HARD Or SOFT Clear Coat? Here Is One Way You Can Tell!
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- This video will show you how to test clear coat to tell if it is soft, moderate or hard. Without knowing each make and model by heart by having tons of experience...this is a quick way to test each vehicle to find out what you are getting yourself into.
Clear car paint not only makes your car look shiny and more glamorous, it makes the car paint look wetter and deeper. However, there are other functional advantages that are of greater importance. One major advantage is that this coat provides protection from the sun and ultraviolet rays that cause the car paint to fade. Hence, your car paint appears new for a longer period of time. In addition, shallow surface defects and spotting caused by acid rain can be buffed out without damaging the paint, if the car is protected with a layer of clear coat. Most manufacturers now use water base color coats and these require a clear coat for protection. Manufacturers separate the top coat into a color coat and a clear coat and by doing so they reduce the use of solvents that are pollutants by nature.
3D One....www.amazon.com...
Urofiber 50/50 pad...www.amazon.com...
Dual Action Polishers....www.amazon.com...
Microfiber Towels....www.amazon.com...
Clear coat finishes are harder and more resistant to oxidation. However they are more sensitive to scratches and you should be careful not to use abrasive rubbing or polishing compounds on them. Although these finishes are also prone to oxidation. Most oxidation problems can be avoided by regular washing, and periodic waxing with a premium car wax or a paint-protectant. Since the clear coat has no color, it can’t fade or lose brightness, but depending on the environment to which the car is exposed, the clear coat can become dull. This fading occurs slowly and you might not perceive any change on a day-to-day basis. You can safeguard against this by parking the car in a garage away from the sun’s heat and ultraviolet radiation. Surface contaminants such as acid rain, rain dust, airborne pollutants, bird dropping can damage clear coat to a point where polishing or compounds are needed. Knowing how aggressive to work on clear coat depends on how hard and how thick...or thin it is. This video shows how to find out.
apexautodetail.com www.apexautode...
#apexautodetail #clearcoat #autodetailing
In the next clear coat segment ...I will show what it takes to burn through with both a dual action polisher and rotary with different pads and compounds.
I really want to see orange pad with DA at the limit of burning it
Apex Detail good cause I done that
I would love to see that!
I have a soft clear coat. I feel fairly comfortable on a flat panel. I always worry about burning through on body lines (accent lines) and/or the corners where the upper and lower fender would meet. I'm in hopes you demo that. Thank You.
That will be interesting to see how much is needed for that to happen.
Is it of any value maybe to take a measure with the PTG before you start and maybe after some time and then when you have gone through the clearcoat how much paint you have on left after that. I think that it could have some value to it. Then all paints has different thickness of the paint and also the individual layers thickness can be different.
Great video Brian and will be interesting to follow the next videos about the paint!
This is a great tip for beginners like myself... I hope you know how much you are appreciated for sharing your knowledge.
Brian- you hit the nail on the head with this one. You can teach us everything except experience. I am just learning and have struggled with pad and compound match-ups. I mean can get results but I am not always sure if I am too aggressive . I don’t have paint meter yet so this really helps... your the secret weapon!
Thanks!
This was very helpful. I have a Subaru with some love marks on it. I'm just an enthusiast so watching you really helps. I'm not afraid to try and start polishing now. Thanks.
Dont hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Matt, expect a box shipping tomorrow to you!
@@1974gladiateur I just bought some. Can't wait to try it out.
@@tacsystemusa1702 I'm really looking forward to trying out your products.
@@1974gladiateur thanks I'll look into that one
Your videos are always spot on and informative. Never biased based opinions. Keep detailing. Your ever think about doing a school. Teaching. I'm experienced about 8yrs. And I still will attend. Always good to learn from others experiences
After doing several vehicles now I understand what your talking about. Thank you for making this easier.
If you ever had the inclination on what a true professional does and uses to be successful , follow this man .
I learned something ✊Always informative information. You have broadened my knowledge on detailing.When I first started watching I had basic knowledge on how to take care of cars.When I was 16 I worked in a used car lot. The difference from then until now is a world of difference.That was 30 years ago 😁💎
The clear is so soft on my 2017 Sonata that I swear if you breath to heavy near it, it will scratch. I fell in love with Carpro essence after the first polish session last week. What a great polish to use on my black metallic paint. For those nastier spots (several panels) I added a little correcting cream to the pad (orange medium cut).
