Top 5 Recommendations for New Car Owners

A quality repaint of just your front bumper can range between $650-1,000+ (ask me how I know!) Combine that with the fact you’ll be without your car for several days, your car will enter a body shop environment (where often times overspray and body shop dust can end up covering your car inside and out) and you will no longer have a factory paint job – having paint protection film applied from the very beginning really is a no brainer.

Over the last several years, PPF has become more durable and less visible, which allows you to enjoy the satisfaction of having your baby protected without having to compromise the look of your new car.
When hunting for a quality film installer – remember the Three R’s:
Research, Reviews and Referrals.

At the very least, be sure to find out the type of film they’re using , ask if they will be hand cutting or plot cutting the material (tight areas like bumpers are best cut by a plotter due to their intricacy) and how many years of experience the installer has.

2. Nano-Ceramic Paint Coating

Nano what…?
When protecting your vehicle – the question is often asked – “What exactly am I protecting my vehicle from, it’s new!” The answer to this question comes in two parts; the first we covered above (protecting from rock chips and other blunt force hits), the second is environmental damage. Things such as UV rays (especially in Arizona), bird droppings, bug etchings and chemicals from cleaning will etch, stain and fade your paint, eventually causing it to fail.​

While in the past, the only solution was to regularly wax your paint, there are now better options available. Just like technology in vehicles has progressed, so has the technology to protect your vehicle. High-end Nano-Ceramic paint coatings (such as CQuartz Finest) can protect your vehicles paint for years, not months. Additionally, it will also make it glossier, allow it to stay cleaner longer and make washing it much easier with better results.

​Like PPF, many “coatings” have hit the market in the past few years – and like PPF – I always encourage owners to follow the Three R’s prior to trusting your new ride with someone.

Things to consider when choosing a paint coating (and potentially a coating installer) include:

1. Reviews and history of the coating (has it been tried and tested or did it just come out last week?)

2. What the coating manufacturer says it will protect against? Remember, a nano-ceramic coating is meant to provide protection from environmental threats. Some companies list unrealistic promises (such as protection against things like screwdrivers, fire and comparable blunt force hit protection that clear bra provides). Ceramic coatings were not designed to protect from these types of things – but they can provide excellent protection from things that you will encounter, like the sun.

3. What is the history of the detailer you’re hiring to apply the coating? Just like the history of the product is important, the history of the company installing the product is equally (if not more so) important.  Also keep in mind that a true detailer will make sure your paint is in excellent condition prior to any coating application. You don’t want to lock in a sub-par finish with a semi-permanent coating. Proper paint prep is the key prior to the installation of a coating.

3. Window Tinting

We all know that a sweet tint job to your new ride can really make a huge difference in how it looks. However, there are three key practical functions achieved from window tinting aside from a super sleek look.

1. First and foremost, protection from UVA/UVB rays. In Arizona especially, skin cancer is a major concern. A quality tint will filter out over 99% of these at least help keep you safe while you’re stuck in your car during a hot July day. In my opinion, this is a must if you have children riding in the back seat. This won’t make rush hour any less agonizing to drive in, but it will help protect you from harmful UV rays.
 
2. Privacy. If you don’t like the idea of just anybody seeing what’s on the inside of your car when left unattended (phone, laptop, purse etc), then you’ll likely not want to leave your windows un-tinted and 100% transparent.

3. Last but not least, comfort! Tinting your windows will keep the inside of your vehicle much cooler and more comfortable. This isn’t just good for you, its also good for your electronics and interior upholstery such as leather seats.

4. Proper Exterior Maintenance

What does it mean exactly to “properly” maintain your vehicles exterior? Well, the most common type of damage we run into is usually from the owner actually trying to take care of their car. Quite the paradox isn’t it?
Unfortunately, things such as automatic car washes, improperly trained employees at hand washes or even owners who take the DIY route but haven’t learned the correct way to wash their car, do often times cause harm to their vehicles finish.

 Brushes, harsh chemicals, hard water and poor technique all attribute to a vehicle becoming more “aged” in appearance as well as causing irreversible damage in extreme cases (such as stained wheels or paint and eventually thinned out or failing clear coat). Doing hand washes with proper technique and quality produces really does make a night and day difference as to how your vehicle will look down the road. While the paint swirls in the above photo were repairable – it is still better to prevent them as much as possible from the beginning.

Our doors, phone and email are always open to those wanting to learn how to best care for their car. While the full details on how to do this will require an article all of it’s own (which I will post soon), know that “clean” doesn’t always mean, “correct.” If you don’t believe me, next time you take a shower use some steel wool!  You’ll be clean, but you won’t be very comfortable!