[Mosaud1998]

I am planning on getting a 3 step paint correction and buffing the piano black B-Pillar to get rid of swirl marks/Scratches on two of my cars. I have a silver 2009 BMW (waxed and clayed at least twice a year and garage kept) that was "paint corrected" almost 1.5 years ago. I paid the guy $200. Brought the car home the same day, direct sunlight hit the paint and I still saw the swirl marks. Then I have a 2018 Mercedes E-class in a very rare brown color(waxed a few months ago and garage kept since I brought it) that I brought from the dealership last year. Of course, it was ran through the dealership wash since the car washes are free. I am planning on getting both cars paint corrected, getting the gloss black B-pillar trim buffed and for the Mercedes, the rosewood gloss wood trim buffed along with the piano black center console trim. I have a few concerns before I go ahead and have both the cars paint corrected. First is, the guy is charging me $45/hr to do the work. He said it'll take him somewhere between 9 hours or less to do each car. Is that enough time to do the job? The second thing that most worries me is, I was reading online and some articles were saying that paint correction removes a layer of the clear coat. Down the road, will I have issues with the clear coat peeling? Is there any other type of wax or sealant I'll have to apply after the car is paint corrected? The guy that's doing the job said he'll be applying a sealant that should last 1 year. Will I have to do any clay bar and waxing after? The last thing I am worried about is the swirl marks returning after 6 months. I don't want to pay the guy $800-$900 to paint correct both cars then find out the swirl marks are back. What would you guys suggest?

[BSM n54iS]

I would say that sounds more on the cheaper side and not enough time for a full paint correction. Ask him exactly what products he will be using. Yes a wax at minimum is necessary to protect. Yes this does take a layer of clear coat away, no you shouldn't have to worry about it peeling later on as long as the paint is protected/not left in direct sunlight with bird dirt etc left on the paint.

As for the swirl marks, you need to learn to do a proper 2 bucket car wash to avoid that.

[whyzee125]

Yes, paint corrections, by nature, remove some clear coat to eliminate surface scratches. You'd have to do a LOT of paint corrections to end up having clear coat issues and by that time the issue is more the scratches that caused you to need so many corrections. I would look into ceramic coating if you don't want to worry about waxing, etc.

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

First is, the guy is charging me $45/hr to do the work. He said it'll take him somewhere between 9 hours or less to do each car. Is that enough time to do the job?

Depends on how good of a detailer he is and how bad the car is swirled. Without pics it's impossible to say. A very skilled detailer with a rotary can make quick work of mildly swirled paint. An unskilled detailer with a rotary could burn your clear coat in minutes. At his $45/hr rate, hard to say. My guess is he's semi-experienced and likely uses an orbital, which will take longer but has minimal risk of damaging anything. I'd want to see pics of his work IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT to make an assessment and set expectations.

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

The second thing that most worries me is, I was reading online and some articles were saying that paint correction removes a layer of the clear coat. Down the road, will I have issues with the clear coat peeling?

Polishing the paint removes a very small layer. No affect in terms of making it more likely to peel.

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

Is there any other type of wax or sealant I'll have to apply after the car is paint corrected? The guy that's doing the job said he'll be applying a sealant that should last 1 year.

With what's available on the market today, you should have the detailer apply a ceramic coating. On a garaged car it will last for several years and has the added benefit of filling in minor imperfections and remaining swirls/other marks in the paint.

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

Will I have to do any clay bar and waxing after?

Depends on how dirty you let it get. Short answer is yes--contaminants can and will get embedded in paint that has been corrected. Ceramic coating will reduce this but may still occasionally need a light claying. Waxing will help protect your top layer (be that the paint's clear coat or an applied ceramic coating) from sun damage.

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

The last thing I am worried about is the swirl marks returning after 6 months. I don't want to pay the guy $800-$900 to paint correct both cars then find out the swirl marks are back. What would you guys suggest?

Swirl marks are ultimately user error. They can be hard to avoid but it's all about how you wash the car--it has almost nothing to do with the quality of the paint correction. If you drag a rough or dirty towel across it, it's going to get swirled again.

[Vivek.]

Double post pls ignore