Waxing new paint

[Ranger1]

I just got my tow vehicle painted by Maaco. They used their two stage paint so it has a separate clearcoat.

Do I need to let the paint "breathe" a while before I wax it? Are there any do/don'ts for new paint? Any one particular wax type product better for new paint?

I normally use Klasse' products.

[skylinergtr]

i was told by my body shop to try and not touch it for 3 months other than a basic wash, otherwise if you MUST wax it use a wax that does not have any silicon in it.

[e24mpwr]

Originally Posted by skylinergtr

i was told by my body shop to try and not touch it for 3 months other than a basic wash, otherwise if you MUST wax it use a wax that does not have any silicon in it.

I agree - wait 90 days before applying anything. Be gentle when you wash it and use the 2-bucket wash method.

[2000mkoop]

ok, this comes up alot, and I always hear the same thing....don't wax for 1-3 months or whatever frame of time

but does anyone have any pictures or evidence of what happens to fresh paint if it's waxed prematurely?

I've always heeded the advice to let it breathe for a while, but i'm curious as to what happens

(I have a friend who painted a model in college, waxed it the next day, and it looks totally normal, like 6 years later)

[Ranger1]

Originally Posted by 2000mkoop

ok, this comes up alot, and I always hear the same thing....don't wax for 1-3 months or whatever frame of time

but does anyone have any pictures or evidence of what happens to fresh paint if it's waxed prematurely?

I've always heeded the advice to let it breathe for a while, but i'm curious as to what happens

(I have a friend who painted a model in college, waxed it the next day, and it looks totally normal, like 6 years later)

In college I painted a model too, and then waxed the next day. It was really a lot of fun for weeks, but she said it hurt at first.

[Balthazarr]

Originally Posted by Ranger1

In college I painted a model too, and then waxed the next day. It was really a lot of fun for weeks, but she said it hurt at first.

yuk, yuk

[2000mkoop]

Originally Posted by Ranger1

In college I painted a model too, and then waxed the next day. It was really a lot of fun for weeks, but she said it hurt at first.

haha i dont even know what to say about that......

[JohnZ3MC]

Good one about the model in college,

As for the paint on the car model, it's a different kind of paint (lacquer and very quick drying) than the type used on cars.
Car paint needs time to properly offgas. Sealants and waxes impede the process but apparently mild soaps and glazes don't.
Glazes are much more porous and allow the gasses to escape so glazes are fine for new finishes.

Mind you, I'd allow any new paint a month at least to properly harden before I went at it with any serious polishing/buffing. Why tempt fate and make premature swirls in a soft clearcoat.
-John C.

[gmblack3]

Ask the guy who painted it. He will know best.

[Radiation Burns]

Originally Posted by gmblack3

Ask the guy who painted it. He will know best.

+1

If the paint/clear was properly baked it may be ok, but if he said wait 90 then I would or you might void any warranty if there are issues.

[Daedalus34r]

JUST WAIT, nothing bad will happen if you don't wax it. wash it regularly as you would with any car.

I was told the same thing when I received a new hood/bumper after a collision.

[Chazwick05]

if the shop you went to had an oven, the new paint could have been baked and cured, effectively not needing to wait a couple months to wax.

[740reallyflys]

right or wrong by not waxing it or anything for a couple months, you dont have to worry about it. just like the oils from your skin is bad for rod & main bearings, (if you avoid touching them with bare hands,you dont have to worry if it were true). I'm just sayin..

[RT Dak]

Originally Posted by Chazwick05

if the shop you went to had an oven, the new paint could have been baked and cured, effectively not needing to wait a couple months to wax.

This is not true. Baking the paint does NOT fully cure it. It only makes it so it's dry to the touch faster so the car can be handled sooner and given back to the customer. General rule of thumb is 90 days for everything to fully cure.

If you wax over fresh paint it will form a layer over it, preventing the solvents from escaping which will cause dye back/dulling of the finish.

[2000mkoop]

Originally Posted by JohnZ3MC

Good one about the model in college,

As for the paint on the car model, it's a different kind of paint (lacquer and very quick drying) than the type used on cars.
Car paint needs time to properly offgas. Sealants and waxes impede the process but apparently mild soaps and glazes don't.
Glazes are much more porous and allow the gasses to escape so glazes are fine for new finishes.

Mind you, I'd allow any new paint a month at least to properly harden before I went at it with any serious polishing/buffing. Why tempt fate and make premature swirls in a soft clearcoat.
-John C.

Automotive base / clear sprayed in a booth with a paint gun.

Like I said though, I'm all for waiting, better safe then sorry, but I've yet to see any evidence of what happens to paint when it's prematurely waxed.

[e24mpwr]

I guess the question is "If the industry expert/shop recommends against it, why chance it?"

[Chazwick05]

Originally Posted by RT Dak

This is not true. Baking the paint does NOT fully cure it. It only makes it so it's dry to the touch faster so the car can be handled sooner and given back to the customer. General rule of thumb is 90 days for everything to fully cure.

If you wax over fresh paint it will form a layer over it, preventing the solvents from escaping which will cause dye back/dulling of the finish.

did not know this, thanks for clearing this up!

[red88ix]

Picked up my touring from the body shop yesterday. Had a little adventure with a 30 year old pickup with a trailer hitch. I ended up with your average $4300 fender bender which required replacing the hood, new bumper and radiator supports, new headlights, and respray and/or blend the whole front cap of the car. I asked about the wax or no wax. The tech showed me a brochure from the paint company specifying no wax for 90 days to allow the paint to cure and harden. My car looks new, so I will be taking no chances.

[2000mkoop]

I think i'm gonna do a test on an extra fender I have laying around. Shoot a quick couple coats of base/clear, wait one day, and then load it up with wax.

We're gonna find out what happens

(P.S. I am fully expecting it to mess up the paint, i'm just curious as to what it looks like)

[E36M34life]

Originally Posted by 2000mkoop

I think i'm gonna do a test on an extra fender I have laying around. Shoot a quick couple coats of base/clear, wait one day, and then load it up with wax.

We're gonna find out what happens

(P.S. I am fully expecting it to mess up the paint, i'm just curious as to what it looks like)

Please let us know!

[Meghan@autogeek]

Originally Posted by gmblack3

Ask the guy who painted it. He will know best.

Depends on the process, not all paint jobs are alike and only the painter will be able to properly advise you.

[zarbat007]

Originally Posted by 2000mkoop

I think i'm gonna do a test on an extra fender I have laying around. Shoot a quick couple coats of base/clear, wait one day, and then load it up with wax.

We're gonna find out what happens

(P.S. I am fully expecting it to mess up the paint, i'm just curious as to what it looks like)

Paint it black.

[MikeP@Autogeek]

For what it's worth, there's not a single paint manufacture that recommends applying a wax or paint sealant before 30 days and some recommend waiting at least 60 days and 90 days.

The manufacture knows their product best. A painter will usually tell you what the manufacture recommends but sometimes they'll tweak it a little.

Point is, waiting 30 days is the minimum norm for fresh paints but I've never seen a new paint job fail because it was sealed to early. If you don't have to return the car back to service in inclement weather then my take has always been better safe than sorry.

The paint isn't breathing either it's out-gassing. I wrote an article back in 2004 and it goes into this topic in quite a bit of detail.

Paint Needs to Breathe