Elizabeth,
What's been said above holds true. My two bob's worth if i may.I coluld ramble on and get technical about the whole subject but the short story - even though the 2pak clearcoat was baked after it came off the gun,the key is to let the paint finish fully cure and harden for a couple of months or longer if desired, before waxing. There is no need to wax a new paint film per say other than to offer protection from pollution and fallout.However, a lot of sprayshops will wax a new paint job to help give an added enhansed look to the finish. After the spray job is done, leaving the car in the sun for a few days will accelerate the curing and hardening process time greatly. Full cureout should have taken place before any sanding, cutting and power polishing was done, for good gloss retention and holdout and any not wanted sinkback issues.Also, cureout times vary from paint company to company depending on the chemical composition of their products. For example, i'm using Glasurit brand at the moment, and their clears take forever to fully cure out.
With washing, use a top quality wash and wax product. Hose the car first all over well to get most dirt and grit off. Not doing that will cause scratching in the new film. Most city/town waters contain salts, minerals and chemicals and vary in hardness. Don't wash in the sun and let the water dry, spot or pool on the hot surfaces, as the residues can chemically etch into the paint film and damage the paint. WASH IN THE SHADE AND CHAMOIS OFF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Stick to any quality wash and wax products always.They help to keep the wax on the car in between wax jobs. Don't use detergents only as some contain phosphates and chemicals that can harm new paint films, and accelerate rust in inner panels.
After full cureout, use a top quality carnuba wax cream or paste to protect against city pollution, tree sap and bird droppings.These pollutants will chemically etch into the new paint film and cause damage as well, especially if a waterbased basecoat was used. Again, don't wax in the sun, wax in the shade, and make sure all rags used are free from any grit.Hope that helps,
Greg.
(Pro Spraypainter)
