Polish after repairs?

T

top_caty

New member
I've just had a crach repaired in my car and I was wondering if anyone could tell me how long I should wait before detailing the car again? I read somewhere that the paint can take 6 months to fully harden... surely I don't have to wait that long?



Thanks
 
Some paints are softer than others, and they don't all cure the same way. But a general rule-of-thumb that I use is:



Wash immediately; glaze immediately (with a fresh-paint-safe product); polish *very carefully* after a week or so but only if you have a good reason for doing it; no wax/sealant for at least 8 weeks.



The "iffy" one is the polishing. Plenty of paints can be polished right after they dry (and the shop has often sanded/compounded/polished the paint before you ever see it). But some paints are *very* soft for the first few weeks and you do have to be careful.
 
Accumulator, thanks for the reply.



The car is reasonable clean at the moment, the spray shop did clean it and give it a bit of a shine but I wasn't sure what I could do next to keep it safe. I expect that the newly painted area will have to be extra care and attention for a while.



What glaze would people recommend?
 
My hands-down choice for fresh paint is Meg's #5. The ease of use (and good looks) are well worth the hassle of ordering it. Other choices from Meg's (in order of preference) are #3/#81/#7. 3M IHG is another one, but I sure like the #5 a lot better.



Such products wash off though, so reapply every time you wash the car.
 
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