When you’ve invested time and money into a great finish for your vehicle, the last thing you want to happen is for it to get damaged or fade. But it’s important for you as a car owner to know how to restore faded paint on your car — even the best paint job in the world isn’t immune to the challenges your car’s detailing can face on the road. If your car’s paint job isn’t being cared for properly, you run the risk of ending up with a finish that’s dull, faded or patchy. And it’s not just a matter of ending up with a shabby-looking car, either — if the clear coat over the paint wears away, the paint itself is more heavily exposed to the elements and the likelihood of rust developing increases exponentially.
Preventing car paint fading
When it comes to how to restore car paint finish, prevention is always better than cure. Exposure to the elements is a key factor in causing car paint to fade or become damaged — harsh UV rays, weather damage, bird droppings, squashed bugs, scratches and road debris are just some of the potential offenders.
So the first step is to keep your car parked inside a garage where possible, in order to minimise the chances of damage. If that’s not possible, you may also consider utilising a car cover in order to shield your vehicle from the worst. You can also invest in a paint guard, which will provide a harder coat than the standard factory clearcoat, while also being easier to clean.
How to restore faded car paint
Even with these precautions, at some point the car’s paint is likely to experience some form of damage, and that’s where you step in. Sometimes the damage is obvious, but often it’s more subtle — the finish looks duller than usual, or the colour of the car just isn’t quite as bright as it was, even after a thorough wash to clean away the day-to-day grit and grime.
The main driver behind this is oxidation. As the name suggests, it’s a process caused by oxygen — while oxygen is essential for us to breathe, it’s also quite corrosive to substances like clear coat and paint. But the good news is that if it’s caught early, it’s relatively easy to learn how to restore faded car paint.
- First, you’ll need to wash your car thoroughly. This will provide a base to work from to carry out restorative work effectively
- Once the car is clean, using detailing clay will enable you to remove debris still left behind, while also taking care of any light signs of oxidation
- After this, it’s time to buff the car. While it can be done by hand, it’s usually speedier and more efficient to use an electric buffer
- Once the car is buffed, a cutting compound can be applied, which scrapes away the top layer of paint — along with any scratches or oxidation — in order to reveal fresher paint beneath. If you’re only dealing with mild oxidation, you won’t need a particularly abrasive cutting compound
- Now the vehicle can be polished, restoring it to its original glory. It’s also highly recommended to add some form of paint guard, to reduce the risk of future damage.
Need more information on how to restore faded paint on your car? Speak to us — the professionals at Solar Style’s Brisbane location. As specialists providing superior, 5-star customer service, we’ll be more than happy to help with any enquiries you have.