Why would I need to polish?
Zero scratches or defects.
Car pro said to wash with an iron remover and iso wipe down.
Seriously. Zero scratches on a family suv where 2 kids brush up against it twice a day at least with salt and grime on it at times.
Paint protection. It’s all futile.
- Thread starter Kurtatron
- Start date
Zero scratches or defects.
Car pro said to wash with an iron remover and iso wipe down.
Seriously. Zero scratches on a family suv where 2 kids brush up against it twice a day at least with salt and grime on it at times.
Good luck with bonding - without at least a light polish, no guarantee that all traces of the prior coating or any spray sealant will be 100% removed.
This ^^^^^. The cars that looks new at 10 years are always the ones that received regular washes / waxes (or similar).
Honestly haven’t seen a difference if they’re kept outside.
You’re the one who just traded a 10 yr old car due to early signs of paint failure. You maintained yours, supposedly impeccably.
No, it’s all the more important.
If he uses the same coating it’s sometimes ok to apply without removing what is already there. My thought is the solvent in the formula on application will dissolve the polysiloxane or whatever it happens to be.
You’re right that it can require polishing to guarantee removal of some coatings. This is one reason I’ve avoided ceramic coatings thus far. I like to switch products and don’t really feel like polishing off a half dead coating in a year or two.
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That's not quite true. Some coatings or sealants are more forgiving than others and don't need a polish every time for a good bond. At least a one-step polish is needed for paint corrections. For those who don't care about paint correction and just want the hydrophobics, a wash detergent for a full paint reset like dish soap, iron decontamination, claying, and then an IPA wipedown is all that's really needed unless the coating you chose is particularly hard to work with. I think a lot of detailers are having a hard time giving up the "polish before coat" narrative because they want to charge for a full correction every time they coat a vehicle rather than go by a case by case basis and actually look at a vehicle before deciding it needs a polish.
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After 15 months since my last polish, and using a two-bucket method, I still have some faint scratches you can see in the paint under certain lighting (parking lot etc.).
Polishing is time consuming, and I have been avoiding it. Knowing a coating will bond to pretty much anything, I don't have to polish, however, you lock in all those scratches so I can't bring myself to just slap on another coating. So I've been topping 15 month old Can Coat with Wet Coat.
Polishing is time consuming, and I have been avoiding it. Knowing a coating will bond to pretty much anything, I don't have to polish, however, you lock in all those scratches so I can't bring myself to just slap on another coating. So I've been topping 15 month old Can Coat with Wet Coat.
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I think I will stick with the Griots 3 in 1 then.
Yes
According to carpro
It will bond JUST fine.
He doesn't know what he's talking about.
It's just a risk factor - with polishing, your failure rate is X. Without, it could be higher 3X. However small that number is, the risk of reduced lifespan does exist.
It depends on your comfort level - and what your time is worth.
What isn't said here is how so many little paint scratches are discovered during the care and caressing of the car body. Yes wax will help these small nicks, but because you now know about it, better chance the spot will get touched up.
Do you mean by constantly touching your paint you will induce scratches? If so, then yes that is true. It's going to happen no matter how careful you are. One of the reasons some like to use a good pre-soak product to get the bulk of the dirt off the paint first before doing a contact wash. This is what led me to BH Touchless.
Good washing technique can help minimize scratches.
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High priced waxes is a scam. I only use wax for one reason: To keep dirt from sticking to the car more than it would if I didn't use wax. Kind of like if we all drive electric cars, we can save the world. Blah, blah, blah.
In the salt belt it is futile. Your paint will look perfect but your brake lines and suspension components will be rotted.
In the south I think there is merit.
In the south I think there is merit.
dnewton3
Staff member
I am completely disappointed at the absolutely dismal way my 2019 MX-5 paint chips from normal driving. The front is peppered with small to very small paint chips. Had I known it would be this bad, I would have had PPF applied first thing; could have stopped this from happening.
I can tell you that my next car, whatever it is, will have PPF applied at least on the front half, if not the whole car. A few of my cars are past the point of caring, but any new car brought home will have PPF, at least on the front half.
I can tell you that my next car, whatever it is, will have PPF applied at least on the front half, if not the whole car. A few of my cars are past the point of caring, but any new car brought home will have PPF, at least on the front half.
One a year I do a car wash with DAWN dish washing soap. Then I apply Turtle Wax Hybrid protectant. My car is out all day hear in FL. but garaged at night. I Redu the top and hood at ~ 5-6 months. Looks excellent and beads water very well at the 5-6 month.
I got PPF for the first time on my M2, front half plus extended rockers and a strip on the bumper. My only regret is I didn’t do the whole car. I parked near a window a few feet up which broke and glass fell on the roof of the car… had to repaint the roof but had I had PPF there it would have been replacement of PPF and some light touch up probably. It sacrificed itself pretty effectively on the fenders.
I think PPF has issues and is expensive, but it was a total PITA working with the body shop. If you know a good perfectionist painter then maybe it’s not worth it, but otherwise I want to stay the hell away.
Keep in mind that PPF is a wear item - it needs to be replaced every 5-10 years, depending on your operating conditions and level of care. Waiting too long to replace it, is sometimes worse than not having it at all.
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