New paint job care questions

[darisc]

Hi all!



Brand new here - learned about this site on Pelican & Rennlist.



My 82 911 SC is going in for respray this week (PPG w/clearcoat, Platinum Metallic). I`ll be without (my daily driver) for 4 or 5 weeks.



When I get it back, how long should it cure before I wax it? Since it`ll be new paint, am I correct in assuming it won`t need polishing before it`s first wax job?



Also, haven`t a clue what wax to use. I read a review of waxes a number of years ago in a Consumer Reports mag a friend gave me. I learned that, with very few exceptions, all the products reviewed were abrasive to one degree or another. Of the few that weren`t,

the only one I can recall was a 3M product whose brand name I can`t remember. Surprising to me, the big brand names, Meguires, Mothers et al, were all somewhat abrasive to the paint (which is to say, removed a small quantity of paint when applied).



Is this still a concern after probably 10 years since reading that review?



I`m not a pro detailer, I jst like sports cars & drive the wheels off them - but I`d like to keep the old SC lookig nice!



Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[gmblack3]

Ask the painter how long before applying a sealant or wax.



All of these products have come a long way in 10 yrs.

[imported_steveo3002]

99% of quality spray shops will use catilised paint in a low bake oven, after the car leaves the oven and cools off its pretty much done!



chances are the bodyshop will have already used all manner of finishing products to get your car looking great



ive worked at main dealer bodyshops and we send all paint jobs and new cars out with wax on em



you can ask the paint guys what to use....but often you will get the answer to just wash it or dont touch it for xx weeks...often thats just so dumb folk dont mess up the good work

[BobD]

To be honest, I never trust my paint guy to tell me. My last painter, a friend of mine, assured me it was alright to wax the car the day I got it back. I did that and the clear never cured properly. A year later the clear was still so soft that a cotton ball dropped on it would of scratched it. Even House of Kolor has told me to wait at least 30 days.

[Heff]

having worked in and around body shops and painters for years I have always heard minimum 30 days before wax, because the new paints cure by the release of chemicals, and the wax prevents that process. I guess to be safe wait as long as possible because it certainly wont hurt it to wait an extra month.

Heff

[imported_steveo3002]

it really should be cured properly when you pick it up, if the clear wasnt cured then they shouldnt give it back yet!



you could always call the tech dept for the brand of paint they use...they will tell you one way or another for sure



at the end of the day..30 days isnt too bad, if it gives you peace of mind do it

[Accumulator]

I don`t want to sound :argue but even baked catalyzed paint needs time to outgas, as was recently confirmed by MirrorFinishMan`s inquiries to the major paint manufacturers; every one of them said so. They were unequivocal on the subject. Searching for it oughta bring up the thread.



I`ve had literally dozens of cars painted over the years. Even after baking the outgassing continues for quite a while; you can smell it and then you can`t. And the paint gets noticeably harder over the first six-ten weeks or so. Correction that`s easy by hand the first week will require a rotary by the tenth. This difference can be truly dramatic, especially with paints that end up very hard like Spies-Hecker.



darisc- Welcome to Autopia!



If that were my car, I`d do what I always do: Use Meguiar`s #5 for the first three months. #80 is good if the paint needs correction, but sometimes it`s too aggressive until the paint hardens some. It`s nice to work the paint before it reaches maximum hardness, but sometimes it`s so soft that it takes *very* mild products. I usually wait for a month or so to do any correction, unless there`s something really awful that I don`t want to live with.



There are a lot of nonabrasive options besides the #5. Meg`s #3/#7/#81/Deep Crystal Step #2 and 3M Imperial Hand Glaze are probably the most common. I`ve used them all (and on single stage where I could see if they were really nonabrasive ;) ) and they`re OK. But you gotta reapply them after every wash, so I like the easy-to-use #5. Use soft foam to apply and soft MF to remove. The products are nonabrasive but that`s only one part of it; you need the media to be soft too.



