You Just Bought a New Car.
The Clock Is Already Ticking.
Most new car owners do nothing about paint protection until it's too late. The first 90 days are when the decisions that define your paint's long-term condition get made. Here's what you need to know.
The Reality
What's Actually Happening to Your New Car's Paint
A new car leaves the factory with a standard clear coat — a thin layer of paint that begins deteriorating the moment it's exposed to the elements. From the day it's manufactured, your car's paint is subject to UV radiation, industrial fallout, transport contamination, and handling damage before it even reaches the dealership.
On the Sunshine Coast, that degradation happens faster than almost anywhere else in Australia. Intense UV, salt air, bat and bird activity, and heat that bakes contaminants into unprotected clear coat mean that paint which looked perfect on the showroom floor can show oxidation and dullness within 12 to 18 months without proper protection.
The dealership's paint protection product is almost always a low-grade sealant that needs reapplying every 6–12 months and provides minimal protection against UV and chemical damage. It is not the same as a professional ceramic coating.
The Timeline
What Happens in the First 90 Days
- 01Day 1–7 — Transport and Handling ContaminationYour car arrives with bonded contaminants from transport — iron fallout, industrial dust, fine scratches from handling. Most dealers don't remove these properly before delivery.
- 02Week 1–4 — First Wash DamageThe first few washes introduce swirl marks if done incorrectly. Automatic car washes, poor technique and wrong products can introduce light scratches to bare clear coat almost immediately.
- 03Month 1–3 — UV Exposure BeginsUnprotected clear coat begins absorbing UV radiation. On the Sunshine Coast, this process is accelerated significantly. Early protection stops this before it becomes visible.
- 04Month 3+ — The Window NarrowsAfter 3 months, the paint has accumulated enough contamination and minor defects that preparation before coating becomes more involved. Acting within the first 90 days gives the cleanest possible foundation.
What To Do
The Right Way to Protect a New Car
The process is the same regardless of which coating you choose. It starts with preparation — not just a wash, but a full decontamination to remove bonded contaminants, followed by a machine polish to correct any factory or transport defects before the coating is applied.
- 01 Full exterior wash and snow foam pre-soak
- 02 Iron fallout decontamination — removes bonded metallic particles
- 03 Clay bar treatment — removes embedded surface contamination
- 04 Single-stage machine polish — corrects factory and transport defects
- 05 Panel wipe and IPA prep — ensures a clean bonding surface
- 06 Ceramic coating application — applied in controlled studio conditions
- 07 Cure time — 24–48 hours before water contact
Skipping the preparation stage and applying a coating directly over contaminated or defective paint is one of the most common and costly mistakes in automotive detailing. The coating will lock in whatever is underneath it permanently.
Our Packages
New Car Protection Packages
Three levels of new car protection — all include the same thorough preparation process. The difference is the coating product and the level of long-term protection it provides.
- + Full decontamination and machine polish
- + Gtechniq CSL applied to exterior
- + EXOv5 finishing layer included
- + Trims, wheels, glass and interior protected
- + 5 year manufacturer warranty
- + Full decontamination and machine polish
- + Gtechniq CSU applied to exterior
- + EXOv5 finishing layer included
- + Trims, wheels, glass and interior protected
- + 9 year manufacturer warranty
- + Full decontamination and machine polish
- + Premium graphene coating applied
- + Trims, wheels, glass and interior protected
- + Maximum durability and heat resistance
- + 10 year rated protection
The standard we hold on every new car we protect is reinforced by our sponsorship of Paige Raddatz Motorsport. A race-prepared car demands paint work that holds up under real scrutiny — that same discipline applies to every vehicle we prepare in the studio.
Don't Wait Until the Damage Is Done.
The best time to protect your new car's paint is before it needs correcting. Get in touch and we'll walk you through the right package for your car.