Nilism

Hi IS'ers,
I couldn't dig up much on this topic.

I have an Obsidian Black IS350 coming, and I am worried about the paint, as black shows everything. I am getting a clear 3M bra put on it. In addition the dealer was pushing a paint protection product along with a seat rip/tear warranty.

Does anyone know anything about what this paint protection actually is??

Regards.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Assuming you are simply talking about general paint protection - ie wax or sealant?

If that is the case, your paint absolutely needs a layer of protection. You should be applying wax about every 2 months or so, depending on various conditions.

Black, or any dark color, is more prone to showing scratches, swirls, dust, etc than a light colored vehicle. Improper care when it comes to washing/drying is enough to totally destroy your finish. Taking your car to the local car wash will probably ruin your paint even quicker.

Check out detailed image. They have an extensive guide to detailing that will help you understand the proper maintenance required when it comes to your paint. They also have a great blog that showcases before and after photos that will let you see how your car really should look. All of this is stuff you can do on your own if you don't mind the investment, otherwise, choose a professional detailed wisely <- this can be tricky, as there are just as many detailers who can mess up your paint as there are ones who can make your car look better than new. With that being said, it is quite common for your dealer to be one of those places who will do more harm than good. They are typically about getting the job done as fast as they can in order to make more money. This is not an attribute you want to find in a professional detailer.

This article can help shed some light on real professional detailing

Hope this helps.

Genecc

I work in the auto industry and the sealant is a total rip off. Go to a local auto store and buy a good paint sealant like Meguiars or Eagle One and apply it yourself. Like was mentioned above black paint is all up to you. My wife has a black Audi. I wax the car once a month and and inbetween I will wipe it down with a quick detail spray after washing it. 4 years later and the car still looks new.

reyoasian

iTrader: (2)

Don't fall for that BS. They overcharge by like 100000%, with ****ty wax and they don't polish prior to waxing or prep the paint at all so the wax is basically useless after a month.

If you're truly worried, take it in to a professional detailer to get it properly polished and use a good wax.

Or DIY

Toymota

Get Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 which is a permanent sealant.

Costs $60: http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-coat.html

Will need good paint prep beforehand though because it is permanent. You can hire a detailer if you don't want to DIY.

prairiefir

I got a good price so that the 10 treatments will cost me less than having someone wash and wax the car.

Nilism

Thanks for all the great advice. I really don't know much about this. I do know that black is, as it was said, "all up to me."

I'll check out the links when I have time. Working 90 hours a week right now.

I haven't actually received the car yet. They tried to sell me a bunch of stuff. I choose the smallest package which I think was around 1000 bucks (I am Canadian so they rip us off an extra 30% for everything up here usually). That included some kind of after market warranty on the seats, which is the only thing I was really interested in, and 5 'paint protection' treatments.

I need to get the fine print still. Both on the car warranty and the extra seat stuff. Nothing has been paid for or committed to fully yet. Although the car itself is in transport from some compound somewhere.

I was looking at putting 3M on the car. Full hood, plus front end, rockers, pillars, door edges, lugage step etc. I think this is worth it as I live in Northern Canada and road salt/sand/rocks etc is realistically an everyday thing. So that's my first line of defense.

One of the problems I am having though is the dealership refuses to transport the car to the tint/3M place or allow them to use their dealer plate to transport. This is a huge issue as I am out of town for 3 weeks and they are just being dicks to me because the dealership wanted the 3M work. I went with who I was comfortable with instead of them. So my first week off with the car will be with it in the shop getting 3M and tint. =(

SO... the root of why I am asking about paint protection is I want to pull my 1000 bucks from the dealer and DIY instead. **** them if they are going to be dicks and I can do a better job, once I learn all there is to learn.

As per the paint, doesn't the factory apply some kind of sealant?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Most dealerships will "detail" your car prior to you receiving it, however this process usually is not done with care and will leave swirls, holograms, buffer trails.... Basically your best bet would be to tell the dealership to keep their hands off of it and take it straight to a professional detailer to prep the car the right way from the start, or do some research and DIY.

po1qw

iTrader: (2)

wow that situation sounds brutal them Canadian dealership really are in for your money...

Nilism

The dealership already seems rather offended that I am taking the car else where for 3M. :-)

How does detailing work once a 3M film is on the car?

I'm pulling the protectant crap. The dealer is still going to detail for delivery/possession though. I'm going to have to learn what to look for in a bad job.

I read the repair detail link above. Lots of good info in there. They used a dual light led to look at the paint, was this a special light to show swirls?

diablo1714

iTrader: (4)

What you choose depends on how much driving you do & how much you like to work on your car !!

I'm a daily driver. +1 on the Opti-Coat (or any Nano coating). I've used Aquartz and it performs great & lasts super-long (up to a year). Many videos on youtube.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

It's a brinkmann dual xenon light - a well known product in the detailing world.

I would not let the dealership detail your car for delivery!!! Fair warning, you will most likely be paying to correct their mistakes!

Nilism

I wish I had more time to read right now! I'm going to call the dealership and ask to speak to the detail guy... he seems very proud of his work, so maybe he does know what he is doing.

Again I want to ask about the 3m film, how does that factor into detailing? Can you liquid glass or wax it?

The car will be a daily driver in a harsh environment, but I still want it to look as good as possible.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

The clear bra can be waxed and lightly polished as needed throughout its lifetime, as it will develop a hazy appearance after some time.

As far as it being your daily driver, that doesn't mean it should be abused. This just means you will need to put in more time and effort to keep it perfect. You will need to apply protection (wax or sealant) more often and keep up with your routine washes on a weekly basis. It is very important that you learn proper washing/drying techniques as well, as improper washing and drying are the main cause of introducing defects in your clear coat.