Paint protection
- Thread starter ERG2008
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dingo
New member
For about a minuscule fraction of what they are asking for, you can do an even better job yourself. It's a nice weekend therapy. Wash, clay, polish, seal paint, & wax. I always laugh at the dealer when they offer this crap. They probably do a half-ass job at it to. As for the undercoating, if it were really required it would have already been applied from the factory. Just wash your ride and clean/seal the paint regularly and call it a day.
Some good detailing info at autogeek.net.
Some good detailing info at autogeek.net.
If you are talking about the 3M clear film. I would find someone else besides the dealer to do it. The dealer will charge you $800 and an outside contractor will charge you $400.
If you are worried about front bumper or hood chips this helps. Other than that, you don't need anything else.
If you are worried about front bumper or hood chips this helps. Other than that, you don't need anything else.
michael90630
New member
How often is it needed to clay, wax your T4R? I have had my one for a little over a year. It is washed quite regularly but I have not waxed it. Should I do it now or wait longer?
dingo
New member
michael90630 said:
It really all depends on your comfort and satisfaction level of how clean you want your paint to be and how long you want your protection to last. At any rate you should have some kind of protection on it. I'd do it now in your case.
After washing, claying your paint will pick up most of the environmental contaminants that embed themselves into the clear coat. Place a plastic bag over your hand and then run it over your hood. If you feel bumps, pits, and other raised rough areas, that means your clear coat has contaminants on it. I usually do it 1 or 2 times a year or in areas necessary. Luckily my trucks are garaged so they don't pick up as much dirt, etc as opposed to being outside most of the time. After claying, you can also use abrasive polish to get any swirls, scratches, oxidation etc. out or chemical polishes too. All that work is worth it since your paint will feel like polished glass - literally. And that's without sealer, glaze, or wax yet.
You can use a synthetic paint sealer instead of traditional carnuba wax too. It lasts much longer and is more durable if you don't have time to regularly wax. Perfect for daily drivers or vehicles parked outside daily. They give off more of a "flat" hard mirror shine though whereas natural carnuba wax gives you a color rich wet look. I usually put on 2-3 coats of synthetic acrylic sealer and top it all off with some carnuba wax to get a final pop of color from the paint. Once you have your base coats of protection, maintenance is pretty easy. Wipe it down with a quick detailing spray of your choice or give it a quick wash followed by a booster of spray wax and or syn. sealer. It's all about how anal you want to be. There are also literally tons of good products out there. Just find which ones you like and are satisfied with and go from there. I even wax some parts of the frame when I can. You should also check out the detailing forum(s).
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michael90630
New member
dingo
Appreciate the detailed response. I have purchased all the necessary items- Mother's brand. Just need to allocate some time and get it done in the next few weeks.
Appreciate the detailed response. I have purchased all the necessary items- Mother's brand. Just need to allocate some time and get it done in the next few weeks.
dingo
New member
Re: dingo
Mothers clay bar kit is pretty good. I use it most of the time, that or Griot's clay. You do realize that by doing all of this, it will be equivalent to doing an urban Indian rain dance. It will rain the next day and summon a thousand seagulls for a guano bombing run. Even SoCal/Orange is not immune to it.
michael90630 said:
Mothers clay bar kit is pretty good. I use it most of the time, that or Griot's clay. You do realize that by doing all of this, it will be equivalent to doing an urban Indian rain dance. It will rain the next day and summon a thousand seagulls for a guano bombing run. Even SoCal/Orange is not immune to it.