A light touch

Jan. 1, 2020
For a moment, put yourself in the shoes of your customers. You own a vehicle that’s not new, but one you’ve taken great care of.

For a moment, put yourself in the shoes of your customers. You own a vehicle that’s not new, but one you’ve taken great care of. You’ve kept up with the vehicle maintenance schedule, regularly washed and waxed the finish and cared for the interior like a first-born child.

The vehicle runs great, the interior is like-new, but even with all this work, the finish suffers from some of the same problems you’d see on a vehicle that received little care — water marks, scratches, paint bubbles and damage from bird droppings, tar and other harsh substances. When you talk to your local body shop, they recommend a new paint job, which your wallet can’t accommodate. Or, your vehicle is in a collision and is repaired, but because new paint isn’t warranted, you’re stuck with a like-new repair wrapped in a less-than-inspiring package.

You and these customers share the same problem. They want an affordable, good-looking finish, and you want the work. Meet them halfway with a trip to your detail department.

The latest tools, equipment and practices in the detailing industry can handle paint repairs that once were automatically turned over to your paint department. A detailing solution can help you capture business that once passed by your door and build a customer base that will come back regularly for detailing work and potentially a whole lot more.

Let’s examine how three of the most common of these paint repairs are conducted.

Fine scratches, even when they cover large areas of a vehicle’s finish, are excellent candidates for detailing repairs.

Scratches
When it comes to repairing scratches, deep scratches (those breaking the clear coat) obviously must be turned over to your paint department. Fine scratches are ideal candidates for detail repairs since most can be buffed out. An effective and attractive repair involves more than just some polish and a buffer, since fine scratches can be resistant to buffing. A better solution, especially for vehicles with a number of scratches, is removing a thin layer of the clear coat to thoroughly remove the scratches.

This can be a daunting task. The good news is the latest incarnations of professional scratch repair systems allow this damage to be repaired quickly and easily, while producing a new-finish look. Most systems feature rubbing compound, abrasive pads, a scratch remover product and a polishing pad. All you need is a microfiber cloth, spray bottle with water, along with a buffer/polisher or, for some kits, a power drill.

Most kits utilize the same basic steps:

1. Prepare the scratch area(s) by cleaning and removing and grit or dirt.

2. Sand the scratch area(s) by hand with the abrasive pad until the scratches are no longer visible.

3. Buff the sanded area with the rubbing compound to ensure all scratches are removed from the surface.

4. Pour the scratch-removing product on the black polishing pad and polish the entire area until it reaches the desired level of shine. This step also should remove any scratch images that remain.

5. Complete the repair by applying a quality wax.

With the right technique and plenty of hard work, automotive clay can help remove water marks and oxidation.

Water marks
Following scratches, water marks are the second most common type of paint damage your detailers can repair. These marks aren’t cause by water itself, but by minerals in the water that remain after the water has evaporated.

There two kinds of water marks: above-the-surface deposits and below-the-surface etchings. With the first type, the mineral binds with the finish, usually in a circular pattern. The second type involves a mineral that is caustic enough to eat through the paint.

Important to note is that you may not be able to tell one type of water mark from the other with a visual inspection. You’ll distinguish the two types during the repair process.

Water marks can wreak havoc on a finish. With the right products and techniques, they can be erased.

Start by washing the vehicle using a high-quality car wash product to remove any loose contaminants and to erase any portion of the mineral deposit that hasn’t bonded to the paint. Dry the vehicle thoroughly. This is particularly important since the first type of water mark often are produced by washing a vehicle without drying it properly.

Apply automotive surface clay to the water mark areas. Typically, you’ll mix the clay with water and roll it into a pancake shape, then rub it into the affected area. Note that some clay products require an additional lubricating product between the clay and the finish.

The clay removes the water marks by breaking up the minerals on the surface of the finish, which then become lodged in the clay. Since the minerals are now lodged in the clay, make sure they aren’t reapplied to the finish by folding the clay into itself and then rolling out another pancake shape. If you’re using a lubricant such as a polisher with the clay, continually wipe it off with a microfiber cloth.

Stop claying once the finish appears clean and feels as smooth as a piece of glass. Any marks that remain — usually appearing as trace outlines in the finish — are below the surface etchings.

Remove these marks with a paint cleaner. Use either an applicator pad to work the paint-cleaning product against the finish or, for larger jobs, use a dual-action polisher. Apply the cleaner to the pad and polish the area(s) until all the trace outlines have completely disappeared.

Always complete this repair by applying a new coat of wax, since any existing wax will be removed by the claying.

Oxidation damage like this can be removed and the fresh finish protected using the latest detailing products. Check with your vendor.

Oxidation
Paint oxidation is the product both of sun-damaged paint and the dirt that collects on it. The most severe cases will require a new paint job. The good news for your bargain-hunting customers is that these cases are in the minority. There's a good chance your customers gave up trying to repair the paint themselves because they either applied rubbing compound (which can make the repair look even worse at first) or they saw little improvement in the finish after their first efforts to fix it.

Good detailers are far better prepared to handle this work since they recognize how much work will go into it, plus they'll use the products and practices that will complete this work in the fastest manner.

The first step here is using a quality auto wash to scrub away the paint particles and dirt. The finish needs a thorough cleaning, one that could require several washings.

The next step is to clay the finish, using the same technique you use to remove water marks. Remember again to continually fold the clay in on itself and reform it into a patty to avoid having removed particles damage the paint.

Next, polish the finish using a dual-action polisher and a cutting polish. Doing this removes a thin layer of paint, allowing a fresh, shiny layer to reach the surface. Polish again using a dual-action polisher and a finishing polisher.

When the polishing is complete, the finish should appear like new, but your work isn't done. Oxidation happens when a finish isn't properly sealed and protected. Complete the job by applying a sealant product.

Selling prevention
Offering your customers economical paint repairs provides three great benefits for your business. First, it allows you to capture work you may have been overlooking. Second, it gets customers familiar with your business, so when they need collision repairs, they'll think of you first.

Finally, it's an opportunity to sell them future detailing work. Detailing departments in many shops are criminally overlooked profit centers. Too often, all their efforts are focused on vehicles that have received collision repairs. This is a costly mistake, since a far wider pool of customers would use detailing services if they were convinced of their value.

Look again at the types of damage we've repaired here: scratches, water marks and oxidation. Most of this damage is caused by lack of quality preventative care for the finish. This damage occurs because many customers either don't know it’s preventable or they simply don't have the time to perform this kind of vehicle care – something you do.

Therefore, no paint repair job or collision repair should be complete without an attempt to sell your customers on future detail work or products. Consider putting together detailing packages or similar marketing efforts. Some shops offer free car washes to get vehicles through the door. Do the same and throw in an inspection by your detailing department who can make service recommendations.

Efforts like this take little of your time. The rewards can be significant.

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