Restorfx for clear coat damage?

[TorqueSteer]

Hey everyone,

I’ve noticed some clear coat and paint damage on the panel just above my drivers side window. I have ‘13 magma red z. The car is parked in the sun during daytime work hours and I expected to see some potential sun damage down the road with the unique red/orange color of the car, but not so soon.

I took it to a body shop and they recommended, rather than paint correction, I look into getting a clear coat refinishing and protection package. Has anyone used restorfx ceramic coatings or should I just take it to a normal detailer for a wax/sealant package?

[RDAVIS247]

Do you have any pics of the affected area?

If it truly is a clear coat failure then your best option is to get it re-cleared. There is no substitute for your clear coat. So the body shop recommendation (without seeing the issue) is probably your best bet.

Now as to whether you want a wax/sealant vs a ceramic. Waxes are a natural oil based chemical and typically offer good shine but do not last long compared to synthetic counterparts i.e. sealants and coatings. You mentioned it is out in the sun during the day meaning wax probably isn't your best bet. Sealants can be an ok choice depending on if you are doing it yourself or paying some one. If you do it yourself typically you will want to reapply every 3-4 months to avoid lapse in coverage. If you paying someone, you might as well pony up the bucks and get a coating this way you have the longest lasting coverage with minimal maintenance. This is not to say it is maintenance free, you still need to care for it and it can still develop small swirls and scratches if maintained improperly.

Based on a short google search of this RestoreFX it seems to have some mixed reviews and my understanding is that it claims to be a clear coat replacement. I have yet to see a hand applied coating that can replace clear coat. I would be wary of this but if you do it keep us all in the loop as if it does end up being awesome, could be a game changer!

Another option to consider if you haven't yet is look into a self healing clear bra once the clear is fixed. LLumar, Suntek , Xpel are some of the bigger types out there. Are they expensive? Yes, however they are thick and can help with rock chips and don't need to be babied as much as the above options. When they get small swirls you can leave it out in the sun and it heals it self which to me is a cool feature.

[danegrey]

Odd, take, have you taken it to a Nissan Dealer / Paint Shop to inspect.
The only reason I am asking that, I had a problem with a spot on my roof.
The estimator stated it was actually from the inside out, which got my roof painted free by Nissan.

Also call Nissan about it.

It is only a bit of time and the worse is, some outlandish quote or simply no.

Never hurts to ask.

[TorqueSteer]

Thanks for the input. I’ve attached a photo. You can see the sun hitting the top panel of the hatch with a bright reflection. It’s a bit difficult to capture on camera, but it gets noticeably more dull when it transitions to the spot above the drivers door, where the clear is faded. I want to deal with this before it gets worse and requires more effort/money.



I’ll take a shot at going to the dealer first and let you guys know the response I get. If I get nowhere with that, then I’ll look into coatings and professional detailing.

[RDAVIS247]

So that is in a gray area. It could potentially be fixed by polishing. If you have or know anybody in the detail game and has DA polisher, you may be able to get that out. That will be the cheapest and least time consuming thing to try first.

If that doesn't work then you will be looking at the re-clearing option.

But do try what danegrey says first as you may be able to get some help with it! WOrst they can say is no.

[TorqueSteer]

So quick update...

I took the car to the dealer. Not surprisingly, they said there is nothing they could do as the car is out of warranty. The dealership paint shop recommended I replace or rapaint the whole panel. I’m not going down that road yet. That will be my last option of all else fails.

I spoke to the owner of the restorfx shop and he agreed to treat the top panel only so that I could see the results and decide if I wanted it applied to the rest of the car from there. I have nothing to lose considering the panel is already damaged. So I’ll give Restorfx a shot potentially sometime next week. I’ll post pics of the results when finished.

[JTM88]

I have paint damage in the exact same spot, I'll be interested to see how this works.

[TorqueSteer]

I went to get the Restorfx applied to the affected panel yesterday. The process started with a light buffing/sanding within the taped area. The liquid chemical compound was then applied with a microfiber cloth by hand. A UV lamp was used to help speed up the drying process. I brought the car home and put it in the garage afterwards. I'm waiting for it to fully cure and will post close ups after it's finished curing and I can take a good look at it in the sun.

[JTM88]

How well did it work?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TorqueSteer]

So it actually looks much better than it was before. The clear is restored, but there are some minuscule spots where it looks like the paint was eroded or broken down from the process. Like tiny white dots. The spots are small enough that I couldn't capture them on camera.


To the touch, you can tell there is a slight difference where the clear was broken down. But overall, I'm happy with the results. I'll probably take the car to get the passenger side done, and will consider if I want to do the rest of the car.

[RDAVIS247]

Looks great! I'm glad to hear that it did work out for you! Keep us all updated as the stuff wears and the ease of maintenance as time goes on.

[old guy]

[TorqueSteer]

Following up on this post! After 10 months the panels I had coated with the product are starting to fade. They’re no longer glossy and look like the clear coat on them is fading away and its rough to the touch. Unfortunately I can’t recommend this as a long term solution.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by TorqueSteer

Following up on this post! After 10 months the panels I had coated with the product are starting to fade. They’re no longer glossy and look like the clear coat on them is fading away and its rough to the touch. Unfortunately I can’t recommend this as a long term solution.

Wait a minute.... what kind of regiment did YOU DO to care for your paint?

[TorqueSteer]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

Wait a minute.... what kind of regiment did YOU DO to care for your paint?

Excellent question lol. Not much other than washing, I will admit. But my point is, the rest of the car is fine and the panels that had the restorfx added look worse than when I brought the car in initially. And the before it was just a spot on one panel that was affected. Now the whole panel that had the coating applied is fading.