Help making a clear coat shine...

Addicted2Bling

Addicted2Bling

New member
A couple of cars I've done lately have had clear coats on them. I've tried both polish and wax, but I feel like it's pointless to put it on because not much stays on when you buff it off and the shine isn't really there, no more than it already is. Would maybe something like a good paint sealant be better to use? I feel bad for charging someone for a wax that doesn't look too much better than the clear coat they already have on. Is there some way I could make a clear coat look better?
 
Are you just cleaning them up or they need a good compound/polish? if they just need a light polish then just use a AIO and top it off with a sealant for protection. What are your steps?
 
zoomzoom mazda5 said:
Are you just cleaning them up or they need a good compound/polish? if they just need a light polish then just use a AIO and top it off with a sealant for protection. What are your steps?
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Pretty much just cleaning them up. The owners all wanted it waxed when the cars were in already good shape
 
if you really lookin for that bling you have to do more to paint than wash, clay and wax. waxes and sealants are primarily to protect the shine you've already put on it with your preparation...
 
The principles for making clear coat and single stage paint shine (for all general purposes) the same. The level and more uniform the surface the more light is going to reflect evenly. Scratches and swirl marks create a microscopic texture in the paint that causes light to diffuse in different directions which robs the paint of gloss.

So ultimately polishing the paint as level as possible is going to bring the shine to its maximum potential. Clear coat is not 100% and there are those that argue that a clear coated car will never have the shine (particularly on dark colored cars) as a single stage lacquer.

What product's did you use and do you have any pictures of the work. I can offer advice on how to get the paint to its highest potential.
 
As a former PPG Paint instructor a decade ago before I lost my eye sight, I can tell you that all the modern cars are painted with urethane paints..either base coats/clear coatssolid colors that can go without their clearcoat . Clear coats are paints that simply are "clear.If you want more shine on the clearcoat , you can wet-sand it but be careful with all the edges because youre sanding off the clearcoat.We stopped selling lacquers & enamel paints way before my last day at work. I sure miss my spray gun & car show day..but life goes on.
 
Todd Helme said:
So ultimately polishing the paint as level as possible is going to bring the shine to its maximum potential.
What product's did you use
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I thought about this more today. I think it's the customers fault for asking me to wax their car when it's pretty much got all the shine it's going to get. But from another angle maybe I could have used a good paint sealant to give it more of a reflective kind of shine, because the clear coat already has the glossy look to it.

Tod, I don't have any pictures it was a white BMW I wanna say somewhere around a 2005 model. The other was a cherry red corvette. I used Meguires Ultamite Carnauba wax on the BMW, Poorboys Polish with Carnauba wax on the Vette. I did however notice the vette had more of a darker tone and gloss to it. But I was a little dissapointed in how little shine I got off the BMW:wall

EDIT: I also forgot to mention a truck with a Pearl White Paintjob, used Meguires Ultamite Polish on it but again not really alot of shine...
 
I might be missing the picture, but here is what I have taken from the posts. It reads like you have been asked to work with some vehicles with well cared for finishes. Maybe so well cared for that there are no (or at least very few)paint defects to distract from the reflective finishes. If that is the case then you are charging the customer to add additional protection so that the finishes remain in excellent condition by applying either a wax or sealant. That is a legitimate service. I do have to wonder what type of care these finishes have received in the past because most daily drivers suffer some damage from the elements or road trash or etc.
 
Mr. Clean said:
I might be missing the picture, but here is what I have taken from the posts. It reads like you have been asked to work with some vehicles with well cared for finishes. Maybe so well cared for that there are no (or at least very few)paint defects to distract from the reflective finishes. If that is the case then you are charging the customer to add additional protection so that the finishes remain in excellent condition by applying either a wax or sealant. That is a legitimate service. I do have to wonder what type of care these finishes have received in the past because most daily drivers suffer some damage from the elements or road trash or etc.
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I swear this BMW was brand new or something. I didn't even clay bar it because it did not need it. I could have just waited 2 hours and did nothing then given the customer back his keys and it would have looked almost the same, that's how good this car was kept. The pearl white truck had all those protective layers of clear coat that the polish I used was barely noticeable. I don't know, maybe I'm just being too overly picky with my OCD or something...
 
I don't think its the clear that's making you confused. If you detail on a regular basis then you deal with clear coat on a regular basis. Its just that simple. I think what has confused you is the fact that there was little to no improvement because the paint was already perfect. Charge them accordingly for your services, go home, and say "well today was an easy day". If they want to spend money on a detail when they don't really need one, make sure and get in good with them because those are your best clients and the easiest cars to work on.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 
I think part of the problem is white and pearl white is hard to make a huge difference if the paint is already defect free.

Like its already been said ,your service is for keeping it that way and adding protection if the paint is already near perfect.

I have several customers cars who keep their cars pristine and they keep me very happy and loving my work!I wish they all were like that!:)
 
I understand this, and I agree with you guys on having an easy car to do, but I was just looking for a way I could make it look better. I'm going to try paint sealant next time... Sometimes I like doing a filthy car cause then it feels like I actually did something lol
 
My 2 cents:

If I hear you correctly, you are visually checking the paint, deciding it does not need a more aggressive polish, but then find you are not happy with the results from just wax. Correct?

White and silver are a challenge because the swirls/defects are hard to see. So the problem may be your initial inspection and decision not to try a polishing step.

Sort of an obvious idea, polish a small area with M205, Menzerna, your favorite, etc… and then compare to the adjacent "wax only" panel.

I'll bet you'll see a difference.

I have an almost 10 year old silver Honda van and it is very difficult to see swirls. Yet every time I polish it, I am amazed at the improvement and the soft satin glow. It's not the pop of a black finish, but it looks great.

And to repeat what has been said - clear coat is PAINT. It is just paint with no pigment to give a color.
 
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