Does "New Car" paint have to cure before applying Clearbra?

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kthrace

New member
I'm picking up my new car this week friday :woot: and seeing as I do tons of freeway driving I was set on getting a clearbra right from the start. I made an appointment to get one installed the very next day but my question is: Does the new car paint have to cure before i put the clearbra on? Or do you think it's okay and it's already cured? Should I postpone the appointment? I don't really want to though b/c I know the longer I'm without it the more chips I'll get.



It's my first new car and I don't want to mess up the paint :confused: Thanks to anyone that might know an answer to this, I thought if anyone would know, it'd be someone on this board.



:thx
 
You don't have to wait as your paint is cured from the factory. The car has also been probably sitting for some time at the dealers or was in transit for a period of time. I would wash and clay the area where you are going to have the film installed before you take it over. If it needs polishing do so, hopefully you won't need to. There are differing opinions on waxing or applying sealant before it's installed. My installer said it didn't matter. I know some people don't like them but to me it's better than stone chips. I've been very happy with mine and it's been two years since it was applied. Post some pics after you have it installed. What brand are you going with?
 
That's good to know! Thanks a lot! There aren't a lot of places that offer the clearbra installation (there's no way I'd do it myself!) so I went with a place called T&T Tinting and they use something called "Crystal Shield" from Llumar? Is this a reputable brand?:



Paint Protection Film | T&T Tinting Specialists, Inc.



They use a computer to cut the film but they will need to do a little custom cutting on mine because my car came with a factory lipkit that might be too new or rare for a pre-made pattern to exist. They said they do NOT cut on the car itself but mark it with a pen and take it off and cut it. And apparently it's an all-day event. Wow. And they offer a lifetime warranty on it which is good (better be cause damn it's $$$$$). And sure I'll take some pics, it will be a 'white-ish' car fyi.



Some ppl say they'll just "repaint" the hood when it gets too nasty looking but even then... a repaint will never be the factory paint which IMHO is the very best. So I am looking to preserve it.



Thanks also for the prep tips, I will wash, clay, and er... not sure if I should polish & seal. Did you? What's the theory behind doing it/not doing it?
 
My pleasure, glad I could help. Llumar is a very good company, I attended a presentation of theirs and was impressed by their products. That's good to hear that they will tweak the computer cut piece to fit your car. I feel the same way, I'd like to not have to repaint if I don't have to.



I don't think there would be a problem if you decided to wax or apply sealant beforehand. That film will pretty much stick to anything from what I've learned. I didn't do it to mine as I had to have the hood and front bumper replaced on my car from being backed into in a parking lot. I let the paint outgas before taking my car to the installer. Are you getting the mirrors and headlights done too? From what you said I'd guess you're getting the hood and front end with the spolier done. Good luck, I think you'll be happy you had it done.
 
Nope, no need to wait. It's better for them to install the clearbra when they receive the car and before you drive it off the lot. That's what most people do. You made a great investment :)
 
I hate to mess up this thread, but what about a repaint? I hear all the time that people put them on immediately after a repaint, but what about outgassing?
 
kthrace said:
I'm picking up my new car this week friday :woot: and seeing as I do tons of freeway driving I was set on getting a clearbra right from the start. I made an appointment to get one installed the very next day but my question is: Does the new car paint have to cure before i put the clearbra on? Or do you think it's okay and it's already cured? Should I postpone the appointment? I don't really want to though b/c I know the longer I'm without it the more chips I'll get.
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Congrats on the new car! You can put a CB on right away, no problem. If you want to play it absolutely safe, if the shop doing the work has a paint gauge ask them to check for any signs of repainting. On occasion a car is damaged in transit and they don't have to divulge the repairs to the buyer. You should be fine though, that's just if you want to be anal about it.



As for putting a CB on a repaint, if it were me I'd try to wait *at least* a month. From what I've heard, CBs don't last forever and at some point will have to come off. It will stop outgassing, so the paint under the CB will be much softer than the rest, much more subject to swirls. Of course, most folks can't afford to park a car for a month or more and during that time you're vulnerable, so you have a choice to make.
 
Thanks to Macruz19 and Velobard for the response!





[quote name='velobard']Congrats on the new car! You can put a CB on right away, no problem. If you want to play it absolutely safe, if the shop doing the work has a paint gauge ask them to check for any signs of repainting. On occasion a car is damaged in transit and they don't have to divulge the repairs to the buyer. You should be fine though, that's just if you want to be anal about it.



