BobLobLaw

This is a thing of the past. New paint cures pretty quickly. When I had a new paint job on my car, the body shop gave it a wax before they let me take the car home. They said it can be waxed, clayed, even polished right away.

DJM12PLAT

cool....it did seem a little odd

Rider

The idea here is that while the paint dries quickly, it takes a few months to fully cure, which basically means all the volatiles mixed in to make the paint sprayable are escaping from the paint.

Here is a link to another forum that refers to curing times for aftermarket paint treatments. Keep in mind you're generally dealing with multi-layer paint jobs.

http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-det...tml#post647893

With respect to factory paint, I've seen lots of conflicting information, but plenty of us have washed, waxed, clay barred, etc as soon as we've gotten our cars and trucks home, with no apparent negative effects.

On a related note, I wonder what effect the paint protection films they sell you at the dealer would have on paint curing, given they cover the entire surface of the vehicle. I'd think it's contradictory to say you can't wax for a month, but a protective film is okay.

ETA: I looked through the owner's manual and warranty guide, and neither mention a waiting period prior to washing and waxing the vehicle.

klumb15

General rule of thumb, you need to wait upwards of a few months on an aftermarket paint job before waxing, claying etc. No need to wait on a factory vehicle due to the process they use. The factory uses high heat ovens that accelerates the curing process. The paint is cured by the time it leaves those doors.

BobLobLaw

Read my other comment. The bodyshop I use said the paint they apply fully cures before it leaves the shop. They waxed my car and even polished out imperfections in the clear coat.

F150Ryda

Go to the autogeek.net site and look through the tutorials, thats how I learned. Also use the two bucket system for sure with grit guards.

tires/rims - PS21
Wax/sealant - collinite 745
car wash - your preference
windows - stoner products
paint cleaner - your preference

VTF150

The best way I've found to do it and the way we do all our details at the body shop I work at goes like this.
- Full wash with microfibers.
- Clay the entire vehicle using a final touch detailer instead of water. ( doesn't hurt to hit the headlights with the clay either).
-Using a porter cable setup, apply meguiars new correcting buffing compound with a cutting microfiber pad.
- finish up with meguiars final wax with a microfiber pad.

A lot of people swear by carnuba wax, from my experience it "attracts" and grabs dust more than others. Using an all in one sealer with a foam pad isn't a bad idea but often will not give you great paint or a great shine.

If you happen to have overspray or built up dirt on the exterior glass surfaces, take a very, very, fine piece of steel wool and go over them. If you follow that up with an appliction of rain-x, you'll never go back.(do not do this on mirrors.)

Ps. On the initial wash, make sure the wash soap does not have a gloss enhancer, as that will hide defects and effect the process of the buffing compound and wax.