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Clear coat removal when polishing?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by popvldc, Feb 26, 2016.

  1. popvldc

    popvldc New Member

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    I'm planning on doing a paint correction on my car and was wondering if I need to be concerned on how much clear coat will come off during the process? I'm going to be washing and claying it beforehand and using a dual action polisher for removing the existing swirls and micro scratches. It's a black car if that makes any difference. The reason I ask is that I'm not a detailer but have heard that some of the modern autos don't have that much clear coat on top of the paint or that some areas (like the edges) don't have clear coat compared to other areas. I also bought the car used (its about 3-4 years old) so I don't know its washing history.
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    "Existing swirls" makes me think someone was overzealous with a polisher in the past. Maybe just fugedabout it, hand polish it.
     
    Rebound likes this.
  3. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    The clear coat of my former 2012 PiP was not the best, better yet, the paint job of my former 2012 Pip Sucks, it had orange peel on 40% of the total finish. I had it clay bar it twice by a pro detailer in order to make it "acceptable" to the common eye but not to the discerning eye.
    This was my experience with my former one but seems to be that you do not own a Prius and the finish quality may be superior in your case.
     
  4. popvldc

    popvldc New Member

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    Mendel,

    From what I understand, swirls can just come about from taking your car through a machine wash or even washing and drying it with a towel with grit on it. They are more evident in darker colored cars in the right light, but even light paint jobs have them.

    MrBigh,

    How come it would have orange peel? Was it factory paint or from an bad auto body job?

    Anyone know if the paint quality of the Prius black paint? Detailers use terms like "soft" and "hard" when talking about paint characteristics. It effects the type of materials you use when polishing your car apparently. Is prius paint soft or hard?
     
  5. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    I took a brand new PiPwith only5 miles on it
    Most noticeable orange peel on the rear quarter panels an the hood
    I gave uncomplaining to the seller/ delivery dealer and Toyota headquarters
    My former PiP was number 5 of total 7 firsts delivered to NS State .
     
    2007Gen2 likes this.
  6. PR1U$

    PR1U$ Junior Member

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    You need to watch what kinds of compounds you are using. Some are for removing a small layer of clear coat and others are less aggressive. Then you have your polishes that don't remove any clear coat. Black colored cars will show any imperfection in the paint. The rest of us have the same imperfections in our paint jobs, including swirls from car washes, but it is not seen on lighter colors. You do have to make sure you keep moving your buffer (so you don't "burn through") and be careful of any edges. The clear coat was a liquid when it was sprayed on, because of that, it will be thinner on any edge or higher surface. Just like water, it goes to the lowest points. Your biggest concern would be not to use a rubbing compound, its too aggressive, staying in one spot too long, or pushing to hard, let the buffer do the work.
     
  7. popvldc

    popvldc New Member

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    thanks for the advice. I think some detailers tape the edges when polishing to avoid taking off any clear-coat since you mentioned the edges were typically thinner than other spots.

    Any idea what is meant by soft paint? I've heard this term before and was wondering if it applies to prius paint. Supposedly, it makes a difference on which products and pads you should be using when polishing a car.
     
  8. PR1U$

    PR1U$ Junior Member

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    When paint is fresh, like less than a month old, it sometimes is referred to as soft. Car paint will dry to the touch in less than an hour. But that does not mean it is cured. It actually takes about 2 to 4 weeks for paint to fully cure. While the paint film is dry to the touch and has a hard shell on top, there is solvent underneath still drying. So, if you start to rub out your car that has paint less than a month old it can cause problems with the clear coat that won't happen if the paint has had a chance to fully harden up.