There's nothing quite like that right off the lot glossy sheen of a new car with a new paint job. Even a well-maintained, garaged used vehicle can have that amazing glossy paint sheen. By washing and waxing regularly, you can maintain that sheen...for a while. But, eventually, every long-time vehicle owner will have to deal with the reality of fading paint.

Some areas on a vehicle fade faster than others, such as the hood and roof if they are constantly exposed to the sun and other elements. If you have heavy paint fading in specific places, you can get prepainted replacement auto parts like bumpers, hoods, and fenders, or other prepainted car parts from Paint A Part to give your vehicle that new shiny look again.

Let's take a closer look at what exactly causes car paint to fade and what we can do about it.

Before understanding the fading process, it's important to understand how car paint is applied. It's a four-step process that starts with a bare surface prepped with a sanding tool. This not only removes contaminants but also creates a microscopic cross pattern that helps paint stick evenly. The second step is applying primer to this surface as a base coat. The third step is when the actual paint is applied. This is usually done in a few coats. The final step is a clear coat that strengthens the protection and adds shine. The clear coat is usually the layer that begins showing signs of damage.

Paint fading and damage are caused by oxidation. This is a chemical reaction where heat and oxygen combine to slowly destroy the molecular bonds of the paint. Once this process begins, it can't be stopped, only slowed.

Before understanding the fading process, it's important to understand how car paint is applied. It's a four-step process that starts with a bare surface prepped with a sanding tool. This not only removes contaminants but also creates a microscopic cross pattern that helps paint stick evenly. The second step is applying primer to this surface as a base coat. The third step is when the actual paint is applied. This is usually done in a few coats. The final step is a clear coat that strengthens the protection and adds shine. The clear coat is usually the layer that begins showing signs of damage.

Paint fading and damage are caused by oxidation. This is a chemical reaction where heat and oxygen combine to slowly destroy the molecular bonds of the paint. Once this process begins, it can't be stopped, only slowed.

UV Rays - When your car is exposed to sunlight for long periods, the UV rays slowly penetrate the clear coat and heat the paint beneath it. As the paint gets warm, oxygen gets into the underlayers, and heat is absorbed into the metal.

Salt - If you live near the ocean or in a place that gets a lot of snow in the winter, which results in road-salting, you can expect salt to become your paint's worst enemy. Salt is extremely corrosive and when it's combined with UV rays due to being left on your vehicle's surface, it becomes even more corrosive.

Abrasive Cleaners - Even though washing your car can be helpful to remove corrosive elements like salt, the cleaners themselves can be suspect. Abrasive cleaners or tools dig into the surface of your paint and expose the underlayers to oxygen and UV rays.

Pollution - It's almost impossible to escape pollution, considering that much of it is caused by combustion engines like your car. The very best gas engine can only burn about 95% of the fuel that enters the combustion chamber. The rest is expelled through your exhaust. Diesel fuels expel even larger particles from the exhaust system. Carbon may be microscopic, but the molecules are hard and jagged. Carbon molecules cause microabrasions on your paint that will eventually multiply and scar your clear coat.

Now that you know what causes paint to fade, let's take a look at some ways to prevent it. First, it's important to understand that you can't prevent fading by 100%. Unless your car is kept covered in a garage and rarely taken out, your paint will fade. It's just a matter of when and how quickly. Nevertheless, there are some ways to slow it down.

Carnuba Wax - This wax comes from a type of palm tree in Brazil that secretes wax when the temperatures get over 80 degrees to protect its leaves from the sun. If you apply a few coats of this wax as instructed, it will give your paint a sturdy layer of protection against UV rays, salt, and corrosive pollution. To get the most out of spray wax, you need to apply it and remove it every month or so.

Paint Sealant - This is essentially synthetic car wax made at industrial strength. It provides a layer of protection that lasts for about eight months to a year.

Ceramic Coating - Also known as nanocoating, this is a special blend of silica dioxide or another synthetic polymer. The formula directly bonds to your painted parts, but it can also bond to plastic, bare metal, vinyl, and glass. When it cures, it quickly hardens into a sturdy protective layer that blocks salt, UV rays, chemicals, and pollution.

Fixing faded paint highly depends on how much damage has been done to it. If the clear coat is hazy, then you can usually buff out the damage, then repair and enhance the clear coat. However, before you can do this, you'll need to know what type of paint is on your vehicle and the clear coat level. Most modern vehicles are painted with a dual-stage system that includes multiple layers of paint without color and an added hardener. If you have the clear coat on top of the base color, then you can more easily restore your clear coat through buffing.

It's pretty much impossible to entirely keep your paint from fading, but the easiest way is simply to wash your car by hand without abrasive cleaners or tools and then protect it with a product made specifically for paint protection. Wash your car every few weeks to remove surface contaminants.

It's pretty much impossible to entirely keep your paint from fading, but the easiest way is simply to wash your car by hand without abrasive cleaners or tools and then protect it with a product made specifically for paint protection. Wash your car every few weeks to remove surface contaminants.

Count on Paint A Part for replacement autobody parts due to paint fade or other damage. We have prepainted bumpers and prepainted fenders among other parts. We can match prepainted car parts with a wide selection of different makes and models. All parts are guaranteed for a perfect fit and to match factory paint specifications.