New paintjob

[AltrdPrcptn]

Hey guys, I am having my car painted because i bought it wrecked and was wondering what would be the best process to use with detailing my car. It wont need to be clay bared or anything obviously because the paint will be completely fresh. So what products should i start with and what should i use to keep it up?

[hockeyman]

Follow the bodyshop's instructions and wait a few months *after the paintjob* before waxing it. I have never heard any horror stories about people waxing their cars too soon afterwards, but I wouldn't want to dump all kinds of cash into a paintjob and be a statistic for screwing it up.
To start with (after the drying time has passed), I'd go with Zaino, Mother's, Meguires, etc. every couple of months.

-Marc

[Ted]

It depends where your getting it painted. If your getting it painted in lacquer in someones backyard in arkansas then I wouldn't wax it for a month. If your going to a shop that uses PPG Global, you can wetsand it, buff it, and then wax it the very nanosecond it gets done baking. That is the usual process a bodyshop should do before giving your car back. As for detailing. I tend to disagree with the amount of claybar usage people do on this board. It is very unnecesary. I won't go into what I think the main purpose is because people are going to give me a hard time and fight to their death to prove me wrong. After you get your car painted, I would look over it to ensure that they did buff it (a lot of shops do not) you want to look for over spray, runs in the clear, or any dirt you see in the clear. As soon as you get it back if it is a very dark color I would put 5 coats of wax on it. I would wax every month there after. Every year I would give the whole car an all over buff job starting with 3M compound, followed by buffing it with Black foam polish. I think claybarring is a horrible waste of time, and buffing can shows 10000x better results. Basically a claybar for people that really don't have to much access to a buffer. Bottom line, if your really that worried about it, see what kind of paint the bodyshop is using and what kind of warranty they offer on the paint and their work.

[hockeyman]

Originally posted by Ted:
As soon as you get it back if it is a very dark color I would put 5 coats of wax on it.

Shouldn't he wait at least a month before doing that so that the paint can properly cure? Not sure, just going by what others have told me in the past.

-Marc

[Ted]

It all depends on what kind of paint they use. Most bodyshops use PPG, and it's probably the most common and popular paint line to use. Others use dupont. And then like 1% of other bodyshops might be stuck in the past, I know of one bodyshop that uses lacquer still, which is pretty unbelivable. But it all depends on a lot. I doubt a bodyshop is going to paint a car in Direct Gloss, unless he requests it. It's not really the paint it's self that needs to cure, but the clear. Theres tons of clear you can use. They might use 894 which is a really slow drying clear, used mostly on big applications. 893 the most used clear. And 890 is one the quickest drying clears there are. But all of the clears I mentioned should be cured after their baking time. As for dupont, I can't really vouch for their paint line because i'm not certified for their line. PPG however I am. I've heard a person tell me from one of the dealerships that they said he couldn't wash his car for a few weeks. I just cringed and asked what the heck kind of paint are they using? But honestly, I'd ask what kind of paint the bodyshop is using beforehand. I wouldn't want to shell out the cash to get my car painted in Omni or something cheap like that. Maaco's paint is really low quality though. PPG Global is one of the best quality paints you can buy on the market. I'd get it done right the first time around. Because if you think about it, there aren't too many perfect painters around. Theres going to be a flaw somewhere. Now if you can't even get water on it, how the heck are they going to get runs out, dirt spots, or even overspray on the clear? That is just screaming low quality to me already.

[AltrdPrcptn]

it is being painted with dupont paint at a bodyshop i know well. i do not know a whole lot about paints and clears, but the painter told me that he is using a quick cure clear. because of this will i be able to wash and wax it almost immediately after getting it back? the car is being buffed before i get it back. the painter is very much a perfectionist so he likes it to look good when he gives the car back. also my car is black so i will probably apply a few coats of wax asap. what waxes do you guys suggest? should i buy the zaino starter kit and have everything, or just get the meguiars nxt stuff everyone is talking about? also what is the best polish and swirl remover on the market.

[Ted]

I don't have a problem with dupont paints, so you should be alright. If he is buffing it then you can definatley wash it whenever you want afterwards. If you want to drop the money down on zaino go for it, however I still think Liquid Glass can do anything zaino can or better. And not because I am biast to just one. I've used both before and on lots of cars so I know my stuff. But like I said your probably going to see around the same results. If your getting a new paint job you shouldn't have problems with swirls. I understand that it is black, but nothing should be causing it to have small surfact swirls. Do, however, make sure that you are applying the wax correctly. In a back and forth motion. Never apply wax in a buffing motion, because it can cause swirls. In the case that you do have any light surface swirls or scratches I wouldn't use a swirl remover or anything like 'scratch x', i'd take it back to the bodyshop and have them buff anything you need them too. Unless you are confident that can buff it yourself, and with a really good quality buffer. But, good luck and I hope all goes well with your car!