Wax on new paint?

[bran3b]

How long should I wait before I wax my car. I picked it up from the painter in mid February, can I wax it yet?

[renaissance man]

Three months???? No worries, wax on...wax off my friend.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

I would say so,when I was working in a body shop we used three different brands or kinds of paint and they all recommended 30 days of curing before waxing. I know that is standard for most brands and know of no brand that requires a longer curing period..

David

[427sharpe]

You should be a-ok, but do the first few jobs by hand, no buffers, and take it easy around corners and at edges, where the paint will be the thinnest.

[Mr.Fixit]

If you aren't driving it or exposing it to the elements, then wait six months if possible. My painter recommended doing the first wax job with Meguire's #6 then following up with #26

[sfry]

Brandon,
You should not wax a new paint job for at least 90 days. Paint systems will realese slow evaporating solvents during this cycle. If you do wax it, it will not get proper through cure and you will also see signs of dieback. You can however use a handglaze which does not contain any waxes or silicons.
Do not be fooled by shops that say they bake the paint. The max temp that a refinish shop can bake a car is 180 degrees. OEM bakes cars anywhere between 250 to 400 degrees. Different paint and a different process.


Shannon

[bran3b]

I just used Meguires #7. It is "paintable" so the solvents should be able to evaporate. Is this finnish ready for the Finish Line static "meatballs"? I just realy want to see what they look like on the car.

[kobrak]

Things have probably changed a bit since I last was doing body work, but I still never wax any car I own. I was told by an old body man that this seals the paint and does not allow it to breath. Also every time u wax a car it actually scratches the paint. No matter what u use it creates finite scratches;( Same goes for using a shami (spelling) to dry a car. Bad deal there as u can never get the thing as clean as it was new. Adds more scratches. I use baby diapers and soft water. If really dirty I try to soak it and then wipe it down carefully.

Of course things are problably a bit different now with the tougher Urethanes and clears?

I remember once I had a 67 chevelle (painted it black) I had done and it turned out pretty darn good. About a year later, it was sitting in the garage with just a fine layer of dust over it. My little sister decided to write her name in the dust. Could still see it when I sold the car two years later. Point is the more u rub on the paint...............the harder it becomes to keep it looking good.

[sfry]

Brandon,
You should be okay with your static decals without the concern of decal tracking;however you might want to use a degreaser to remove any film prior to the installation of the meatballs. I would hate to see the Honda Accord behind you with a meatball on its windshield. Liability issue.(Right JAMO!!).M-7 is a good product. If its paintable then I like it. A good universal degreaser is 3M #08984

Shannon

[Mr.Fixit]

meguires #6 is paintable