By the time the paint cures, you might`ve picked up a little marring. I`d probably use the #80 for that, then top with a wax.



Nice car BTW, I like that you`re treating the oldster to a new paintjob :D Been a while since I had one done with PPG, but I don`t remember anything weird that you need to watch out for.

[DM101]

#5 for 30 days.....But also check with the body shop.










If that were my car, I`d do what I always do: Use Meguiar`s #5 for the first three months. #80 is good if the paint needs correction, but sometimes it`s too aggressive until the paint hardens some. It`s nice to work the paint before it reaches maximum hardness, but sometimes it`s so soft that it takes *very* mild products. I usually wait for a month or so to do any correction, unless there`s something really awful that I don`t want to live with.



.

[the other pc]

^ What Accumulator said.



You can read mirrorfinishman`s posts this thread (http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=64978&page=2&pp=12).



The temperatures and timing for body shop oven cycles are only intended to cure the paint to a workable state for any sand, cut and buff procedures. In general, they don`t want it to be fully cured because it would be harder work with.



Car manufacturers can use different paint formulations and bake them at much higher temperatures (as bare shells with no mechanicals, fluids or upholstery) so paint on a brand new car is fully cured.



Do yourself a favor and find out exactly what finishes your painter is putting on your car. The info will be helpful if any repairs are needed in the future. Saying "PPG" is like saying a car`s a Porsche. It tells you something but you still don`t know if it`s a 911, 356 or 917. PPG has a lot of different paint products.



The full product names will sound something like 3.5VOC DELTRON 2000 Basecoat and DCU2042 Low VOC Speed Clear. The color will have a paint code number assigned to it. Get the number.



Here`s PPG`s product info page (http://www.ppg.com/cr-refinish/phase1/frmProductInfo.asp) (sorry, it`s a pain to navigate).



Oh, and :welcome to Autopia darisc!





PC.

[velobard]

I wrote an email to FK1 last week with this question, about what I could use on new paint and when. No answer so far and their forum has been down for several days.



On a side note, lots of people around here are gonna be dealing with new paint and bodywork after the tornadoes and storms passed through Missouri last night. I stopped by a body shop today and he`d been giving hail damage estimates all morning. One TV the local station, weather guys were holding up hail that bounced into their garage the size of baseballs. Bad looking storms passed on either side of us, but we barely got any rain at all. News says one guy who just finished rebuilding his barn from another tornado had it wiped out again last night.

[velobard]

What about using 3M Fill `n Glaze (05976)? I have a jug of the original pink stuff. On the bottle is says "Recommended for use by hand to fill swirl marks after compounding acrylic lacquer. May be applied to acrylic or synthetic emamels."



On the 3M site when you search for Fill `n Glaze it says "For use on dry, freshly painted surfaces for filling swirl marks after compounding."



I have plenty of this stuff on hand, but no #5. Anyone wanna swap? :think2

[velobard]

Another question...what about using a QD like 425 on fresh paint?

[Accumulator]

Since the 3M stuff specifically refers to fresh paint I`d guess it`d be OK.



Dunno about the FK 425. I wouldn`t use it myself. Maybe I`m just weird about this (wouldn`t be the only thing I`m weird about :D ) but I just don`t see the problem with erring on the side of caution for a few months. If I had to park outside under trees or where birds congregate I might feel differently about it :nixweiss Actually, I did park the Volvo outside after paintwork and I never had any problems, but that`s just my experience in my situation.



I hear that all sorts of sealant-type stuff is OK for it, but nobody`s ever explained how a sealant can allow outgassing, at least not to my satisfaction. Not saying it isn`t true, just that I haven`t been satisfied with the explanations. IMHO most people wouldn`t know if their paint ended up a little softer than its maximum potential hardness anyhow so it`s pretty safe to say most anything to most people with no fear of come-backs.

[nudave]

Welcome! :welcome



You`re in good hands with the advice given here.

[darisc]

Thanks to all. Here`s my car prior to going into the painter.