I may or may not be in trouble....

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vaca222

New member
Hi everyone. I was in an accident just about 2 months ago, and I had to have my left rear quarter panel replaced. The panel was replaced and repainted, and the autobody guy told me that the paint takes about 2 month to cure. I just waxed my car this past weekend and now I'm coming around to thinking that maybe I might have done something I shouldn't have. He explained to me that it was all set and that I wouldn't have to do anythig until the fall, but I was going stark-raving mad and NEEDED to protect the car after a very harsh winter. Should I have waxed my car???
 
I just had the fiberglass skirting on my conversion van repaired; girlfriend likes to scrape gas pump guards (steel pole filled with concrete). When I picked it up from the bodyshop, I asked the shop owner if I needed to wait before I do anything to the finish and he said no. The paint is a base/clear and I haven't observed any damage from polish/wax. Did you? Also, the repair is in an area I do by hand, PC has not touched that area.
 
BlackRegal said:
I don't think you'll have any problems if you've let it cure for two months. It all depends on the specific paints used, but on average a respray needs 30 days.



ghlavaty - if those skirts are removable, they may have been able to take them off and bake them at high temps, which would mean you wouldn't have to wait at all.
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Ah, the thing is, it hasn't been 2 months, it's been more like 2 weeks :nixweiss
 
BlackRegal said:
Well, then no, you shouldn't have waxed the car. You should always try to follow the body shops recommendation, otherwise you may void their warranty. Instead of waxing you should be using a glaze, like Meguiars #7 or 3M IHG. These will give you a nice, deep, wet look, but don't actually seal the paint.



Chances are you won't see any reprecussions. Basically what you're doing by waxing is not allowing the solvents to escape the paint, which will cause the paint to harden more slowly, and in the worst case cause bubbling or other bonding issues.
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Okay, I see. Maybe it's a sealant that they used on the paint. At any rate, next time I wash the car I'll make sure to get as much of the wax off as I can...I think that might be my safest bet. I hope!
 
I'm with BlackRegal on this one 100%. Always do what the paint shop guys tell you to do. If you wax your car in two weeks and then a month later you notice that the paint is discoloring or something like that then they are going to say that you didn't follow their instructions and you will have to pay to have it repaired. Follow their instructions so that if it discolors or starts to flake off within that time then they can't blame it on your for waxing or polishing the paint too early.
 
I have to agree with Black Regal. Because the paint was not cured with extreme heat like at the factory, it will take 2-3 months for the paint to cure(solvents to evaporate and the paint to harden).



Sorry Dude!:nixweiss
 
Yup. I mean, does it really look that bad? Freshly painted surfaces are the look we are trying to obtain with all these products we are using. You have that look without even trying. :p Enjoy it while it lasts and just leave it be for now. You can't improve the look that much over what it looks like right now anyway.



I don't know why you need to use Dawn though. That is a pretty harsh detergent and there isn't a reason to use it on a freshly painted panel. Just use regular car was soap.
 
I had my hood repainted and my paint guy said it was ok to wax it any time, he even waxed it before he gave it to me. If you think about it, wax is less durable than paint and probably lets the paint cure. After all, the top layer of the paint probably cures first and could "seal" the rest in. I'd say most people aren't really well informed/experimented themselves to find the answers and pass uncertain info on to you just to be safe.
 
I basically just wanted to protect the car after it was turned back to me. The last time I had given it special treatment was in early November. That's why I waxed it a few weeks after I had gotten it back. Yikes!
 
Vacca,



Try and clean the wax, off that panel and then leave it be for 2-3 months ( I would go 3 months). You will probably be fine!!



Be gentle on that section; the paint will be soft and will mark easily!
 
Hey Vaca222, don't worry about a thing. Nothing will happen to your new paint . My 02 Maxima was in an accident the

first week I had it , and I needed a new hood and front fender.

I asked the body shop if it was ok to wax once I got the car back? They told me it is safe. So I did. that was about a year and 1/2

ago, and have had no problems with the paint.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
I'm with BlackRegal on this one 100%. Always do what the paint shop guys tell you to do. If you wax your car in two weeks and then a month later you notice that the paint is discoloring or something like that then they are going to say that you didn't follow their instructions and you will have to pay to have it repaired. Follow their instructions so that if it discolors or starts to flake off within that time then they can't blame it on your for waxing or polishing the paint too early.
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For me, this is the biggest reason why I would follow their advice: liability!



vaca222, I would just grab my glaze and glaze over the wax. That should remove the wax anyway and you're set. :up
 
Why would Dawn be too harsh? Wouldn't that be the easiest way to take the wax off that panel? He did say he just wanted to wash that one panel with Dawn?
 
I work at a body shop. We bake our paint and we still tell customers not to wax for 30 days. Baking the paint just allows the car to be reassembled quicker b/c the parts are "dry" and we can work with them. The only thing that really cures paint on repainted vehicles is time. Think about it: shops that bake paint still wetsand and buff the paint after it's been baked because it is still relatively soft and easier to work with. If baking actually cured the paint, shops wouldn't be able to wetsand and buff with the ease that they do. Also, Wizards makes a breathable wax that is safe for freshly painted surfaces if anyone is really paranoid.
 
2hotford, it looks like you have done your research, and if even DuPont says it not to wax it, then (by golly) I'd suggest the same. (Thanks for posting the Dupont link, Meguiars has been known to be...lets say...less than accurate)

In this case, I don't understand why my paint man said I could wax it...maybe he didn't even know it was an issue. He works for a Buick, GMC, Pontiac, and Cadillac dealer, so I would think he would know.

Regardless, I don't see why wax is such a big deal. If you think about it, wax is probably less suffocating than the part of the paint on top that does get cured first (due to exposure to the air). Also, I would suspect that these evaporating solvants could easily dissolve any wax since some are probably thinned with something of the same stuff.

Regardless, follow what the painter says for purpose of liability.
 
Hey CRX,

My dad worked for GM for 20 years as a certified mechanic as well as painted cars. My brother still works for GM (certified mechanic) going on 28 years! So to say that I have been brain washed is an understatement! Maybe that is why I drive a FORD truck!! LOL!



Seriously, Meguiar's has a special product called

# 80 Speed Glaze that is used by the Body Shops. It cleans/polishes and has some type of "safe" synthetic protectant in it. It is supposed to be safe to use on freshly painted cars. As such, it is suppose to be a good enough protectant to last during the curing process, until you can put a good coat of wax on it!!



I have used the product many times and really like the stuff! It produces an awesome shine!
 
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