r/Detailing•
Olious

Base and clear coat waiting time

I Have A Question

Hello, I have a small scratch on my car that went down to the bare metal, and I’m repairing it myself. I’ve already applied an anti-corrosion primer using a brush. According to the instructions, I waited six hours between the two coats. Now that both layers are on, I’m planning to let the primer cure for about a full day before lightly sanding it to help the base coat adhere properly.

I’m using a brush-on base coat with the color code LZ9Y, and I also have a brush-on clear coat.

My questions are: 1. How long should I wait between each layer of the base coat? 2. Once the base coat is applied, should I lightly wet sand it to level it out before applying the clear coat, or should I apply the clear coat directly over the untouched base coat? 3. How long should I wait between the last layer of base coat and the first layer of clear coat? Should I wait a full day, or can I apply the clear coat after a few minutes? 4. After I apply the clear coat layers, should I wait a full day before sanding and polishing, or is it okay to sand it within a short time after the last coat?

I am refering to a video of ChrisFix, but he doesn’t mention the waiting times between, and online, some sources say I should wait a day or two for base and clear coat to dry.

I appreaciate your help in advance.

Posted Jul 6, 2025, 7:34 PM UTC

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