Poor quality paint?

[Speed_Chaser]

I've heard that it is not good to wax the car as soon as you get it. It's good to do it after some months of driving, because when the car is new, the paint hasn't "settled down" and you may cause some damage by rubbing it too hard. There are special waxes for "new car", if you want to wax your new car, it is recommended to use such wax's.

I have silver ZRE and I cannot see any swirls during bright daylight. But as soon as it gets dark and the street lights are on, when the beam is hitting my car I can see there some swirls... I thought they're supposed to be most visible during brigh daylight...

Would like to know if you have the same situation, do you see them in the night or only when the sun is shining?

Best regards, Alex

[Mecha-wombat]

Just spotted a few light scratches within this week and I've only had my car for over a month.

Most of the scratches I've found was underneath the door handles, also I've only washed my car once since.

I thought graphite/dark grey metallic would put up with some resistance... But at least it's not as bad as black.

Note: Paint protection doesn't do sh!t...

Paint protection is a sham

A good wash once a week and a polish every 3 months will do more than PP could ever do

but thats a whole different thread all together

I've heard that it is not good to wax the car as soon as you get it. It's good to do it after some months of driving, because when the car is new, the paint hasn't "settled down" and you may cause some damage by rubbing it too hard. There are special waxes for "new car", if you want to wax your new car, it is recommended to use such wax's.

you are sort of correct Alex

New cars are not that new, they have being sitting around the factory awaiting transport to the docks in Japan to awaiting shipping, then when they get to country of sale some more time on the docks til it is transported to either a holding yard of the manufactuer or dealers yard to await sale

You do need to let paint settle and cure which should be 1 month if you have accident damage that is the recommendation as well

after that period wash, polish, and wax away

A colleague of mine just brought a Brand new colt 2010 model compliance plate stated jan 2010 he got it in March

if you are not sure look on the compliance plate it has the date of build

[DJKOR]

Would like to know if you have the same situation, do you see them in the night or only when the sun is shining?

Yeah, you tend to see more imperfections when you have something illuminating your car at night than at day in full sunlight.

It's like if you wax your car during the day and think you've buffed it properly, then when night comes, you can see smudges where you didn't buff it fully.

[danja]

A good wash once a week and a polish every 3 months will do more than PP could ever do

Do you mean wax every 3 months? I wouldn't make polishing a regular item, as it's essentially a destructive process, like a very fine sandpaper. The more you do it, the more you strip you clear coat and eventually you won't have any left. Polishing should be done on an as-needed basis; regular washing and keeping a layer of wax on there will go a long way to helping keep that clear coat in tip-top condition.

As for paint protection, the consensus seems to be that it is in fact just wax which they apply pre-delivery the same as you and I would, except they charge you $1200 for the privilege

Regarding paint curing time, as you've said the car has been sitting around painted for quite a while before you ever get to drive it, applying some wax won't hurt it at all. I'd stop short of polishing perhaps (not that it should need it), but waxing when done properly really isn't tough on the paintwork - you can even apply it by hand if you want. It really won't hurt anything.

[eviltwin]

Some of you guys need to see that you have to "maintain" the paint and washing it with a brush down at the carwash isn't going to make it all preety and clean it'll leave marks and scratches on it. Handwashing the car is best , then using a decent Chamois dry the whole thing down. Polish it as neccesary , theres a big difference between putting some shine into the paint with wax and cutting the testicles off it. The paint , like the engine and all other parts of a car will only ever be as good as you make it through maintenance and care.

[Kenshin X]

A good wash once a week and a polish every 3 months will do more than PP could ever do

Do you mean wax every 3 months? I wouldn't make polishing a regular item, as it's essentially a destructive process, like a very fine sandpaper. The more you do it, the more you strip you clear coat and eventually you won't have any left. Polishing should be done on an as-needed basis; regular washing and keeping a layer of wax on there will go a long way to helping keep that clear coat in tip-top condition.

If you use cut and polish, yes it will take off the top coat layer. Wax will not do this, no matter how often you do it...

[SuperDave]

Just skimmed over the thread quickly.

Paint protection is a con

DO NOT have the dealer wash your car. May as well just rub some dirt into it right now. Just tell the dealer it doesn't need a wash as you want to save water.

My car is black and yes they require a lot more effort than other colours such as silver. My paint is still pretty mint. Scratch X is your friend here. Also don't let the dirt build up, it just makes it easier to wear the wax off as you wash it due to the abrasive nature; this abrasive nature is what also causes the swirls.

[Mecha-wombat]

A good wash once a week and a polish every 3 months will do more than PP could ever do

Do you mean wax every 3 months? I wouldn't make polishing a regular item, as it's essentially a destructive process, like a very fine sandpaper. The more you do it, the more you strip you clear coat and eventually you won't have any left. Polishing should be done on an as-needed basis; regular washing and keeping a layer of wax on there will go a long way to helping keep that clear coat in tip-top condition.

As for paint protection, the consensus seems to be that it is in fact just wax which they apply pre-delivery the same as you and I would, except they charge you $1200 for the privilege

Regarding paint curing time, as you've said the car has been sitting around painted for quite a while before you ever get to drive it, applying some wax won't hurt it at all. I'd stop short of polishing perhaps (not that it should need it), but waxing when done properly really isn't tough on the paintwork - you can even apply it by hand if you want. It really won't hurt anything.

I think you are talking CUTTING POLISHES and no I dont use them every 3 months actually never used a cutting polish yet (maybe I should on the corolla)

many polishes are just fillers which you then add a layer of wax over the top to bring out the lustre

[-ALFI-]

Does anyone have a red Corolla? How do the scratches show on a red car compared to a silver?

[danja]

I think you are talking CUTTING POLISHES and no I dont use them every 3 months actually never used a cutting polish yet (maybe I should on the corolla)

many polishes are just fillers which you then add a layer of wax over the top to bring out the lustre

Righto, yes, we're on the same page now :)

Does anyone have a red Corolla? How do the scratches show on a red car compared to a silver?

Red will fare better than black, but not as well as silver. Any flat colour will show imperfections more obviously than a metallic.