i am having the front end of my car fixed after a little fender bender with an old pickup. The other car was high enough that i am having the bumper, grill, hood replaced, as well as the side panels paint blended. ANYWAYS--- how long should i wait until i begin waxing/polishing the cars new paint????? I know there are other threads on this topic but all the answers ranged so much i had to make sure with my own thread. Please only post if you really know for a fact.....not just guesses please. Thanks a lot......
new paint question--when work on it?
- Thread starter druuu88
- Start date
White95Max
New member
at least 30 days. If you want to be really sure that the paint has fully cured, wait 60 days.
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
â€Â¢Newly re- painted vehicle- How long do you have to wait before you can polish or wax a newly painted vehicle surface? Paint is formulated with solvents (30-80% dependant upon manufacturer) once applied paint needs to dry and the solvents need to evaporate (out-gas) to enable the paint to harden (cure) if the paint is covered with a wax or sealant it will arrest the outgas/cure process.
â€Â¢One exception is the application of a glaze (Mezerna Final Polish II, 3Mâ„¢ Perfect-It IIIâ„¢ Show Car Finishing Glaze, Zanio Z-Polish) they are completely safe for fresh paint, as they allow the solvents to evaporate (off-gassing)
â€Â¢Abrasive polish should be avoided until the paint has cured (an abrasive polish will not necessarily harm the soft new paint but unless itâ€â„¢s absolutely necessary I would avoid polish) vehicle washing is encouraged (avoiding harsh detergents or any car wash that uses a high-pressure spray or a wash that contains wax. Also avoid using quick detailing sprays (QD) as they also contain wax)
I do not know of a paint manufacture that recommends applying wax, or any type of paint protectant (sealant) on a repainted vehicle/panel until a minimum of 30 days has passed and sometimes longer (I would recommend this as a minimum period even if the paint has been oven-cured, the manufacture knows their products best, seek their advice so as not to void any warranty given.
JonM
â€Â¢One exception is the application of a glaze (Mezerna Final Polish II, 3Mâ„¢ Perfect-It IIIâ„¢ Show Car Finishing Glaze, Zanio Z-Polish) they are completely safe for fresh paint, as they allow the solvents to evaporate (off-gassing)
â€Â¢Abrasive polish should be avoided until the paint has cured (an abrasive polish will not necessarily harm the soft new paint but unless itâ€â„¢s absolutely necessary I would avoid polish) vehicle washing is encouraged (avoiding harsh detergents or any car wash that uses a high-pressure spray or a wash that contains wax. Also avoid using quick detailing sprays (QD) as they also contain wax)
I do not know of a paint manufacture that recommends applying wax, or any type of paint protectant (sealant) on a repainted vehicle/panel until a minimum of 30 days has passed and sometimes longer (I would recommend this as a minimum period even if the paint has been oven-cured, the manufacture knows their products best, seek their advice so as not to void any warranty given.
JonM
druuu88 said:
You need to know which kind of paint is going to be use on
the car. Enamels tend to be softer, and require much more
cure time before any serious waxing or polishing can be
done. Polyurethanes, tend to be a bit harder, and do
not require as much cure time. As a rule of thumb,
Enamels= approx 60 days cure time, and Urethanes= approx
30 days cure time. These numbers are for air cures, so
you may want to reduce the time if the paint will be
exposed to infra-red lighting or UV during the drying
process.
Whichever paint is used a non abrasive polish or glaze
can be applied. And washings are safe as well.