I’ve heard this a looooott of times,
“I’m thinking about getting a new paint job because my car doesn’t shine as much as it use too.”
First of all, a new paint job would cost you a lot of money. Somewhere between $4000 to $15000, depending on the quality of the work.
And even if you did get a new quality paint job, your paint will be faded and hazy in several months again.
Let me explain…
Why Does My Paint Not Shine
Your car has paint and then it has clear coat. The clear coat sits on top of the paint- which is what gives off the “shine.” But, if you’re always washing your car with improper wash techniques, aka with a dirty and cheap towel and wash mitt, you’re putting hundreds of micro scratches into your clear coat.
So when your paint starts to seem dull, it’s actually thousands of micro-scratches that you have in your clear coat that is causing the paint to look dull.
If you believe your paint is dull or not-as-glossy as it once was, then your paint needs a bit of paint correction.
What Is Paint Correction?
Simply put, it’s the removal of your swirls and scratches in your clear coat. The more you can remove, the more shine your paint will have.
Paint correction when done right is a long and tedious process. It involves all sorts of buffers, pads, polishes, compounds, lights, and towels.
But the results that you get will be worth it as it’ll look like your car has a brand new paint job!
Benefits of Paint Correction
Paint correction will remove (not hide) the swirls and scratches in your paint and the final product will be a super duper glossy paint finish. It’d probably look better than the day you bought it!
The best part, comparing it to a new paint job, it’s only a fraction of the cost. And that’s not including how much time the body shop would keep your car to complete the paint job.
The biggest benefit is that you’ll have the glossiest-looking car in your neighborhood! 🙂
The Aftermath Once Your Paint Is Shining
So let’s say you pull the trigger and you get your vehicle corrected (aka swirls and scratches removed), then not you have to keep up with the maintenance or within one or two washes, you’ll be right back where you started!
Yes, even after the 8, 10, or 15 hours it took to remove your swirls and scratches, it will all be back in your paint if you wash it with a cheap/dirty wash mitt and towel .
So what can you do? There’s pretty much two solutions:
- You learn how to properly maintain your vehicle in between washes and buy the necessary tools and products
- You pay the detailer to upkeep your vehicle.
Again, if you go to a franchise-type car wash, you’ll likely get poor quality of service- as it will result into scratches, swirls, and dull looking paint again.