newly painted car care plan!

[S-T-R-I-K-E-R]

I just had my car newly painted "body shop" and I am dead serious about keeping it as pristine as possible.

I hope the "masters" can come up with a plan/guide to take care of my "body shop paint job".

- from day 1 to day 90

-from day 90 onwards


Thank You in advance!!

Dupont paint (color: black)
hand washed daily (two bucket system)

already purchased:
nxt car wash
final inspection detailer

[BarryK]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

for the first 60-90 days (whatever your body shop tells you based on the paint system they used) you do not want to wax it because the new paint still has to finish gassing out to cure properly.
So, during this time period you just want to keep the paint clean and maintained with regular washing (the 2-bucket system is a great start for regular paint care). Between washings a good dust wipe-off with the Final Inspection is perfect as long as the dust isn't too heavy, otherwise just do another quick wash.
Personally, during washing I prefer to use an electric leaf blower to dry off the vehicle rather than using towels. Simply put, the absolute less you physically touch or rub on the paint surface, such as during drying after a wash, the less chance you will instill swirls / scratches in the paint.

After the 60-90 day period it's time to apply a high quality wax or sealant. wash it again to make sure it's nice and clean. If you had kept it washed on a regular basis up to this point you really shouldn't have any contaminants inbedded in the paint yet requiring claying so you should be able to skip this step so after washing I'd look at the paint surface very carefully to make sure there are no swirls or scratches to be removed. If there are do it now with the least aggressive method it takes - such as SwirlX or ScratchX 2.0.
Now you are ready to apply your choice of Wax or Sealant. Sealant tends to last longer than a wax and since you are in Las Vegas with the hot sun, dust, etc I'd recommend NXT 2.0. I'd apply one coat, let it haze up (usually about 15-20 minutes) and remove. than after 24 hours I'd apply a second coat. The second coat really isn't adding a real second layer to the first coat but it's good to do anyway so that if there were any areas you may have missed on the first coat you will get on the second one. The second coat application just assured you have complete and full coverage on the whole paint surface.

Now that you have you protection layer applied (paint sealant or wax) you simply have to maintain it with regular washings. After each wash and dry wipe it down with your final Inspection or even better maybe once a week or so after washing hit it with some UQW as a "booster" to the sealant protection.

Since it's VERY easy to instill minor swirls, etc in the paint and especially since black shows EVERY defect I'd also recommend spending the few more dollars to get the softest, plushest MF towels you can find. Cheap MF towels can put swirls/scratches/marks in your paint and again especially with a black vehicle you will kick yourself if that happens if you go "cheap" on a few towels

[Michael Stoops]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

Good advice from Barry, you'll do well to follow it.

Keep in mind though that only you can determine if the car needs to be clayed and/or you need a paint cleaner like SwirlX to remove any fine marring before waxing.

If, after washing and drying, the paint feels rough to the touch, clay it. If you see fine towel marks, or maybe even some rotary holograms inflicted by the body shop (sure wouldn't be the first time!) then you know you need a liquid paint cleaner to correct them.

[S-T-R-I-K-E-R]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

awesome advices guys it is highly appreciated!! will do this and make sure that my ride stays as pristine as possible.

[S-T-R-I-K-E-R]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

barry - got your point regarding those Micro Fiber towels. its really makes no sense to spend $$$ on paint protection if the towels are not of good quality. I will buy WM's asap.

michael - I will be more keen on the condition of my paint. Thanks bro!

how does UQW differ from UQD?

how often do i use my NTX 2.0?

[BarryK]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

how does UQW differ from UQD?

how often do i use my NTX 2.0?

1. UQW = Ultimate Quick WAX vs UQD = Ultimate Quick Detail
UQW is an actual wax / sealant product similar to any liquid wax or sealant such as NXT 2.0 or others but basically just in a spray. I don't believe it will last as long for durability so I don't like using it as a PRIMARY protection layer and recommend other products such as the NXT 2.0 or #26 or whatever you like but it makes a really nice "booster" to your regular sealant or wax to help it last longer.
Having said that I'm sure there are people that actually do use the UQW as their primary protection layer and if any Megs personnel replies such as Michael they most likely will say that UQW CAN be used as a primary product as I've never seen it advertised or described as it's function being anything specifically "less" than that.
UQD is a detail spray and not a wax / sealant product. Excellent for dusting off the car, removing smudges, fingerprints, bird droppings, etc but it does not leave a protection layer behind like a wax or sealant product

2. NXT durability (or ANY LSP product) will vary depending on the environment the vehicle is kept in, whether it's garage kept or left outdoors, etc, etc but GENERALLY speaking figure 2-3 months and than I'd recommend applying another coat.
I have a show car that stays garage kept, only is driven on very nice days typically 2-3 month during April - Oct (I'm on the east coast). I use M21 (pro line version of NXT 2.0) and top it with #26 and usually only apply it once or twice a year but the car barely gets 500 miles a year put on it and spends 95% of it's life inside under a car cover...
My daily drivers I usually reapply the M21 every 3-4 months.
Regardless of what I find I need on my cars HERE, as Michael mentioned earlier only YOU can determine what your paint surface will need and a good indicator that you may need to reapply your NXT is to look at the beading when washing your car. When you see the water isn't beading up as well as it does when you first apply the wax that's an indication it's getting time to reapply your LSP

