Never Use Laquer

[V.waffe 3]

Wrench is absolutly correct about the fresh air system being the best. I did forget to mention the activator or catalyst as being the most dangerous of the paint chemicals. While on the subject of body work when grinding the paint of your car I suggest using 40 grit and not 36. The difference is pretty noticable. 36 grit is just to coarse and gets packed up to quick. Move up to 80 as soon as you can so that you remove as little metal as possible. If you have to spray in your own garage ( which I would advise against), be sure to tightly cover all vents into the garage in order to avoid gassing everyone in your house. Also, airborne petroleum products ( tire shine, Armor-all, or similar products) will cause pocking problems known as fisheyes or lifting. The information that I am providing is coming at a somewhat random and I apologize, lol. I switched to nursing a couple of years ago and it has been awhile since I have had the chance to talk paint.

[V.waffe 3]

Oh yeah,

I forgot to tell you guys not to wax your car. This is another hold over from the laquer days. Wax on base/clear yellows you clear because paint continues to breath through out its life. The chemicals hit the wax and are forced to stagnate between the body and the wax instead of evaporating into the environment. Back before hardened outer coats wax was required to provide a protective layer. These days you a better off using a good glaze coat from Maquire's or 3M.

[Sharky]

How do you feel about catalyst paint protection products like the Zaino system? Zaino

[V.waffe 3]

I would have to read the label and see if it contained wax. The claims that it has a UV protectant are fine, but if it seals your paint it will cause the same problems as Turtle Wax or a like product. Add to this the fact that if you have already painted your car with a base clear to the specified thickness you already have UV protectants in the clear. Peeling paint is often the result of UV damage, but is happening because the company tried to get cheap and not put a decent number of coats on their cars. I am sure you have seen a number of Dodges with this problem. I am passing on what I have been told DuPont and House of Colors. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to answer those I can.

[Sharky]

I understand what you are saying about the base/clear systems, but what if it's a single stage urethane paint like some of the older finishes? Wouldnt you need that extra layer of UV protection and some way to "seal" the paint? Just curious since most of the stock VW paints are all standard paint AKA no clear coat. And yeah, I know exactly what you mean about the dodge clear peeling. I have a 98 ram that this has just started with on the roof and hood.

[V.waffe 3]

If the car has original paint (laquer) use a wax, it takes the place of clear as a protectant. On urethane single stages I would still use a glaze when the paint starts to look a little dull. Being an activated or catalyzed single stage it will continue to breath through out its life.