Need serious advice from guys that know paint protection

moore.speed

The whole car is done, yes. Depending on the detailer, I would expect the cost for application to be $600-$1000. Really depends on who applies it.

It's not cheap but I won't be paying anyone to wax and buff my car nearly as often so instead of paying 200-300 bucks here and there, pay a higher fee and be done with it one time.

Let us know how the paint job comes out and what you do to protect it!

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"Let me tell you something. Anyone who owns a car like this (370Z) has something wrong with them in the head." My Grandpa who has owned 4 Z's in his day.

Dragon_Ball_Z

Will do for sure! Thanks


-Raj

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tonybell_57

You're going to wait 30 days to let the paint cure before you clay it, wax it and have the clear bra installed right? Otherwise, the clear bra may bubble from out-gassing while the paint cures.

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Junkman2008

I have a question. WHY?

I have a second series of questions. Why did you have to have your car buffed and waxed "often?" What are you doing to your paint that would warrant it needing so much buffing? Add to that, what makes you think that if you continue to do whatever is causing it to need that much buffing, that it still won't need that much buffing no matter what kind off protection you have applied?

Correction. He's going to wait until the person who has painted his car informs him of the curing time. When I paint my car, I use a combination of products that cure within a week. There are all kinds of combination that will yield different curing times. Only the painter knows how much time is required. That's why only the painter should tell you the curing time.

I just did my front fascia again to get rid of the rock chips. Curing time? 5 days.

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Dragon_Ball_Z

The guy painting it told me one week... I will definitely wait longer


-Raj

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Dragon_Ball_Z

I was told by a "body shop expert" that that needs to be done. I'm not sure they said its procedure. I always thought the paint is not supposed to even be washed or waxed for a period of time, but the painter says otherwise.

I have always been told to buff the paint every 3 months or so.

I figured that if the paint was perfect and I put a clear bra or xpel over it then it would be protected but i am worried about clear bra hazing and damaging the paint more than helping.

I spoke to the painter and he said curing time is in between 1-2 weeks. He said it can sit in a garage all that time and does not need to be in the sun.


-Raj

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Junkman2008

Here's the deal. Any buffing or polishing is supposed to be done by the shop that is painting the car. That is not YOUR job! That's part of the price that YOU paid THEM! When the car leaves the shop, the ONLY thing that you should have to do is wash the car until the paint cures. After the paint cures, you can apply whatever protection that you want to use. You should NOT have to do ANYTHING else. I would seriously advise you to sit down with the person who painted the car (NOT the body shop manager, the person who DID THE WORK), and get a thorough understanding of what he advises you as to what needs to be done. Of all things, CLAYING a brand new paint job that wasn't shipped to you by rail is completely ludicrous unless the car was painted outdoors during a dirt storm. From the pictures that you posted, that doesn't seem to be the case.

That's why you need to take a pen and paper with you and get some CLARITY. I have never heard of a painter telling a customer that the customer needs to buff his fresh paint job.

Now tell me why you would need to buff the paint every 3 months or so? Do you know WHY you even buff paint? What is your reasoning as to WHY that would be a good idea?

And how would a clear bra damage the paint? As for hazing, if you use some cheap, Chinese brand knock-off product, you should expect that kind of result. All of these clear bra products on the market are NOT the same. There is plenty of eBay and Amazon sold crap out there. For the most part, you get what you pay for.

I would follow his advice if I were you.

__________________
"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

Junkman2008

The guy who painted the car knows what he used and how long it takes for that product to cure.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

moore.speed

I have never had my car buffed more than once. I'm speaking broadly, for some people who do not know the proper techniques of protecting their paint. Some people would need professional paint correction much more frequently than some.

I was simply saying, if a good coating is added to the paint, when the paint has cured, the need for any sort of maintenance on the paint would be much less.

I have, however, enjoyed waxing my car "often" in the past as it yields good results and adds good repellency to the surface. That, too, is not needed with the CQuartz coating that has been applied to my Z.

So, my intentions above were to say the investment of a good coating is worth it in the long run, as the need for any sort of maintenance on the paint is much slimmer.

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"Let me tell you something. Anyone who owns a car like this (370Z) has something wrong with them in the head." My Grandpa who has owned 4 Z's in his day.

Junkman2008

And there is where I strongly disagree.

That's the same mentality of people who order the triple-quarter cheeseburger and chili cheese fries, and then try to counter it with a diet soda. As if the diet soda will make up for that 500,000 calorie meal that they are about to inhale. If a person doesn't know how to care for their paint, all the coatings on earth are NOT going to solve their paint issues. This is the myth surrounding coatings. As if these coatings are some sort of secret weapon to bad paint maintenance practices. They are NOT. You still have to properly care for your paint or in time, it will look like crap. I find it funny that all I do is properly wash my car and protect it with wax and I don't experience a fraction of the issues that I read about on various forums. Coatings can be damaged just like clear coat and paint. They are not the end all to paint damage if the owner of the car practices a bad paint maintenance regimen.

If you give a man with bad money management skills a million dollars, you are not going to solve his debt issues. He will just create more debt. However, if you teach a man with bad money management skills how to properly manage money, he will have the ability to make his own millions. Education is the secret to keeping one's paint looking flawless. The only other answer is to park the car in a bubble and never driving it.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

moore.speed

Well, yeah... Nothing is going to protect the paint if you don't properly maintain it, you're correct. I'm not saying any product is bulletproof but, from experience, it is much easier to maintain and keep paint looking good with the coating. It's not going to make scratching the car impossible but it is harder to lightly haze/swirl the paint this way. Therefore, it is worth the investment for a consumer that's not wiping the car down with a towel dropped in the mud.

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"Let me tell you something. Anyone who owns a car like this (370Z) has something wrong with them in the head." My Grandpa who has owned 4 Z's in his day.

Junkman2008

I won't doubt you on the merits of the investment and I don't want anyone to think that I feel that it is not worth the investment. But I do want people to know that these coatings are NOT bullet proof. Treat it like crap and you will end up with crappy looking paint. Some of us who know how to properly care for our paint can do so with what is readily available at a fraction of the cost.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

Dragon_Ball_Z

The painter said that they're going to wash the car and dry it and wax it right before they give it back.

I have always been told to buff the paint every three months or so because the swirl marks will start to build up and the paint will start to lose its protection from wax and protectants.

I was thinking about doing xpel since I've heard good things. I just don't want my paint peel off if I decide to take the film off.


-Raj

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moore.speed

Raj, depending on the painters prep-work for the paintjob, which it sounds you trust, you will be fine with applying a protectant film, given that you give the paint plenty of time to cure.

My buddy Jason, who detailed my Z, also recommended Xpel for perfect edges but did mention it can tend to have a slight texture to it. To some, maybe the "orange peal" look is not too noticeable, though. Suntek has a good product, too, without the texture, but not as good of a warranty compared to Xpel, according to him.

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"Let me tell you something. Anyone who owns a car like this (370Z) has something wrong with them in the head." My Grandpa who has owned 4 Z's in his day.

Dragon_Ball_Z

The only thing I'm wondering about xpel is if it's true that I can take it off without removing any of my clearcoat or paint or damaging any paint.


-Raj

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