Ok that part where you said they don't have to divulge repairs to the buyer... THAT'S scary. Is that true? Have you had an experience like this? Is there any other way to find out if the car was damaged in transit other than using a paint gauge? Would the dealer know? I'm paying for a NEW car, I don't want a repainted bumper!
 
Thanks to Macruz19 and Velobard for the responses!



velobard said:
Congrats on the new car! You can put a CB on right away, no problem. If you want to play it absolutely safe, if the shop doing the work has a paint gauge ask them to check for any signs of repainting. On occasion a car is damaged in transit and they don't have to divulge the repairs to the buyer. You should be fine though, that's just if you want to be anal about it.
Click to expand...



So that part where you said they don't have to divulge the repairs to the buyer... THAT'S scary. So let me get this right, if they somehow damage, nick, dent, scrape my NEW car in transit somehow... they're just gonna fix it, repaint it and not tell me? Is there any other way to find out besides using a paint gauge? Cause I'd like to KNOW, I'm payin' for a new car and I don't want a repainted one! Who is "they" anyway? The dealer perhaps? I could ask the Gen. Manager since he'll be personally delivering my car to me. What do you think, would there be a good chance he'd know about it?
 
yes, car companies do repair cars and sell them as new. i know for a fact that at the gm plant in arlington where i grew up that cars were sometimes (commonly) damaged before they got on the car shipper and they were brought in and resprayed. of course, this was during the bad old days of gm, but i know for sure that it happened.
 
admac said:
yes, car companies do repair cars and sell them as new. i know for a fact that at the gm plant in arlington where i grew up that cars were sometimes (commonly) damaged before they got on the car shipper and they were brought in and resprayed. of course, this was during the bad old days of gm, but i know for sure that it happened.
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That's just not right(!) Damn... I'm picking up my new car this friday. Times like these I wish I had a paint gauge. Guess I just have to hope and pray..
 
I wouldn't use any abrasives on a Clear Bra. The plastic is very soft and it'll dull (don't ask me how I know).



Otherwise I glaze, seal, wax my Clear Bra just like any other part of the car. Having some Plexus on hand couldn't hurt either.
 
kthrace said:
So that part where you said they don't have to divulge the repairs to the buyer... THAT'S scary. So let me get this right, if they somehow damage, nick, dent, scrape my NEW car in transit somehow... they're just gonna fix it, repaint it and not tell me? Is there any other way to find out besides using a paint gauge? Cause I'd like to KNOW, I'm payin' for a new car and I don't want a repainted one! Who is "they" anyway? The dealer perhaps? I could ask the Gen. Manager since he'll be personally delivering my car to me. What do you think, would there be a good chance he'd know about it?
Click to expand...

"They" can be anywhere along the line, from the manufaturing plant to the dealership. It could happen further back on the supply line and the dealer would never know about it.



If the dealer has a body shop attached they may have a paint gauge. Actually, they may have a gauge anyway since it's common to check for bodywork on lease returns.
 
Actually you can use an abrasive on clearbra. I've done it recently. Results are better by hand, but don't rub or use the machine too long. Just be more careful. Other than than that, it's the best and only way to get some of the scratches off.
 
I also applied Z-14 (clear plastic) which is non abrasive on my clearbra. It makes a differance. THen I topped it off with the rest of the Zaino line.



You can use an abrasive product on your clear bra, but I would test it out in a small spot first. Remember, all clearbras have different film, but mostly made by 3M.
 
i personally have never had any issues with using a mild to medium level agressiveness polish on a clearbra before. one of my old customers had an IS300 with a factory installed 3M clearbra, and i polished it just like it was paint. no problems whatsoever.
 
velobard said:
"They" can be anywhere along the line, from the manufaturing plant to the dealership. It could happen further back on the supply line and the dealer would never know about it.



If the dealer has a body shop attached they may have a paint gauge. Actually, they may have a gauge anyway since it's common to check for bodywork on lease returns.
Click to expand...



Thanks velobard, you seem to know a lot about this stuff. I guess there's nothing I can really do about it. I just called the place that's gonna install my clearbra, & they don't have a paint gauge b/c they only do tint and clearbras, no body stuff. Well I guess I'm just gonna have to trust what the dealer tells me (oxymoron i know, trust...dealer? HA) when I ask. Only thing that bugs me about them possibly repainting a certain part (a door, a bumper) on a new car is that the paint won't look the same in 5 or so yrs (or whatever) cause the factory stuff is better. I sound so anal but then again, Autopians can appreciate my obsession with perfect (matching!) paint!



So now I've got my mind twirling :nervous2:, probably unnecessarily... I need to chill out , my car isn't even here yet! :lol
 
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