Sportsmind4Me....with the winter months approaching, the catalyst (hardener) in the clear coat will "sleep" under roughly 50 degrees fahrenheit. This simply means the clear coat cannot FULLY cure....DO NOT let this scare you. More than likely the shop ran a bake cycle, and technically it is all but cured now (unless it wasn't baked). To be on the safe side, wait 90 days before waxing. If you feel the need to wax, purchase a breathable wax from an auto body jobber store in your area. Wizards Shine Master is an excellent fresh paint wax.
As far as your color match is concerned, that gets complicated. Micas, pearls, metallics and solid base colors refract light in all different combinations. Fluorescent light is always the worst due to the output and strength of the lighting. A lot of times color will match poorly in garage lighting, but be
all but perfect in natural lighting.
The other effect on color match is the substrate and angle. Plastic bumpers on an angle will show a different shade or hue next to metal due to a) being plastic and b) having angles. This is why when you look at 90% of factory vehicles today, the bumpers are multiple shades off from the bodies.
And like you have already said, age is a huge factor. Colors fade over time, some more quickly than others. Color match is hands down the most difficult part of automotive refinishing. Hope that helps!
