KAHUNA

My 02 LS430 looks like total crap right now...I had it detailed recently at a local place and it came out beautiful for about a week..then all of the swirls and scratches jumped to the top again...there are many deep scratches(not to the metal) and my son about 8 years ago took chalk to the side of it so those scrape marks are all over it still.

I took it to another detail shop and they suggested a clay bar treatment...I have no idea what that is. Looking to have the car for another 3 year and maybe longer if I buy myself a toy car instead of another family car. I am for sure not the guy to spend any time in the driveway with a buffer and creams etc so i need to bring it somewhere.

I would imagine a new paint job is overkill but being a black car....I just don't know. I am going to be doing some other beautification projects on the car so I need to get this paint situation handled. Any advice is welcome.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Clay bar kits are available at your local auto parts store. It removes the top layer of environmental junk and maybe some stains, all without harming the paint. You wet the car, rub the clay bar by sections until the surface becomes super-smooth. You then wash the car again, and then wax and polish it.

KAHUNA

Thanks...my biggest concern was that the clay bar would do be a short term thing then look aweful not long after. Perhaps i will let them give it a whirl.

onthelo

To remedy your concern the proper way about it would be to have the car go through a paint correction then coated with cermaic pro or at the very least wax or a sealant. The reason your swirls and scratches came back to the surface was becasue the detail shop that did the work just "masked" the problem paint with wax but that wears off with time and car washing to reveal once again the surface which needs correction. Think of it like painting a house or putting make up on a girl if the surface is not perfect although you touch it up the surface is still not pure underneath. Paint corrections are costly but remove the majority of swirls and scratches. Then if you have it coated that will help maintain the finish for many months to years and also protect from swirls and scratches being reintroduced.

KAHUNA

Thanks for the information...Is this something that should get done at a Body Shop or should I be looking at a super High End car detailing shop? We have several in Bergen County NJ. The detailer I used was at the local car wash and the job he did on the inside was spectacular so I can not complain and the price was under $200. I will also run it through the google machine to see what pops up in my neck of the woods.

Legender

Check the detailing section of this forum. Lots of good information there. I purchased the polishing equipment/supplies and did my own and came out great.
Little bit to learn but as long as you've got some time and care about how it looks, then you can do this yourself.
Clay bar will make the paint feel as smooth as the glass windows, but the polishing is what will take care of the swirls. Without the deep polishing you'll always have swirls.
Why I've never owned a black car... as someone once said. "Black is not a color, it's a lifestyle".

I suggest, wash, wax, sell, purchase another color. Would be easier in the long run.

onthelo

On another note all the clay bar will do for you is remove the surface contamination to prepare the car for paint correcting. Often users are mislead by what a clay bar actually does. It is just one stage of a process but def the beginning stage. When we do our cars we use a strip wash style car wash soap such as Adams Polishes strip wax soap, then clay bar the entire vehicle with a clay bar and lubricant then flatten the surface with DA and notable pad and chemical then start the correcting process. I cannot comment on pricing because here in California are prices are much different typically most will pay somewhere between $1k-2k for a complete paint correction and Ceramic coating but what is so good about it is it last and protects the vehicle over wax or a sealant by actually Harding the surface of the paint helping it to retract from obtaining swirls and scratches and one last note what ever you do when cleaning your car never use a circular motion only left to right movement as this will help with swirls being introduced. As for your question paint corrections can be done by a reputable detail shop. This would be the final step before needing to paint your car if its that bad but a good detail shop will show you how much improved your paint can be with this process. Hope it helps a little. I have had a few different cars corrected and it makes a huge difference!

KAHUNA

Thanks for all of the information...especially the Wash, Wax and sell option...I laughed out loud at that! We have a highly respected place here called Detailers Domain...name finally came to me as a friend brings his car there. It is super expensive just for the basic detailing so I can only imagine what a paint restore will be. Guess my question to myself would be $600 for rims, $300 or so for new tinting, $500 for Misc things then $1500 or so for paint correction...will have to wonder if sinking $3000+ into this right now or selling it and applying that amount to lower mileage LS430...ahhhh decisions...Thanks for the info on the clay bar Onthelo as it really helps explain it.

Catalina45

For reference purposes:
A Ceramic Coating (such as Opti-Coat Pro, C.Quartz, and Ceramic Pro) is a liquid polymer that is applied by hand to the exterior of a vehicle. The coating chemically bonds with the vehicle’s factory paint, creating a layer of protection.

Ceramic coating can be a large part of the price quoted and may not be the best option if “paint correction” isn’t completely satisfactory. Do some research on “paint sealants” as although they don’t last as long as an Opti-Coat they could be adequate for providing paint protection. As previously stated the paint needs to be corrected. Once it is then what you do to protect the paint comes down to budget, intended use of vehicle and other factors.

Personally I’ll do my own paint correction with professional tools but there are enough defects in the paint that I’ll use a BlackFire “paint sealant” as the paint doesn’t merit the investment.

jayclapp

A simple compounding might fix your problem. Here's how I'd give it a try. Just buy polishing compound, which will be a heavy white liquid like paste. Using a wax applicator sponge, apply to a small area that is typical of your problem. Rub vigorously for a few minutes, wiping dry and observing if the area is cleaning up. You'll be working on the clear coat and you can safely work an area by hand for 10 minutes without worry of going thru the clear coat. You could then apply wax and see how the results are after a few days or longer. If the scratches are already thru the clear coat, then you're done and you can't fix the problem in my opinion.

If, on the other hand, this is successful, then I would do the job myself if I were you. Just use an applicator on a wireless drill.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

OMG...

First of all, a high-speed polisher/waxer in the hand of a novice is disastrous to the paint. The surface can easily be burned.

Polishing compound, the same. It has grit in the material and is suitable to eradicate oxidation.

Clay bar treatment and polish...it's not a Rolls, folks.

jayclapp

Second of all, I never mentioned a "high-speed polisher". You need a common battery powered drill which is low and variable speed. And I proposed that a small area be polished by hand! I hand polish out minor scratches and have done so for years. Clay bar merely removes top lay dirt and junk. There are things that can be done between the two extremes.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

I did not target your advice, friend...

Mbodall

It may not be a Rolls, but those of us that have otherwise like-new or excellent condition cars want the exterior finish to match the rest of the car. Being as these cars will run for another at least 10-15 years and many more miles, if we take care of the exterior paint now and keep it maintained, it won't look like crap and become an eyesore on an otherwise still nice car by that point.

pmesfun

Clay barring an entire vehicle only takes 10 minutes, at least for me. A necessary step before using any compound to remove swirls or scratches. Kahuna, look up a professional detailer with good reviews are you area. They should be able to tell with a paint thickness gauge how much correction they can do with still maintaining clear coat protection. You can post a picture of the paint in direct sunlight and we can estimate whether a one step or two step correction is necessary. One step is for light swirls and holograms, then a sealant is applied. Two step is a harder cutting compound and pad and then a fine polish, after a sealant is applied.