When are you required to spray a clear coat over polished parts? For example, I cleared my brake calipers after polishing them. But what about underhood parts like the accessory bracket or, what about tailpipes?

 

I dont think anything is required. it's just the stuff you dont feel like polsihing all the time.

 

Yeah, hes right. Some stuff is prone to rusting, so if you notice that, you are gonna want to clear that.

 

It also sort've depends on how accessible the part is. If you're talking about something like an intake manifold it might be more beneficial to have that clearcoated because of how difficult it would be to get to with all the hoses/wires that are around it. Something like an intake elbow, or radiator fan shroud would probably be okay to leave bare because they're easy to reach and/or take off if needed.

 

Thanks you guys.

 

On that note then, would it benefit you to clear all the parts you polish so you don't have to keep doing it over and over? Or is there a drawback to it that I'm missing?

 

Anything you clearcoat is going to dull the shine. So it's a compromise. It basically boils down to how you weigh "perfection" against "convenience."

 

Itll still look good though. My wheels are polished and clearcoated, and when i rinse them off and whipe them down, they sure do shine. Take a look in my sig and you can see my wheels.

 

If done right clearcoated aluminum can look pretty good, I agree. But in the instance of clearcoated wheels, it's a bit of an apples and oranges comparison. You have to keep in mind that the clearcoat on your wheels was put on in optimum conditions, (spotless, downdraft, baked) with hvlp type equipment from the factory. Rattle can paint from the hardware store done in your garage is going to be a bit more challenging to get that same kind've finish. Not saying it CAN'T be done, it's just more difficult.

 

Yeah, thats true. I was just tryin to get the point across that it may not dull the finish as much as some think.

 

don't do the spray on clear because its going to make the finish hazy and dull. The only thing that i have seen that works good and does not make it look dull or hazy is Zoops Seal. They sell it over at eastwood, I would def take a look at that.