Paint Maintenance Q's

B

bbfbref

New member
Alright guys..I'm a newbie and I have a few Q's....

I just had a custom car built and I want to know how I should maintain the paint. The paint is a prototype Glasurit black base with a new black clearcoat (to be used on the 2003 Porsche TT and GT3). The paint really shines now and I want to maintain that look. My installer does not believe in waxes and says all I need is a "Sand and Buff" (a $1,500 job) and to maintain the car I should wash it regularly and "california car dust" it.

Here is the car before sand and buff....

Car before Sand and Buff

Here is a snippet of the trunk after he sanded and buffed it..it is very hard to tell from the pic but it looks almost 10x better....

Trunk Sanded and Buffed


Now according to my installer, after the sand and buff nothing will be able to stay on the paint because it is so slick (including dirt) I find that hard to believe....

So I ask the detailing buffs here for some help...how do I maintain the shine and keep away from the infamous swirl marks?

Should I listen to my installer and not apply a single drop of wax?
 
He is a painter by trade and is very familiar with custom paint jobs. He originally designed show car polish for his customers, as he was tired of them ruining their paint jobs with second hand products with miracle claims. Zaino is not wax and contains no abrasives, was designed for modern paint systems and is safe for your custom paint. Check it out.
 
If you plan on having the car outside and driving it the elements will eventually get to the clearcoat and damage it.



I am guessing he does not want you to wax it because he wet sanded the trunk and now the clear is thin and subject to failure if made to be thinner and he might not know what products you plan on using.



As for the cal duster I would be leary of it causing scratches from dust and dirt it picks up. I would think a QD using a MF or high quality cotton towel would be better.



What are your plans with the car? That would make a difference as what you should put on it.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Guess My Name [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>If you plan on having the car outside and driving it the elements will eventually get to the clearcoat and damage it.

I am guessing he does not want you to wax it because he wet sanded the trunk and now the clear is thin and subject to failure if made to be thinner and he might not know what products you plan on using.

As for the cal duster I would be leary of it causing scratches from dust and dirt it picks up. I would think a QD using a MF or high quality cotton towel would be better.

What are your plans with the car? That would make a difference as what you should put on it. [/b]</blockquote>

I plan for the car to be a daily driver (minus rainy days). I live in SF so it will also be subject to fallout and high amounts of salt in the air (Damn Fog!!). I will call Sal over at Zaino and ask for his input on how to keep the paint shiny. :)
 
Big surprise there. Well, not really. I imagine that he has seen people ruin his custom paint with improper technique and inferior products and has became jaded. Or perhaps convinced that waxes (I'm using wax in the generic sense here) are inherently bad because of my previous point.



Just think about this. If good paint didn't need anything to look good and stay looking good, why do people that win car shows use wax? And why do all of our cars look great? Go figure.



Now, there is nothing wrong with carnuba wax. Since you are going to be driving your car and not watching it sit in a garage, synthetic sealants such as Zaino, Blackfire, or Klasse (all three highly regarded here, along with a few others) make more pratical sense because they last much longer in the real world. I use Zaino on my vehicles and really like it.



One thing about cars that were painted by a paintshop. They can't cure the clearcoat at high temperatures like they do at the factory. Therefore, your clearcoat will be soft and still outgassing (curing) for approximately 3 months after the paint was shot. During this time it is best to leave it alone and just keep it clean. Often the paint shop will apply a special coat of wax that won't affect the curing process - but during this time I would do what your paint guy suggests. After that go for it. I am not an expert on this, just passing along commonly held wisdom I have heard here and elsewhere.



You will find plenty of help here. Make sure you do plenty of reading on this forum, and take suggestions such as proper washing techniques, MF towels, and so forth to heart. You will benefit greatly from the experience of the other members here.
 
"..........the curing thing is old school from days of only using single state paints. Single stage paints DO need ample curing days but base coat/clear coat is not cured the same way as single stage paint. BC/CC paints are cured with a chemical hardener added to the paint prior to shooting during the mixing phase. This HAS to be done as you see, clear coat is sprayed on base coat while the base coat is still wet, the base coat can not be dry as the clear will not ahere correctly. Since the base coat is sealed from the atomsphere outgassing would not be possible for the base to dry by itself unless a chemical catalyst was added to cure and dry the paint. Since you want your base coat and clear coat to dry at about the same rates, the hardener is also added to the clear coat.



If you ever get a chance to paint a car and you get to mix the paint yourself in base coat/clear coat it all becomes quite clear...."
 
Yes, I am aware of that (the hardener thing). But full cure may not happen without waiting awhile longer. This is what I've been told - right or wrong. Most likely you will be fine either way.



I certainly wouldn't want widebodym3 to do anything that would make his paint man get all jiggy during the critical "just got my paint job done" period. Besides, it wouldn't hurt.
 
I'm not familiar with the topic so I won't stick my nose in it.

I will however Say NICE car!! :xyxthumbs

I love the fenders. I would love to see pics when it is complete.

*'day

SW
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Cybercowboy [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>I should be in it either!
[/b]</blockquote>Why not Cyber? I think your advice was solid and accurate. I have had a car or 2 that needed paintwork (read: the brother and I cracked them up), and have also been told not to wax for 60-90 days. Not ever told exactly why but I believe as Cyber mentioned they can't cure it like the factory can. Just my non-professional $.02. :scared
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top