[JimboB5]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

Great advice on the paint care; is what I've also been doing for the last 30 days after my re-paint. Another idea would be to use one of Megs pure polishes until you're ready to apply a wax. BTW... have a new bottle of #81 Professional Polish ( body-shop safe ) if interested, will include shipping in US for $16. mccowngwen@aol.com

[the_invisible]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

I heard that Dupont paint is on the soft side, and cures more slowly than the European and Asian made paint. While the paint is being cured, try not to tailgate other cars, as to avoid rock chips.

Wash and Clay the car often to avoid permanent contamination.

Also, you can feel free to use compounds and cleaners on the paint. I was told that cleaning the paint allows the solvent to evaporate. Of course, you only use these products when necessary. There's no point of using these products otherwise. I am not sure if the polishing oil in cleaning polishes would affect the curing process of the paint, though. I personally play it safe by only using compounds and cleaners on my fresh paint. No polish, if possible.

[S-T-R-I-K-E-R]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

thanks guys!! Surprisingly I understand all your tips! I will keep you guys posted on how things will turn out!

[JimboB5]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

For what it's worth, have actually have been told by a number of people, including Mike P,. that a PURE polish would be fine to use on fresh paint and may provide a little protection from contaminants sticking to the paint while curing.

[JimboB5]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

If you google for fresh paint care, you'll find Meguiars own recommmendations to NOT use any cutting compounds on fresh paint and that a PURE polish is made for fresh paint, as well as the 2-bucket wash method : )

[BarryK]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

compounds and polishes are fine to use on fresh paint.
Of course if the paint shop did a good job you shouldn't have to but anyone that has had experience with getting bodywork done or new paint jobs usually learns that while body & paint shops may be good and body and paint work, they many times are lacking in the skills of what I call "final paint corrections" and tend to leave behind holograms, swirls, etc of which may easily require a compound or polish to remove.
Regardless, most products (compounds, polishes, glazes, etc) are actually safe on fresh paint except LSP's of waxes and sealants since you need to allow the paint to "breath" so it can out gas.

If you google for fresh paint care, you'll find Meguiars own recommmendations to NOT use any cutting compounds on fresh paint and that a PURE polish is made for fresh paint, as well as the 2-bucket wash method : )

I think you may be misreading or misunderstanding what they recommend or taking the information out of context.

Cutting compound s CAN be used on fresh paint. What do you think bodyshops use to buff out a vehicle after painting and wetsanding? After wetsanding the vehicle you need to use a cutting compound on the fresh paint to removes the sanding marks. That's exactly what products like M105 are actually designed for.
Although to further qualify the information though, a cutting compound is needed to buff out the paint after wetsanding, etc but the average person who isn't very familiar with paint work and/or detailing and with the experience to know how to PROPERLY use this type of product shouldn't use a cutting compound (on fresh paint ,or cured paint either) because with the aggressiveness of the product permanent damage can easily occur.
This is the reason that cutting compounds like M105 are specifically in the PRO line of products and not the consumer line and why you won't find them on the shelves of Pep Boys, Walmart, etc.

[akimel]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

Are you on water restrictions out in Vegas? I notice you are washing your car daily. You might want to consider adding Optimum No Rinse to your detailing arsenal. You may find that it will decrease your wash time and dramatically reduce the formation of water spots, as well as saving you many pennies on water usage.

The frequency of washing is one of those difficult decisions that we black car owners face: the longer one waits between washes, the greater the chance that contaminants will bond to and perhaps even damage the surface, but the more frequently one washes (or quick details) one's car, the greater likelihood of instilling swirls. Do check out the articles on car washing cited in Internet Resources for Detailing Newbs. You may even want to consider investing in a pressure washer and foam gun, as well as a water de-ionizing system. It all depends on how detail-obsessed and protective of your car you want to be.

My black car recommendation: touch the paint surface as infrequently as reasonably possible. I never apply a quick detailer to my car in-between washes, except for emergencies like bird bombs.

I don't know if anything in this article would be relevant to your situation, but you may find of interest Your Daily Driver: A Simple Wash & Wax Regimen.

I second Barry's recommendation to get high quality microfiber towels. I like both the Supreme Shine and Ultimate Wipes from Meguiar's, but my favorite waffle weave drying towel is the Ultra-Soft towel from PakShak.

Black paint is an absolute joy, but it will also break your heart.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Al

[JimboB5]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

Absolutely, not by the average consumer... like myself. I did, however, repeat the advice given by Meguiars on fresh paint care. I guess in that since, the advice is intended to apply to the average person. Thanks for the correct information.

[S-T-R-I-K-E-R]

Re: newly painted car care plan!

does the nxt tech wax 2.0 dry clear?