All:

I don't think this is an issue since my truck was actually manufactured over a year ago, but I'm curious. Back when I used to buy a new car every year (when clear coat was fairly new), the dealers would always warn me not to wax for six months. This was a hardening period, I think. This time I bought through an independant dealer. Never stepped foot on a lot. He brought it to me. What has been your recent experience? Do dealers still warn about this or has clear coat gotten better over the years?

Thanks all,

Scott

 

Wow, Six Months sounds like a long time. I still haven't waxed mine yet it has been about 4 months but I have just been lazy. I have heard 6 weeks before even 4 weeks. but not 6 months. Maybe someone else knows. Any Ford Paint guys?

 

No wait needed on factory paint. It is cured in the factory by ovens or Infra-red heat lamps depending on part. Remember the truck is not painted after assembly. Most parts are painted before assembly.
Body shops will tell you how long to wait depending on the type of paint they use on their jobs.

 

only time you wouldnt be able to wax a NEW vehicle is if it got messed up in shipping or at the dealer an they got it repainted an didnt tell you so they tell you not to wax it lol

 

wow... 6 months. Even body shops putting on fresh paint don't say to wait that long.

It's good to go ahead right away. Most modern paint is pretty much fully cured within 24 to 48 hours and it takes your vehicle awhile anyway before it reaches you on the dealer lot. Paint's ready to be waxed when you get your new vehicle.

 

Your vehicle has a catalyzed paint system. This means that they 'cook' it to flash off the solvents and such that are in the paint (pending that it hasn't had a respray in the past).

In other words, wax.

 

I waxed mine about 2 days after I picked it up. No problems. Like RP said, you should be good to go.

 

Dude, I am a painter and this is what I would do but make your own choice,....Wait the time and let the solvents fully evapoate from the paint, the ovens in the plant really ony dry the paint good enough to work on the truck for assembly if you do wax youll seal in the solvents and it will not "breathe and dry" as to say, even after 6 months on some vehicles you can actually see some polish marks where they fixed the paint in the factory or body shop. and thets because the solvents came out of the paint and it sunk down a bit

 

Painter in a factory though? The paint systems utilized in the factory isn't the same as the "aftermarket" kinds. The information that myself and others seem to agree on I have heard directly from high level people in several other detailing companies who develope products for use by car manufacturers. They know the paint systems and what's involved. The 'ovens' start the curing process on the paint and the solvents are flashed within 24 to 48 hours. Most new vehicles off the lot have build dates a month or more before the purchase date. The paint is more than ready.

 

I work in a factory by choice yes but am certified to work across canada and own my own shop If (you have to be certifed to do this by the way and I have my papers got them when i was working in the shops), so Ithink I must have some level of knowlage here

 

Well this is all very interesting and I appreciate all of the views. SKRWZ - my truck was manufactured in May of '05, so I'm sure I'm safe by now (this baby must've been someones showroom floor queen for a long time - it only had 7 miles on it when the odometer statement was issued on the day of delivery (it actually had more by the time I got the keys later in the day becuase it was driven from a dealership in Nebraska to my home in Colorado Springs))? So it's not like it was out on test drives all year long!

I was an auto body apprentice in a former life (probably almost 20 years ago now!) and sort of specialized in painting (that's not to say I was necessarily good at it - I just liked it the most). Clear coat was very new then. When I first started buying new cars with clear coat every six months to a year (young, stupid, in the military, and nothing better to spend my money on), dealers were adamant - no wax for six months. Sounds like there are varying opinions as to where things stand now. I should also metion that I was stationed in Florida - maybe the intense sun had something to do with it?

Clearly dealers are no longer warning people about this and clearly no one has harmed their vehicles by waxing early. So this is now more a matter of general interest, I suppose.

Again, thanks all for the discussion....

Scott

 

You're safe.

Modern painted surfaces are catalyzed at the factory and this flashes off the vast majority of solvents involved with the paint.

Additoinally, the auto manufacturers have numbers built into their air permits to allow for vehicles sitting 'outside' to further breathe and thus, the holding lots are permitted for emissions as well (at least the one I know is -- I just pulled their permit on the web).

To further concrete this thought, when I was in Irvine over a year ago in a class at Meguiar's, a paint company representative sat in with the class (they're teaming with Meg's on something... I didn't get the whole scoop)... anyway, this exact topic came up so, in a nutshell, experts on both sides of the substrate... it was communicated that, with modern finishes from the factory, it's safe. You should, however, check with the dealership's body shop to ensure that no 'touch' work was done on the vehicle if it hasn't been on the lot long. The number of vehicles that recieve tiny amounts of body work off of the truck is a SCARY percentage...Items like door dings, scratches, rock chips, and other surficial items of that nature are dealt with under warranty by the body shop at the stealership...

RP

 

OK, thanks again RP. Sounds like you've got this pretty well nailed down. Sorry for the delay in responding back; things finally got busy around here. I'll be home driving that beautiful machine again in another few weeks. Guess I'll have some detailing to do too...