Paint Depth Readings For Most Makes And Models!! Clear Coat Hardness!

[@apexdetail85]

I will share paint depth readings as more makes and models pass through our shop......stay tuned!

[@muchachogrande2019]

I've actually had this idea for awhile and I feel it would be absolutely brilliant to create a Google sheets document or something similar, that detailers can reference and update/confirm the details of the finishes they're running into overtime. Doesn't even have to be collaborative as long as it's somebody that will take the 10 or so minutes to actually gather the readings and then add them to the list.

[@BananerRepublic]

nissan / infiniti please.... also insight into high end bodyshop paint / clear coat vs oem would be great!

[@mrBDeye]

With so many paint polishing channels on KZbin, they never talk about measuring the clear coat.

[@מדינט]

Indeed, my 2016 BMW has a very hard clear coat, when ever I try to test medium pads and compound, it dose very little to remove light swirls.

[@scotbrown7305]

Awesome and informative video. Thank you for always trying to help and educate us from your experience.

[@jonschmunk7719]

Outstanding information Brian. Thank you!!

[@z06rcr]

I was pleasantly surprised to get readings around 6.2 to 6.8 on my Cadillac CT6 where my Infiniti shows 4.2 .. Good thing , because the paint is soft. Would love to measure my Corvette but can’t justify the cost of a PosiTector 200.

[@MNpicker]

Clear coat depth knowledge is a very good thing 🤓

[@marklittleton1309]

Wow, great video Brian. As an enthusiast who does mine and few friends' cars here and there, it makes me hesitant to even touch the paint with a polisher. I don't think I'll ever do more than a quick enhancement, with MAYBE a few spot corrections. That ice is too thin for somebody like me who doesn't do this all the time...

[@basketball798]

Hey Brian the thickness of a paint doesn't necessarily mean soft or hard paint. Early 2000s Mercedes have a thickness of 3.5-4mills but the paint is extremely hard (solvent base). The newer paints on most cars now are waterbase and even if they are 8mills thick they won't be as hard as 4mill thick solvent base paint. Great video as always.

[@bigd9848]

Excellent as always Brian 👍🏻

[@millerdetailing4176]

Great video and topic to review and cover.

[@kimnewling5728]

Very very helpful. Awesome! Thank you Brian.

[@themachine8009]

Wow. A $50k paint reader. Could’ve never imagined

[@norcalspitshine6406]

Thank you for the education.

[@detailerslife8127]

Had a 2008 Toyota Corolla recently, one correction in its life, Clear Coat (Black,Very Soft) very good condition 300,000 Klms, had an average reading of 5.6 mils all round. New Mazda's/Honda's around 2.5-3.1 mils.

[@riceburner4747]

Thank u. Most detailing shops just show exotics. I figured Toyota was soft, had no idea its thickness.

[@detailerslife8127]

@@riceburner4747 That's why I like what Brian at Apex Detail does, he's not just showing the Very Expensive Exotics. He's such a down to earth guy without all the fluff and B.S

[@nickgeorgiakakis7249]

I have a 2017 Corolla, clear coat is still very soft. Note to self , be very careful if wet sanding out any scratches, clear coat is very thin.

[@Spirited282]

I have no access to a gauge but i heard the newer toyota's the paint is very thin, Would have loved to know that of my 2021 Rav 4

[@richsmith3120]

Looks like a paint depth meter will become mandatory for all paint correction!

[@Xaviers300ZX]

Thank you for this info!! Great overview Brian

[@javigarcia3823]

Thank you Brian. Like always very helpful video.

[@danmorrissette4814]

some Nissan and Mazda have less then 3.5 the you get a Pearl metalic Ford shoots up to 9... The Depth Gauge was my best investment thanks to Brian... Also had Porsche with repairs at different panels... original front fenders were 3.1 repainted doors at 6.5 other panels different reading, real nightmare loll± owner wasnt told of repairs.. GET THE Gauge !!!!

