How long can I wait after using Dawn?

slvrshadow94tt

New member
I'm about to embark on a full ground-up detail. Everything from the inside/out, including undercarriage, will be given the "full treatment". I'm not willing to except anything less than perfection and plan on spending the money and time to get my baby there.



One of the first things I'm going to address are the chips in my paint. Should I give the car a good wash with Dawn detergent first, or should I just clean the chip surfaces, proceed with the repairs and allow repairs to cure for a few days before using Dawn. The reason I ask is because I'm concerned about the paint on the entire car being "exposed" without protection for several days.



Any opinions?



BTW, my car stays in the garage, usually under a car cover.



Thanks:up
 
No need to wash the entire car with Dawn unless you plan to apply new wax/sealant.



Just clean the chip area with some "Prepsol" and fix the chipped areas, wait for proper cure time, and any sanding/polishing you may have to do, then once cured, wax/seal the area.



My advise is to get Armorglove installed! I did it to my SC430 and best investment I did! The SC430 chipped in as soon as 15 days of picking it up from the dealer. Too bad I did not get it installed at time of delivery.



Here's what it looks like:Armorglove



Now remember I highlighted the "glove" with a polish to outline it better on the hood in the pics, otherwise it's really hard to see unless right over the area.



Regards,

Deanski
 
That's a beautiful car!!



Thanks for the advice. Will denatured alcohol work the same/as well as Prepsol? Seems to me I read somewhere after a search that somebody recommended denatured alcohol so I went on bought some at Home Depot.



Thanks in advance.
 
Yes, it will remove oils and wax pretty well. Go over the area at least 12" around the chip and into the chip. Work it in with a soft applicator (foam works well) and then wipe the area and re-apply two to three times to make sure you removed all oils and any wax that may be remaining.



Follow with a small wetsanding paper 2000 grit or higher to give the chip area a little better surface to bond to. Apply the paint, let it cure and keep applying if single coat until it's just a hair higher than normal finish. If clearcoat is to be applied, just a small amount of color, followed by several coats of the clear until that is a bit higher.



Wetsand the chip area till level with the rest of the finish and polish it to blend in with the rest of the finish. This should make it nearly invisible that there was damage. Wait until the repair kit says you can wax it so all VOC's have been migrated out.



Then, before you wax, invest in some kind of paint film protection such as Amorglove, Xpel, Stoneguard etc so this will not happen again.



I have not only the hood done, but the front fender/air-dam, headlights, fender next to headlights, rocker panels, side mirrors, door cups. You can have the film custom cut to protect anything on a vehicle if you choose. They look a whole lot better than a black bra!



Regards,

Deanski
 
Here's my pic of the Armorgloved SC430:



Armorglove



I highlighted it with polish so it would be picked up in the pic, otherwise it's very difficult to see unless you're on top of the hood area.



Let us know how well your repairs go!



Regards,

Deanski
 
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