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Clear coat gone?

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  • #1

    Clear coat gone?

    So I used my DAPS today with great results overall. My clear coat on the top of the passenger door looks like its failing- extremely dull, cracked look. I decided to do an experiment since I figured I can't really make it look any worse. I used a purple pad and ULC. It took quite a few passes and it is now shiny and crack free. My purple pad had some black on it, but I'm not sure if it was from hitting the weatherstripping which always holds grease or if I removed the clear and was taking off black paint (my vehicle is black). How can I tell if I still have a layer of clear in this area?
    Thanks
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  • #2
    Re: Clear coat gone?

    Well you have the right idea. Use a bit of UC and preferably white applicator and rub gently. If there is paint transfer, it usually mean s that the clear is done.
    2012 Acura CBP TL SH-AWD Tech

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    • #3
      Re: Clear coat gone?

      Great idea. I have white MF pads that I will try tomorrow by hand. If the clear is done, but it looks good, can I leave it like this, or should I get it painted?

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      • #4
        Re: Clear coat gone?

        If the clear is gone you will need a repaint . You can't just put the clear back on either . You will need to have base coat ( color ) applied first then the clear coat . If you do nothing about it , the base coat that is left will not protect your vehicle at all . Base coat is only a color . The clear coat does all the protecting .

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        • #5
          Re: Clear coat gone?

          Put some ULP on a MF pad and was able to see some black transferred. Wasn't a whole lot though. Since this area is above the passenger window on my truck, can't I just spray a little CC on it?

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          • #6
            Re: Clear coat gone?

            Originally posted by scapegoat View Post
            If the clear is gone you will need a repaint . You can't just put the clear back on either . You will need to have base coat ( color ) applied first then the clear coat . If you do nothing about it , the base coat that is left will not protect your vehicle at all . Base coat is only a color . The clear coat does all the protecting .
            Well, yes and no. Yes, if the clear is gone you can't normally just shoot new clear on top of it to fix the problem, that's true. But under the clear you still have a color coat, primer and on new cars an e-coat that is applied to prevent corrosion. There is still plenty of protection for the metal under the paint, but the color coat itself is not designed to hold gloss. The clear coat is there to provide the gloss and to protect the color coat from fading like old single stage lacquers and enamels used to. But the chemistry of a modern color coat in a two part paint system is such that, even though you may have made it glossy today, it won't stay that way for long no matter what you do.

            Originally posted by DetailGk View Post
            Put some ULP on a MF pad and was able to see some black transferred. Wasn't a whole lot though. Since this area is above the passenger window on my truck, can't I just spray a little CC on it?
            A sure sign that you don't have any clear left in that area. As noted above, even though it may look glossy now, give it a week or two and the ugly will return. As for just shooting some new clear on top of it, while it is physically possible to do so, you may not like the overall look and/or durability. It all depends on what you want out of the finish on this vehicle - if it's a work truck and you just want to do away with that ugly, crusty white border where the clear is failing, you might be able to get away with it. How long will it last? Well, the clear is failing and it will continue to do so, taking your freshly applied rattle can clear along with it. There is no doubt that you can shoot some quality clear over the area, wet sand it flat and buff it to a high gloss (provided you possess the skill set needed to perform those operations) but it could all be for naught pretty quickly. That's sort of like putting a band aid on a flesh eating bacteria (apologies if that analogy is a bit too creepy for some!). It may hide the initial problem, but the problem still exists below the surface and will continue to spread. The only real fix for clear coat failure, as scapegoat pointed out above, is to strip the panel and fully repaint.
            Michael Stoops
            Senior Global Product & Training Specialist | Meguiar's Inc.

            Remember, this hobby is supposed to be your therapy, not the reason you need therapy.

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            • #7
              Re: Clear coat gone?

              Thank you guys for enlightening me. It looked like **** with the failing dull CC on there, so you are saying it will look dull in a couple weeks with the CC missing. I can live with a dull area above my window (it isn't very noticeable on my black truck because of the shape and height of the area). I was mainly concerned with the paint bubbling and door rusting, but it seems that won't likely happen after reading Michael's post. I'll probably have the whole door repainted, but glad to hear there isn't an urgency. Please let me know if I'm misinterpreting the information in this thread. My vehicle is a 2001 GMC Yukon if that makes a difference.
              Thanks

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              • #8
                Re: Clear coat gone?

                Can't I apply Opti Coat instead of having the entire panel re shot with clear?

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