3.5-4 Mils

**zmcgovern45** · 10-24-2013, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by hernandez.art13

If I go to a car dealership, do you guys think they'll let me take readings with my PTG?

I could also take pictures and make a small video out of it

I always bring my PTG when looking at cars - whether it is for myself or friends (they like to bring me along as a bargaining chip to try to convince the dealerships to drop the price due to the condition of the paint

)

**FUNX650** · 10-24-2013, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by hernandez.art13

If I go to a car dealership, do you guys think they'll let me take readings with my PTG?

I could also take pictures and make a small video out of it

Bob

**hernandez.art13** · 10-24-2013, 02:08 PM

Haha I thought about it after reading ZMC but after reading Bob's post, I might make a dealership video another time

**Hazcat** · 10-24-2013, 02:42 PM

It's easier to get forgiveness than permission. I'd just do it quickly then act very interested in one of the cars.

**hernandez.art13** · 10-24-2013, 02:45 PM

Yeah I figured that'd be possible. However, when they spot me measuring with a PTG and my lady taking pictures with the DSLR camera. Who knows how they'd react

Lol

**FUNX650** · 10-24-2013, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by Hazcat

It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.
I'd just do it quickly then act very interested in one of the cars.

-How many PTG-measurements, per vehicle, are necessary?
-Are the lot-vehicles' panels always clean enough to get accurate PTG-measurements?
-How quickly can you wash lot-vehicles?

Bob

**drvnbysound** · 10-24-2013, 04:18 PM

Art - Are the dealership lots in your area fully closed off after hours? All of our local ones are completely open and lit at night... I could drive into the lot at 2am if I wanted.

Regarding the topic of thin clear... for those who can and have measured, roughly how much paint (clear) is generally removed with a full correction? I know this number will vary based on the amount of polishing necessary to perform the correction, but is there a rough number? The basis of my question is (knowing it won't be a hard & fast rule)... how many times can you correct paint, before you run out of clear? Again, I understand the 'real' answer varies and is 'it depends', but if you had to make a ballpark guess... I assume it's not once every year, or every other year for the life of the car...

**hernandez.art13** · 10-24-2013, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by drvnbysound

Art - Are the dealership lots in your area fully closed off after hours? All of our local ones are completely open and lit at night... I could drive into the lot at 2am if I wanted.

Yeah there is a lot of dealerships around here. If you guys don't hear from me for a couple of months. It'll probably because I got caught.

**FUNX650** · 10-24-2013, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by drvnbysound

Art - Are the dealership lots in your area fully closed off after hours?
All of our local ones are completely open and lit at night... I could drive into the lot at 2am if I wanted.

Most of the dealership lots in my area are also open for browsing.
They also have the "Big Brother is Watching" cameras!

Originally Posted by drvnbysound

Regarding the topic of thin clear... for those who can and have measured, roughly how much paint (clear) is generally removed with a full correction? I know this number will vary based on the amount of polishing necessary to perform the correction, but is there a rough number? The basis of my question is (knowing it won't be a hard & fast rule)... how many times can you correct paint, before you run out of clear? Again, I understand the 'real' answer varies and is 'it depends', but if you had to make a ballpark guess... I assume it's not once every year, or every other year for the life of the car...

The main number I believe to keep in mind is the amount that the OEM's say is the
maximum amount of CC that can be removed without voiding the paint warranties.

That amount is: 0.3-0.5 mils!!

Accordingly...
If there would happen to be ~2.0 mils of CC sprayed at the factory (that's probably pushing it a little)...
Then no more than ~25% of the CC should ever be removed.
That's only ~ 12 microns.

Not a whole lot of CC to work with...
But, IMO...still able to withstand several well "measured" and thought-out beforehand polishing sessions.

Bob

**drvnbysound** · 10-24-2013, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by FUNX725

Most of the dealership lots in my area are also open for browsing.
They also have the "Big Brother is Watching" cameras!

The main number I believe to keep in mind is the amount that the OEM's say is the
maximum amount of CC that can be removed without voiding the paint warranties.

That amount is: 0.3-0.5 mils!!

Accordingly...
If there would happen to be ~2.0 mils of CC sprayed at the factory (that's probably pushing it a little)...
Then no more than ~25% of the CC should ever be removed.
That's only ~ 12 microns.

Not a whole lot of CC to work with...
But, IMO...still able to withstand several well "measured" and thought-out beforehand polishing sessions.

Bob

Even for those who have cameras, chances are if nothing was stolen or broken that night... they will probably never watch the footage and thus miss anyone who is casually browsing... including those who might take a paint reading or two

Regarding the CC, thanks for the information provided! I'm a new detailing enthuiast and was mainly concerned about my personal vehicle(s) which are far past any paint warranty - so I don't really have any concern for that. My concern is really along the line of: how much, or how many times over the course for the next X years could I correct the paint. Because both of my vehicles are DDs, I don't plan to do it often, and I would prefer a higher level of CC to remain on the vehicle... but I want it to look good too. So for me, it's a matter of walking the line of polishing enough to keep me happy, without removing so much that requires a re-spray...