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Not all New Car Paint Protection is the same!
If you are researching and comparing protection options for your new car the choice is overwhelming. It is important to be aware:
1) The durability of a coating is only as good as the surface preparation.
2) Not all protective coatings are equal.
3) Claims of durability are not what they seem. Read the small print.
4) Most new cars are handed over with a degree of paintwork damage.
5) Alloys and calipers are often protected with less durable products than the paint.
6) Glass treatments are not equal. Preparation is often poor.
At Masterclass Detailing things are done right and the durability of the coating not oversold. The time is taken to carefully remove contaminants picked up during storage & transit that dull & damage the paint. Factory & dealership paint defects are removed through machine polishing to leave flawless paintwork. A GYEON ceramic coating provides 24+ months functional protection (read more here) without any maintenance required.
There is the option to coat the alloys and calipers. The mineral film can be removed from glass to enhance clarity and layers of ultra hydrophobic glass sealant applied allowing wiperless driving at 50mph+.
Prices begin at £700 and vary depending in the size / complexity of the vehicle and the level of paintwork damage. Please feel free to call on 07737935110 or message to discuss how to ensure your new vehicle reaches you in the best possible condition and the protection options available.
Surface Preparation
A 'new' car is built long before the keys are handed over. It is stored and transported, doubly so if it comes from overseas. During this time, tiny particles of ferrous metal bond to the car, particularly during transport by rail. These particles rust, dull the finish and over time their expansion pits the paint. They cannot be removed by normal washing and safely dissolving them is a vital preparatory step to ensure any ceramic coating can bond to the paint and last. Ammonium Mercaptoacetate is an expensive chemical and in my experience, dealerships in particular miss out this step. Beware.
Your 'new' car will spend considerable time outside and exposed to the elements. Impurities in water, be that rain or tap, can bond to and etch the paint. If this happens, a tiny percentage of the contaminated and damaged paint must be safely removed through machine polishing to expose factory fresh paint underneath. This is typically only a problem on bonnets, roofs and other horizontal surfaces.
One Particle of Iron Contamination Under the Microscope
The purple dots and runs are individual particles being dissolved. This is a typical level of iron fallout on a new car.
What Should a Ceramic Coating Provide you with?
Ceramic paint protection is a significant investment and should do more than just provide the underlying surface with a barrier to the outside world. It should enhance the appearance of the paint, provide scratch resistance, make routine washing quicker and easier and endure. Very few coatings support all 5 requirements of a quality coating system. Gyeon coatings have no weak points and is why it protects new cars at Masterclass Detailing.
Claims of Durability
If something sounds too good to be true, in my experience it normally is. Take Gtechniq's flagship coating Crystal Serum Black with its 9 year warranty. For comparable levels of gloss and self cleaning properties to GYEON coatings, the base coat must be topped with another product every 1 to 2 years. I would suggest that is coating has a functional durability of 1 to 2 years, not 9. In addition, for the warranty to be honoured the customer must take the car back to the applying company every 12 months. Is this what is needed for a coating that will last 9 years? I would suggest reading the small print.
At Masterclass Detailing GYEON coatings provide 24+ months of functional protection without the need to top up the coating.
Paint Damage
In my experience, almost all new vehicles are handed over with paint defects. The first type are from the factory in the form of sanding marks and buffer trails. I typically see these on Bentleys and Aston Martins where attempts are made to flatten the paint. The second type are minor scuffs and abrasions picked up during storage and transport. You have no control over these.
What you do have control of is whether you allow the dealer to wash the car prior to handing it over. I have taken delivery of unwashed new cars and the paint has always been near perfect. I have been given brand new cars after one dealership wash with horrific paintwork damage. One careless wash with dirty water, a grit ridden sponge and old chamois leather will cover your new car in swirls and scratches. The decision is yours. These defects should be removed through a process called paint correction before protection is applied. Beware, not all companies have the equipment, facilities or skills to do this and can just add new problems to already damaged paintwork.
Examples of Damage Present on Brand New £100,000+ Car Paintwork:.
Alloys & Calipers
Why compromise on protecting the surfaces that see the most dirt and contamination and are the most difficult to maintain? The coatings often applied to alloys and calipers are single coat applications that don't provide the durability and strong self cleaning properties of paint protection coatings. At Masterclass Detailing, only the most durable coatings are applied that perform as long as the paint protection applied.
Glass Preparation
The clarity, reduced eye strain and wiperless driving at 50mph+ makes Gtechniq Clearvision Smart Glass is a great addition in any new car detail. Not all companies remove the water etching required to achieve superb clarity and allow the coating to bond to the glass and therefore last. They will charge you less, but does it provide value for money when you get reduced performance and durability?