DTMAUTOBODY

We here at DTM Autobody recommend that you follow these recommended regimens for for the first few months of your new paint job in order to maintain its optimal quality.


In the first 90 days...

Do not wash or polish the vehicle--this will allow the finish to dry and harden completely. (Do not use silicone--containing waxes or polishes.)


In the first 30 days...

Do not use a commercial wash. Stiff brushes or sponges could damage the surface. Wash the vehicle by hand with cool water and a very mild car wash solution. Use a soft cloth.

Wash the vehicle in the shade--never under the sun.

Do not "dry wipe" the vehicle--always use clean water. Dry wipe may cause scratches on finish.

Extreme heat or cold are to be avoided. Keep the vehicle parked in the shade whenever possible.

Do not drive on gravel roads. Chipping the finish is easily done in the first days.

Avoid parking underneath trees or near factories with heavy smoke fallout because these can cause spotting on the paint.

Avoid areas with a lot of birds. Bird droppings have high acid content and will damage paint surfaces so should be cleaned off as soon as possible.

Do not spill gasoline, oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, or windshield solvent on the new finish. Should accidents happen, IMMEDIATELY rinse the content off with water. DO NOT WIPE.

Do not scrape ice or snow from the surface. Your snow scraper can act like a paint scraper if the finish is new. Brush off loose material with a soft snow brush.


We hope this information is useful to everybody and enjoy your day guys!!!

gizzard

Any comments on this? I'm getting my car painted as we speak and would like to know best practices for keeping the paint in the best shape. I've heard varying things from different people. (i.e. when to apply clear bra or when the car can be detailed)

jsh

I do not know about USA rule's and regulation's concerning emission's from solvent's used in vehicle paint's but over here the use of cellulose (solvent based ) paint system's are severely regulated and the care instruction's in the first post are for solvent based paint as opposed to 2 pack water based ?( paint + hardener ) baked on in an oven not requiring week's of "gassing off " before being polished and sealed .

Anybody contemplating a respray of the complete car or of individual panel's need's to know what paint system is being used .

Some refurbisher's will use a 2 pack colour and a cellulose clear other's a 2 pack colour and clear meaning the 2nd can be polished but the first will be too soft and will hologram like crazy until it has cured .