Is that help you ask ?? SURE !!! A great tip to test the hardness of clear coat. I cannot thank you enough Brian for all your trick and tips. I was thinking we almost see everything by now since you make videos but you impress me each time 😁
Can you please name The vehicles brands with soft and hard clear coat please
What I do on hard clears to get rid of all defects. 3k 5k Cut and polish. Easy off... Great video Brian as usual!
Royal Detailing Afta depends on how deep the imperfections are. Sometimes chasing after them shaves the clear too thin. An enhancement would be better then.
Hey Brian, weird request but hear me out... rainx 2 in 1 glass cleaner + rain repellent. I was in a pinch and needed to protect some paint and this was all I had on hand. It worked! I even tried spray and rinsing it and it worked flawlessly!! It is amazing
Excellent subject and demonstration on soft and hard clear coat. In todays technology, I am surprised there is no actual document or website that provides All vehicle manufacturers rating of clear coat as you have described here. It's not as if clear coat is top secret!
What makes the difference between soft to hard clear coat - number of layers, chemical makeup?
The amount of hardener mixed with the clear makes the difference. Most manufacturers add as little as possible of anything from A-Z to save a penny.
Your videos are informative I feel guilty for watching them for free. Seriously thanks for all you have taught me.
So much valuable info on this channel!!
awesome video again good friend. finally some1 who not only talks about it but actually shows us..b well good friend 🍻🍻🍻🍻
Hello Brian, thanks for this Great video, I have a quick question, is it really necessary the use of 2000 grit and medium polishing? Can we use instead 3000 grit and a finishing polish to reduce that clear thickness loss? Thanks in advance, saludos! :)
Great video as always sir Brian. I have been wrestling with this question for a while now. Kind of ran into the same issue with the hard clear coat. Ironically I used the same 3d one product which I love. But the previous marks and pigtails that were made after wet sanding using 3000 grit sand ppr were a challenge to remove. I didn't have a microfiber pad & wasn't sure of which pad to go with to remove the defects. I eventually got them removed & the end product looked amazing. What would you have recommended in this scenario? Thank you so much again. I want sign up for training with you when you have it available. The whole caboodle!!! I'm waiting patiently. You truly have been an encouragement to myself & so many others.
Love the video..would like to see review on 3m polishing compounds and how good they are ...
Bob Pena they are effective... but dust worse than meguiars.😔
Dust would be the killer ...
I’m going to be polishing my 2015 GMC Sierra in the spring. Do you know if it has hard or soft clear coat? Thanks
I have a 2007 BMW 335i. I use an orange foam pad and either a mild cutting compound or a cutting polish and it helps clarity but doesnt even remove fine swirls. Do you know if I have hard clear? Should I try microfiber?
Hi Brian, thank you for this so extremely helpful tips. I am a DIYer and I like to do as much as possible by myself but at the same tine I don’t want to mess up the clear coat. I own a Tesla Model 3 in black which is a nightmare (black paint). Would you consider this clear coat soft or hard? I applied a ceramic coating lat year and it started to loosing its properties and was trying to see if I can re-coat. Any suggestions or tips on processes, products to use?
Love the intro man!
But how do I know if it's soft without firing up a the DA and touching the paint? What are good practices? I see what you've done to hard a nd clear coat but not how to tell between the two. Should I do a test spot on every car with a light cut pad and the compound?
Solid Gold Professor. 👍😄
Also, scott and brian have very good informative videos. However the buffing styles are different. One does about 4 or 5 complete passes with quicker arm speed and higher buff speed. And the other brian uses medium speed, slower movement and 2 passes only. Brian technique is more clear coat safe taking only what's needed.
@@1974gladiateur absolutely. I dont disagree with that. 4 and 4 1/2 is that sweet spot
Good stuff been learning a lot. I love washing my cars, I have a 2016 Toyota RAV4 and a 2008 Toyota Corolla I want to polish I think the RAV has soft clear not sure about the Corolla it’s been painted guess I should call the body shop.
Very helpful to those of us not in the business, thanks!
This video of course is very helpful as always Brian. But it also at least for Me underscores the importance of a DA and The Cutting pad. In the past when I attempted to make Corrections on my Lincoln Town Car I was using polishing compound and by hand buffing out the Sandpaper marks it did work but it took a long time and a lot of elbow grease
Is 3D one and Uro fiber pretty safe on soft clear, even if you have to come back with jewler pad?
My brother didn't believe me that there's different levels of hardness in auto paint. Now question is what brand/kind of clearcoat is harder? Would like this for my off road vehicles. I already know Upol is soft from my experience. My rover only scratched from brush where the upol was used an a door repair.
