new paint care

A

Arab305

New member
hey guys i recently got in an accident :sadpace:and i got my hood front fenders and bumper replaced with original parts, that being said the car is getting painted. and i was wondering what are some tips on how to take care of a fresh paint job ? i want to keep it looking nice as possible for a long time. i already know how to clay and polish/wax my car even though i dont have an porter cable 7336 yet. the car im getting back tomorrow and want to start the process from the beginning right, the car is getting painted anthracite metallic. thanks in advance :bow:help:
 
Before accepting the car from the body shop, wipe down each freshly painted panel with alcohol / Microfiber towel and inspect in day light. This should bring to light any buffer trails and paint defects the body shop tried hidding by using poor products and/or improper buffer techniques. Don't take the car until the work is to your satisfaction. If not, you'll be scratching your headd every time you look at it.



BTW: based on your screen name, I can't help to ask if your a habibi in Dade?
 
David Fermani said:
Before accepting the car from the body shop, wipe down each freshly painted panel with alcohol / Microfiber towel and inspect in day light. This should bring to light any buffer trails and paint defects the body shop tried hidding by using poor products and/or improper buffer techniques. Don't take the car until the work is to your satisfaction. If not, you'll be scratching your headd every time you look at it.
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Good heads up.
 
Just as every detailer uses different products and methods, so do body shops.

A gallon of clear can range anywhere from $60 to $600 plus. You can bet

that there is a difference; in more ways than can be covered here.



Ask about their warranty. Get it in writing. And since the panels are new,

they should offer a lifetime warranty/guarantee. This is the most important

thing to ask and get.



As for taking care of your vehicles appearance, joining this forum is the

first step. Then spend some time reading and you'll see that all your

questions have been answered (well, most of them).
 
shadow85 said:
How can you tell when the paint is ready for the alchol spray test?
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This is admittedly a kinda fast-and-loose answer :o But if if it's ready to be delivered it's ready to withstand a mild solvent like IPA. By then it's already been wiped down, maybe wetsanded, compounded, polished, washed, and glazed by the shop anyhow.



IF the shop won't let you do it, IMO that's a clue. Tell 'em you'll be back when it's "safe", ask how long that'll be. At that point you're almost certainly being BSed. It's like when they say not to wash it for a while...so you don't wash away the fillers and expose their shoddy work.



Oh, and make absolutely sure that they painted the bumper cover off the car. IF there's *ANY* paint "bridged" between the edges of the bumper and the edges of the front fenders it means they did the job wrong and it's gonna cause major headaches. I'm always amazed how often this happens :rolleyes:
 
As far as caring for it goes, you should let the paint cure before you put any wax or sealant on it. How long is a matter of debate. 90 days sounds right to me.



Keep it clean. Pure polishes (no abrasives/protectants) are ok too.



I'm not sure about clay.
 
Abrasive polishes and clay are OK, just remember that the new paint is possibly/probably gonna be a little soft until it cures.



The shop uses abrasives on fresh paint so you can too ;)



I *do* like Meguiar's #5 for fresh paint, soooo user-friendly! 3M Imperial Hand Glaze is another old stand-by but some people find it very finicky.



And this gets into the umpteenth time "what can I use of fresh paint?" gets discussed, and it always turns into an :argue
 
Furd said:
I've been babying my Audi needlessly, apparently.
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Well, better safe than sorry.



When I have paintwork done on our Audis I just do correction afterwards if it's necessary. While the paint is kinda soft for a while after the repaint, and does harden up in time, it's never been an actual issue. But I know the painter and what he's using, and he knows me and understands how I want to paint to be.



I've only had *one* case were a repaint was so soft it was a huge PIA to work with, and that was a bad job by not-too-skilled people (who never got more of my business). Even then I just had to work with super-mild products until it hardened up some more.
 
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