Products for fresh paint

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

A friend of mine will be getting his car back from the body shop after a bit of paintwork. I believe that 75% of the car will be repainted. The paint may have 7 days cure time if that and will be going to a car show this weekend. What products if any could I use on the paint to freshen it up for the show?

 

[Bamaboy007]

Make sure NOT to use microfiber compound from meguiars. I believe that is for Factory paint only.

 

[bsirbu]

When I repainted my car I used 3M finishing glaze during the curing period. I applied it once and it kept a good shine for a month, even after weekly washes. Then again, I didn't drive in the rain during this time.

Just apply it after compounding/polishing and stay away from waxes and sealers.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

How soon can you put anything on fresh paint? The car comes out of the booth monday night or tuesday morning. So it will have 2 days cure time. Can it be clayed if neccessary and see some M205 on a finishing pad?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Hmmm.... let see.... hmmm.... wonder where there might be some articles on this topic...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

The two most common products used in body shops for fresh paint to make it look good are,


3M Imperial Hand Glaze

Meguiar's Show Car Glaze


I personally would opt for the #7 Show Car Glaze or if you want something a little easier to work with then #3 Machine Glaze. Even though the name has the word "Machine" in it you can still apply it by hand or a DA Polisher.

Here's some articles on car paint from my article list, I've placed a big black arrow pointing towards the ones on working on fresh paint...



Articles on Car Paint

NEW - Ceramiclear Paints - Be Careful

NEW - Single Stage Paint - Tinted Clears - Basecoat/Clearcoat - Embedded Dirt

NEW - Clearcoat Fracturing versus Clearcoat Failure

Test Spot - The story behind the story...

How to Test for Single Stage or Clear Coat Paint

Audi Soft Paint - Making Generalizations about Hardness and Softness

Static Electricity and Dust Attraction to your Car's Paint

Camaro Clear and my take...

The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints

--> Don't wax your car for at least 30 days!

--> Fresh Paint - But you can touch it...

--> Body Shop Safe Glaze on Fresh Paint - #7 Show Car Glaze

The practical differences between single stage paints and a clear coat paints

The Lesson White Paint Teaches Us

The Clearcoat Failure Photo Gallery Archive

Beginning Clearcoat Failure

What it means to remove swirls, scratches and water spots out of automotive clear coats


For people new to working on fresh paint, apply a thin coat of #7 or #3 to one panel and the carefully wipe it off. Don't try to wipe 100% of the oily film off the panel at one time, wipe most of it off carefully, fold your microfiber towel and then re-wipe the panel. The idea is to not fight the paint while removing it as both of these products are very oily but it's the oiliness that makes the paint look wet.

When wiping, take little bites off using an overlapping, circular motion. Don't try to wipe large chunks off at a time.

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Dang. Thanks for the list Mike. Now I have some reading to do. I have some #7 at home so I will probably use it.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Towards the end of this how-to video I explain how to remove a WOWO wax and you would use the same technique for wiping off any oily polish that doesn't dry.

How to remove shallow RIDS and how to machine
apply both a paint sealant and a finishing wax
[video=youtube_share;3xJH_MGgbLw&hd=1"]How to remove shallow RIDS and how to machine...[/video]​

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Dang. Thanks for the list Mike. Now I have some reading to do. I have some #7 at home so I will probably use it.

Shake really well before using.

I would apply by hand using a clean, soft foam applicator pad. Prime the pad first so it's fully lubricated.

Priming your pad when working by hand

1. Apply some product to the face of the applicator pad, guesstimate the amount of product needed for the size pad being used.

2. Using your clean finger, spread the product out and over the face of the pad lightly working the product into the surface of whatever material your pad is manufactured from.

3. After priming the face of your applicator pads, pour some product directly onto the face of the pad; this is your working product, that is the amount of product you'll be working with over a specific section of paint.

Then apply the #7 to the paint and gently work a thin layer over a single panel and then remove.

Panel = Fender
Panel = Hood
Panel = Trunk
Panel = Door
​

Apply like you remove, using gentle, overlapping circular motions. It's easier to spread a product out using an overlapping motion and easier means less chance to mar or scratch the paint which could still be somewhat soft comparatively speaking to where it's going to be after 30 days full cure. The point is to focus on the task at hand and be careful.

After you have applied and removed the #7 to the entire car, then put on your microfiber gloves and give the paint a final wipe, this is also in the video I inserted.


The Final Wipe – Tips for creating a streak-free, show car finish



Take a picture of the car on display to share with the forum?



:xyxthumbs:

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

So just to be safe... I can M105, M205 on a D/A, and #7 by hand on it?

 

[Agfan]

Btw you can use the d300 on fresh paint. It works great.

