Paint Correction and Protection for the Australian Climate

Always start with the wheels. Use a dedicated wheel cleaner and brushes. If you do them last, you'll just splash brake dust all over your clean paint.

Use a high-pH soap or chuck a bit of APC (All Purpose Cleaner) in your foam cannon. We want to strip off any old waxes or 'showroom shine' sprays.

Spray the iron remover on dry paint (in the shade!). Let it bleed purple for 3-5 minutes, then rinse. This dissolves the metal shards embedded in your clear coat.

Use your clay bar with plenty of lubricant. If the bar drops on the ground, chuck it. Don't risk it. Run your hand in a plastic sandwich bag over the paint, it should feel like glass.

Use a leaf blower or dedicated car dryer. We need every drop of water out of the door mirrors and trim so it doesn't drip while we're polishing.

Tape up the black plastic trim, rubber window seals, and any badges. It takes 20 minutes now but saves you an hour of cleaning later.

Pick a 50x50cm area on the bonnet. Start with your lightest polish and a finishing pad. If that doesn't remove the swirls, move up to a heavier combo. Always use the least aggressive method that gets the job done.

Apply 4-5 pea-sized dots of compound to a fresh pad. Work it into the foam with your finger so the entire surface is covered. You don't want 'dry' foam hitting the paint.

Work in small sections (no bigger than 6x the size of your pad). Move the machine slowly (about 2-3cm per second) in a cross-hatch pattern. 4 passes is usually the sweet spot.

Wipe the residue with a clean microfibre and hit it with your LED torch. Is the defect gone? If yes, move on. If not, go again.

After every section, use a pad brush or compressed air to blow out the spent polish. If the pad gets 'caked', it stops cutting and starts generating too much heat.

Once the heavy scratches are gone, swap to a finishing pad and fine polish. This is what gives you that 'wet look' gloss. Same technique as the compound, but usually faster arm speed.

This is the most critical step for coating. Spray your panel prep (IPA) onto a cloth and wipe every inch of the car. We need the paint surgically clean. I usually do this twice just to be sure.

Wrap the suede cloth around the applicator block. Apply a line of coating. Close the bottle immediately! (I once knocked over a full bottle of coating on a concrete floor, $120 gone in a second).

Apply the coating in a small 40x40cm section. Use straight lines, overlapping each pass. You'll see it 'rainbow' or 'bead up' depending on the product.

Wait for the recommended 'flash time' (usually 1-2 mins in Aussie humidity). Use your first microfibre to gently level the coating. Don't scrub; just glide.

Use a second, fresh microfibre to buff the area. This removes any remaining residue. Check with your torch from multiple angles to ensure no 'high spots' (dark oily patches) are left.

Park the car in the garage and leave it. Most coatings need 12-24 hours to stay dry and a full 7 days before you use any soap on them.