Paint Correction Saves & Restores Your Shine

It wasn’t until the 1980s that car manufacturers began applying several layers of “clear coat” on top of automotive paint in hopes of extending the brilliance of the paint. The clear coat greatly contributes to a vehicle’s gloss, but the environment and climate rage against the clear coat in the same way it does single-stage paint. That protective barrier takes the impact of any incoming assault on the paint, but damage to the clear coat blocks the luster of the paint. Oxidation and fading clouds the clear coat and the fine scratches caused by road rash and everyday activity like bumping up against it with bags, keys, jewelry, etc., still prevent the brightness of the paint from showing through.

If your aging vehicle does not seem to shine up like it used to, even after a good wax, it is an excellent candidate for paint correction. Many people think they automatically need a repaint, but as long as there is no rust present, you can save thousands of dollars by letting paint correction specialist Kelly Mankin of Ake Ake Professional Detail repair the clear coat.

Don’t Try This at Home

Unlike clay bar, which cleans contaminants from the paint, paint correction uses a precision abrasive technique to remove that minuscule layer of damaged clear coat - about 1/100th of the thickness of a sheet of typing paper, followed by a skillful machine buffing, to bring the surface back to a high gloss.

This highly specialized detailing technique is known as Paint Correction, and if it sounds hazardous, it is if performed by anyone but a skillfully trained detailer and paint correction specialist!

Believe it or not, much of the paint correction work Ake Ake Professional Detail performs is correcting mistakes like holograms, swirl marks, and burned paint, caused by inexperienced detailers wielding a power buffer! Lack of understanding or experience at paint correction can do more harm than good to the exterior of your vehicle.

Kelly Mankin is certified in detailing and Paint Correction. Not only is she trained on how to correctly measure the thickness of the paint so he can determine how much clear coat to safely remove, but he is also properly trained and equipped with the finest, safest, and most effective professional equipment to ensure she does not burn the paint during the finely-tuned polishing process.

The result is a shine often more brilliant than it was the day you drove it off the showroom floor!

Speaking of Which …. New Cars Often Need Paint Correction Too!

Your new vehicle, even expensive sports cars and exotics, are mostly painted by automated machines and robots at the manufacturer. This process leaves plenty of room for uneven paint and holograms caused by the process.

On its way to the car lot or showroom, your new vehicle has been exposed to all types of unsavory contamination like railway dust and freight debris. Many new vehicles are left sitting for some time in storage where they pick up environmental contaminants.

Once they arrive at the dealership, they are placed outdoors on the lot or driven onto the showroom floor where they are manhandled by trucking companies, automotive service technicians, sales representatives, and a slew of potential buyers, long before you signed the papers!

Classic Automobiles and Single-stage Paint

Cars and trucks built before the clear coat era have what we call “single-stage paint”. Kelly Mankin is also trained in the proper use of tools and products that will restore old paint and bring it back to its original luster.

Visit our page on Classic Restoration to get more information on how to restore an aging or neglected vehicle to blue ribbon status at the next classic car show!