Polishing repainted car

[cb804]

Just got my car back from a minor parking lot incident. I noticed a few buffer trails on the new painted fender. Is it safe for me to polish the new paint or should I wait? Total newb in this area. Fender was repainted about 10 days ago. Also how long should I wait before adding an LSP? Thanks!

[RZJZA80]

You`re fine to polish with any body shop safe polish, but ask the painter how long to wait until waxing. It`s usually 30 - 90 days.

[Accumulator]

Fresh repaints are generally pretty soft during the curing process, which always takes at least 90 days IME. Adjust product/etc. accordingly as needed and you oughta be fine. IF you can`t get it to not micromar, wait a while and see if it gets better. (If the paint turns out stupid-soft after 90 days I`d be, uhm... having a talk with the painter.)

The Paint Manufacturers generally say to wait 90 days before LSPing (or did the last time I checked), and I always wait that long before using things like FK1000P. But Optimum Car Wax is tested/approved for use on "post-production paintwork" and is fine for this (I`ve used it within days of the painting and the paint cured fine with it). OCW has basically replaced the old "Glaze approach" IMO, and offers much better durability and protection. Even a really little bottle will be enough if only using it for this.

[Merlin]

IMHO I`d wait at least 30 days before polishing the buffer trails off a newly painted area.
This usually gives the paint enough time to gas and cure.

Short Version: I know it`s driving you nuts but I`d suggest waiting for another few weeks before polishing.

[The Guz]

You can polish at any time. The body shop themselves wet sand and compound the painted area. In some cases the paint is baked out to some degree.

If you are looking to put something on the paint then you have the option to use Meguiar`s M305 which was designed for this exact purpose. Optimum Car Wax is all also fresh paint safe. I used both on my car when it was repainted and years later the paint is still on the car.

[Accumulator]

The Guz- Ah, I see that others have started using OCW for this :D

I`ve never tried the M305, but it sounds like a modern version of the M05 New Car Glaze that I like(d) so much...same idea only longer lasting. IMO they oughta have [an independent entity] test it the way Optimum did with the OCW, but I bet most people will just take Meguiar`s word for, well...for whatever they say.

Note that the concern over LSPing to soon/with the wrong stuff is really just about how the paint outgasses/cures. It`s not gonna cause it to fail, and I`ve only heard one report of Clearcoat clouding from waxing too soon (one in all the time we`ve had b/c paint...IMO that says "anomaly"). What can happen, and it`s happened to people here, is that if you do it wrong the paint won`t outgas/cure properly, resulting in it not attaining its max potential hardness, maybe even turning out stupid-soft as per Jet Black.

Even when baked, it can take an incredibly long time for the paint to finish curing and get as hard as it (eventually) will, and sometimes the diffs in hardness during that time are downright amazing.

I myself would fix the buffer trails before I drove the car anywhere (except home from that shop), but that`s just me and if the paint is still really soft it might be easier said than done.

[re-tired]

Cant hurt to wait a bit can it??
I would go with post #4 in this thread

[cb804]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I think I will wait a bit for the paint cure and harden before I do anything.

[TheMeanGreen]

Another vote for the M305 and OCW approach. Just wash the vehicle with a decent car soap or ONR, apply M305 by hand, OCW, or both. After your 30 days, from the time you picked the vehicle up is complete, fix the buffer trails; until then, live with them.