Clear Coat Help
 

So last month I was rear ended by a reckless driver and pushed into the car in front of me and I had to bring the BRZ in for repairs. I got it back today, and the front bumper and fenders had to be replaced. These were painted by the collision shop and not the factory. So my question is, because these parts have been freshly painted and clear coated, how long should I wait before I wash my car? It isn't generally dirty, but considering where I live it will be soon. All advice appreciated!

You can wash it right away. I would wait to seal it as it can still outgass.

Alright, great. Thank you. I've just been hearing anything from one week to 6 weeks and I thought like that seemed a little too much.

IN all honesty, it will take 30-45 days for the new clear to gas off before sealing. I would wait a few weeks before washing. I just worked on a clients M5 today that had bumpers resprayed recently. Bodyshop washed the car after installation and scratched the crap out of the new paint. :(

wait a month, then contact a nearby reputable detailer.

as mentioned above, you need roughly a month for the paint to fully cure. a little longer isn't going to hurt

by then the body shop glaze will have worn off and you'll see their leftover holograms (on a sunny day look at your paint carefully). its almost a sure thing with body shop work that there will be holograms from a rotary buffer (sadly). You need a decent detailer to polish out the buffer trails and then protect it

random photo showing extreme buffer trails. An inexperienced user destroyed this finish

http://www.southernsoot.com/Hack1.jpg

Yikes...some things are better left to a professional...if you insist on using your own buffer offer a few friends with older cars a free detail in exchange for practicing on their older car.

Although it is good advice to take it to a professional, if you are a DIY person you just need to buy the right set of tools, have the time and follow instructions and the car will come out great.

I had never ventured into detailing a car, but for the BRZ I decided to get myself a nice set of tools, learned about it by videos and asking veterans and after six months of ownership I do it with extreme confidence and the car comes out amazing.

Just remember as long as you have the right tools, time, patience and follow instructions (not cutting corners) you will be fine.