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Btw you can use the d300 on fresh paint. It works great.

I dont think so. D300 is for factory oem paint. Not body shop fresh paint.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Priming fast and simple shown by Jason Rose around 13:20

Btw you can use the d300 on fresh paint. It works great.

It's not officially recommended by Meguiar's. D300 and D301 are not stated to be "Body Shop Safe".


I think Jason Rose and/or Mike Pennington mention this in the video we shot here at Autogeek starting at 21:20

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhJYFLgIjhE&hd=1]Autogeek.net - New Meguiars Microfiber DA System - YouTube[/video]




:xyxthumbs:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

So just to be safe... I can M105, M205 on a D/A, and #7 by hand on it?

Yes.

Why are you using M105 and M205?

Just to maximize gloss?

Is this a brand new paint job that has NOT been sanded and buffed? Or has it been sanded and buffed and now you need to remove the swirls left by the body shop?

 

[Agfan]

I know it's not recommended but at our body shop we use it a lot to remove 2000 sand scratches out and it works great. Then again it could just work well on the clear I have my guys use.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I know it's not recommended but at our body shop we use it a lot to remove 2000 sand scratches out and it works great.

When I ran MeguiarsOnline and was the Primary Instructor for their classes one thing I had to do and all Megs employees and that was,

Stay on message

A company cannot have each employee saying what they want, they say what the company tells them to say. The chemists dictate how a product is used, not the employees.

On forums it real easy for anyone to recommend anything but when something goes wrong who's liable or responsible?

Say a body shop gets contaminated by taking in a product that's not body shop safe, who's responsible? Some person posting to a forum under a nickname?

Here at Autogeek I represent over 60 brands and thousands of products, it's actually a much harder job than working for a single company but the same principal applies. As an employee I don't go off message for any company's product.

You as an individual can because you're not responsible for any negative fallout.

My job is to point out what the accurate recommendation is from the company.

I found forum members recommending non-body shop safe products for fresh paint on CorvetteForum all the time... so it happens everywhere...

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Yes.

Why are you using M105 and M205?

Just to maximize gloss?

Is this a brand new paint job that has NOT been sanded and buffed? Or has it been sanded and buffed and now you need to remove the swirls left by the body shop?

Just wanted to be sure thats all. Will most likely put M205 on a polishing pad and then top with #7 before the show. I havent seen the car yet. Wont see it untill thursday or friday.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Just wanted to be sure thats all. Will most likely put M205 on a polishing pad and then top with #7 before the show. I havent seen the car yet. Wont see it untill thursday or friday.

Okay, makes sense... just checking...

Inspect the paint, feel it, the most common place to get overspray is at a body shop, it can be everywhere, wheels, glass, chrome, etc.

Always do a Test Spot, make sure you can make one small area look like you hope and dream about before buffing out the entire car.

I want to see pictures!


:dblthumb2:

 

[Hoytman]

So just to be safe... I can M105, M205 on a D/A, and #7 by hand on it?

Yes.

Why are you using M105 and M205?

Just to maximize gloss?

Is this a brand new paint job that has NOT been sanded and buffed? Or has it been sanded and buffed and now you need to remove the swirls left by the body shop?

Smack, would you mind answering these questions more directly so that myself and others reading might better understand what you're trying to accomplish? Having trouble defining exactly what has been done, or what needs to be done on this car. I'm pretty sure Mike was trying to make a point in asking you those questions.

Just wanted to be sure thats all. Will most likely put M205 on a polishing pad and then top with #7 before the show. I havent seen the car yet. Wont see it untill thursday or friday.

I'm confused as can be...maybe I need to go through the thread again. I would like to see Mike's questions specifically answered for my own sake.

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Yes.

Why are you using M105 and M205?

Just to maximize gloss?

Is this a brand new paint job that has NOT been sanded and buffed? Or has it been sanded and buffed and now you need to remove the swirls left by the body shop?

Smack, would you mind answering these questions more directly so that myself and others reading might better understand what you're trying to accomplish? Having trouble defining exactly what has been done, or what needs to be done on this car. I'm pretty sure Mike was trying to make a point in asking you those questions.



I'm confused as can be...maybe I need to go through the thread again. I would like to see Mike's questions specifically answered for my own sake.

I just want to have a clear message on what I can do/use and not what I think may be appropriate in my head. My friend has too much money invested in his M5 and sent it to a body shop in California to have a bunch of custom work done (that he wants to suprise me with) and the car should be out of the booth any time now. So the paint will be 48 hours old give or take and I dont have any experience dealing with paint that fresh. I wanted to ask the experts about what could be done. Like I said, I havent even seen this car as its going to be trailered back here to Vegas and hopefully my buddy gets it in time for Mfest this weekend.