Squee Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Decisions, decisions! I've been wanting to get my bonnet resprayed ever since I bought my Zed back in July as it's letting the side down a bit (slight dent but hardly visable but a fair few chips and scratches). From reading on this forum it is recommended to leave the car with the respray people for a full week so that the paint can have a good chance to dry but obviously it's a pain in the arse having to go without your car for a week (not to mention that I'd be pining terribly). Anyway, the folks are off for a bit of winter sun soon and it would be a convenient time for me to be without the Zed for a week as I'd be able to use one of their cars. However, I'm in two minds as to whether to wait 'til the spring as it'll be the first winter for me and my Zed and I'm a little concerned what state it'll be in come spring after a winter's worth of grit and the other challenges of winter driving! The Zed is my only car thus I don't have the 'luxury' of using a shed over winter although Mr Squee's got a car that I can obviously use when he's not in it. So what to do? Get the bonnet done now whilst I have the convenience of another car or wait 'til spring? What would you do?!? Thanks! S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonk Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 If you use the Zed daily and intend using it through the winter when the gritters are out, you'd be mad not to wait til spring. Driving home Thursday night I got showered in grit twice. Thankfully i wasn't in the Zed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveRS Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I would wait until spring mate, just incase it gets completely battered with grit over the winter. It takes a while for the paint to fully harden and gas out, around 6 weeks i think, so it may chip easier over the winter period. But at the end of the day you need to use the car and will the oppurtunity for you to leave it in a bodyshop for a week come up again in the spring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 As above,wait till spring and see it shine in next years sun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 What if the paintwork was baked in an oven, does it still take time for it to fully cure/harden? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveRS Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 What if the paintwork was baked in an oven, does it still take time for it to fully cure/harden? I might be wrong but I don't think your meant to bake the new type of paints............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 What if the paintwork was baked in an oven, does it still take time for it to fully cure/harden? I might be wrong but I don't think your meant to bake the new type of paints............. Really?! All bodyshops I know locally bake new paint jobs to speeden up the drying process. Am I missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveRS Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I'm probably wrong then. Baking will definitely speed up the drying and hardening process. Most paints these days are water based or Acrylic so they don't need a long time to dry but still need a good amount of time to completely cure and gas out. This is why you shouldn't polish or wax the freshly painted area until around 6 weeks after the paint job, although this could possibly be reduced with the use of an oven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I'm probably wrong then. Baking will definitely speed up the drying and hardening process. Most paints these days are water based or Acrylic so they don't need a long time to dry but still need a good amount of time to completely cure and gas out. This is why you shouldn't polish or wax the freshly painted area until around 6 weeks after the paint job, although this could possibly be reduced with the use of an oven. The paint is usually water based but the clear coat is usually 2 pack isnt it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HassanZ Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I'm probably wrong then. Baking will definitely speed up the drying and hardening process. Most paints these days are water based or Acrylic so they don't need a long time to dry but still need a good amount of time to completely cure and gas out. This is why you shouldn't polish or wax the freshly painted area until around 6 weeks after the paint job, although this could possibly be reduced with the use of an oven. The body shop I used insisted I could wax the car straight away even though I repeatedly mentioned I have been told to wait a couple of months which he disagreed to...I get so many mixed opinions I don't know what to follow!! He says because it's been baked, it is more or less hard enough to wax/polish/wash. He did say it may chip slightly easier than say in 6 months time when it's 'fully hardened'. Can any paint professionals please clarify this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedwell Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 The paint is usually water based but the clear coat is usually 2 pack isnt it? That's what I thought,and,if so,isn't 2 pack lacquer like body filler,once the chemical reaction has taken place after 20 minutes or so,then it's more or less as hard as it's going to get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveRS Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I think bodyshops have different opinions on this depending on whether the car has been baked or not. I was told a 6 week period, but my car wasn't baked to help with the hardening process. The laquer is a 2 pack paint, some info on this site will help: http://www.adocars.com/elf-ado/elf/paint.htm I think you will be ok if you take it somewhere where it can be baked then this will definitely help with hardening of the paint. I personally wouldn't try and polish it until a month or so after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squee Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Thanks for your replies I guess it's best to wait now 'til spring as I reckon we'll be seeing a lot of grit lorries this year Although I love my Zed as it is I must be spending too much time on this forum and want to start tinkering with it but ideally I wanted to get it more or less 'stock perfect' (on the stuff I intend keeping) before modding hence wanted the bonnet to be my first job. Saying that though I was going to wait until I've bought and had spacers fitted for a while before getting the Rays refurbed incase I find myself clipping the kerbs with the fatter stance... Re. the baking of paints etc - the resprayer I'm intending on using is a 'friend of a friend' so I'll ask my chum next time I see him what sort of technology the bodyshop uses and will report back. The bodyshop does a lot of bike work - don't know if that makes any difference? S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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