New paint advice

[16v_paddy]

I'd like a bit of advice regarding new paint & looking after it as my car cleaning/detailing skills/knowledge is limited to blast with snow foam, the wash mitt & 2 buckets method of washing, clay bar follwed up with super resin polish & extra gloss protection :blush:

I've just had the front end of my car resprayed followed by a few days in my mates workshop changing the clutch & it's pretty disgustingly filthy so needs a bit of tlc. I'd like to know if my current method is ok or if there's a better alternative for the 1st cleaning of the new paintwork?

I fully intend to get someone to properly detail the car but that will have to wait for a while now as there's more paint I want to get done but wasn't able to get it done as I had to shell out for a new exhaust, then a trackday followed by the clutch shitting itself as I dropped the car off at the paint shop so couldn't afford to get everything I wanted done all at once.

 

[Ethan1996]

Don't use SRP or EGP on it for a while after its painted IIRC, so the paint can dry properly, even though its dry on the surface doesn't it still need to dry underneath? @gally will know more he's the man for this!

 

[Simon@SprayShack]

You can polish it all you want, but i wouldn't wax it or use anything with a sealer in it for a while. The last thing you want to do, is let dirt & crap sit on it, it will mark it very easily. There are no set rules for paint drying times really, its very dependent on application thickness's, the type / quality of paint etc to give numbers.

You shouldn't need to clay bar it surely?? its new paint how much crap have you let stick to it.....it should be contaminant free!!

*Also this time of year, any really new paint jobs (i.e days old) should but kept out of harsh below freezing conditions......

 

[16v_paddy]

It was contaminant free on the freshly painted bits then after a couple of days inside the painters unit it went straight into my mates unit where I spent a few days crawling all over the freshly done bits whilst shouting & swearing, crawling along a floor caked in all sorts of car fluid related s**t doing a clutch change, so all sorts of grease & crap has ended up on it :laughing:

It's only the bonnet bumper & wings I've had done so the clay bar is really for the rest of the car as I've never given it a proper clean before, only had it a few months & at most got the local immigrant car wash folks to wash it twice when it was a horrible shade of brown, only now that it's a neat & tidy car it's time to start looking after it properly.
Thanks for the help :up:

 

[Ethan1996]

Snow foam and wash it with a ph neutral shampoo and two bucket method. Try and get most of the stuff on the new paint (read very soft!) Without touching it so snowfoam and a hose, preferably not jetwash.