hi everyone, Not sure if this is a silly question or not, but I am very curious...with a vehicle that was special ordered and built only a few weeks ago at the plant, how old is the paint on the body panels? Do they shoot the paint way in advance?...or when they are actually starting the build? I know they bake the paint too, but not sure when it is actually safe to detail it. I dont want to FUBAR the paint. Any knowledge of feedback on this would be great, thanks all! Haley
Assuming you're talking about the Ferrari factory: The panels are actually done way ahead of time by an outsider company (might be Pininfarina, not sure). Then the bits and pieces are delivered to Ferrari SpA where they enter the assembly line. They get added as the car is being built. So I'd say the painting of the frame is probably the first thing that happens, along with painting of all the panels. Thereafter the car assembly begins. Not sure that answered your question.
Andreas, I wish I were talking about a factory ordered Ferrari...but it is Ford I was wondering about. Thank you for the info tho!
Drying time probably depends on the type of paint. I believe that after the bake process, the paint has cured to a point where it is ready for a clear coat. I suspect that after a few days, the paint will be as dry as it will ever get. Again, it depends on the paint and the components in the paint. With new formulations to remove VOC, the solvents may take longer to dry. The paint supplier would provide guidelines on this.