Off topic question if you would be so kind to answer! In your opinion how does the gloss from meguiars ceramic wax compare to the gloss from collanite 845 in your opinion? In other words which one has more gloss? Thank you in advance...
Hey Brian have you happened to test out the new CarPro orange peel removal pad. I’m interested to know how that pad works before I ruin anything.
Brian your making me more and more antsy to use a DA polisher. Should I just bite the bullet and order me an M15 Pro series ll from Maxshine and I should be okay? LOL. I just can’t decide on which one, but I seem to always be leaning towards this one.
I really think you would be happy with that one.👍
Okay, going to get that one ordered. Thx
Jeff Sol yeah? Any chance you’ve used this one before? Thx
I ordered the M15 last month and got great results, check out my latest vid for proof.
What cutting compound do you recommend for black Corvette paint? I tried Sonax Cutmax with Rupes yellow pad and tried the blue Rupes wool pad with their blue compound. The dealer used a rotary and left a lot of difficult hologram buffer trails before I bought it.
Its looking a lot better but just leaving a lot behind.
Super helpful for a rookie like me. Thanks for making this video!
2004 bmw 330i is soft enough that I bought Angel Polish master and Escalade for and yellow pad. Used it on 2013 Mini with a red pad and it barely exfoliated it. ???
Do you need to use the same compound brand with the pad?
Good stuff Brian!!
3D ONE 🤘🏼
Favorite channel here!
Have you tried any of the Shine Supply polishes and compounds yet?
I don't have a lot of swirls or scratches, my S2000 paint just looks dull. Not sure if I should just do a light cut and polish or just polish.
I’ve been wondering, and I’m probably going to try this experiment my self but would love to know if possible to take a panel that is in scuffed up, wet sand it with maybe 1000 grit and spray paint clear coat to bring it back to almost new.
Seems interesting
Update us if you do!
Thaku sppreciate your video. Best method
Can you tell us if GM has soft or hard, FCA, Ford, etc... on the newer cars
I'm sure if you have a chevy pull in you already know what to expect....
Always do a test spot. Simple as that. Sanding not required or recommended. Brian is just showing the difference.
Marcus Cassius what is the particularity or Porsche paint?
For the most part... moderate to hard and stubborn. However, getting softer and thinner every year.
Apex Detail brian I have to use 2000 grit sandpaper to test it?
3:04 how did a microfiber towel scratch it tho? What? I thought that wad what they werent supposed to do!
Is it fair to say a manufacturers clear coat is the same grade of hardness on every car they make? For example I’m about to wet sand a new model bmw g20 (3 series) will it likely be hard clear coat as BMW clears are generally hard?
I have a jeep compass and I would have to say the clear is super hard. Used d300 and a microfiber and still had some light swirls once I finished that I didnt get out.
Jeremy Senko probably you need to use rotary with sonax cutmax + wool pad
Jeep clear can be quite stubborn.
Yeah, great demo and very informative. Love the technique you use. I Love those Uro 50/50 pads as well. Just wondering could you do the demo again but with your favourite cutting pad/ compound combo to show the difference when you identify and then use the right combo to correct those love marks/ 2000 grit simulated scratches, please. Cheers mate.
Thank you Brian! Always a interesting and informative lesson!
Very informative. Do the American manufacturers tend to use a harder clear coat than the Japanese manufacturers? Is it manufacturer specific? Thanks Brian!
Chris Murphy yes... but that is slowly changing. GM for instance... is getting softer and thinner.🙁
Excellent. Would you normally follow up the 3D1 with a finishing / or jeweling polish..or evaluate the one step in light of what you and the customer wanted to achieve on a case by case.
Alan Wallace yes...case by case... depending on the customers budget. For the enthusiast... depend on what you have Abe eye for.
What do you think about Scott's way of testing which pad and polish to use? For a one step. (Scott of Dallas paint and microfiber) but I mean 3 pads using each for 5-6 seconds in the same spot without moving it. Maybe you've seen the video.
Another option. ...but I like doing a real pass instead of substituting it with a 5 second hold in one spot.
@@apexdetail85 I think so to. Thanks for your input you're videos are awesome and that you actually answer all of us is amazing. Thank you for all that you do Brian
Holding the polisher in one spot raises temperature and causes a lot of stress. Hahaha Thanks Brian for this valuable lesson.
@@stimpynguyen4419 I know it creates heat I was curious what Brian thought about what scott did in his UA-cam video. Look for the video and watch it you'll understand why I asked
ua-cam.com/video/8LkhwX5848c/v-deo.html
What are you wrapping the sandpaper around?
