Quick question: How often can you do a "paint correction" on a car? I do the Meg's 105/205 deal, clay, wax etc, not to the extreme that some do (as in added steps with other products). The reason is I was extremely pleased with the results and it has prompted me to do it more often maybe than I should. Waxing alone has kept it up nice I gotta say. Another reason I ask is my paint is 12 yrs old now and might be not up to this on a regular basis. What do you guys say?

 

The whole deal with paint correction is never to really need to do it. Ok, I said it, but it’s pretty much impossible to not need some sort of correction at some point. That should always be in the back of your mind though so as not to need to do too much of it. Remember, every time you correct, you’re removing some of the finish.

As for your correction process, Meg’s 105 is a wonderful product and 205 really helps finish it out. But, 105 is pretty aggressive and I try to avoid using it unless I really need it. I’d suggest that you should / might need a process that aggressive just once – to bring a finish back up to spec. After that, I’d concentrate on not doing anything that degrades the finish – like wiping a dry surface with a dirty towel for instance.

Over time though, you’re going to pick up area wide and / or spot specific defects that need some sort of correction. For the area wide ones, I’d go with a much less aggressive product such as Poor Boys SSR1 – which is great for very light correction. The beauty here is that you’re maintaining your beautiful finish with minimal finish removal. For spot correction, you may have to go back to the 105 / 205 combo, but I’d avoid using it on the whole truck if at all possible.

As for me, I generally do a full detail on my two vehicles about twice a year. I always decide which products I’m going to use based on the “least aggressive first” rule. For my 2006 Scion (96,000 miles) and my 2010 F-150 (28,000 miles), I’ve never had to use the 105 / 205 combo yet and hope I never have to. As for your truck, I’d suggest backing off on your process to help make your finish last a much longer time and still look beautiful.

 

Thanks man, exactly the info I needed. I kinda figured it was removing some finish. I'm gonna need a repaint on the truck one year............. I've done this on my dad's GT 500 and my 64 Galaxie, so now I guess I'll maintain as I don't want to f up those cars paints. Thanks again, hope this helps others as I've seen this question before but don't remember if there were answers.

 

Agreed...you always want to use the least aggressive method to get the job done.

As 2stroked stated, use care and the "two bucket method" when washing and always use a QD type spray when wiping the paint.

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"Grant me the power tools to correct what I can, the fillers to cover what I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."

 

"As 2stroked stated, use care and the "two bucket method" when washing and always use a QD type spray when wiping the paint."
....as quoted by Merlin

By QD, you mean quick dry like a wax as you dry type product? Never used that before so I guess it's time to start.

 

Quick Detailer, such as this:

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...ailerreg-16oz/

It provides lubrication and helps prevent scratches. Same stuff you should be using as a clay lube.

 

I Megs QD for a clay lube
For a QD I prefer a few other different products
Z-6, Z-8, Blackfire spray, Dodo Basics of Bling etc.

 

Very good fellas, I think I'll buy up some Meg's stuff at the next car show. I like their products and they sponsor the show so they'll have a huge display at the end of this month.

 

Forgot to ask, what do you use to dry with? Microfiber towel? I use now the Absorber, but with the QD spray, I'm guessing microfiber now, correct?

 

Use a leaf blower first - then a plush MF towel and QD to finish up.

 

I use a leaf blower too (don't laugh), then follow it up with Optimum Spray Wax lightly misted before a microfiber towel.

To give you an idea how destructive "conventional" washing and drying methods can be, let me share an example. I was feeling sorry for the 2003 Chevy marina service truck last summer and did a full paint correction in August. To say that the red paint looked awesome when I was done would be an understatement. (Some of our dock customers even asked what I'd used on it.) But, the truck sits outside 24/7, gets run through muddy fields to store or pick up boats and gets washed with questionable cleanliness wash mits and dried with cotton towels.

Yesterday, I took a good look at the paint and it was almost as bad as it was last August. That meant we had swirls, micro marring and minor scratches all over the truck - except for the roof. (It never gets washed or dried.) So I spent another 4 hours with my rotary, Flex and PC correcting everything again. And yes, this correction was every bit as aggressive as the first one. I'm not going to hit it this hard too many more times.

 

I love my Master Blaster MB3.

 

Leaf blower and Microfiber it is then. I should wash it today actually, gonna be like 50 and sunny here in the Detroit area today, the truck is filthy! Thanks guys.