Most liked posts in thread: New Mini-paint curing question?

No reason to use an RO this soon unless you see some damage. Hand application should be just fine. If you like a more frequent detailing routine use the Carnuba, if you like to extend out the detailing days/weekends use one of the suggested Polimer systems (Zaino..my suggestion, Griots, or the Prima stuff)

 

usually it's the other way around... long lasting=polymer.

I'm a big fan of Zaino, but it can be a lot of work and can look a little sterile on some colors. It was STUNNING on my wife's old black Cadillac STS (wire mesh grill and dark windows made you feel like Tony Soprano was pulling up next to you) and was great on Pepper White.

On the curing question... MINI factory paint is cured before it leaves the factory. They bake it to evaporate the solvents. The wait time does apply, however, to paint applied in repair shops as they can't bake the parts or the attached rubber/plastic bits would melt.

 

If I'm remembering correctly, the paint shop is on the lower side of this pic. You can see the raised conveyor belt (in white) slashing diagonally across the image to the assembly building (shaped like a large, irregular E) at the top.

[ame="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=1400+Highway+101+S,+Greer,+SC&hl=en&ll=34.895007,-82.174639&spn=0.005158,0.008256&sll=37.616433,-122.479136&sspn=0.225447,0.528374&hnear=1400+Hwy+101+S,+Greer,+Spartanburg,+South+Carolina+29651&t=h&z=18"]1400 Highway 101 S, Greer, SC - Google Maps[/ame]

The tour in Greer, SC, is very cool. You get the standard short film, but then they take you across the assembly floor where you can see it all come together. The logistics of how each part assembly is brought in just before it is needed (JIT or Just-in-time manufacturing) is very cool. They hold almost no inventory at the factory in terms of parts... they should all arrive within 4-6 hours of being needed. Every manufacturer/supplier gets 2 loading bay doors that lead directly on to the assembly floor where the part will be needed. One door has a truck that is being unloaded immediately for parts needed now. The other may hold a truck that is for parts that will be needed in the next 4-6 hours. Suppliers have built their factories in the immediate area around the plant to make hot-shot deliveries very easy as there are substantial penalties for a supplier who runs out of inventory and shuts the factory down.

You also get to see their start-up and troubleshooting facilities, which I thought was very cool. Watching each car come to life and run through a check-list before a BMW badge is applied. They also have several $1M BMWs... cars that are built to very exact tolerances so that (fractions of a milimeter), if there is a problem on the assembly line, they can roll that car onto the line to check machine adjustments or test fit parts to see if it was flawed assembly of the car that caused the problem or a supplier with out-of-tolerance parts.

 

I'd guess with the paint systems used today it is not necessary to wait. That being said I'm just guessing. Send CHKMINI a pm & ask him he will know.

Congrats on the new car. Don't let them clean it for you!

 

I didn't wait. I did the whole routine in week one...wash...clay...paint prep...sealant...been using a lot of only carnuba wax ever since. I use all Griot's stuff. Used Zaino and another at first but moved to Griot's. I've stopped using the dual orbital...just use the liquid car wash and carnuba paste wax applied by hand. Pretty quick and fun...the smell is intoxicating.

 

:cornut: Just a question. Long lasting= carnuba and short lasting= polymer?

Jason

 

I use a RO to wax my cars. As long as the correct pad & product is used there will be no damage done. Just a sweet shine that makes you smile.

 

I took a tour of the BMW plant in Greenvile, NC. They had a 1/2 mile long conveyor belt that lead from the paint shop (a massive factory in its own right) to the assembly factory. They just built a metal cover over the whole thing. By the time the car had been painted, baked and towed at the assembly line speed the 1/2 mile, the paint was ready for anything.

 

Souveran is an excellent carnauba wax and I apply it last after all my Prima products to polish the car.

I apply it with a supper soft grey foam applicator on a Porter Cable dual action orbital.

 

Guess I am an old timer....still apply the wax by hand.....lol