New Car Paint Protection Checklist

1. Inspect the paint early

Look at the paint in direct sun or under a bright light, before or soon after delivery. Check for swirls, scratches, chips and uneven panels. A new car may be washed before you take it home, and IGL Coatings notes that most swirls happen during washing. Note anything you find with the dealer.

Skylab starts every job with a consultation and inspection under studio lighting, plus a digital paint thickness reading. That shows what the paint needs before anything is sealed in. Skylar personally works on every car, from inspection to final check.

2. Decide on paint correction

New paint may need only a light polish, or none. Light wash marks and haze can usually be cleared with a single step. At Skylab, single-step correction starts at $700 and takes up to eight hours. Whatever is on the paint when film or coating goes on stays there, so this step comes first.

If the paint needs more, the levels step up. Two-step correction starts at $1,450 and removes roughly 80 to 90 percent of defects. Whether a new car needs that depends on how it was handled and washed before delivery, which the inspection shows.

3. Choose film for impact areas

Rock chips are the one thing a coating cannot stop. STEK says a full front package, covering the bumper, hood, fenders and mirrors, stops the vast majority of rock chips and debris damage. With Interstate 5 and State Route 99 as Modesto's main highway routes, front coverage is worth considering. Skylab installs STEK film and quotes each car free.

Film can cover more than the front. Full-body coverage protects every painted panel, which some owners choose for expensive or hard-to-match paint. Skylab installs STEK film on hoods, fenders, full fronts or the whole car, and STEK backs DYNOshield with a 10-year warranty.

4. Coat everything else

A ceramic coating goes over the paint and the film for gloss, water beading and easier washing. It can also go on wheels, brake calipers, glass, plastics and trim. At Skylab, GYEON Infinite starts at $1,000, base plus top coat at $1,500, and Revolution Self-Healing Nano Graphene at $1,800.

Wheels and calipers are worth including on a new car. Coating them while they are still clean and new makes brake dust easier to rinse off from the first wash. Glass, plastics and trim can be coated at the same time.

5. Plan the first weeks

GYEON recommends no washing for at least 14 days after a coating. If you have film, follow the installer's care steps and keep high-pressure water away from film edges, as XPEL advises. Keep the paperwork Skylab gives you, which lists what was installed, your warranty and a care guide.

6. Keep up maintenance

Hand wash every week or two with a pH-neutral shampoo and clean microfiber. Skip brush car washes. Dry the car quickly, since Modesto's tap water is hard and leaves spots. At Skylab, a $400 yearly maintenance top coat extends the GYEON Infinite warranty for life. Ask about mobile service as well.