jackson 63

Its been about a month since I painted my 63 SWC with PPG basecoat, clearcoat. I was thinking about putting a coat of wax on the car before I install all the chrome and emblems. The car has been in an unheated garage here in Minnesota. Should I wait awhile, or skip the wax job?

DUB

Many views/opinions on this subject.

IF I painted your car I would have you sign a statement stating that IF the car EVER gets waxed...and a paint problem occurs...the repairs are ALL ON YOU.

I have NO PROBLEM in a sanding, buffing and applying a polish to the paint.

AND...one month in an unheated garage is NOT doing much to aiding the curing process of your fresh paint job. Realistically...not even putting dent in it at all.

It can take easily 6 months for it to cure out IF not longer and a lot of that is also based on how it was painted and how much time between basecoat coats it was allowed to 'flash off'.

Which is why I have no problem using a good polish like the 'Presta AURORA hand glaze' that I use. It does NOT seal up the paint and allows it to still be able to breathe. And you can put on as much as you like.

And if you want a good 'shocker'.....go ahead and put your emblems back on...and then this time next year....after it has been out in the sun and enjoyed....remove the emblems and see how much of an imprint the emblem put into the clear coat. BUT YET...when you take your thumbnail and press it into a spot of the clear that is hidden...such as under your drivers mirror...and it does not leave a small mark....you would 'think' that the clear is cured out because you sanded and buffed it and it did not leave a thumbnail mark....BUT...in reality...when it gets really hot when out in the sun...the clearcoat can take an impression. SO...see if what I just wrote it TRUE...when you remove your emblem next year....and that is why I prefer to not seal up the paint with WAX.

DEPENDING on heavy handed the painter was when applying the clear...I would also hold off on the door lock cylinders due to the amount of tension it takes to hold them in place with the clip and the outer ring being squeezed into the paint. Next year you might see a bulge of clear oozing pout from around the stainless ring around your lock cylinder. When I do cars like yours...I cure the doors under my infra red heaters for days on end and high temps to get that clear and paint to get cured out. Once again..depends on the amount of clear and type of clear and other variables....but I can pretty much assume and be correct that the volume of materials applied to the body are greater than what GM did back then.

DUB

VOIPGUY

DUB, that is some really good advice!! I read all your posts and appreciate the time and effort you put into a response.

Thanks for being a valuable resource and providing real world experiences to this forum.

Scott

DUB

Thanks Scott

I am a bit of 'old school' because I painted so many custom paint jobs in lacquer back in the day and saw the effects of a 20 coat candy job when it was waxed...and also when they were covered up and not allowed to breathe...regardless what the car cover 'STATES'....or left out in a garage that was like a darn greenhouse.

AND when I graduated to HAVING to use the new current paint technology...and went back in on the new type basecoat/clearcoat paint job a year or two AFTER I painted it...I could smell the solvents coming out of the paint when I sanded it back down to the fiberglass to do a repair....and SOMETIMES the paint would not feather back...it would roll back because it was still trying to dry...2+ years after the fact.

So this is why I would much rather apply a glaze that will add the oils needed to keep the clearcoat and or paint fortified versus plastering wax on it.

I know 'others' have their views and opinions. And a factory baked paint job is NOT the same as one freshly painted. Because we are talking about a FRESH paint job...and FORCE DRYING is NOT the same as what GM can do to cure their paint. Force drying helps...but NOT the same as GM's process.

DUB

86C4Z51

Dub, from what little I know, not that I'm a painter but I've seen lots of painting and problems (I've pained a few cars and airplanes, but am no expert, just solid colors). I never thought about applying wax to new paint. Wait at least a year, is what I would have said, had you not posted your sage advice.

OP: It's difficult not to put your car together and have it all pretty for the new season after you've painted it, but if you want your paint to hold up, I second Dub's advice. Never thought of putting a sealer on it; that would surely help keep dust and grit from adhering to the paint surface, while letting it still cure. Wax doesn't breathe real well.