I have heard that German clear coats are on the hard side, so can I assume that BMWs have hard clear coat?
If that is the case, to remove imperfections, a Microfiber cutting pad with a medium cut compound would appropriate, right?
What type of
Microfiber towel would you use for soft clear coat. Apparently that’s what my Dodge Ram has
Eagle edgeless...500gsm.
Thank you
@@apexdetail85 Huh I've been drying with Target's Turtle Wax Green MF Towels 85% Polyester / 15% Nylon, I have a feeling that's a scratch risk now.
Apex Detail and I would get these from rag company
I am not ready to sand paper a new Mercedes. Does anyone happen to know if a GLA (2021) would have hard or soft clear coat? I have read completely different answers on Mercedes in general. Thank you for any feedback... p.s. I am going to ask the dealer sometime.
Brian can you talk about the benefits between the 5 inch backing plates vs. the standard 6 inch. Also explain why there are no 5-inch pads readily available on the market. Sorry for the newb question. Greg
Chewy1358 5 inch plates and pads deliver more energy to a more concentrated area than 6 inch. There are plenty of 5 and 5,1/2 pads out there.🙂
@@apexdetail85 if we switch to 5-inch backing plates do you recommend getting 5.5 inch pads for extra protection on edges?
Great tip!!!
I have a dodge ram 1500, 2013. Is it a hard or soft clear coat?
I'd like to know what the reasons were why two clowns saw fit to dislike this video. The guy is like a car detailjng encyclopedia. He's by far the best detailed out there.
Brian, you say you know when a car comes into your shop what you're going to use on it (presumably because the manufacturer or model dictates clear coat hardness). If there is a rule of thumb like domestic vs foreign or whatever, please tell us. I am NOT going to use sandpaper on my car. My wife's ... maybe, but not on mine.
Is soft clear OK ? My clear coat feels hard but my finger nails can go into it , 5 days after painting ?
Thank you sir, exactly what I need!
Hey Brian , found something interesting as well on my daily M3 06 carbon black first off would say it is hard clear and after removing scratches from a pesty cat ,did a test on depth and it went from 1.2 too being 1.4 after ! This can only be cause by clear now total Clean and showing true depth ! Very satisfying ! Is my finding Correct?
Do you know if a 2010 M6 and a 2018 M6 have the same hardness? My M6 v10 daily is in need of correction badly. I'm going to try to do it myself as a beginner .
@@tonycapil1022 not sure about those years I can tell you to a simple test just a few inches with 2500 grit in water meguiars 205 works good and see what happens will probably need to do three passes and if Les passes then you'll know that the clear coat soft very simple
If you did the paint thickness reading directly after the polishing and got a thicker reading than when you started to polishing. You almost certainly have experienced how the paint swells when it's stressed and even more if you used a strong IPA to wipe the polishing oils off. If possible do another reading on the same spot the day after. And I think that you will be noticeing that you have a thinner paint now than the first reading. You abrade off paint and not ad paint when you polishing. Then it's also much on the PTG and the quality and that you measure exactly on the same spot or very close to it. If I understod you right that you got a higher thickness reading after you had polished your car.
@@markt9438 Thank you for the reply brother! I'll try that out.
Paint swell from excess heat.
Have I missed any videos about single stage paints or will you be making any? I know they're less common now on new cars (everything is a pearl paint now!) but older cars even into the 2000's often had single stage paints without clear that seem to be much different to care for in regards to polishing and protecting. The black paint on my 2000 Toyota in particular is exceptionally soft and prone to marring, my aunt's early 90's Ford has very soft red paint, but then I run into some very old cars at work which are single stage but seem like a very hard paint. Hoping for some single stage love, tips, tricks, pointers, and advice from your channel someday!
huzudra scroll back. Brian have done a few videos on single stage paint.
I have done quite a few actually.🙂
Would you say Kia had relatively soft clear coat? (2016 Kia Optima Black)
Debería usted usar una pulidora rotativa que tiene mayor poder de corrección!
Brian, I would love to turn up for a course you would give someday! I think 1-3 days with you would put alot of headaches to bed. Is there a way to tell by metallic vs non metallic paint as well? I just was told this when I did an Audi A5 black non metallic that it was soft coat and if it was metallic it would be hard coated.
Declan Flaherty that is not always the case. I would still do a test spot to be sure.
@@apexdetail85 Thanks Brian. I usually do the test spot anyway but good to know.
My 03 Jaguar S Type R seems to have a hard coat,what would you say Brian?
