New paint - When to wax?

[pjf]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

I'm restoring my car, a 1989 Suzuki Sidekick. This month, a body shop repainted my car and an auto accessories firm applied a clear bra to the front-facing surfaces. The accessories firm emphatically will not apply the clear bra over new paint unless it has cured with time or with a heat "baking" process. Since the paint was cured with heat, the firm applied the clear bra immediately after it left the paint shop. If the new paint was baked on and was ready for the clear bra, should it not be ready for wax?

[the other pc]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

No. Body shop bake schedules do not fully cure a finish. They aren’t long enough or hot enough.

They do speed up the process enough for the painter to shoot, wetsand, compound and polish the same day, rather than waiting a day between shooting and the sand, cut & buff.

The clear film installer was still taking a chance. 3M recommends that paint be fully cured before applying the film.


PC.

[mis3]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

Isn't it a standard procedure for the paint shop to put the car in a heat room to bake the paint? I would assume the longer the bake time, the better. Exactly how long would they put your car in the heat room, you never know.

The better shops will use OE paint and blend in the color with the other panels. They will ensure the car looks great but I doubt many of them have a good understanding of the chemistry of the paint.

I don't understand as well and with so many variables, I waited 3 months (painfully) before applying wax and the 3M clear bra to the newly painted panels.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

If the new paint was baked on and was ready for the clear bra, should it not be ready for wax?

That makes sense and you can do whatever it is you want to your new paint job as it's your paint job.

Here on this forum we let the manufactures of paint and the painter's recommendation take priority and all paint manufactures recommend a waiting time before sealing the paint.

Maybe nothing negative will ever happen if you seal the paint before the manufactures recommendations.

Regardless, we're not going to post recommendations that go against the recommendations of the people that make the paint and we're not going to let our forum members do this either.

[Black Bart]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

Mike is correct but not only do you need to know the paint manufacture but the number used.
I have a friend who paints at a Chevrolet dealership with 35 years experience and he is really good.

This guy paints nearly all the show cars in this area.
I hangout their some and I have learned a lot from him I do some painting myself.
He explained to me how different paints will take more or less time to cure and it can be shortened with heat but how much heat and how long it is left in the heat will determine how much it cures.

The safe thing is either ask the guy who painted it because he is the one who knows what was put on and how it was applied.
Short of knowing that info the safe thing is wait 90 days before sealing it.

Like I said before it will be fine NO HARM will come to your paint if all you do is wash it for 90 days

I admire Mike and Meguiars attempt to keep advice on this forum accurate.

[KrisMas]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

Like I said before it will be fine NO HARM will come to your paint if all you do is wash it for 90 days

Thanks for the reassurance. Just feel a little awkward not having any protection on paintwork. Would need some getting use to I guess.

[pjf]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

Per the installer, the downside to clear bra application on uncured paint is bubbling of the clear bra. The installer works with the dealership's body shop to ensure that the paint is "baked-on" and replaces the clear bra should it bubble. In the meantime, your new paint is protected from chips and dings. Is there another downside to this procedure that we should know about?

P.S. - The paint was Suzuki #1SC black with clearcoat and was applied by the Suzuki dealership's body shop.

[mis3]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

Once I had some scratches in te rear bumper. Mercedes paint shop wanted $700 to repaint it and my service adviser said since it's only the bumper, I might consider using someone to "blow in " the paint. He told me that this was why every used car in his lot had perfect bumpers.

I did. It was done in my garage and the cost was $120. The result was great and I was not able to tell the difference.

I then put on the 3M plastic a few days after. When I replaced the 3M plastic after 2 years and when the installer pulled off the old plastic, sone of the paint came off !!!

[pjf]

Re: New paint - When to wax?

After having new paint and a clear bra applied last month, I went to a car wash. The attendants advised against a hand wax but ensured me that their spray-on coating and Rain-X treatment will not harm the new paint. What is in the spray-on coating and Rain-X treatment?