New Mineral White M4 - Basic Paint Correction and Sealant

[Defense]

Hey guys,

I have spent hours reading (and watching) about paint correction and protection for my new car. The car is a lease, and I have had clear bra placed on front, mirrors, and front+rear panels on rear fender. I would like to have the car opticoated, but the closest dealer is 200+ miles away from me. What is the most basic option of keeping the body and wheels clean and protected for the 3 years?

1. Have paint correction done locally and apply opticoat gloss coat myself ($275 + opticoat costs).
2. Drive to Memphis (200 mi one way) and pay $575 for opticoat gloss/correction and at least one night stay in hotel/meals ($900 with gas IF no corrections need to be made.
3. Buy some detailing products and try to do the paint corrections and opticoat myself.
4. Find another way to protect the car.

I sure would appreciate your help, as I've searched endlessly on the forum for a basic solution. I've seen many go over the top on the detail, but I would like to use the most basic/simple method to get this done.

Thanks in advance.

[Never Convicted]

Plus, costs of removing clear bra before paint correction can be done. I think you got a little out of order on what to do first. What color is the car? If it's AW or MW, don't think it makes much sense to do paint correction on a lease. Leave it as it is.

[Never Convicted]

lol...just saw it's MW. Sorry. Leave it be is my vote.

[Defense]

So just wash and wax? The color corrected cars look so shiny.

[Wo-Wo]

Originally Posted by Defense

So just wash and wax? The color corrected cars look so shiny.

Yours will too if you get plenty of wax on it! Try Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax, easy to apply and buff off and gives a wet look finish. I use this as a quick wax once a month and then twice a year get some decent hard wax and sealant.

[Never Convicted]

Originally Posted by Defense

So just wash and wax? The color corrected cars look so shiny.

I think that coating is better for darker colored cars. Not that it wouldn't look great on your MW, just not as noticeable a difference. You have a lease, so you're never going to realize any benefit from doing it monetarily. I think if you just take care of it, handwash it, wax and polish it regularly, you'll be better off. At the top of Chemical Brothers page they're advertising a new wax made specifically for white cars. You may want to try that. I think it's called Bright Light. Maybe White Light. Definitely not Shite Light. Good luck with your car.

[bobbydigital]

Doing a protective film on a lease car isn't the best use of money.

However for paint correction and a sealant? I'm going to do it on my lease car.

First, it'll look great. Why bother driving a car for 3 years that won't look good?

Second, a sealant like Cquartz or Opticoat will make the car easier to clean and stay clean.

[RJVIII]

I had my MW coated with Cquartz and it was worth every penny. Super easy to clean and the shine is incredible.

[Defense]

Thanks for all the info. rjvii, did you do the cquartz yourself? If so, what exact steps did you take, and did you do the wheels? I may end up buying the car, and I really want to keep it looking nice. However, spending less time cleaning it is equally important to me.

[RJVIII]

Originally Posted by Defense

Thanks for all the info. rjvii, did you do the cquartz yourself? If so, what exact steps did you take, and did you do the wheels? I may end up buying the car, and I really want to keep it looking nice. However, spending less time cleaning it is equally important to me.

I had it done. I'm very comfortable with paint correction, but had never done a coating. So-since it will only be done once the time I own the car I had a pro do it.

[Never Convicted]

Originally Posted by bobbydigital

Doing a protective film on a lease car isn't the best use of money.

However for paint correction and a sealant? I'm going to do it on my lease car.

First, it'll look great. Why bother driving a car for 3 years that won't look good?

Second, a sealant like Cquartz or Opticoat will make the car easier to clean and stay clean.

Originally Posted by RJVIII

I had my MW coated with Cquartz and it was worth every penny. Super easy to clean and the shine is incredible.

I had mine CQ'd too, and I agree with both of you. Paint is perfect, shine is deep, cleaning is super easy. I'll have it done on every car I buy from now on. And I will even if I lease. What I was trying to say was that the cost of a clear bra, removal of a clear bra, paint correction, coating, cost of re-applying a clear bra, makes less sense to me on a lease.

[RocketBoots]

Usually, people will have the paint corrected prior to having a clear bra, as has been mentioned. Your choice of color makes this much less important, and also, if your clear bra installer was a competent one, he probably clay'd the parts of the car before he put the clear bra on. IME, for white cars, claying/decon'ing the car makes much more of a difference than paint correction. The decon will get you 8/10's there, for a new car with relatively few swirls. The areas you don't have covered, I'd just clay/decon it, and put a coating like CQ or Opticoat over it, as well as over the clear bra. You should be all set by then.

[RJVIII]

Originally Posted by Never Convicted

I had mine CQ'd too, and I agree with both of you. Paint is perfect, shine is deep, cleaning is super easy. I'll have it done on every car I buy from now on. And I will even if I lease. What I was trying to say was that the cost of a clear bra, removal of a clear bra, paint correction, coating, cost of re-applying a clear bra, makes less sense to me on a lease.

I'd just have it coated around the clear bra. I had my car XPELed and coated on the panels without XPEL.

[Defense]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'll clay and try to hand polish the paint myself. Then I'll take it to Memphis to have it coated. Better safe then sorry .

[NetBoy]

I bought a used 2015 M3 MG and was surprised it didn't have any swirls. I was so convinced it would that I bought the Meguiars microfiber pads and polish set before I got the car but never used it. I did clay because the dealer had waxed it.

I applied CQuartz UK and this stuff is amazing. A great shine, slick but not oily feeling. I don't have to wash as much. when I do the water beads like crazy. and its much faster to dry. I use an old battery powered leaf blower and it blows 90% of the water off. getting a newer more powerful blower soon, might not need a drying towel.

one warning with Cquartz UK is you need to apply and remove within a few minutes. I left it on two doors for 10 minutes thinking it needed to cure but it was almost impossible to remove. I got it off with a thick microfiber towel and detailing spray. rest of the car I did one section at a time and removed 1 minute later. no problems.

You can get CQuartz UK on sale now (memorial day). and I recommend the other Car Pro products. I have Reload and its easy to use spray on sealant and it layers on CQuartz. TRIX tar and iron remover works well but has a strong chemical smell. i need a mask to use it.

If you can remove the swirls in your paint, you can apply CQuartz yourself.
Knowing what I know now. I would first wash, TRIX then wipe down, IPA wipe down, wash. CQuartz.
Then use Carpro Reset to wash and Reload when necessary.

Yesterday I used Cquartz on the wheels but don't know how this compares to the Armor All wheel protectant.

[Defense]

Thanks for the info. I decided to apply the optic oat gloss coat on my own. Watched several videos online and it just looks too easy. I'll let you know how it turns out.