New Paint

[Catbox_95]

Washing does not matter. When we wetsand we are essentially washing the car, and then some, and we do this less than 14 hours after the car was sprayed. What you don't want to do is wax the car for a month or so. THe wax will trap in the solvents and the paint won't dry correctly. I think a good rule of thumb would be "if you can still smell the new paint then you shouldn't wax it".

I waxed my car 2 days after I painted it. (I painted it myself in my garage - check out my gallery for pics). I used a single-stage Urethane Enamel (no clear-coat).

It depends on the wax you are using. I used Butterwax (the kind that smells like bananas). Yes it's a good rule of thumb to wait until you can't smell the paint, as mentioned above, but I didn't want to subject my new paint to the elements of weather without protection, and if the paint is smooth, it's OK to wax.

 

[PaleDSM]

Looks like a killer paintjob for the price. I paid more than that just for some individual piece painting.

 

[miteclgst]

I waxed my car 2 days after I painted it. (I painted it myself in my garage - check out my gallery for pics). I used a single-stage Urethane Enamel (no clear-coat).

It depends on the wax you are using. I used Butterwax (the kind that smells like bananas). Yes it's a good rule of thumb to wait until you can't smell the paint, as mentioned above, but I didn't want to subject my new paint to the elements of weather without protection, and if the paint is smooth, it's OK to wax.

It still is not a good idea to seal the solvents in the paint that quickly after the car has been shot. I'm telling you from experiance the longer you wait the better.

 

[BuiltTalon]

What about the elements of weather? I got it back yesterday and it is suppose to be raining here in Texas for the next four days. Is it ok to drive it in the rain with such a new paint job?

-Clay

 

[na_turbotalon]

Did you take off the sideskirts and bumpers to paint it? I'm prepping my car for paint soon and I'm not sure if the hassle is worth it. What's the general consensus? Strip it down or not?

 

[FrostBite]

did you sand down and primer the car before you brought it in to be painted or did they prep it?

 

[splattj]

What about the elements of weather? I got it back yesterday and it is suppose to be raining here in Texas for the next four days. Is it ok to drive it in the rain with such a new paint job?

-Clay

Drive the car as you normally would. Just try to keep the car clean. Don't use automatic carwashes or the coin operated washes because they use a very harsh detergent. And, of course, no dish soap. As long at there aren't contaminates eating away at the unprotected paint for long durations it should be ok. 30 days before sealing or waxing is pretty much the accepted time period. After the paint has finished out gassing, you should get it polished and sealed. Top that of with some high-grade carnauba and it will shine like there's no tomorrow. From there on out it’s regular washes, monthly waxes, and an annual polishing and the paint should look great for a long time.

Check this http://autopia.org/kb/ out if you want to be anal about keeping the car looking fantastic. Watch out for your wallet though. You'll be hemorrhaging cash in no time