Paint protection film, also know as “clear bra” will protect your vehicle from rock and stone chips, bug splatter, bird bombs, environmental fall out, scratches and swirls with a self-healing, transparent multi-layer polyurethane film. Of all the information out there and of all the products being sold to the public to preserve and protect your vehicle’s finish, little or nothing is said about a simple product used in the Automotive Detailing and Paint Repair industry.
Some detailers don’t really understand the
benefits of using this product in the way I am going to talk about, and
how it is beneficial to their customers and why it should be done on a
somewhat regular basis!
Well what is this product?
It is called a Clay Bar.
This
is not a new product or a secret product. However, it is not a well
know product. Its use even by manufacturers is not well explained or
understood.
We have some insight that is unique and not well
understood by detailers or body shops because of the range of automotive
appearance restoration we specialize in. Since many of the vehicles we
work on have already been detailed we have to leave the vehicles “front
line ready” when we are finished.
Unlike a body shop whose job
does not include any kind of ‘detailing” we have to leave the vehicles
we work on “front line ready”. Also, unlike a detail shop we have paint
restoration experience.
Why does this matter to you, and how can our experience and knowledge benefit you?
First
of all let me explain a basic rule to paint preparation when preparing
for refinishing. The surface being worked on has to be completely
“sterile” and properly scuffed in order for new paint to adhere well to
the area being refinished.
Let me illustrate it this way. If I
paint something that has decal on it and I paint over that decal what
happens if that decal’s glue looses its adhesive quality? That area will
certainly peel off sooner or later. You would not paint over a pin
stripe or decal but on a larger scale if you have removed all surface
contaminates you will have great adhesion and a long lasting paint job!
One
of the biggest things that makes a paint job a quality paint job is how
well the surface has been “prepped’! I cannot stress this point enough!
Have
you ever priced a paint job? Have you wondered why some body shops can
do a paint job for $400 and others will tell you $3000?!
Did you
know the factory paint job on your vehicle can be valued somewhere
between $3000 to $6000 depending of the make and model? Any paint work
that is not done to the factory standard can devalue your vehicle the
amount of your factory paint job.
The prep work done for a paint job when done properly can be the difference between a factory quality paint job and disaster!
So you have this $3000-$6000 paint job on your car, how do you protect it?
First
of all do not neglect it by not removing damaging surface contaminates
such as tar, sap, bugs, industrial fallout etc. Sap can actually boil in
the sun and burn off the finish under the sap, ruining the panel where
the sap is.
Second, make sure your waxes or sealants used to
protect your paint job are of good quality and prepare the finish for
proper adhesion of your wax or sealant.
Should you “prep” the
finish for was or sealants? Absolutely! However, most people think they
are but they are not. So how do you “prep” the finish for wax?
The
best way to “prep” your vehicles finish for wax or paint sealants is
the use of a clay bar! Before you wax and after you have washed your
vehicle use a clay bar at least once a year or every six months for the
best protection of that expensive paint job.
A clay bar will
remove any surface contaminates that washing did not. It can even remove
hard water stains on the paint if they are not too bad.
How do you use a clay bar?
A
clay bar has to be used with a lubricant. It is a simple process
really. In fact you can even use water as a lubricant. However, it is
better to use a spray way that will both lubricate the panels you are
clay baring and can be used to clean up clay residue as you go.
Simply
spray the area you are clay baring…a 12″ X 12″ area is best and rub
the surface with the clay bar back and forth in a side to side motion.
You will hear the clay bar picking up light contaminates and as the
surface is cleaned you will stop hearing the movement of the clay bar.
You
can also feel the surface. If it feels rough like tiny pieces of sand
after you have washed it, it needs to be clay bared. Use the same method
above and listen and feel the area you are working on after you dry it
off.
So work your small area wipe it dry when you think it is finished and check the surface with the inside of your hand rubbing lightly feeling and listening for rough areas. Once you have completed a section you can move on the next.
A word of caution, it has been said, although I gave never experienced this, that a clay bar can rub the paint off eventually if not kept lubricated while using. Use common sense and you should be fine.
Well there it is, this is the best way to prep for waxing your vehicle and a great way to be sure you are getting the best results from your wax.
Enjoy and I hope this article helps!
I own an automotive paint repair company specializing in spot repairs, custom color matches, color blends, body repairs, touch up and scratch repair. We also run a website where we sell our exclusive headlight restoration kit which we designed and created. We have sold well over 2000 kits from our website and on eBay. We also have over 1900 positive feedback for our headlight restoration kit.
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