New paint job, wetsand or not? and other ?'s

Brookln300 · 05-07-02, 11:02

Hello everyone, I have been reading this forum for quite some time, and have gotten some great information that has helped dearly. This is my first post of hopefully many to come, and I just wanted to start with a few questions that I have regarding a new paint job that I am currently having done to my 1971 Chevy Impala. The body is in "near-perfect" condition, and a basecoat and clearcoat will be sprayed on hopefully tommorow if they get everything else out of the way. The main question I had was to have this wetsanded or not? I have read that wetsanding seriously deterierates the clearcoat life on the car. The car is a modest daily driver, and will be covered at night and when not driven. Could I polish this finish to a great shine instead of wetsanding it?

Also, what are some basic pointers you can give me to keep this car looking great? What kind of wash, polish, buffers?, ect. would you recommend?

Thanks and I hope to post some pictures as soon as the car comes back from the shop. I have some pictures of the bodywork and car before paint at my webpage though.

Keith

BradE · 05-07-02, 11:08

If the car is going to be a daily driver, even a modest one, then I would NOT wetsand.

As for the rest of the questions try doing a search, many of those questions have been discussed before.

Brookln300 · 05-07-02, 11:29

I was leaning towards that conclusion, but wasn't for sure. Thanks for the quick reply. Now its time to pick up some supplies and get ready to keep this thing sparkling.

Keith

Brookln300 · 05-07-02, 02:05

Sorry to bug everyone once again, but i feel its much better to ask questions now than to regret something done after the fact.

Upon receiving the car should I take any special steps for the paint, or should I treat it like any other vehicle?

I planned on giving it a quick clean, being that it will allready have been cleaned at the bodyshop, then should I polish it to attain a higher quality shine?(part im more concerned about), then wax

I havent picked any items up yet, but plan on using meiguars products until I can pick up others.

Keith

BradE · 05-07-02, 02:26

The paint should not be waxed or sealed for 60-90 days, talk to the painter to be sure. Washing is fine though. In fact I would wash with dawn to remove any oils or silicones they may have put on there and inspect the finish for problems. If you seen anything you don't approve of, go back to the shop and raise hell.

Guitarman · 05-07-02, 08:48

I painted my car and wet sanded it back in 1997, and it looks as good or better (thanks to 35 coats of Zaino) than it did then, with no durability problems whatsoever. BUT...I applied about 4 coats of clear (DuPont Chroma Base paint ) on it so I had some headroom when it came to color sanding . I removed all the orange peel, bugs and debris, and obtained a glass- flat result.

If you know they're only spraying 2 coats( typical) of clear, i'd advise against it. And, if they spray it well, and you don't have much orange peel, there's no real reason to do it anyway. You can polish to a great shine.

It all depends on a few variables. If you've seen their work and it's what you're looking for, you shouldn't need to do it. Good luck, sounds like a sweet car. Dan H

Brookln300 · 05-08-02, 03:15

Decided NOT to do any wet sanding to the vehicle, rather I will not try and find some good polishes to buff the car up to a great shine. Anyone have any personal preferences they would like to share?

Also, why is it you must wait that time period before applying a wax to your vehicle? just curious as to the reasons. The car is back and I would like to probably polish it up so I can get to all of the parts with the trim not being on it right now. I will attach some pictures of it as soon as I can. It is looking great though. Thanks again for all of the help and support.

Keith

DCopp · 05-08-02, 03:22

basically just use 3M IHG until the curing has been obtained then polish with whatever floats your boat...there is a ton a godd stuff available.

admac · 05-08-02, 04:05

well, if you're getting your car painted now wouldn't it make sense to just ask them to shoot a couple more coats of clear so you COULD wetsand it? i mean, it's not like it's done already. if you really wanted to have a PERFECT finish you could ask them to do more clear so you don't have to worry as much about sanding through it.

BradE · 05-08-02, 04:39

Quote:

well, if you're getting your car painted now wouldn't it make sense to just ask them to shoot a couple more coats of clear so you COULD wetsand it? i mean, it's not like it's done already. if you really wanted to have a PERFECT finish you could ask them to do more clear so you don't have to worry as much about sanding through it.

In theory that is a good idea, but it has some problems. The extra layers of clear can lead to stress cracks in the finish, which will cause the clear to fail over time. Once the paint cures the UV blockers concentrate in the top .5 mil of the total film build. So no matter how many layers the UV blockers will rise to the top layer. Once you start wet sanding you may have to remove something like .4 mil to avoid the stress cracks from forming in the finish, but by doing that you have just removed almost all the UV blockers which means the clear will fail. It's kinda a damned if you do, damned if you don't sorta thing.

The process of adding extra layers of clear to be wet sanded down is done, but typically only on show cars that are garaged 99% of their life and are not exposed to the elements.

For a car that is going to be driven on a semi-regular basis polishing is the way too go.

bretfraz · 05-08-02, 09:07

Discuss polishing and cure times with your painter and follow his advice. He's the only person who knows what product he used, how much accelerator, gun flow rates, air pressure, etc. He can tell you how much time you need to wait before waxing/polishing. He can also advise you about color sanding the clearcoat.

None of us here are painting your car or advising you or your painter as to what products and techniques to use. After your car's been painted and cured we can help with advice on how to make it look its best.

admac · 05-08-02, 09:15

Quote:

Originally posted by ShowroomLincoln

In theory that is a good idea, but it has some problems. The extra layers of clear can lead to stress cracks in the finish, which will cause the clear to fail over time. Once the paint cures the UV blockers concentrate in the top .5 mil of the total film build. So no matter how many layers the UV blockers will rise to the top layer. Once you start wet sanding you may have to remove something like .4 mil to avoid the stress cracks from forming in the finish, but by doing that you have just removed almost all the UV blockers which means the clear will fail. It's kinda a damned if you do, damned if you don't sorta thing.

The process of adding extra layers of clear to be wet sanded down is done, but typically only on show cars that are garaged 99% of their life and are not exposed to the elements.

For a car that is going to be driven on a semi-regular basis polishing is the way too go.

interesting, thanks for the info showroom. i just thought that whatever element was the uv protection was uniformly spread throughout the liquid. but it is possible to do many coats of clear though right? guitarman just mentioned doing just that. or has paint technology changed since then?