Waxing new truck
#1
10-09-2007, 10:47 PM
Waxing new truck
Hey guys! Newbie here. Have done some reading here, and it sounds like you guys have a great forum here. I just bought a new F 150 like two weeks ago. I want to know if you guys think I should wax it or I should wait a bit before waxing it. It's still very clean. I've washed it to get the usual dirt and grime off of it. Don't want to overdue it with all the chemicals and eat the paint, but I want to make sure I protect it for as long as I can. Thanks for the help guys.
#2
10-09-2007, 10:58 PM
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#3
10-10-2007, 08:34 AM
Green light to wax from the factory...
You see, due to very strict air permitting regulations, the manufacturers are no longer allowed to simply spray and let them air dry. The volatiles that are the carriers for the solids/paint flash off and form in to all kinds of fun things once they mix with other chemicals/gases in the air. These bi-products or breakdown volatilization products decrease air quality on several different levels.
As such, regulations are in place to require manufacturers to catalyze their paints before they roll out of the facility. In a nutshell, they bake the paint on to the vehicle which causes the VOCs to flash off from the paint. Once flashed, specialized air catylization machines/filters/midgets/and wonder squirrels actually keep the majority of the 'gunk' from flying out of a stack and into the ambient air outside (the squirrels are quintessential to this process, trust me.)
So, the long and short of it is that the paint has already been cooked and thus, the volatiles are gone -- which would've been the main reason for not waxing (sealing in the volatiles).
-RP-
(side note to the next guy that finds this in a search: if you just had body work done on your vehicle, check with your shop to see if it got 'cooked' or if it is an 'air dry' scenario. They will be your best source of advice on when you can ultimately wax).
You see, due to very strict air permitting regulations, the manufacturers are no longer allowed to simply spray and let them air dry. The volatiles that are the carriers for the solids/paint flash off and form in to all kinds of fun things once they mix with other chemicals/gases in the air. These bi-products or breakdown volatilization products decrease air quality on several different levels.
As such, regulations are in place to require manufacturers to catalyze their paints before they roll out of the facility. In a nutshell, they bake the paint on to the vehicle which causes the VOCs to flash off from the paint. Once flashed, specialized air catylization machines/filters/midgets/and wonder squirrels actually keep the majority of the 'gunk' from flying out of a stack and into the ambient air outside (the squirrels are quintessential to this process, trust me.)
So, the long and short of it is that the paint has already been cooked and thus, the volatiles are gone -- which would've been the main reason for not waxing (sealing in the volatiles).
-RP-
(side note to the next guy that finds this in a search: if you just had body work done on your vehicle, check with your shop to see if it got 'cooked' or if it is an 'air dry' scenario. They will be your best source of advice on when you can ultimately wax).