Any car paint experts?

Tangent: as mentioned in a different thread, my 2012 Camry may be receiving a free paint job soon. The interior and mechanicals of the car are in excellent shape.

If I indeed get the freebie, what steps should I take afterwards, to help preserve its youthful exterior appearance? Mind you, it will still be an eight year old car, so the budget on this won't be crazy high or anything.

 

I think it's changed and cars no longer need to wait like 30 days before working on them after paint.

wash, clay (may not be necessary, but i like to follow all steps)

I would look to see if there are any issues: orange peel, swirls, etc. If so, you my need a slight correction, and yes even on new paint it happens because their detailer can suck, or orange peel depending on how they painted the car and paint used, wet sand, etc.

CarPro Essence(can be used as a one-step polish that can do some light correction with a cutting pad, or polishing pad for just the shine),or just a finishing polish, like a M205 with no cutting pad. When completed, spray on rubbing alcohol, to take off any residual waxes, etc. The go with a ceramic coat, like a CQuartz Pro with Reload and basically that will be a long lasting wax, like potentially up to 2 years

Then when you wash your car use Car Pro Hydrofoam or Wash as normal and use Car Pro Hydro2 ever so often and you'll keep on looking back at the car when you park for another 8 years.

just my $0.00002....there's 1000 different ways to go about it though

 

Ive actually read good things about their old DA variable speed polisher.... they've now replaced it with their Bauer line, still seems to be getting great reviews. https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-57-amp-heavy-duty-dual-action-variable-speed-polisher-64528.html

With that said, you appear to have ZERO enthusiasm to do the work so I'd heed the advice above and have a pro handle it.

Local place or is there an online vendor dong pre cut material? Wouldn't mind getting some for my Ram

 

I guarantee there will be orange peel on his respray, it's rare to see a car without it really.

 

my body shop is excellent and wouldn't have any, but they do mostly super high-end cars (McLaren, Lambo, Ferrari, etc.) and then mine all the way in the corner next to Baby.

 

Yeah, you’re right… I’m not really into this sort of thing, but on the flip side, I am definitely a DIY guy, so it’s really hard for me to turn it over to someone else. I’ll probably pick up the harbor freight DA tool in the next couple days and give it a try All the great advice here has given me a bit of confidence. Plus, my wife’s car will need the same treatment in a month or two. And, I guess my guards red 911 has the same issue, but I just haven’t noticed.

 

Yeah right. Nobody puts Baby in the corner.

 

Probably not even close. You aren't taking tons of material off with a DA and compound especially if you are using a foam pad that's almost an inch thick.

 

It's rare they roll off the assembly line without it. Certainly on the commodity budget mobiles. You really have to get in to the upper end of luxury cars to start seeing good work and even some of that isn't stellar.

 

Your body shop is likely to do a shit more blocking and refinement on those before delivery but they most certainly roll out of the booth with some. Nothing is perfect right out of the end of the gun.

 

Yeah their detail staff is quite amazing.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BwrWKvbH4r1/?igshid=dy6wy9bww4ao


Sent from my smatrfone

 

I would check out autogeek.com, they have 25% off and it may apply to the better DA polishers.

Sent from my smatrfone

 

Pretty sure I got it off eBay. Quick search for "xpel headlight pre-cut" and your model should yield good results. Probably available on Amazon, too.

 

No mil readings. I knew there was enough material to get the job done, I was just VERY careful to only do the bare minimum to remove the high spots using as high a grit as I could get my hands on. Again, it was only in a few small spots that needed that aggressive of a cut. Most of it was taken out with a good cutting polish and the orbital, followed by glaze and wax.

I honestly couldn't believe the difference after. Plus it made it almost effortless to clean for the next 4 or so years I had the truck..........if the surface is in that good a condition it just requires very minor touch-ups.

 

Watched a series of YT vids where a guy gets his car repainted, roof replaced, and whatnot. I admire the talents of the guys at that shop. Really good stuff. I wish I could affords vehicles that require that level of skill.

OTOH, I can't understand people in that part of the country daily driving high end cars. I hope most of the cars I saw at the shop are garaged and not driven in harsh weather.

 

Pay the detail shop $200 to do it for you. Save yourself the headache and drink beer

 

No detail shop around here will even wash your car for $200. I know right where this is going.... they'll want $500 or some insane amount.

I picked up the Harbor Freight Bauer DA polisher and ordered Meguiars 205 from Amazon. Is this the pad I need?

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Foa...P5+or+DFP6&qid=1568343245&s=automotive&sr=1-1

 

The crime scene. And before you guys give me shit about my POS car, its a goddamn 2019.

 

The flex or the PC? I’m intrigued.

 

That's should be fine. Run a couple test spots. That's pretty nasty. Work in small sections and blow the pad out with compressed air between sections.