how long do you have to wait before you can wax a newly painted car? or a newly painted fender?

 

I've heard anywhere up to 3 months, depending on quality of paint, and weather conditions. Something about the paint having to cure. Should be something that could be answered by the body shop that did the work.

 

You don't have to wait at all for a FACTORY paint job. For a aftermarket paint job (like after having body work done), usually about a month.

 

This is true unless the repair work was done with "Pinnacle" branded supplies, then there is no wait time

J/K

I would wait at least a month and even longer if you live in a colder climate.

 

Good info from Meguiars website:

A new car that has a factory paint job can be waxed the moment it is rolled out of the plant. Cars that have factory paint jobs are cured at much higher temperatures, because the car goes through the paint booth without the rubber, plastic, and cloth components. This means the paint is cured by the time the car is completed.

After-market paint finishes, however, are cured at a much lower temperature to ensure the booth doesn't melt non-metal components. In this case, allow for a 2-3 month curing process before your first wax application.

 

hey clifton, where did you find that g-force avatar? used to be a great cartoon.