Painting car in the winter?

[Mark B]

Hey everyone,
Its almost time to paint my car. My plan was to get the car painted this winter while I am not driving it. However, a friend told me that its not a good idea to get it painted in the winter because the paint will not set/dry right. Is this true, should I wait till spring?

[markd79ta]

Hey everyone,
Its almost time to paint my car. My plan was to get the car painted this winter while I am not driving it. However, a friend told me that its not a good idea to get it painted in the winter because the paint will not set/dry right. Is this true, should I wait till spring?

Where are you getting it painted? Each paint system has a temperature range with its low well over 60. If you shoot below this temperature range, it is a real bear. If you take it to a shop, it is climate controlled, and they usually bake the paint (heat it up to increase the evaporation rate of chemicals from the reducer & such). If you plan to shoot it in your garage, just make sure the temperature is within the recommended limits. I have shot cars and body panels in my garage in the winter with heaters and such to heat the garage. It is a not a lot of fun coordinating that with ventilation plus the temperature fluctuates so bad that it is hard to achieve a uniform spray pattern.

[Mark B]

Its getting painted in a local shop. How about afterward its painted? What will tempature do to the curing? It will make it take longer obviously, but anything else?

[markd79ta]

Its getting painted in a local shop. How about afterward its painted? What will tempature do to the curing? It will make it take longer obviously, but anything else?

With a PPG or Dupont two stage system, I color sand and buff within 24hrs. If the car goes into a heating chamber, it can be color sanded and buffed in the same day. Regardless, your car should be pretty much good to go when you leave. I give it a week before I do any major driving or washing.

One thing to think about. If your car is put into a temperature below the recommended minimum temperature, it slows the dry time. The better paint systems have various speeds of reducer and hardener. I vary my use of them depending on the temperature and humidity. If the shop is at all any good, they will shoot the car with what you need and keep it in the proper climate for the proper amount of time. I would just make sure you pick the right place. I have also found that the best paint shops are not the least expensive, but they are also not necessarily the most expensive. If I have a job done, and I am not doing it, I call the local Corvette shop and get their recommendations...always served me well in the past.

[FroSSty]

Well said Markd79ta...That is exactly right.