Exact Answer: 12 to 48 Hours
A clear coat type of paint on a car is the one that has no pigments or color in it. The clear coat is applied over the colored resin or pain on a car. Most of the vehicles manufactured in the day have a clear coat done over the colored resin. The main reason for clear coating a car is that it makes the actual paint look shinier and deeper than usual and provides protection to the material from the sun and UV rays. The ultraviolet ray of the sun makes the paint fade away faster, and the clear coat prevents that from happening.
How Long After Clear Coat Can I Drive?
A Clear Coat is quite literally, as the name suggests, is a clear or transparent coat of paint over the colored resin on a car. Usually, the clear coat is also known as the 2-Stage Paint as it is the second coat on a vehicle after it is painted with the colored coating. It is a protective layer to seal the paint.
It takes approximately 12 to 24 hours for the clear coat to dry, however, it takes much longer for the paint to fully cure and harden. The paint could take up to 30 days to harden, before which the biggest mistake that happens is to wash the car. The car should not be washed or taken to a car wash before the period of 30 days as the soap can harm the paint before it has hardened.
There are also various types of clear coats, namely, Topcoat, Glamour, Turbo, High Solid, etc. The Topcoat clear coat dries the fastest and is easy to polish, whereas the Glamour coat dries fast as well as is resistant to moisture, it could be heated for faster drying. The Turbo coat is recommended for collision repair, as it covers up any dents, scratches, and gives a more polished result on the car. Moreover, the High Solid clear coat provides a thicker coat over the paint and due to the thick texture, it takes the longest to dry. As the High Solid Coat is thicker than most clear coats, it is naturally more expensive, too.
| Type Of Clear Coat | Benefits |
| Topcoat | Dries Fastest |
| Glamour | Resistant to Moisture |
| Turbo | Recommended for Collision Repair |
| High Solid | Provides the Thickest Coat |
Why Should I Wait For 12 to 48 Hours After Clear Coat To Drive?
The clear coat takes 12 to 48 hours to dry, however, the drying and curing time can differ due to several external factors. Moreover, it takes at least 30 days for the paint to harden, before which the car must not be washed or come in contact with soap as it could damage the paint before it has fully hardened.
Some of the major factors which can affect the drying time of the clear coat include the temperature of the place, the environment in which the coat is applied, the weather of the place, the materials with which the coat is applied, the products used for clear coating the car.
When the temperature is high, the coat crosslinks fast and could dry up in even half the time. However, when the temperatures drop or in cold weather, the car would take twice as much time to dry the clear coat as the supplements would take longer to crosslink. To have the clear coat on the car dry faster, an ideal temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and above is recommended.
The products used to clear coat the car needs to be well researched. Moreover, the guidelines of the product that is being used should be strictly followed otherwise it could create trouble.
Moreover, care is required even after the clear coat is applied. The car should not be left in the sun or under any tree before the completion of the 30-day period which takes the coat to harden. The Ultra-Violent rays can harm the coat and could even affect the thickness of the coat. Also, the birds can harm the car if it is parked near a tree.
Conclusion
The Clear Coat on a car is, quite literally, the clear or transparent paint put over the colored resin on the car. It is done so to make the paint look shiny and to protect the car from the Ultraviolet rays of the sun. The clear coat takes up to 12 to 48 hours to dry and 30 days of curing or hardening time. The car should not be taken to wash before the completion of the 30-day time as it could damage the paint, further, the car should not be kept in such much because it can affect the thickness of the coat before e period of 30 days.