For those of us who have experienced the luxury of buying a new car, you’ll probably remember the excitement of walking into the dealership and seeing your new vehicle for the first time, glistening under the showroom lights with a mirror-like reflection.

As time goes on and the years tick by, you may suddenly realise that your car’s exterior doesn’t look anything at all like it used to. You may see light, moderate-to-deep scratches and swirl marks, stone chips, yellowing headlights and weathered trim.

Further inspection of the paint may reveal ugly water spots which distort the reflection; resulting in a dull-looking car that has lost its lustre.

This can be an unfortunate and common problem for many, especially for those who lack the knowledge of how to properly maintain a car. We get it, there’s a lot to know and a huge market out there full of prospective brands, all vying for your attention to buy their latest products.

The fact of the matter is, however, that improper maintenance of your car will ultimately result in a vehicle that needs some serious TLC.

If you’re unsure on how to look after your pride and joy, you can trust us to maintain it for you on a routine schedule. You can find out more about our car detailing maintenance programs here.

What causes scratches and water spots, and how does this dull paintwork?

Scratches, usually swirl marks, mostly occur from improper washing techniques, such as using one wash mitt for both the paint and wheels, and/or using only one bucket instead of the preferred two-or-three bucket technique.

Over time, bad care will develop into some unsightly swirl marks (circular-shaped scratches) that will affect your paint’s reflection. Add mineral deposits left from rain and hard water that dry onto the car, and you’re left with a serious degradation of paint quality.

Reflection of light is directly affected by the smoothness of the surface. If there is a direct path of light, aka no scratches and imperfections, that the reflection can give, this will result in a shiny car with excellent gloss.

If there are scratches on the paint, they will distort the reflection and will dull down the amount of light that is able to bounce off to provide that wet-look shine. The reflection is there; it’s just hidden underneath those imperfections. You can read about how to properly wash and maintain your car in our blog article here.

So, what can you do?

When dealing with a neglected car, the most glaringly obvious issue is more often than not the paintwork. Especially here on the Sunshine Coast paint correction is the best course of action to undo the environmental damage and potential user error that has affected your car’s paint.

Paint correction is the act of polishing down your vehicle’s clear coat to remove surface marks and scratches, revealing a flat, fresh and clean surface. This can be achieved in a number of different ways, depending on the severity of the damage.

Clay barring is the least invasive method and serves to remove surface contaminants such as tar, road debris and other elements that have stuck into your car’s paint pores and cannot be removed with a simple wash.

This is an essential step to paint correction to ensure that no surface contaminants are left on the paint prior to polishing, which would result in them being ground into the paint and causing even more damage. There are different types available, depending on if you are looking to polish afterwards or not.

A clay cloth is a tool that mildly removes contaminants and provides the least risk of micro-marring, at the cost of effectiveness. Remember that claying is still an abrasive measure and carries the risk of adding light scratches.

A clay bar is a more aggressive option that is likely to cause micro marring on the paint, but does a far better job of removing contaminants; this is ideal before a polishing job or a machine-applied wax designed to remove light imperfections.

Car polishing uses a differing range of micro-abrasive compounds that remove scratches as deep as the clear coat. This method is effective, popular and safe - provided there is enough clear coat left on the vehicle. Damage can be done when you polish through the clear coat and into the actual paint, known as “burning through” the clear coat.

What happens if paint damage can’t be polished out?

For severely damaged paint, the next step is a much more abrasive wet sand with a fine sandpaper, or a full-on respray.

When a scratch makes its way through the clear coat to the paint, there is little that can be done, save for a respray or a paint touch up, depending on the size and length of the scratch. For damage like this, we recommend looking at a local Sunshine Coast paint repair service.

What paint protection options are there?

A wax or paint sealant can be used to complete the correction process. There are many types available, ranging from natural carnauba wax to a synthetic polymer sealant.

The benefits and downsides vary with each, but the end result is to provide a slick paint barrier to protect your newly corrected paintwork and maintain that glossy finish.

These methods of paint protection are temporary, however, and will need to be routinely topped up to ensure effectiveness.

Longer-term, semi-permanent options include ceramic coating, or, as one step further in paint protection, a PPF wrap - you can read our in-depth comparison between ceramic coating and PPF in our blog here.

Car paint correction on the Sunshine Coast is a highly recommended option for those looking to sell your car and obtain maximum resale value.

If you just want to experience that showroom-detailed shine again and bring back the new-car sensation, we can help you!

Fill in our quote form or get in touch with us to discuss what we can do to provide value to you and your vehicle.