Normally...it is VERY soft. Was it refinished at some point?
Jaguar is soft - I have a black F type and can’t breathe on it
Apex Detail I have polished it w Chemical Guys 36 & 38 a year or more ago,I didn’t really press it very hard,so I am sure I could probably do it again.
Hi, Are there particular makes of cars where you expect to see soft or hard clear coat?
You move that slow passing with a 50/50 pad? Damn
Thank you, Brian for doing this. Now I just have to get the nerve to sandpaper my wife’s car.
I'm doing a paint correction on my car Currently and the paint is super soft. It's driving me nuts. I have really nice micro fibers and they tend to scratch alittle just when I wipe off the compound. Any tips on how to reduce this, aside from using a different microfiber on every panel?
1 year later! I guess he doesn't reply much...
Little late, but I am finding same. Using 400gsm minimum for buffing compound off so I don't get swirl marks from towel
@@paulr5027 I sure did learn alot in my 50hr correction. Some 50/50 panel wipe with water helped. Edgeless towels and compressed air worked wonders.
@@gumballer133iPA wipe, correct? So just spray it on then towel off(with good GSM off course)?
@@paulr5027 Yep, IPA wipe, but I did cut it with water. I didn't want to risk softening the paint on my car. I would hate to have to repaint it because of something I did. Car is finally worth something! Lol
Do you actually scuff up a customers vehicle to test clear coat like that as well?
Clear coats here in Pakistan are real headache to work with. You just cant perfecr it. The scratches are deep in ckear coat, i can remove swirls and smooth out the scratches but can not remove them. May be i am not aggresive enough but i use koch chemie H9 and tried different pads from lake country to koch chemie. I cant remove the defects and i dont intend to, i am worried i will damage it going for perfection
How long would it take you to do a truck with light scratches?
Craig Leidig Jr 4 to 6 hours
Thank you
Damn...that towel scratched it like that? What kind of towel?
Hi hoping someone can tell me if my cars have a soft or hard clear coat. Nissan wingroad 2005 and Mazda axela 2006. Thanks
Geoffrey Leonard both soft... and rather thin.
Apex Detail thank you so much.
Great job first
I just purchased it from canada.
Tried in india for the first time for half an hour.
Then packed it until new polishing job cane.
Today reopened and it's not working.
Won't turn on. Please help me.
P.S. i use universal voltage converter 220V/240V AC to 110V/120V AC 50/60Hz
I also have a Subaru and I swear if I just look at it , it scratches. Feels like I need to polish it every year 😞
Sweet !!!
2003 GM clearcoat.... Thick or thin?
GM clear coat is hard. It's scratch resistant
Gm clear coat is hard. It is called scratch resistant clear if I'm not mistaken. Especially the trucks. Very tough. I almost always have to go aggressive unless is love marks or very light swirls
Hard, stubborn. Thicker than most but that is changing. It is becoming softer and thinner each year.
I would still like to know why manufacturers choose to use soft vs hard clear-coating. Also, the soft seemed to polish more easily but does that also mean it is prone to wearing off sooner and, therefore, ought not to be polished as many times as a hard can be? I would think the thickness would be a factor in deciding that.
psa110 absolutely...soft clear wears quickly. Polishing on a regular basis is not recommended.
So a 2015 Jeep is a hard paint?
I am still confused , need more test
not gonna tell us the make or model of the test panels?
Uncle Fjester The fisrt one is a hood from Subaru
Subaru hood... GM suv back door.
I can't bring myself to use sandpaper on my car!
What is your compound choice for hard clear coat ?
"Polishing it constantly" Is that a good thing? Aren't you removing layers of clear coat every time you do that?
Or you could just sand the customers car with sand paper and see how easy it gets corrected. 😜
Tim Atwood Noooo! 😂
@@apexdetail85 😂
Hard paint is way worse than a hard clear coat, I have had some tough ones over the years before clear coats took over...Custom paint jobs that were sanded with 1200 or worse 600 grit...I have better products now, than the 80's-90's when we had a hard time keeping up with the paint technology, my job is easier now, not even close...
I live in Connecticut, someday I'm going to show up at your place of business and give you a big hug for helping me. It would be a heterosexual hug so don't worry. My luck you won't be around because you would be on your first vacation, which you deserve!
Sanding technique 🤣
You would think after years and years of detailing, then you would already know for the most part which cars were hard or soft, no? If someone put sandpaper on my car then I would blow a major gasket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Details truly suck at wet sanding
Long winded and no help what so ever! 🤯