[@melindaroy3679]

Very informative video. Have any numbers on 2023 Kias? Sportages and Tellurides? Thanks Brian!

[@RJLM330]

So I have a large motor hom that had clear bra put on in 2000. It has turned Black cracked. It is impossible to remove. Tried adhesive remover heat gun 3M rubber wheel steam cleaner. NOTHING TAKES IT OFF What do you recommend. Absolutely enjoy your info on all aspects of your explanation THANKS MUCH

[@neilwalker5041]

I’m like the lady in the Wendy’s commercials yelling Where’s the Beef?

[@747rotate]

Hey Brian since we're on the subject of test equipment I just purchased a Landtek gm-6 gloss meter and for the life of me I'm not quite understanding the instructions to calibrate it. When the cal light comes on the screen and I push measure it says 96.4 like what is stated on the calibration stand. When I place the meter on the stand the readings are all over the place. Instructions said it should read 96.4 which it isn't. I'm about at my wits end trying to calibrate it and it's driving me crazy. Is there a simplified method I can try?

[@AntEloftheHouseofEl]

Love the video Brian. I have a 2020, German made VW and it has the hardest clear I've ever known in my life! Even a Megs microfibre cutting pad is producing about 1/4 I'd normally get on any other paint! It's like Rocky Balboa, in an Iron-man suit, driving a tank! 3 years old now, 30,000 miles and no scratches whatsoever - just some swirling. I'd love to know if the VAG group have started using something new, or if the technicians just gave it multiple coats for a laugh! 🤣

[@ronayotte3571]

I detail an Audi Q5 that has paint as hard as granite... and it is black.

[@AntEloftheHouseofEl]

@@ronayotte3571 deep black pearl by any chance?

[@apexdetail85]

They missed the memo of switching over to waterbourn clear coat .....good for them.

[@AntEloftheHouseofEl]

@@apexdetail85 whatever they are using, I'm pretty sure Captain America will want it on his bloody shield too! 🤣

[@brianjohnston7344]

what model VW?

[@MichaelBrianInc]

Can you also do this on headlights to check clear coat depths?

[@ronayotte3571]

I often get asked what tool is my most important one in detailing... and that is my NexDiag NexPTG paint depth gauge. Don't polish a car without it!

[@davestewart9146]

Unfortunately when you buy a used car there’s no way to tell what the paint thickness was when it was new especially if it’s been corrected, great video Brian 👍😁

[@Enthusiast_detailing]

This is amazing Information!

[@waynewoodrick5055]

When there are variable numbers on the readings, is the variable usually the clear coat ? Example: one reading 3.8 on the hood and 4.8 on the door. Does that mean the door has more clear?

[@TrealTalk187]

Yes the door got sprayed more clear that day in the factory by the mechanical arm robot painters

[@apexdetail85]

Not necessarily... but I always err on the side of caution and assume there is more of the primer or color coat.

[@kennethschei6957]

This is why fillers in product is necessary 😊👍

[@davidgeroge9330]

Great info , where do all the Asian cars read ? Hyundai, Toyota, Nissan etc...

[@apexdetail85]

Thin and soft....unfortunately.

[@whitewalker9622]

Great video!

[@mikeyp2447]

Very informative!!

[@arabinow]

Hi Brian.. would you recommend Sonax Perfect finish with a Yellow Rupes pad for a 1 step solution on a Tesla model y?

[@dtna]

Excellent video. Thnx!

[@oursulaert]

Thank you what about landrovers the iconic old style shape with no clear coat

[@apexdetail85]

plenty of single stage to work with.

[@riceburner4747]

Toyotas? Soft? More involved than ppl think. Thank u! 👍

[@Secret_Sun33]

So these are readings for virgin unpolished paint? From what year onward would you say they cheaped out on clear?

[@ac7384]

What about Toyota and there thickeness and hardness ?

[@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow]

How do you know how much clearcoat you have though?

