3.5-4 Mils

Anomander

Anomander

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My girl just bought a brand new car this week and she wants me to fix the holograms and scratches the dealer caused upon delivery. So, I measured her paint and it's on the thin side; 3.5 here and there and other spots 4-4.3 mils. I've only done a few cars that have had 5-6 mils of paint on them.
My question is, would it be safe to compound this car or should she just live with the defects?
 
If its a brand new car it should be just fine. Are you going to be using a DA?
 
Yeah, I'll be using a PCXP, V36 &38.
I'm not sure if they're getting lower or not, but she told me she let them buff it before she drove it off the lot.
 
You will be fine with those products and a DA. Those CG products are mild are should take care of the issues at hand.

Putting a rotary on thin paint is a different story.
 
Thanks for the info and advice. I just can't believe how thin the factory coat is.
 
Anomander said:
I just can't believe how thin the factory coat is.
Click to expand...
As with most OEM factory paint jobs nowadays:
There are barely enough "mils" to keep the paint on the substrates as it is...
Regretfully (in this case): "Thin Is In"


Bob
 
My wife's mazda averaged about 3 mils (75 microns)

You should be just fine with a solid 2 step correction (compound and polish)... just know that it is the care after correction that matters just as much. If the car needs to be compounded every year due to heavy wash induced swirls then that may be an issue... if proper care is taken, and only a light polish is needed every year or two then you will be just fine.
 
If I go to a car dealership, do you guys think they'll let me take readings with my PTG?

I could also take pictures and make a small video out of it :D
 
hernandez.art13 said:
If I go to a car dealership, do you guys think they'll let me take readings with my PTG?

I could also take pictures and make a small video out of it :D
Click to expand...

I always bring my PTG when looking at cars - whether it is for myself or friends (they like to bring me along as a bargaining chip to try to convince the dealerships to drop the price due to the condition of the paint :xyxthumbs: )
 
Haha I thought about it after reading ZMC but after reading Bob's post, I might make a dealership video another time :D
 
It's easier to get forgiveness than permission. I'd just do it quickly then act very interested in one of the cars.
 
Yeah I figured that'd be possible. However, when they spot me measuring with a PTG and my lady taking pictures with the DSLR camera. Who knows how they'd react :dunno:

Lol
 
Hazcat said:
It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.
I'd just do it quickly then act very interested in one of the cars.
Click to expand...
-How many PTG-measurements, per vehicle, are necessary?
-Are the lot-vehicles' panels always clean enough to get accurate PTG-measurements?
-How quickly can you wash lot-vehicles?

Bob
 
Art - Are the dealership lots in your area fully closed off after hours? All of our local ones are completely open and lit at night... I could drive into the lot at 2am if I wanted.

Regarding the topic of thin clear... for those who can and have measured, roughly how much paint (clear) is generally removed with a full correction? I know this number will vary based on the amount of polishing necessary to perform the correction, but is there a rough number? The basis of my question is (knowing it won't be a hard & fast rule)... how many times can you correct paint, before you run out of clear? Again, I understand the 'real' answer varies and is 'it depends', but if you had to make a ballpark guess... I assume it's not once every year, or every other year for the life of the car...
 
drvnbysound said:
Art - Are the dealership lots in your area fully closed off after hours? All of our local ones are completely open and lit at night... I could drive into the lot at 2am if I wanted.
Click to expand...

Yeah there is a lot of dealerships around here. If you guys don't hear from me for a couple of months. It'll probably because I got caught.

:pc7424:

:D
 
drvnbysound said:
Art - Are the dealership lots in your area fully closed off after hours?
All of our local ones are completely open and lit at night... I could drive into the lot at 2am if I wanted.
Click to expand...
Most of the dealership lots in my area are also open for browsing.
They also have the "Big Brother is Watching" cameras!

drvnbysound said:
Regarding the topic of thin clear... for those who can and have measured, roughly how much paint (clear) is generally removed with a full correction? I know this number will vary based on the amount of polishing necessary to perform the correction, but is there a rough number? The basis of my question is (knowing it won't be a hard & fast rule)... how many times can you correct paint, before you run out of clear? Again, I understand the 'real' answer varies and is 'it depends', but if you had to make a ballpark guess... I assume it's not once every year, or every other year for the life of the car...
Click to expand...
The main number I believe to keep in mind is the amount that the OEM's say is the
maximum amount of CC that can be removed without voiding the paint warranties.

That amount is: 0.3-0.5 mils!!

Accordingly...
If there would happen to be ~2.0 mils of CC sprayed at the factory (that's probably pushing it a little)...
Then no more than ~25% of the CC should ever be removed.
That's only ~ 12 microns.

Not a whole lot of CC to work with...
But, IMO...still able to withstand several well "measured" and thought-out beforehand polishing sessions.


:)

Bob
 
FUNX725 said:
Most of the dealership lots in my area are also open for browsing.
They also have the "Big Brother is Watching" cameras!


The main number I believe to keep in mind is the amount that the OEM's say is the
maximum amount of CC that can be removed without voiding the paint warranties.

That amount is: 0.3-0.5 mils!!

Accordingly...
If there would happen to be ~2.0 mils of CC sprayed at the factory (that's probably pushing it a little)...
Then no more than ~25% of the CC should ever be removed.
That's only ~ 12 microns.

Not a whole lot of CC to work with...
But, IMO...still able to withstand several well "measured" and thought-out beforehand polishing sessions.


:)

Bob
Click to expand...

Even for those who have cameras, chances are if nothing was stolen or broken that night... they will probably never watch the footage and thus miss anyone who is casually browsing... including those who might take a paint reading or two :xyxthumbs:

Regarding the CC, thanks for the information provided! I'm a new detailing enthuiast and was mainly concerned about my personal vehicle(s) which are far past any paint warranty - so I don't really have any concern for that. My concern is really along the line of: how much, or how many times over the course for the next X years could I correct the paint. Because both of my vehicles are DDs, I don't plan to do it often, and I would prefer a higher level of CC to remain on the vehicle... but I want it to look good too. So for me, it's a matter of walking the line of polishing enough to keep me happy, without removing so much that requires a re-spray...
 
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