new gt40 paint protection

[cahn]

Just had my new gt40 replica painted in 2 pack dark red. Problem is that the guy rushed to finish it and I dont think there are any clear coats over the red. I'm happy with the smoothness of the finish though so I think the initial prep was pretty good. The car is a race car so I don't want showroom finish (but still want it to look good) - is it a problem if there are no clear coats? If not, whats the best way and products to polish and give good protection?
Thanks for the advice.

[Murr1525]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

Well, paint will need to cure, so you can only wash/clay/clean for now, till the paint cures. That could take 30-90 days, depending what the paint shop recomends. During that time, #80 Speed Glaze is a good product to use, as it has a bit of a protective polymer in it. Its not like a wax, but better than nothing.

Are you working by hand or machine? Here are some products to look at for hand use, and machine use:

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect

Step 5 Maintain

Suggested Products for Taking Care of a New Car

Recommended Products - G100a Dual Action Polisher

If those processes look a bit long, you can also look into using cleaner/waxes either by hand or machine. A cleaner/wax topped with a wax is a good 2-step detail.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

Just had my new gt40 replica painted in 2 pack dark red. Problem is that the guy rushed to finish it and I dont think there are any clear coats over the red.

First, Welcome to Meguiar's Online! :wavy

Second, did you guys talk about any of this before the paint job?

If you want to check, either call the guy and ask him or apply some light polish on a white cloth and rub gently in an inconspicuous place but a place that would have still been sprayed in the process such as a lower panel.

Because the paint is new you don't want to scratch it while your testing, if you have a product like Meguiar's #9 or #82 and you're pretty good with your hands/technique you could rub right out in the middle of the hood and test for a clear coat and not instill any visible scratches in the process but that depends on how good you are at touching your car's paint. The bigger idea is to test for a clear coat to see if there is in fact clear over the red paint.

If there is a clear coat you will see nothing on your cloth after the test, if there is no clear coat then you'll see some red paint transfer.

Also, you don't want to test in a door jamb, there's always a chance that if the car was cleared that places like door jambs might not always get full-on clear sprayed onto them.

We have this in our FAQ also,

From Meguiar's *NEW* FAQ

Here's the link, below is the answer,

How can I tell if I have a clear coat finish?


To determine whether you have a clear coat or a single-stage finish perform this simple test.

• Find an inconspicuous area to test, such as the lower rear quarter panel of your car's fender or inside the door jamb.
• Clean this area first with car wash and water or Meguiar's Quik Detailer. You don't want any dirt or grime to interfere with your test.
• Using a small piece of white cotton, such as a piece of terry cloth towel, rub a little paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the paint of this inconspicuous area.
• After rubbing for a few moments, turn your cloth toward you and look to see if there is any color from your paint on the cloth.

If you have a red car and you now have red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a single stage finish. If you have a red car and you don't see any red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a clear coat.

To be 100% sure, you should test in a couple of different areas.

Note: If you have a white, or very light colored car you should use a dark piece of cotton cloth and look for the color of your car's finish on it after rubbing some paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the finish for a few moments.


The fastest thing to do would be to call your painter and ask him and while you're at it ask him how many coats he applied just so you have that knowledge. Heck, might as well ask him what kind of paint he used, as in what brand so you know that to. It won't matter as far as how you take care of it, but it's always nice to know the details so if you're asked you have an answer.

is it a problem if there are no clear coats? If not, whats the best way and products to polish and give good protection?
Thanks for the advice.

It's not a problem at all, just polish and wax regularly to maintain the paint. I think Murr1525 covered all of this.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

Forgot something...

How about a picture?

[kpagel]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

Both Murr and Mike covered everything, and just in case you did not see it, here is a recent thread on single stage (no clear) vs. clear coated finishes.

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16208

[cahn]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

Thanks for the replies.
Just to fill you in - the paint guy said the car would take 8-10 weeks to prepare and paint. After nearly 6 mths and threats to take the car off him to get another painter to finish the job, I finally picked up the car. I suspect the paint was only a few days old and that he probably didn't put any clear coats on like he said he was going to in the beginning.
My question is - is single stage paint the same as you would use under clear coats? ie. do I treat the paint as single stage ( as GOOD as single stage) even though it was supposed to have clear coats? Obviously I need to check if there are any clear coats on the car but I suspect not.
Also, I'm running out of time to finish the rest of the car, so it will have to go to a workshop next week to have other work done. The body needs to stay on. Considering the paint is ~ 2weeks old, is there any protection I can do before it goes, or do I just say 'treat it as best you can' and do all the polishing etc when I get it back? I assume a car cover is not a good idea?
Thanks

[Mike Phillips]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

Considering the paint is ~ 2weeks old, is there any protection I can do before it goes, or do I just say 'treat it as best you can' and do all the polishing etc when I get it back? I assume a car cover is not a good idea?
Thanks

Skip the car cover for the first month or two, dirt tends to get under them and scratch the paint.

As for polishing, do you have access to any of our Professional Line?

For example, M81 Hand Polish, or M80 Speed Glaze or even Deep Crystal Polish?


All three of these are safe for fresh paint, they'll make the paint look really good, (not that it doesn't already). The M80 contains a fresh-paint safe protective polymer but it's also a cleaner/polish, so for what you're trying to do either the M81 or the Deep Crystal Polish would be good choices.

Apply a thin coat and wipe it off. There's no need to let a pure polish dry.

[cahn]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

[sneek]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

WOW thats pretty impressive!
GT40s are awsome, some guy that just moved in up the street has a GT!

As a few people have suggested before get the #80 if possible

[Scottwax]

Re: new gt40 paint protection

If the paint was meant to be a base coat/clear coat finish, the color (base) coat of paint would have little to no shine in most cases. That would likely mean that the painter could not get by without clear coating the paint.