[@93rt]

I've heard Koenigseggs put up to .030" of paint on. Any regular car company put 10 or more on their cars?

[@larrysing]

I’m a bit confused here. It seems as if you’re saying that anything under five mils can’t or shouldn’t be compounded? Is that just a general rule for safety purposes or do you consider that a hard and fast rule?

[@apexdetail85]

Just in general.

[@shoemaker924]

how to these measurements compare to older gen cars? for example, early 2000s, 90s, 80s? was clear thicker back then? i assume it's gotten thinner due to tech and cost savings.

[@apexdetail85]

Thicker as you go back through the years.

[@lapulla32]

Why is the door jam used as a reference point? I saw a couple of videos of detailers doing that.

[@waynewoodrick5055]

Usually no clear on the jams

[@Aaron-tv6fs]

Incorrect. Door jambs are clear coated. Don’t believe me? Try wiping paint reducer in the jambs. It would remove base colour coat, but not clear. Oh you still have paint there? Yeah cause it’s clear coated They use a minimum amount in the door jambs because clear coat protects against UV, and your door jambs aren’t exposed to sun 99% as much as the rest of the exterior

[@marcuslima2535]

hey mate, i bought one of those and tried on the paint of my car and my friends car, on my car was around 7 to 8 mils in most areas and its an oold car, and on my friends car there was some areas with 11 mils, is that right? not look repainted cars

[@marioskosmidhs9454]

Great video again sir. Can i ask? How we know that the clear coat is thinner? And not just thinner primer and thinner based color? ( OEM manufacturers in Europe report's lately that due to changes on metals and materials witch they can adhire easier the layers , now they need less primer and less color base on their paint systems)

[@apexdetail85]

Since we mostly do not have 50K tools to make sure....I personally err on the side of safety and always assume there is less clear.

[@13pcbs]

Q - how come you always use Mils , surely Microns would show a slight reduction not picked up my Mils?

[@apexdetail85]

The more expensive tools can accurately measure microns.

[@kosarmuhammad9209]

Does it only measure the thickness of the clear coat? Or the total amount of substances on the plate such as paint, etc., How much less is the number not suitable for polishing? thank you❤

[@petreticu6008]

1/3 of the measurement is clearcoat. There are 4 layers: bare metal, primer, base coat and clear coat. Bare metal is not really a layer, i just put it there for a better undestanding of the measurment. In my humble opinion, a car can get one paint correction in its lifetime (maybe not even that on some cars), one steps or enhancements are a better choice when polishing. Also, if you polish, you must add a protection after-wax every 3-4 months, sealant every 6-8 months, ceramic coatings for 2+ years or ppf. If you only do light polishing with a very soft foam and fisnishing paste, then you dont have to worry about clear coat thickness, because that doesnt really remove much clearcoat, almost none. Sorry i went a bit overboard with my asnswer.

[@GeneG-wk2mz]

Who sales the pads ?

[@apexdetail85]

Which pads?

[@GeneG-wk2mz]

The polish beast pads blue ?

[@davescott9062]

Hey Brian, I didn't catch the name of your Guage, I clicked the links in the description of the video, one was an Amazon link, didn't see your purple one there, and the other link was $2500 😬 Help!

[@apexdetail85]

It is a Nicety....www.ebay.com/itm/111245666226?hash=item19e6c227b2:g:JVMAAOSwAaJZ5dB3&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8N3bcYktEJHSBuDFirJ%2FT1%2BMY02bAQGLJaxH8zNRS6BPBvqASnbIdVy%2BPVKEeQmESfldhl5vzqBIbZJSFnRxOFb3J5equAu6xegex9vZtF3eXwTZXqaSEAEpcV6NAu7lhUzKvckztCw6qJ1vsEj%2FwYr%2Fj%2Fju%2FlrPRzeS2quSmPIZqi1874V7THZ2Oz%2B0M7CuOCvEKO3ES5ljqQnc%2FHt0lQHUfYC1F2S7ZJFhKNPEffaTr8ZgS9OJFCGYI0rjTgccOSkAMzWTX2EJUVUMAtOvsoLGN1VZ%2B1VVNFbLsj2V3CpXZCgh2Pg2vrWAdBPseULWKg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMurLGz-Zh

[@davescott9062]

@@apexdetail85 many thanks

[@tundrawhisperer4821]

After you’ve done a one step on a thin clear coat and then it comes time to needing another correction, do you just go get a new clear coat applied? Thx

[@apexdetail85]

I do everything I possibly can to avoid needing correction again.

