[BVB09]

recently had some minor bodywork done on my X7 - replaced bumper and some paintwork on fenders to blend with the rest of the car; it is a new vehicle and I want to have it coated - how long should I wait?

[John in VA]

That's a question for the body shop & detailer.

[shimmy23]

yep ask your body shop. usually it's 2-4 weeks

[allinon72]

The body shop is going to give you a CYA answer anywhere from 30 days to 6 months. The safe answer is about a week but the most truthful answer is probably as soon as you pull the car in your driveway from the body shop. There is no off gassing or "cure time" to worry about with modern paint coatings.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by BVB09

recently had some minor bodywork done on my X7 - replaced bumper and some paintwork on fenders to blend with the rest of the car; it is a new vehicle and I want to have it coated - how long should I wait?

Lot of uninformed answers in this thread already.

Your paint will take at least 90 days for the reducer/hardener/catalyzer to outgas completely, don't PPF until that happens or you'll compromise the process, leading to issues when the film is removed.

Some, very few indeed, paint shops have the ability to bake the paint to speed up this process by quite a bit, but it's RARE, and if they say they have such a baking booth, ask to see it.

90 days, no exceptions.

[louielouie]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

Lot of uninformed answers in this thread already.

Your paint will take at least 90 days for the reducer/hardener/catalyzer to outgas completely, don't PPF until that happens or you'll compromise the process, leading to issues when the film is removed.

Some, very few indeed, paint shops have the ability to bake the paint to speed up this process by quite a bit, but it's RARE, and if they say they have such a baking booth, ask to see it.

90 days, no exceptions.

...he didn't ask about ppf?

[abrandonment]

Originally Posted by louielouie

...he didn't ask about ppf?

lol

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by louielouie

...he didn't ask about ppf?

Let the paint completely outgas of reducer, hardener and catalyzer before you ceramic coat or PPF.

Once the ceramic coating is applied, wait at least 2 weeks before you allow water to touch it or it'll compromise the bond.

[abrandonment]

These timelines are wildly more aggressive than I've ever heard.. don't most people take their cars straight from the dealership to the shop?

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by abrandonment

These timelines are wildly more aggressive than I've ever heard.. don't most people take their cars straight from the dealership to the shop?

Hard to tell. But what you'll find if you do some research on it is that opinions vary widely on how long ceramic coating lasts. This is because users either didn't apply it properly, didn't allow it to completely bond (2 weeks before any water touches it), or something like not allowing a freshly painted surface to fully outgas before application. This is why when you do a search on how long ceramic coating lasts you get a 2-5 year answer. That's a HUGE delta.

Do it once, do it right, and get your 5 years out of it. Or do it wrong and get 6 months to 2 years out of it.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

Lot of uninformed answers in this thread already.

Your paint will take at least 90 days for the reducer/hardener/catalyzer to outgas completely, don't PPF until that happens or you'll compromise the process, leading to issues when the film is removed.

Some, very few indeed, paint shops have the ability to bake the paint to speed up this process by quite a bit, but it's RARE, and if they say they have such a baking booth, ask to see it.

90 days, no exceptions.

Absolutely spot on, especially that first sentence. No waxing for 90 days either, only hand washing with a mild soap and water.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by louielouie

...he didn't ask about ppf?

PPF, wax, ceramic coating, doesn't matter. You have to let new paint off-gas. Even waterborne base coats are finished with solvent based clear coats. Anything you apply to new paint before 90 days will trap those gasses and you run the risk of ending up with bubbles, haze, etc.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

PPF, wax, ceramic coating, doesn't matter. You have to let new paint off-gas. Even waterborne base coats are finished with solvent based clear coats. Anything you apply to new paint before 90 days will trap those gasses and you run the risk of ending up with bubbles, haze, etc.

Finally someone in this thread with some sense!

[BVB09]

thanks everyone for your posts; 90 days is no big deal. had not heard of the need to let paint off-gas, learned something new!