Clear coat
Quick answer: The clear coat is the transparent top layer of modern automotive paint that provides gloss and UV protection – it is the surface you machine-polish and protect with coatings or PPF.
What it means
Most modern cars use a base-coat/clear coat system: colour pigment in the base-coat, sealed under a transparent clear coat. The clear coat is thin, typically around 30–50 µm, and is designed to provide gloss, depth and a barrier against UV and chemicals.
Why it matters
- Paint correction: polishing removes a small amount of clear coat to level defects. Removal is permanent and cumulative.
- Protection choices: ceramic coatings bond to the clear coat; PPF adheres to it to add physical impact resistance.
- Durability: keeping clear coat thickness healthy reduces the risk of oxidation and, coat failure and UV damage to the base-coat.
- Appearance: defects such as swirls, haze and orange peel are seen in the clear layer, affecting gloss.
Where you’ll see it
Detailing and bodyshop contexts: paint correction estimates, coating application, resprays, touch-ins and film installation.
Context
Car Paint Protection; Paint correction; Ceramic coatings
Common mistakes
- Thinking clear coat is the same as wax or ceramic – coatings sit on the clear, they do not replace it.
- Assuming you can polish indefinitely – thinning is irreversible and can lead to failure.
- Reading a paint depth gauge as clear-coat thickness – it measures the whole stack over the substrate.
- Using harsh brushes or aggressive chemicals that accelerate abrasion and oxidation.
- Expecting a coating to make the clear coat scratch-proof – it improves resistance, not immunity.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 06/11/2025 16:53