When Can i Put My Zaino on fresh paint?

[BigChiefSmokem]

i recently got into an accident and had my front bumper and hood replaced and repainted. the body shop said 60 days before i could put on any wax, but i'm travelling to north carolina in my car next weekend and i'd like to put some sort of protectant on it before i make the trip. Is there any truth in waiting for the paint to "cure" for 60 days before putting on any wax? would it hurt anything if i went ahead and put some on there?

 

[narongc73]

i recently got into an accident and had my front bumper and hood replaced and repainted. the body shop said 60 days before i could put on any wax, but i'm travelling to north carolina in my car next weekend and i'd like to put some sort of protectant on it before i make the trip. Is there any truth in waiting for the paint to "cure" for 60 days before putting on any wax? would it hurt anything if i went ahead and put some on there?

wax won't protect on a road trip. DO NOT put a bra on, as it will damage the paint, it's only meant for factory paint. If it was june, you could wax it after 3 months, since it's getting chilly, 6 months is a good idea. If you put wax on now it will prevent the paint from fully drying because it traps the solvents from flashing properly.

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

wax won't protect on a road trip. DO NOT put a bra on, as it will damage the paint, it's only meant for factory paint. If it was june, you could wax it after 3 months, since it's getting chilly, 6 months is a good idea. If you put wax on now it will prevent the paint from fully drying because it traps the solvents from flashing properly.

Getting Chilly.. haha, look where i am located... Definitely wasnt going to put a bra on... But 3 months with nothing but the clearcoat to protect the paint... is that safe? and what do you mean prevent the paint from fully drying/solvents flashing properly. I got a little lost on that part

So in the mean time how do i take care of it? And how does wax/polish not protect on a road trip? i think having some sort of wax on ther protects from road grime/bugs/uv rays/road tar, etc...

 

[prsrizdgt]

Today's multi component finishes cure pretty rapidly once applied. You need to make sure that this is what was applied (chances are it was). They cure thru a chemical reaction between the two components, much like body putty does. The hardener causes a cross-linking of the molecules when mixed with the resin (color portion). The majority of the solvent evaporation occurs within a couple of weeks, and in todays coating, the solvent content is actually less which helps. I have used Dupont Chromabase for many years and it will get hard enough for you to wax and put on a bra within 30 days. I have a bra on my Harwood hood which is Chromabase and it looks like it did the day after I painted it several years ago. My car doesn't get wet though. I would say with a non-baked, non-factory coating, I would be hesitant to allow a wet bra to rest against the paint, so if it rains on your trip, take it off (provided it had enough time to cure in the first place). In my humble opinion, the shop is telling you 60 days to prevent any warranty issues.

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

Today's multi component finishes cure pretty rapidly once applied. You need to make sure that this is what was applied (chances are it was). They cure thru a chemical reaction between the two components, much like body putty does. The hardener causes a cross-linking of the molecules when mixed with the resin (color portion). The majority of the solvent evaporation occurs within a couple of weeks, and in todays coating, the solvent content is actually less which helps. I have used Dupont Chromabase for many years and it will get hard enough for you to wax and put on a bra within 30 days. I have a bra on my Harwood hood which is Chromabase and it looks like it did the day after I painted it several years ago. My car doesn't get wet though. I would say with a non-baked, non-factory coating, I would be hesitant to allow a wet bra to rest against the paint, so if it rains on your trip, take it off (provided it had enough time to cure in the first place). In my humble opinion, the shop is telling you 60 days to prevent any warranty issues.

BUt during this process, i dont have to worry about the paint at all while driving it daily and with it being exposed to the elements?

 

[prsrizdgt]

 

[prsrizdgt]

If you have to drive it every day for transportation needs, you are stuck with the possibility of getting a few chips. There are no bullit proof finishes out there. Delorean tried, but the car was a pig due to weight. For the time that you need to let the paint cure, you just need to be watching your following distances and keep far back from 18-wheelers, especially the coxxxxckers who run in the left lane and kick-up all of the silt along the middle barrier. As they say, there are no free lunches. I probably put my bra back on sooner than 30 days after paint, but I paint so I could afford to take the chance. I do not want to tell you that and then something go wrong for you.

 

[customperforman]

we do $10K paint jobs on musclecars (painting an original 69 Shelby right now) all the time and tell all our customers to wait at least 30 days. the above coment is correct in that todays paints cure significantly faster than older ones.