Just got the Z back from a respray...

[Kayzee]

So the bumpers are freshly painted, and not yet sealed (its been a week since I got it painted).

What products are safe to use while the paint is curing? Sure, I was told I can do a hand wash with a car soap that doesnt have wax mixed into it.. But the shop clearly used some safe wax immediately after their work.

What is it, where can i get it, and should I bother with it? Can I clay bar the car too? Its black and was all swirly before. I want to start doing things right this time around and keep the paint immaculate.

[axmea?]

Chemical guys Jet Seal. I swear by it.

[Kayzee]

Originally Posted by axmea?

Chemical guys Jet Seal. I swear by it.

Could you elaborate? This is particularly safe for painted surfaces or its something you generally use? or... ?

[DEpointfive0]

OP, can you use nothing until it cures? Have a dirty car for a week or two, won't kill you

[Kayzee]

Originally Posted by DEpointfive0

OP, can you use nothing until it cures? Have a dirty car for a week or two, won't kill you

Having a dirty car wont kill the paint? I'm new to the intricacies of paint maintenance

[zefaulter]

Having dirty car won't damage the paint unless it's bird dropping or tree sap. Just don't touch/rub the dust. Use opti coat when it's all cured

[boarderbob]

As I understand it, the paint needs to cure. The amount of time required for this is dependent upon a plethora of variables. Your best move would be to call the shop that did the work and ask them how long before you can apply a wax/sealant. The standard that I've encountered is 30 days.

[RyanWest]

I would not touch the paint for 30+ days, You need to let it fully cure.

Post pics of the paint job.

Id hit it up with Stay Fresh Brilliance Glaze then there armor sealant!

Stay Fresh Car Care

[Junkman2008]

This subject comes up on a lot of detailing forums and some of the information out there is flat out dangerous, especially when it comes to what to use on curing paint.

To the OP, I'll say this. LEAVE YOUR PAINT ALONE. You are the absolute last person who should be messing with your freshly painted car. All you need to do is WASH it. Washing it won't hurt a thing unless you use some God awful soap. Any OTC soap will be fine. Using a wax or sealant that is NOT body shop safe on your fresh paint before it cures can cause some NASTY damage.

Now about curing. Cure times vary from a few hours to a few months Only the person who painted your car knows what they used and thus, are the only person qualified to tell you what your cure time will be. I just painted my front fascia and I know that the paint will be cured in a few days. That's totally determined by the products I used. So before you listen to anyone on the Internet about curing times, talk to the person who painted your car. If they don't know the answer, they should have never touched your car.

One of the body-shop safe products that I use is made by Hi-Temp and it comes from their AKRYA line of chemicals. It's just one of a few choices that I have in my garage that I can use after painting. The ONLY reason that I would be using anything after painting is to remove the wet sanding damage from the paint. That damage is necessary as I will have to remove the orange peel and trash from the paint when I'm done spraying (I don't spray in a booth so some trash is inevitable). Since YOUR car was professionally painted, the ONLY thing you should have to do is wash it. Other than that, leave it alone until it cures. That's what you need to be finding out, how long the curing time is.

I may do a video on removing orange peel and trash from the paint. Who knows, if I feel like it then I will.

[Spooler]

Well, you can do stuff to the paint several days after painting or faster if you have a high end paint booth to bake a car, I would not recommend the average guy touching it. Painting with 2 steps (base coat/clear coat) Most high end shops will wet sand the car with 1500 grit after painting to remove any orange peal or god forbid trash. After that sanding, a professional variable speed buffer is used to polish the paint with grit added to the buffing compound. How much grit? Just enough to get the job done. The next step will be to buff again, polishing away the swirls left from the initial polish. Make a mistake during the process and you will be painting again. As for plastic bumpers. I do not recommend much for them at all. An additional additive is added to these parts to keep the paint from cracking when the panel flexes. It also makes it very very easy to make a mistake when sanding and polishing. The process of wet sanding and polishing new paint freaks most folks out.

[Limeybastard]

I think you can use 3m finesse or it might be handglaze ( forgot ) on fresh paint, thats what they used back in the days when I was a bodyshop tea boy as it was not a sealant.

[dP3NGU1N]

The junkman has spoken... Follow his advice.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by Spooler

... After that sanding, a professional variable speed buffer is used to polish the paint with grit added to the buffing compound. How much grit? Just enough to get the job done.

What in the world is this GRIT you're talking about???

[Limeybastard]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

What in the world is this GRIT you're talking about???

^^^

[Kayzee]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

What in the world is this GRIT you're talking about???

Time wise, the paint has cured by now (according to the painter, so i put some faith in his word. Its been one month)

The car will be vinyl wrapped immediately. Should i bother with a sealant on the fresh paint or can that be done once the vinyl comes off a few years later?