By Matt Griffoul, Owner, AJ Professional Detailing
How do you take car of your car's paint? Things have changed!! In the old days, cars were painted with a single-stage paint. It was pigment (color), mixed with an oil-based paint thinner which allowed the color to be sprayed over the metal and "lay-down" to produce a very smooth, flat coating of color. A more expensive option, for high-end and custom cars, would be to spray the metal with a lacquer-based paint, which allowed the painter to apply several coats on top on one another, producing a deep, rich finish.
For the past few decades, solvent based paints have been outlawed due to environmental regulations pertaining to oil-based solvents used to thin the paint. These regulations forced the automotive paint industry to create paint that was water based and environmentally friendly. The color is now protected by applying a water-based clear-coat over the color, as in a clear shield.
The environment takes a toll on your paint finish. What happens as you drive or have your car parked outside, is that airborne contaminants embed themselves into the clear coat on your vehicle's exterior. This is especially true at night when the air is heavier with moisture. Over time, if these contaminants are not removed, they will compromise your clear coat and in the most severe cases, cause the clear coat to fail. When this happens, the vehicle must be repainted.
AJ Pro Detail recommends cleaning your vehicle's Clear Coat two times per year: 1) once before the summer (high heat and lots of sun) and 2) once before winter (cold, storms and foreign bodies deposited on your clear coat). This is all done by hand and leaves your paint clean and free from contaminants. When this is completed, your vehicle receives a coat of wax to protect the just cleaned surface. You have now protected your car's finish for the next six months.
Check out our Gallery Page for more photos and videos of gorgeous cars! Matt Griffoul
