My car’s getting older and starting to look a little faded. There are some especially light patches here and there and a bit of peeling near my gas cap. How can I fix the clear coat on my car?

Bellina Gaskey · Updated on Feb 11, 2022

Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.

Good for you for wanting to take care of your car as it ages (hopefully gracefully)! To fix the clear coat on your car based on the problems you described (fading and peeling), you’ll need the following supplies:

A few different grades of sandpaper (1000-grit, 1500-grit, and 2000-grit)

A sandpaper block

A soft microfiber towel and isopropyl alcohol

Clear coat spray paint (with a spray gun, optional)

Rubber compound, polisher of your choice, and buffer pads (with a dual polisher machine for best results)

Start by washing your car at the car wash or by hand. Use car soap and water to remove dirt, gunk, bugs, etc.

Use the lowest-grade sandpaper and get it nice and wet. Use the sanding block and wet sand all the faded or peeling clear coat areas by moving the sandpaper up and down, left and right—never in circles to avoid making bigger scratches.

After one iteration of sanding, your faded or peeling areas should start to blend in more with the surrounding good areas of clear coat. Go slow so you don’t accidentally sand off all the clear coat and expose the base layer of paint underneath.

Use the microfiber cloth to wipe away any dust and debris, then move on to repeat the process with the next highest grade of sandpaper. Don’t forget to wet it again!

End with a final round using the 2000-grit sandpaper. Saving the finest grade for last will make any scratches from the sandpaper tinier and less visible.

Clean and rinse the areas you sanded. Let everything dry, then carefully spray three layers of clear coat spray paint on the sanded areas.

Let each coat dry for five minutes before applying the next coat. Spray lightly and hold the aerosol can from a distance to prevent the paint from running.

Let the spray paint dry as long as it takes (it may be up to a day). Then, finish up by buffing the newly-painted areas to blend in better with the old untouched areas.

Take one buffer pad and add a few dots of rubber compound. Work by hand or use a polishing machine. Don’t buff too hard, or you’ll burn the clear coat. Repeat the same process with a new buffer pad and the polisher of your choice. Then, your clear coat should be all touched up!

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