how long do i wait before i wax/wash new paint?

[candy eg]

my front end was just repainted. i was wondering how long i have to wait before i wash or wax it?

[coupe]

Wash it right away if ya want.



90 days before waxing

[mikelea4ever]

^^^ agree!!!

[Bunky]

Wash it right away if ya want.



90 days before waxing



I just had my truck painted completely and the body shop said 30 days.....

[stiffdogg06]

I`d do 90 days to make sure it`s fully cured.



You can polish/compound/wash as much as you want the day off.

[Accumulator]

There`s a thread around here somewhere in which MirrorFinishMan asked all the major paint manufacturers how long to wait. They all said 3-4 months minimum. FWIW, when I had the S8 repaired the new paint was still obviously outgassing at three months, and it was baked.



I use Meg`s #5 after each wash during the outgassing period. It`s about the most user-friendly product ever. The folks at Optimum claim that their wax is fresh-paint-friendly (to the point of being paintable!) and that Ford (after testing it) has agreed, and there are other products that are also supposedly OK too.

[zingyginger]

There`s a thread around here somewhere in which MirrorFinishMan asked all the major paint manufacturers how long to wait. They all said 3-4 months minimum.



These are the threads from MirrorFinishMan:



http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/69054-how-long-do-i-wait.html?highlight=paint



http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/64978-paint-cure-time-not-necessary.html?highlight=paint






The folks at Optimum claim that their wax is fresh-paint-friendly (to the point of being paintable!) and that Ford (after testing it) has agreed, and there are other products that are also supposedly OK too.



Is that the Optimum car wax? And is it only for Ford paints?

[LouisanaJeeper]

I would wash/wax right away on a factory finish. With a repaint I would wait at least 1-2 months

[velobard]

These are the threads from MirrorFinishMan:



http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/69054-how-long-do-i-wait.html?highlight=paint



http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/64978-paint-cure-time-not-necessary.html?highlight=paint







Is that the Optimum car wax? And is it only for Ford paints?

On the second link, post #19 on the second page from MirrorFinishMan is the one I always refer to as the gold standard, since it`s info from the paint companies themselves. The first link is a repost of that information.

[Accumulator]

Is that the Optimum car wax? And is it only for Ford paints?



Yeah (it`s the OCW) and no (not just Fords but any repaint). Unless I`m mis-remembering but I don`t think I am.



This came up on one of the more recent threads on the subject, which goes to show there`s some value in the constant rehashing of some subjects :D Wish I could remember who posted it, but IIRC he contacted the guys at Optimum and they said the OCW was bodyshop safe, fresh paint safe, and paintable and that these claims were verified by Ford (and some other manufacturer I can`t remember) and OCW was thus OKed for use on post-production paintwork. That pretty much covers the bases IMO.



Heh heh, if I ever run out of my #5 I might have to give this some thought, but that`s not too likely ;)

[zingyginger]

Yeah (it`s the OCW) and no (not just Fords but any repaint). Unless I`m mis-remembering but I don`t think I am.



This came up on one of the more recent threads on the subject, which goes to show there`s some value in the constant rehashing of some subjects :D Wish I could remember who posted it, but IIRC he contacted the guys at Optimum and they said the OCW was bodyshop safe, fresh paint safe, and paintable and that these claims were verified by Ford (and some other manufacturer I can`t remember) and OCW was thus OKed for use on post-production paintwork. That pretty much covers the bases IMO.



Heh heh, if I ever run out of my #5 I might have to give this some thought, but that`s not too likely ;)



Is this the thread?

http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/90334-interesting-e-mails-about-waxing-fresh-paint.html?highlight=paint+safe+ocw

[UpNorth]

Here`s the thread where I posted the info I got from Optimum. If the link doesn`t work, the thread is called "Aquawax on one month old repaint?". It went on earlier this month.



http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/91664-aquawax-one-month-old-repaint-2.html?highlight=aquawax+paint





I broke down and decided to take a chance with the OCW on my newly painted bumper and the rest of the car. That was about ten days ago so I can`t say if there`s been any impact. the car sure looks nice though. I still plan to wait as long as possible before I do my winter wax routine with collinite 476s.

[Accumulator]

zingyginger & UpNorth- Thanks for posting those links..sorry, I just *couldn`t* recall which threads had that stuff :o I *did, however, remember UpNorth`s cool avatar pic of the cat though :D

[UpNorth]

Thanks Accumulator. He is one cool cat, plus he keeps me humble. What I can`t figure out is why with him around, I still have so many birds and the resulting compulsion to wax. (Not that I encourage or want the cat to kill them, I just want him to scare them off.) Then again, maybe the birds are just getting back at me.



Anyway, thanks all for the good info & debate.

[Accumulator]

What I can`t figure out is why with him around, I still have so many birds.. I just want him to scare them off...



Heh heh, I wonder the same thing about our cat and all our rodents, never mind the birds (which don`t seem to give our cat a second thought) :D