When do you guys recommend waxing and polishing a new Mini. I belong to a BMW forum and those guys recommend waiting about 90 days after a car has been painted so that the new paint can cure. Does anyone know the time span between when our cars get painted at the factory and when we get them delivered?

 

Timeline: Guessing 3 days to build, 5 day truck ride & sitting at port, three week boat ride (to CA), a week there getting sorted and de-gooped, 3 day truck ride, that's 39 days from painting to arrival at my dealership in Albuquerque. Add a few days for roof-rack/alarm install and striping, and I'll see it around the 44-day point. If your car comes via the east coast knock off about a week.

Curing time limit: Beyond 40 days or so, I'm guessing Mini is happy with whatever we do to the paint, since my dealership says they're going to shine it up before the presentation.

--doug

 

The experts I've read on NAM say it's ok to use any non-abrassive carnuba wax or polymer protectant the day you bring the car home. So does Sal of Zaino. But if you're talking about a repaint after an accident repair, that's another story.

Paint is applied differently at the factory at a much higher temperature than your body shop. Then, the car sits on the dock in Southhampton, the boat, and the delivery truck. So by the time you get it, the paint is cured.

Bottom line: I've been reading Detailing 101 for over a year now, and I've yet to find anyone screwing up their new paint finish with NXT, Zaino, or any of the other favorites.

 

I waited about 90 minutes after I brought it home before doing the clay and Zaino

 

Has anyone tried the new Dupont products? I like the commercial and the idea of teflon slickin' down my ride . . .

 

This was true in the days of Lacquer and Acrylic Enamel paints, which were applied in successive, very thin coats. These paints had a lot of thinners/reducers that helped the paint 'flow' smoothly. It's the thinners that took time to evaporate from the paint. Waxing a surface with these older-type paints could trap the thinners and keep them from evaporating, leaving the paint 'soft' and not able to fully 'cure'.

Today's Acrylic Urethane's are 'high solid' paints - meaning there's much more paint than thinner/reducer. The reducers evaporate very quickly. Often, in a production body shop, if the paint is exposed to elevated temperatures, to cure quickly in the paint booth, the finish is polished/buffed just a few hours after the paint is applied, and is essentially fully cured at that point.

Wax/polish your new MINI at anytime.

 

Stallion - There is a thread started on the teflon stuff. I think the bottom line was it was poo.

 

that teflon stuff is old newz, nano-coatings(technology)is movin' in strong
i've heard paint can take over a year to fully cure!??!!?!?!

 

As for waxing/sealing a new car, go with it.....Chances are it was actually baked at the factory.
Dupont Teflon? Dupont even said it (Teflon) has no place in car care.........

 

I'm thinking of getting the bonnet and maybe the bumper repainted due to severe rock chipping over an area too extensive for touch-up. How long should I need to wait for a clear bra?

 

I waited a week after we got our MINI. No particular reason other than I had to order proper detailing supplies since I'm new to this type of car care. ( the type where you actually take care of the car )I washed with Sonus shampoo and used Klasse SG. Worked pretty nice