Nothing looks better than a beautiful vehicle with fresh paint. As the owner of that vehicle, you must feel proud of your accomplishment of finally getting your car the exact color you wanted.
The one thing that could wreck the day is that stray rock stuck in someone’s tire as you drive your beautiful vehicle home, this rock loosens and flies into the air. This exact rock flies right into your hood and chips your hood!!
As your emotions go from sad to mad to clueless, what can you do the damage is already done? That is the wrong question, though, you should be asking what could you have done to prevent this problem from ever occurring.
Now not being the expert in painting vehicles I would not know what to do about new paint besides driving it around town so everyone can see it. So I had to ask a local paint shop that has been in the industry for over 20 years, what should we do to save our paint so it will look amazing forever.
Well, you asked, so I have delivered here are 5 easy ways to save your newly painted vehicle. Now, of course, these protection steps need to be taken after the 90 days of curing time the paint will need to heal correctly.
This will give the paint and clearcoat the time it needs to set correctly. Sealing the paint before it is cured will trap the paint vapors and soften your clear coat and doing so will ruin the cohesion of the layers. So patience young paint master, patience is essential with a beautiful paint job.
3m coating
Paint protection film, I have had this on a few of the vehicles I have owned over the years. This protective film is installed onto your car only after dusting the vehicle free of any dust particles and an extensive wash.
This protective layer will protect your paint against any rocks, bugs, keys, harsh weather, and/or any loose debris that could come hurling your way on the highway. By doing this, your vehicle will keep that new beautiful paint job for years to come!
This film does have the self-healing technology built-in, which will get rid of most scratches by itself. To top it off this does come with a 10-year warranty from the factory.
Carnauba wax
Wash and wax, sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Sadly it isn’t, and most people forget all about washing their vehicles much less wax in it. Dirt and grime are dangerous to your vehicle’s paint which urges the reason not to let your vehicle sit in its own filth for months.
I have bought numerous vehicles, and countless people have never washed out their gas door compartment and their trunk edges. It was so bad on one car that it started to eat up the clear coat!
So you want to give your vehicle a thorough wash then put a great coat of wax on. Carnauba will protect your vehicle against UV rays, heat, moisture, and oxidation. Hints why its a top pick for most car enthusiasts.
It takes about 6 to 8 weeks for the wax to dissipate and needs a new layer. The easy way to tell that you need a fresh coat of wax is when you put water on the wax it doesn’t bead off as quickly as it does with a fresh coat.
Paint sealant
This is often confused with wax and usually used in the same sentence, but both are unique. Here is an easy way how to remember which one is which. Paint sealant is made in the lab while the wax is made from natural ingredients.
Wax lasts 6 to 8 weeks while paint sealant lasts twice as long and gives vehicles a glass-like look to them, but if you feel the exterior after applied and cured you will feel a cold, slick feel to the paint.
With wax, you will feel a more warm feel to the paint. Many vehicle detailing professionals like using both, so they have the best of both worlds on their car.
That is applying the sealant and then putting the carnauba or whatever type of wax you are using on top, giving your vehicle that amazing glow from the wax and that remarkable shine of the paint sealant!
Both are fantastic products and which one is best for you is entirely up to you.
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Touch-ups
Paint pen, spray, wax, buff it out….it sounds so easy when I type it, but I know just as much as you do it is not that easy. Just to do a paint pen to fix a scratch you have to clean it out, use the paint pen, then add some sealant after it has cured then I would put a light coat of wax on top as well.
Well to do the sealant alone you are looking at an hour to two hours to do an actual good job at it. So to do both and to touch up the paint you are looking at a 3 to 4-hour job, but your vehicle will look brand new when finished.
Clay bar
Now many people already know about a clay bar but do they know what it actually does, I for one can say I didn’t realize the benefits of a clay bar 
before writing this article. I would always wash my car thoroughly and add wax, there u go paint is done…..sorry it isn’t that easy.
After washing your vehicle but before adding any sealant or was to the car you can bring in a clay bar. The clay bar will rid your vehicle of any exterior bound contaminants that will hinder your sealant or wax bond with your paint.
So take some soapy water and wet one panel of your vehicle at a time. After getting the panel wet, take your clay bar and rub it onto the paint with medium pressure and in a clockwise motion.
The water will work at a lubricant for the clay bar, and when you feel the clay bar sliding gently across the paint, it is good to go, and you can move to the next panel.
With the clay bar freeing your paint from all those contaminants, you will have that fantastic silky clean surface that is ready for the sealant or wax to be applied.
Teflon coating
A great option to protect your paint on a long term scale, more prolonged than wax and sealant. Teflon coatings last on average six months before it will need to be done again. Although this is a cheaper option than a ceramic coating, it is still pricier than your average vehicle detailing invoice.
Teflon coatings were started over in the United Kingdom and are .02 microns in thickness compared to a ceramic coating that is 2 microns in diameter. Even though the width is different, the price is 30% of the cost of a ceramic coating so definitely an investment for your vehicle.
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Car cover
There is nothing wrong with the classics, a car cover can protect your vehicle from the sun and harsh weather. There is the stipulation of you needing to take the car cover off at least every couple of weeks because of moisture deposits.
Inside a car cover, moisture can start to form, which is the fuel that corrosion needs to begin developing. But if you take the cover off and let the car cover and your vehicle breath, you will be able to prevent any corrosion from forming and protect your vehicle as well at a low price!
Ceramic coating
Ceramic coatings started in the United States and is truly an investment for your vehicle to have done. The starting price for this coating ranges from $260 US dollars to $510 US dollars, but this coating never fades and never 
goes away.
Just think about it, your vehicle will have all the benefits of wax and paint sealant, but it will never go away after a few months! Using carborundum in its ingredients which is one of the hardest materials to exist.
This coating protects your vehicle from dust, rust, acid rain, and more. I know the price tag is a bit much, but it is definitely worth it depending on your vehicle.
Choose the right parking spot
I know in the summer it sounds like a good idea to put your vehicle under that lovely shade tree. But if you are wanting to keep your car looking great, it would be a better idea to park in the sun.
Bird droppings, sap, and bugs are all contaminants that can eat your paint up if you do not wash it off frequently. So if you do park under that lovely shade tree just make sure you wash your vehicle to keep it looking fantastic for years to come.
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Bonus Tip
Protecting your dash from sun damage can be prevented with a front window sunshade. Though this option is a cheap option, it is handy and will keep your car nice and cool in the hot summer.
In Conclusion
Keeping our vehicles clean is an easy process for many of us because we have a passion, and this passion is shown through our cars. Whether you drive a truck or a sports car, the love is alive for generations to come.
So make sure you keep your vehicle looking amazing and share this post so other vehicle enthusiasts can find new ways to keep their paint shining bright!
Thank you for reading my article! I hope you enjoyed it and found it beneficial! Check out my Youtube channel for more DIY auto repair and car flipping videos! Thank you again!
