Service 04
Swirls, haze and water spots machine-polished out in stages, taking off only as much clear coat as the defects need.
Three short steps.
Prefer to talk? Call (313) 301-3342
What it is
Most paint correction jobs at our shop on Schoolcraft Rd in Livonia take about 1 to 4 days, depending on the level. We start with a paint inspection, then plan the work from what it shows. Tell us what bothers you about the paint and we'll point you to the right level.
Painted surfaces collect damage: swirl marks from automatic car washes, holograms from rotary buffers, etching from bird droppings and tree sap, water spots, micro-marring from drying towels, and dealer prep scratches that were there before you drove the car off the lot.
Wax and detail spray don't remove any of it. The light still catches the damage, and the depth is gone.
Paint correction refines the clear coat with a machine and levels the defects, which brings back the clarity and gloss the paint was built to have. It can get a finish close to factory-new without a repaint. Too much correction removes clear coat and leaves holograms. A glaze can hide flaws for a month before it washes off.
We do a paint inspection first, test a pad and compound on a small spot, then work panel by panel. We take off only as much clear coat as the defects need.
Correction levels
Tier 01
Single-stage refinement for daily drivers and lighter swirl marks.
Tier 02
Two-stage correction for well-kept enthusiast cars or moderate defects.
Tier 03
Multi-stage work for show cars, concours prep, or coating foundation on collector vehicles.
How we work
Every panel has a limited amount of clear coat. Aggressive correction removes some of it, and it doesn't come back. Some shops skip the inspection and chase the most aggressive pass that looks good today. We inspect first.
Paint inspection, every panel. We look the whole car over before we polish anything, and the plan comes from what the inspection shows.
Tested before applied. We test on an inconspicuous section to find the lightest pad and compound that gets the defects out. Then we work panel by panel, under several light sources, until the paint is right.
Scoping. If your paint won't take aggressive correction, we tell you. If a milder tier will get 90% of the result, we recommend it. We won't sell you correction your paint can't take.
Pairs with
Swirls come back during the first washes if the paint has no protection. A ceramic coating or PPF over fresh correction holds the work: DYNFX backs Leicht for 3 years and Keramik X for 5.
If you want correction now and protection later, we document the work so a later coating bonds to the same surface we corrected. See ceramic coating in Livonia.
Process
Every correction starts with an inspection of the whole car.
We test a pad and compound on an inconspicuous section, then machine-polish panel by panel.
Enhancement Polish, Refinement Correction and Show Correction, about 1 to 4 days depending on the level.
We walk you through the finished work. If you have questions later, call (313) 301-3342.
Frequently asked
At our shop, 33801 Schoolcraft Rd in Livonia. We do it on its own or as the first step of a ceramic coating.
Single-stage is typically one day. Two-stage runs one to two. Multi-stage show correction can run two to four, depending on the vehicle and the depth of the defects. Every quote includes the timeline.
It can if too much clear coat comes off, which is why we start with a paint inspection. Correction removes some clear coat, so we plan the work from what the inspection shows and take off only what the defects need. Cars with healthy clear coat can be corrected several times over their life. Cars with thin clear coat get a lighter treatment.
It depends. A scratch you can catch with a fingernail has cut through the clear coat into the base. That is touch-up or repaint territory, not correction. Scratches that haven't gone through the clear coat can usually be reduced or removed. We assess every car on arrival and tell you what is realistic.
On its own, correction lasts as long as your washing technique stays clean, typically six months to a year before swirls start to return with normal washes. That is why we recommend pairing correction with a coating: it locks the work in for the full 3 or 5 years.
Yes. Every ceramic coating we install includes the level of correction your paint needs, with no separate booking. If you only need correction, we offer it as a standalone service.
Paint correction cost depends on the vehicle, the defect level and the level of correction you want. We don't publish prices because every job is different.
Based in Livonia, we work throughout Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties. See the areas we serve
Shop address: 33801 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia, MI 48150. Hours, phone and directions
We'll recommend the right option for your car and the way you use it.
