, to agitate the dirt and use a 3 bucket wash system to ensure the vehicle is thoroughly washed including door jams and the gas cap. Then I decontaminate the paint of mineral deposits on the coat clear then I rinse off the deposits. Then use a clay bar to eliminate any other debris that did not come off with the decontamination cleaner. Then I wash one more time to remove excess waste, purifying the clear coat. Then I only use dry, scratch free towels to dry the paint, and door jams. Once the vehicle is completely dry, I get to work using my 6 inch Dual Action polisher and a black foam polishing pad and start polishing panel by panel every painted surface. I wipe off excess polish with a scratch free microfiber towel. And clean the clear coat surface with paint prep. Then I spray the paint surface with Paint Gloss to make the clear coat shine once again!

 

How do you eliminate deep scratches?

There are two methods of eliminating scratches: the first using compound to level off the clear coat eliminating the peaks and valleys, giving it a stable near flat surface. I do that by using the least aggressive pad and compound first and then testing a small area to see the reaction of the clear coat. With my experience in mind, if I believe, I can achieve better results by getting more aggressive on the clear coat I will do so at that time. My goal is to achieve 80-90% scratch free clear coat. Traditionally 2 step paint correction is including compounding scratches out first, then polishing as the last and final step. You can add another step by polishing the clear coat even more with a jeweling type of polish for an even deeper gloss and shine.

 

The second method of eliminating scratches is by wet sanding. Wet sanding is the most aggressive form of scratch removal. If you could imagine you're literally gouging out a small piece of clear coat to eliminate the scratch, at the microscopic level. Then compounding and polishing the surface to lighten up the clear coat.

 

Please note that both forms of scratch removal never really remove the scratch but level the clear around the scratch so that way when light reflects back off from the clear coat it gives the appearance of perfection.