[@awpdevil]

I'll add an addendum to Chevy, on the newer Camaros including ZL1's, their paint is so soft if you look at it funny it will scratch.

[@apexdetail85]

There are always exceptions.

[@thefinder8087]

Kind of shocked that Chrysler has better clear coat than BWM and Jag, I mean I am glad to hear it because I drive a RAM but it is very surprising.

[@paulrogers3511]

Great video! Mercedes newer model??

[@apexdetail85]

4.0 to 5.0

[@manrex5238]

Hey bother thanks for your videos as instructional as always now I’m an aficionado trying to get better as I can and I would love to know which paint thickness measure device is good and affordable not in the top(expensive) but definitely not on the cheap side,a funny story I asked the same question to esoteric detail and his answer: I do not recommend neither use cheap staff in our shop…. bloody bastard I did not asked for the cheapest but neither for a 1,000 dollars one I’m not a bloody millionaire like you 😂😂😂😂

[@apexdetail85]

The Nicety shown in this video works just fine.

[@Chris-wb7ni]

That’s my next purchase is a depth meter

[@mikeanddebboyers6822]

Ballpark on a C5 Corvette?

[@waynewoodrick5055]

My paint Guage won't read fiberglass 😢 maybe Brian's does. Corvettes usually have hard clear.

[@apexdetail85]

5.5 to 6.5

[@luketuttle1096]

Seems like all paints going thin and soft! 2 steps corrections be thing of the past before too long. Side note GMC 1500 and Silverado 1500 have same paint

[@keatonblaze53]

Did you just say gm or black gm paint is hard ?

[@richardseem7948]

Awesome idea for video.scary how clear coat Fluctuates on different panels of vehicles

[@wendellthompson6470]

What the name of the Gage your using BRAIN

[@The_Cyberz]

Watch the video, WENDELL.

[@riceburner4747]

And it's spelled gUage.

[@wendellthompson6470]

@@riceburner4747 next time spell the Guage

[@davescott9062]

@@The_Cyberz 🤣 classic Misspelled Brian as well.

[@riceburner4747]

@@wendellthompson6470 okie dokie Mr Wendell. 😂🤣😁

[@richardseem7948]

Awesome video and content good friend

[@LucasSi919]

When doing a two step paint correction your typically removing 0.3. Of your reading 4.0 on a new car, your end result will be 3.7. 1/3 of 4.0 is 1.3 mil of clear coat (roughly).. removing 0.3 from a 1.3 mil clear coat is plenty room go play with. I necessarily wouldn't say "one step" only. Please care to explain. Your presentation seems a bit "worry some"

[@mitchelllong5848]

Wow suck little clear on the newer cars today, sucks, protect it while you can

[@andrewbailey4177]

Audi thin and hard I guess

[@1stfrompuertorico568]

First!!!

[@The_Cyberz]

When you say they have enough clear for a good one-step, do you mean for the life of the clear? Like you can only correct it one time before it would need new clear applied?

[@paul6749]

Agree - this is confusing. If you have a new car, and it’s only safe to polish once in its lifetime, why bother investing in all the kit required?

[@Scoot8428]

I don't know why people have problem with Tesla's paint I had no problem when I buffed it I don't feel that it's too thin words it's extremely soft or anything compared to any other thing out there I think just people don't like Tesla and then they just put the hate on the whole entire vehicle I see nothing wrong with their pants just as good as any other manufacturer out there