Getting your car refreshed : paint / polish / ceramic

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Firstly, I don't work for any of these folks, but I think I had a good time with them, so I'm giving them a shoutout.


In my haste to running about, I managed to scratch my bumper against a post whilst shopping - boo!

I also had a deep scratch that some terrible person keyed onto my bonnet within a week of my getting the car.. that has been an eyesore because it occured so soon after I got my car.

I have tried polishing it off, but it was too deep for that. Thankfully, my bonnet was made from aluminium, so my agent said it's ok and it did not breach the base coat.

I did ask around about doing that but the downtime was something I didn't want to incur so I have lived with the scratch for a while. However when I scratched my bumper and a bit of the side of the car, I decided I will get it fixed together.

I also changed my battery, but the man came over to do it, and it was fast and smooth, I recommend Clement and the battery company:  8166 4455

He gave me a contact: Sprayboxx 

https://www.facebook.com/sprayboxxsg/ 

9888 9707, Douglas is the boss.

So when you get a dent / scratch, some things you want to take note of:

- take pictures, especially if you want to file any claims later

do it from different angles and make sure the pictures are clear, well lit and do close ups as well as wide angle shots

show how deep it is, where it is, and give a reference, like a ruler or put your hand in the shot too

 - the depth is key, if it breaches the base layer then you need to get it fixed soon as there is a real risk of rust.

Every car has the same four layers, some do more repetitions but essentially they are:

image.png.e28b993f2ab5cb11f00cfa32f4932efc.png

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Schematic-of-a-typical-four-layer-automotive-coating-system_fig1_281575817

 

https://autodometer.com/blog/5 layers of car paint

 

Many vandals don't breach the base layer, so you can wait if someone keys your car. However if it's a dent and the base layer is involved, you may want to get it done asap.

 

- think of the down time you need and try not to rush it. 

You have the kind of paint job where 2nd hand car dealers will simply spray on a thin coat to make the car look nice. There's no sanding or preparation of the car. It's fast and cheap but doesn't last and is not as good as the original paint.

If you bought a decent car, the original paintwork is always best. Douglas recommended retaining it if the scratches are not that deep and can be polished off. 

- paint / polish or more

So if your car is well maintained, free of stains from bird poop or other chemicals that ruin the original paintwork, you may wish to retain the original paintwork, opting for a polish or a ceramic coat instead. However a polish will not work it is too deep as mentioned. Douglas was willing to try but as predicted, it was too deep.

- doing a good paint job requires removal of the parts, eg doors, bonnet etc but that takes time

So in my car, I opted for a combination: repair the scratch on the side, paint that and the bonnet, then polish and finish off with a ceramic coat. 

I sent my car in on a Friday after work, and he immediately started work on the scratch. Thankfully the sensors on the bumper were ok so that just needed some paint. He will paint the rear scratch and the dent, then bake the car, and finally polish and apply the ceramic coat.

We used this Meguair's product:

image.thumb.png.cbbf0a92a7da4a622d6e24f3970dc81a.png

 

In fact he finished the job early and now I have a shiny car all ready for CNY ðŸ™‚

 

image.png.e31edb1244479670044657eccb2be8f9.png

 

image.thumb.png.65d8e93abfe0274301c7d19e909a7a63.png

 

I had a couple of ceramic coats which came free with the purchase and I polish my car myself, so the car was otherwise pretty clean and that helps. If you have a lot of bird stains, then check your paintwork to see if it will be sufficient to polish.

Some advice after the coating:

- just a light wash, with water or a light shampoo if it's really dirty. 

- avoid rain or water for day if possible



____________________________________________________________ 
 I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

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