I will be going to Carlisle All Ford Nationals in a month and I just picked up my car last friday from paint. I got a new hood, front chin spoiler and rear spoiler painted and installed as well as a few little scratches covered. I want to compound and polish the car as it's got a bit of swirling in it. Will one month be long enough for the clear coat to cure so that I can compound polish and wax? The hood has some swirling from my dad and I drilling the hood pins in. No scratches just a few minor swirls. I'm entered in the show field and want my car GLEAMING lol. Thanks guys

 

if im not mistaken, you will be fine to polish it because a polish doesnt leave a layer on the car like a wax/sealant does. when you put wax on it, it wont cure right. you can still get the look you are going for with a polish though. you just wont have the protection.

 

New paints cure and outgass pretty quickly. 3-4 weeks should be plenty of time. SOme painters don't recommend waxing new paint, they suggest Hand Glaze. Others say use a wax with carnuba in it, like Kit.

 

I'd like to polish it definitely but for heavier swirls I'll need a compound which I don't know if I can use yet. As for wax I have Justins Wet Obsession ivory carnuba. I assume I couldn't use the optiseal on it yet. Worst case scenario I'll just put the wet acrylic glaze on it and leave it alone after that

 

in order for new paint to fuller cure and gas out it takes around 90-120 days. you will be okay to polish it, but remember the clear coat will be very "soft" because it's not fully cured. newer paints have a ton of solvents in them that help the curing and outgassing, but it's safter to wait the whole time. softer clear means it will be easier to mar/swirl with your polish. start with your least aggressive pad/polish combo.

if you bought from justin you probably have light polish and a grey/black pad. start with that and if it's not enough then bump up to a white pad and the LP. this should be plenty.

personally, i wouldn't even polish it. i'd just put a ton of glaze on it to fill in the swirls until after the car show is done with.

i recently had the left side of my car resprayed in early January. i waited until april 7th to polish and seal it.