Sgt. Spuds

iTrader: (1)

Well, pretty much my whole car is getting repainted. PPG base/clear. I would like to know how to care for it, and how to keep it looking great, with over the counter products.

Ling_650vette

iTrader: (1)

Ask the body shop what they recommend as far as washing it initially. Some of them might say not to wash it for a 2 weeks, others might say a month.

After that, its all in your budget. Meguiars, Zaino, Klasse all work. Meguiars is probably the most readilly available as far as OTC stuff goes.

FelixIlka

I just picked mine up today and they said washing it is fine but not to polish/wax it for about a month or so, so that the solvents from the paint could escape and not be trapped under the wax.

ZaneO

Basic Weekly Wash Supplies

Wash Mitts - Eurow genuine sheepskin mitt or a 100% cotton wash mitt.

Car Wash Soap - some popular ones are Eagle One Wet wash, Meguiar's NXT soap or Gold Class soap, Mother's California Gold, 1Z Perls shampoo, Zaino Z7, and Wolfgang auto bathe.

Drying - Waffle Weave microfiber towels, California Water Blade (use with caution), and 100% white cotton towels, made in USA.

Washing, Drying, and Waxing Tips

- Never use circular motions. Always wash, dry, and wax using front to back and top to bottom motions.

- Don't use the same mitt or bucket for wheels that you use on your paint. The brake dust, etc. from your wheels will cause scratches and swirls in your paint.

- Use two buckets for washing paint. One with a soapy mixture, the other with plain water to rinse the mitt between panels.

Caring for Mitts and Towels

- Wash on the Hot/Cold setting
- Use Liquid Detergent only w/ no bleach and NO fabric softener
- Add distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle for added softness and soil release
- Rinse twice
- Dry towels on low heat w/ no fabric sheets

todddchi

iTrader: (3)

From what I know, avoid highway / bug driving as much as possible for at least the first week.

Every time I've had re-paint done the paints been a little "soft" for awhile. After that I'd say just keep it as clean as possible (no auto washes) for the first month, then get a good wax/sealant on that sucker as soon as possible. The idea is getting good wax/sealant in place before the paint has a chance to get any swirls or problems from daily exposure.

If I had new paint I'd probably go for zaino. As it stands my paint was old and crappy so I used Sonus products with Megs NXT as the final wax.

camaroextra

iTrader: (10)

yeah paint takes about a month to fully cure. dont wax that **** for 30 days or you will be sorry

Sgt. Spuds

iTrader: (1)

Yea thats what I always heard, but this dude was like

"thats a old myth, only true with really shitty paint, You can do what ever the **** you wan't to this **** once you get it back "

Its all PPG ****, im gonna go look over at their website, see what I can find, thanks guys!

camaroextra

iTrader: (10)

Thats funny. Well i work for someone who does incredible paint jobs, he has several cars and trucks that he has painted in magazines, he even got a cover (import tuner, but still an acomplishment) Every car that i ahve seen him paint has been flawless. And HE says to not wax for a month.

I recently asked him why and basicly he said: The reducer in automotive paint takes about a month to fully dry/cure or "fully evaporate" from the paint. if you wax it and seal it off from the air, spots will develope as the reducer is trying to escape and is sealed in by the wax.

Listen to the pros

ZaneO

Listen to the person who is responsible for your paint's warranty (*your* painter) and no one else...

Ling_650vette

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, dont listen to that ZaneO guy. He has no idea what he's talking about. lol jk ZaneO

This would be the best advice. Altho, if this IS your painter telling you that...leave Maaco and head to a better shop. Any painter who tells you that is a dumbass and is just wanting you to FUBAR their job so you can come back and spend more $$$.

~JOSHUA

iTrader: (92)

I agree about solvents that have to leach out of the paint. You need to give it time before you wax. Let the paint fully cure.

When the time comes to redo the black paint on my Firehawk, it's going to sit in a dark garage for 90 days before I wash or add wax. (overkill yes, but that's what the $9k paint job guy said when he did my grandfather's $60,000 1957 Chevy Bel-Air project.) I trust his opinion, He's one of the best.

Zaino had very good tips, especially the clean mitt, and no circular motions ever.

Also, most people skimp on the amount of soap they put in a bucket, I get the water very thick with soap and sudds and add a bit more when I add water to the bucket. Lots of soap really helps.

Sgt. Spuds

iTrader: (1)

Hes a very close personal friend of mine, hes NOT trying to screw me. I realize im not getting a 9k dollar paint job, but I've inspected a **** load of his paint work, and all of it is flawless, and looks like OEM ****.

IDK if the people he painted the cars for waxed them right away or not, but I know I will not, better safe than sorry

So walmart sheepskin mit, and 100% cotton to dry. How about Terry cloth? j/w

camaroextra

iTrader: (10)

Smart kid. Yeah if you think about it, no matter what he tells you, theres no harm in waiting a month to find out. He painting the car the same color right?