Ceramic Coating
A hard, semi-permanent clear layer over your paint that resists etching, chemicals and UV fade.
Learn more →What correction actually is
Paint correction is the controlled removal of a few microns of clear coat with a machine polisher, abrasive compound and a pad, in order to level the surface down to the bottom of the defects sitting in it. Swirl marks, holograms from a rotary, water spot etching and oxidation are all valleys cut into the clear. You cannot fill them honestly; fillers wash out in months. You level the surface around them.
Done correctly the result is paint that stays flat and reflective under direct sun and under the LED lights at a service station, which is where swirls always announce themselves. Done badly it is either ineffective or, worse, it burns through clear on an edge and costs a respray.
Single stage versus two stage
A single-stage correction is one pass with a light polish and finishing pad. It removes perhaps sixty to eighty per cent of light marring and restores gloss. It suits near-new cars, soft paint, and anyone who wants a good result without the bill for perfection.
A two-stage correction starts with a cutting compound and a firmer pad to remove the deeper defects, then follows with a refining polish to remove the haze the cutting stage leaves. It is roughly double the labour and it is what a swirled black daily needs. Three-stage work exists and is mostly for show cars and very hard ceramic clears.
The difference between these two is usually the single biggest variable in a coating quote. That is the honest reason two quotes for "ceramic coating on a Golf" can be $900 apart — see the cost guide for the full breakdown.
What has to happen before the polisher touches the car
Polishing dirty paint grinds contamination into it. So the sequence is fixed: a proper wash, an iron fallout remover to dissolve embedded brake dust, a tar solvent on the lower panels, then clay or a clay medium to shear off anything still bonded. Melbourne cars picked up from the Dandenong industrial belt or parked near rail lines carry a surprising amount of ferrous fallout, and it will all show purple when the iron remover goes on.
Then the car is taped — trim, badges, rubbers and edges — because compound stains plastic and a pad on a sharp body line is where burn-through happens.
Correction on its own, or as preparation?
Correction is a legitimate standalone service. If you are selling the car, a single-stage cut and a durable sealant presents beautifully for a fraction of a coating job. But polish alone leaves the clear coat bare, and bare clear picks up new swirls from the very next wash.
If you want the result to hold, correction is the preparation step for a ceramic coating or for paint protection film, both of which lock the corrected finish in. That is the order it has to happen in, because neither product can fix what is underneath it.
We work across greater Melbourne — the service areas page lists the suburbs, including Toorak and Brighton — and every job starts with an inspection before a number is quoted. Get in touch to arrange one.
More services
Explore our other services
Paint Protection Film
Thick urethane film on the panels that cop stone chips. The only thing here that stops physical damage.
Learn more →Interior Protection
Fabric, leather and plastic coatings that buy you time on spills and slow UV cracking on the dash.
Learn more →Wheel and Glass Coating
Heat-tolerant coating on wheel faces and barrels, plus a hydrophobic layer on the windscreen.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What causes swirl marks in the first place?
Contact washing with dirty media. Automatic brush washes at service stations are the worst offender, followed by one-bucket sponge washing at home and drying with a used towel. Each pass drags grit across the clear coat and leaves fine circular scratches that only show in direct sun or under LED light. Correction removes them; better wash habits stop them returning.
Can paint correction remove deep scratches?
Only if the scratch is within the clear coat. Run a fingernail across it: if the nail catches, the scratch has gone through to the base coat or primer and polishing will not remove it without cutting through the clear. Those need touch-up or panel refinishing. Correction reliably fixes swirls, holograms, water spot etching and oxidation.
Is there a limit to how many times paint can be corrected?
Yes. Factory clear coat is typically 40 to 60 microns and each correction stage removes a few microns. Most cars have two or three serious corrections in them across a lifetime. We measure clear coat thickness with a gauge on older cars and on anything that has had panel work, and we will refuse to cut a panel that is already thin.
Do new cars need paint correction?
Often, yes. Transport film, dealer wash bays and pre-delivery buffing frequently leave a new car with light marring or rotary holograms before you ever drive it. A single-stage correction on a new car is quick and cheap compared to an older daily, but skipping the inspection and coating straight over the top is how people end up disappointed.
Free, no-obligation