Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I have just had my car resprayed in two pack synthetic paint followed by lacquer. Can anyone tell me how long it is for the paint to fully harden?

Are you sure it was sprayed in 2-pack paint? It is now illegal in the UK to spray 2-pack because it is so toxic. Almost all body shops are now using water based paints. I copied this from Autopaints of Brighton.

"You may only purchase non compliant 2K products if you intend to use them for industrial or agricultural uses and not for automotive purposes as this is now illegal. If purchasing 2K products we will ask you to confirm that you will be using a full face spray mask and breathing equipment and that you are aware of the poisonous nature of 2K products. When making a purchase we insist that you tick a box to state that you have read and understood these terms and conditions. Autopaints Brighton cannot be held liable for any incidents, legal proceedings and other repercussions if you use any of our 2K products. We trust our customers to be honest and fair and as such we are able to sell you 2K products in good faith."

If it is 2-pack then I would leave it at least two weeks to fully cure.
Mike

William,
It would be useful to know why you ask the question.
Is it to wax the car or detail it? i.e. Machine polish, followed by a last stage product, wax or sealant.

I agree with Mike that 2 weeks would be OK, but if detailing, 2 weeks is ok, but the longer left the better, especially if you need to remove moderate orange peel.

Cellulose, Synthetic and 2K Acrylic is readily available in the UK from several suppliers including this one:- http://www.jawel.co.uk/
No association, but I did purchase my 2K Acrylic from them.

They do include the following statement on their web page:-
"We still stock cellulose paint ideal for Industrial Use and restoring automotive cars. We are able to mix and match almost any colour for cars, RAL and British Standard Colours".

Download the free Health & Safety Data Sheets before purchase.

Mike, I think you got the wrong end of the stick! My car has been professionally resprayed and as far as I am aware it is not "totally banned" in the UK yet. I have also been told that the lacquer applied to water based paint is also pretty toxic. A benifit of acrylic paint is that it is harder or longer lasting.
The reason for my original question was to know how long to leave the car before starting to assemble parts on to the bodywork. Rubber seals, chromework, etc. Regards, William

Was it baked?

2K paint is fine for automotive use in the UK, but by professionsals, & with the right equipment / installation only :-

http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/isocyanates.htm

Dave M.