Certainly Asked and Answered Before, But. . .

[fstop]

I am relatively new here, and have not yet plumbed the depths of information on the forums. So much info here, it's amazing. Anyway, what I'm wondering is, generally speaking, how soon should or can a new Corvette (2003, daily driver) be polished/waxed? Mine is now 10 days old, and obviously doesn't need a shine job yet. But, for maximum protection, when should the first polish and wax be applied? Thanks.

 

[MsSchroder]

I would like to know the answer to that too.

 

[Patti]

I was told at the dealership to wait 6 months, but many on vette forums say you can wax/polish right away. I waited the 6 months.


Patti

 

[JonM]

You can polish or glaze (not wax, paint needs to breath) any time you like. Paints that are used these days cure using a chemical reaction not evaporation, like in the past. With the evaporation method, paint cured from the outside inward, leaving the top of the paint with like a crust and took time to cure. With the new paints, chemicals are blended togther as one and cure all at the same time. New paints can be handled in 48 hours. If you want to read PPGs product suggestion sheets...go here
http://www.ppg.com/cr-refinish/phase1/frmHome.asp
Remember ....New cars and repaired cars are polished just hours after they are painted to get them out the door.

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

JonM is 100% correct. You can polish your Vette as soon as you get it home from the dealer! I threw the first application on after 2 or 3 weeks. Din't need it any sooner,LOL.

 

[DetailingDude]

Actually..........

There is no standardized answer to this. Many OME coatings are baked on these days and that is really the key. If your paint has been oven baked at the factory you can wax it immediatly otherwise you need to wait 60-90 days.

The reason? If it is not oven baked there is a gradual release of gasses from the paint. If those gasses are trapped into the paint by a wax you may notice the paint producing air pockets under the clear coat.

This is also a lesson in the difference between polishing and waxing. A polish or glaze has very limited durability of around 1 week (of course this is dependant on the mfr) while the good quality waxes have durability from around 2 months to 5+ months.

I will get into all of this at some later point, I just thought it would be good to use this time to illustrate the differences between waxes and polishes/glazes.