My dealer says to wait SIX MONTHS, the manual does not say anything like that. Is there any reason my new Z shouldn't be waxed right away??

 

New paint should be allowed to cure for 90 days before waxing. Just look at your build date and wait 3 months.

 

I thought that was pretty much a fallacy. Brad4Hay, any comments on this?

 

Pretty much the wait 90 days is BS now a days but it also depends on the paint used and the curing process by Nissan.

 

I agree with 3 months since build date to wait, but somewhere I remember reading it wasn't waxing you had to worry about it was using polish. Any thoughts?

 

Argh, simple enough.

1-It is not a fallcy, still a good idea.
2-It is wax and anything that cannot allow the paint to breath.

The reason. As paint cures it releases gases slowly and if you cover the paint with a non-breathable material or coating the gas gets trapped in the paint resulting in orange pealing (those little goosebumps). Check the build date (you should be ok) and as long as it was 90 days or so ago you are fine.

If you want to be ultra safe I would recommend using a glaze, like Meguirs Show Car Glaze which is a breathable short term (3month or so) wax, which is also wax friendly so when you wax it you dont have to worry about stripping the old stuff off.

You can consider this info a fact since I do alot of paintwork on my car and help my friends on the side and just got finished repainting my VW with a nice purple/black pearl.

 

HAHA, that would explain the "Wet Paint" sign........

90 days is BS. Not claiming to be a rocket scientist on this one, but paint is applied in coats, it is neceesary for the coats to dry before other coats can be applied, but curing for ninety days is crayz. I have always used a clay bar and multiple coats of Zaino or Zymol literally within hours of delivery. I have never had ANY problems whatsoever. If in fact if it took 90 days to cure I would seriously question the products being used to paint the car. Modern chemical coatings are vastly superior to the ones used even a few years ago. THe paint product on the Z appears to be of very high quality and they would most certainly mention such a MAJOR issue such as this in the owners manual or delivery instructions.

 

The FACTS: With an OEM finish, there is no need to wait at all, because they are cured in very high heat. IF you had your car re-painted at a body-shop, then you should wait 90 days. Aso, its not really to let the paint "beathe" so much as the paint is much softer, and rubbing the finish isn't a good idea. And with all the chemicals in waxes these days, you dont want that mixing with your new paint.

 

for saying that cause 3 days after i got mine...i gave it a thin coat of wax (maguire's)...

 

Brad4rdHay, Nice to see your back posting again.

I remember reading you're recommendation of BlackFire back in March. Is it still recommended for laZy people like me that only want to wax a couple times a year?

I'm ready to order their new car kit, just in case my car gets here early

 

I like Blackfire, dont get me wrong. For someone like you though, whos main concern is durability, I MIGHT hesitate with Blackfire. It is a polymer sealant, meaning it will last longer than a wax, and amung the poly sealants out there, its one of the best looking...problem is that it doesnt hold its look and feel as long as some others out there. I asked the chemist who created this stuff, he swears that while the look and slickness may fade slightly after a few months that the protection is still there...but yeah, I love Blackfire. Zaino will retain its slickness longer, does that make it better, not really. Plus, on a more personal note, the guy who sells Blackfire (properautocare.com) is possible one of thenicest people in the buisness, and has great customer service, where as Zaino is so damn popular that Sal owns two Vipers.

 

Not to mention they (the Zaino boys) seem pretty cocky too. They basically said (in so many words) that they are so damn good that they don't HAVE to give any discounts in a group purchase.

 

That is why former-former M3 owner and I took up Brad's suggestion and bought Blackfire....

I personally love taking the time every month to wax.. call it Zen or ****... I don't care -- I find it relaxing to concentrate on something I love -- and that " be my Z " for 2 hours.

 

Since we are getting conflicting reports, maybe I should wait a month and a half. I just want to use Maquires Gold Class (opinions on that welcome) How do I find the actual build date. The one on my door jam just has month and year, 07/02 is the actual day on the window sticker or somewhere?

For the side of this debate that feels you should wait to wax, I am wondering why the owners manual does not mention this.

 

...grew out of the poor performance of paints in the past. There's a lot of technology in new paints and they cure very quickly by design. I asked Zaino about this before trying their products and they routinely treat cars fresh from the factory with no problems - in fact, they actively recommend you do it. Given that their product is the choice of many enthusiasts and show car owners who often invest huge amounts in custom paint jobs I tend to believe them.

I think the reason you don't see any admonishment not to do so in the owners manual is beacuse it doesnt matter.

joe

 

You can Zaino right away, no need to wait. All the wait stuff is the same BS as breaking your motor in for 1000 miles...

 

BS or no BS. I havent been provided evidence. So the "truth" remains UNKNOWN. Alot of you guys are pissing on eachother like bulls...give me a break.

"I'm right (insert proclaimed expertise here)"

reply: "no thats BS, IM right (insert proclaimed expertise here)"

If there is some reason people are saying that it takes 60 days for paint to dry or 1000 miles to break in an engine...then why not just have some patience and be safe? Do you want evidence that waxing over a fresh coat of paint diminished durability of the avg. car (hypothetical) AFTER YOU HAVE ALREADY ZAINOED?

Brad4rdhay: at the molecular level, if something is "soft" that will eventually get "harder" then that chemical a) has not finished releasing volatile solvents b)chemical/kinetic/thermal energy is still present
...either way, it is not "dry" yet.

 

Yes, paint thats not fully cured is "soft", but what Im saying is that I have talked to a man named Ron Ketcham, hes a chemist and a car expert and has worked on creating car detailing products for 20 years, he works for Auto International. Hes the one who told me that OEM paint, is "cooked' differently at a major car factory than at your average body shop. So Im 100% posative that , no, there is no need to wait.

 

if its cooked and hard, then thats does it for me!

 

"If there is some reason people are saying that it takes 60 days for paint to dry or 1000 miles to break in an engine...then why not just have some patience and be safe? Do you want evidence that waxing over a fresh coat of paint diminished durability of the avg. car (hypothetical) AFTER YOU HAVE ALREADY ZAINOED?"

By all means accept old wives tales that are offered with no supporting evidence as truth. Does the manual tell you not to wax? Has any car manual you've seen in the past 10 years tell you not to wax? Know why? The manufacturers of the car don't think it matters. If they did they would say so. And believe me, they've got better things to do with their money than do warranty repairs on spoiled car finishes.

The wait to wax recommendation comes form two things - the old days of slow curing paints and new repaint jobs not done under factory conditions. The finishes on new cars are baked on before plastics, trim and accesories are added to the car. This is something no repaint job can do unless its a total frame off restoration. Hence with repaints the finishes cant be baked on with the fast curing techniques that are used during new car manufacture.

And whats the danger in waiting a few months? Well the car has already waited a few months getting from the factory, across the Pacific to you. Now you're going to drive it around for two or three months subjecting to road oils, tar, bird ****, insect strikes, road grime and grit with absolutely NO PROTECTION on the surface? ( A time at which you are so concerned its so vulnerable you can't even wax it?)

And you would do this to protect it? Explain to me what I'm missing here? And how do you reconcile waiting with those "poly seal" or "paint protection" packages dealers are so eager to put on the car before you take delivery?

joe