Waterborne Paint? (repaint after minor hit and run)

[4u2nvinmtl]

Hey Autopians!

I need a little hand here, how is waterborne paint different from convention solvent based paint?

Back story: My 09 Jeep SRT8 was hit while parked on the street near work. I always do a 360 inspection before getting in so i knew exactly where it happened. I filed a police report for a hit and run claim with my insurance. Long story short, everything was covered and my premiums wont go up.

I just got my car back today from the body shop AND they told me that they have switched to water based paint... When I got home I went straight to detailing because I had asked the body shop not to wash it. The beading was awesome on the bumper but the paint was SOFT like a thick plastic screen protector [like a Paint Protection Film].

The paint it self looks OK [lots of orange peel to level] and I`m just wondering if I can wet-sand/compound/polish/ceramic-coat it like normal paint? I know it needs to cure a while (30 days?) before I touch it but still feels very different than VOC paint.

Any advice is appreciated.


Parked where it was hit:





(clear/paint was cracked everywhere)


Freshly painted and detailed just today:

[The Guz]

Yes you can do all those things. It will change a bit after it cures an it more.

Noticed the same thing on my car.

[Mike lambert]

Water based color is standard around here but they are still spraying solvent based clear. If they told you it still had to cure my guess is it`s solvent based clear. Water based clear to my understanding is done when it leaves the shop. Treat it the same.

[RaskyR1]

Water based color is standard around here but they are still spraying solvent based clear. If they told you it still had to cure my guess is it`s solvent based clear. Water based clear to my understanding is done when it leaves the shop. Treat it the same.

This^^^

My old man calls it the "Oreo"....Solvent based primer, water based paint, solvent based clear.

[Accumulator]

Sorry to hear about this whole thing...

I still let it cure for a few months, using OCW in the meantime. I don`t correct it during that time unless there`s something that I can`t stand (don`t go all Autopian on it for a while).

IME it ends up just like the older stuff, except that prep marks tend to show up *LONG* after I`d expect. If you`re lucky (my luck is about 50:50) that won`t be an issue, but keep an eye peeled.

[4u2nvinmtl]

Water based color is standard around here but they are still spraying solvent based clear. If they told you it still had to cure my guess is it`s solvent based clear. Water based clear to my understanding is done when it leaves the shop. Treat it the same.

The clear is NOT water based (just called to find out).

Thanks Mike!

[4u2nvinmtl]

Sorry to hear about this whole thing...

I still let it cure for a few months, using OCW in the meantime. I don`t correct it during that time unless there`s something that I can`t stand (don`t go all Autopian on it for a while).

IME it ends up just like the older stuff, except that prep marks tend to show up *LONG* after I`d expect. If you`re lucky (my luck is about 50:50) that won`t be an issue, but keep an eye peeled.

A few months?! WOW. I was hopping more like 30days. I`ll wait until fall to wet sand and re-ceramic coat.

Other than the orange peel the paint is flawless (no nibs, no hairs in the paint, etc.)

Thanks Accumulator!

[Accumulator]

A few months?! WOW. I was hopping more like 30days...

Before I got used to it, I was constantly surprised by how long some paintwork took to fully harden/?cure?. Thank goodness OCW is OK on repaints, reglazing all the time got old.

Glad to hear it turned out OK, other than that orangepeel which I`d *expect* YOU to be dissatisfied with