Restoring faded paint. Any suggestions appreciated

[Old Blue]

Well, the paint on my 69 is a bit faded on the larger flat spot, i.e. top of the hood, roof, and trunk. I can make it shine like new if i really put some elbow greese into wax. but i find that not only is the shine not fully as gloss as it should be, but it returns to its faded dullness again after a good week or 2.

anyone know how i can get the luster back? i assume a buffing wheel would do the trick, as i have seen others use these to bring gloss back to areas that were wet-sanded. but every time i ask someone in an autoparts store or home dept, they recommend the quite useless Orbital polishers, which in my opinion could not polish a fresh bird dropping off a freshly waxed coat of paint.

Dont have the cash to repaint yet, so this coat is gonna need to last me for another year or 2.

where can i find a good polisher, polishing wheel, or buffing wheel attatchment. and what is it called (or brand name). thanks

 

[allcarfan]

Meguires 3 step. COmes in three maroon bottles. GET IT!!! Buy lots of terry cloth rags. Work in the garage...work slow, do it right. Should take about 5 hours if done correctly. I GUARANTEE that you will be amazed.

 

[69PaleHorse]

You may want to run your question by the guys in the Sound and Shine forum too. Be prepared to explain exactly what you have, what you want to accomplish and how much you have to spend on the project too.

Orbital buffing will work, but not as well as a rotary polisher. The Meguires Three Step will work well, but will not have the results of say a professional grade cleaner/polish/sealer/wax combo.

If you are really knowledge hungry, check out these sites:

http://www.propercarcare.com
http://www.autopia.org

And good luck with your project!

 

[oboebrian]

I've actually had a good experiance with restoring faded and oxidized paint with NuFinish (it also does a great job on polishing up faded/yellowed lenses). Another thing is to use the three step meguire's system, i.e. #9,#26, then the yellow carnuba wax does a great job with a rotary buffer and foam pads.

 

[Old Blue]

thanks guys, that gives me something to work with.

 

[bnickel]

buy lots of 2000 grit wetd/dry paper and a good sanding block, use a little dish soap in your bucket and also keep a small stream of water running from a hose. you can buy a decent buffer/grinder with variable speeds from harbor freight for about 50 bucks

 

[69PaleHorse]

buy lots of 2000 grit wetd/dry paper and a good sanding block, use a little dish soap in your bucket and also keep a small stream of water running from a hose. you can buy a decent buffer/grinder with variable speeds from harbor freight for about 50 bucks

No disrespect intended, bnickel, but I disagree with the wetsanding recommendation, if that's what you were doing.

Since we can not see the paint, and don't know anything about how it was done (i.e. One or two stage? How many coats of clear? Has it been wetsanded before? Is there any clear left? etc.) I'd be very hesitant to go that route. Sure, on a fresh or familiar paint job, wetsanding can get you that smooth, glossy look, but sanding into the color coat is something to be avoided at all costs.

Also, I have to assume you meant that Harbor Freight has a decent variable speed polisher. Grinders are NOT meant for polishing paint and will burn/swirl/remove your paint in a flash.

Best practice is to start with the least aggressive methods first and then work up if needed.

 

[bnickel]

well if he can get it to shine, to me that means the paint is probably in good shape under the oxidation and with a mild wet sanding and a good buffing it will probably look as good as new, however i should have metioned that he should check the condition of the paint beforehand and if possible get a paint guage to measure the thickness of the paint. and the tool i was talking about is combination buffer/grinder you can use it for either one. i used to own a detail shop and the tool that most detail shops use is the electric buffer/grinder. it is very difficult to find a good variable speed buffer that it is not both and when you do it is also very expensive, unles you use the orbital buffer which is really own good for wax anyway, you can't cut paint with an orbital. my 93 cherokee has a cheap 6 or 7 year old paint job on it and has plenty of paint to sand and buff out in fact i will be doing that next week, with a single stage cheap black enamel paint in the desert sun of west texas it is about mandatory to do that to the jeep once a year. you just have to be careful when you do it, also notice that i recommended 2000 grit to do it as well, most places will actually use 1000 grit but i feel that takes to much paint off unless it is a new paint job. i used 2000 grit on my original paint (wimbledon white) 70 cougar with absolutely no problems whatsoever, i also did a customers 77 original paint (light metallic green) bronco and his original paint (black) 66 t-bird that way as well and those are just some of the vintage fords i have done previously. i've also done many other cars this way as well. no disrespect taken but i wouldn't have posted it unless it was a viable alternative and had he not mentioned that he is able to get a shine out of the paint but it goes away within a couple of weeks i wouldn't have mentioned it all. also i will say this as well if the paint will produce a shine but it only it lasts a couple of weeks he is not actually getting past the oxidation and even with a good buffing using a high cuttin compound he will probably not acheive the results he is looking for, he first needs to get rid of the oxidation and then he should be able to get good results. anyway that is my opinion on the subject take it how you want

 

[Old Blue]

well. i did what the majority recommended and bought the meguires 3 step, and to save myself the agony of watching my paint shine like new before fading to dull in a matter of a week, i decided to do just one panel and test the results.

I used each step as instructed, by hand (always prefer elbow grease to electric trinkets) and after about 3 hours of muscle fatiguing work, i achieved a marvelous result.

Sadly, after only 5 days, it began to fade visibly. i repeated the process and got the resuly in far less time, but find it fading as before. This was all done in the garage, with clean towels and one small area at a time. i also tried a claybar on the second and third attempts on the panel. don't think i could have done anything wrong.

considering the wetsanding option i had the paint examined and found it to be too thin to risk wet sanding.

am i just screwed untill i replaint? or should i keep plugging away at this panel and hope to lengthen the time between fadings?

I do eventually plan on repainting the car i want you all to know, but when i do i plan on replacing nearly every panel on the car, and changing the color back to the original light metalic blue. The estimate i got from the local shop that does all my body work quoted me a rough estimate of about $5k.

I dont have that much and wont for another 6-9 months. but i cant stand driving with a grotescly faded paintjob in the meantime....rabble rabble rabble...(unitelligable mutterings)

 

[allcarfan]

instead of using the 'third' step in the meguires process...get some really good ZAINO and use that.

 

[Old Blue]

instead of using the 'third' step in the meguires process...get some really good ZAINO and use that.

i'll try anything at this point. hey thanks

 

[bnickel]

i think i'd still try a light wet sanding with a 2000 grit paper on an inconspicous spot, hell even if you go through in a couple small spots it might still look better than what you have now. why do you need to replace all the panels? the car lokos fairly straight to me, so unless it is completly rusted out i wouldn't bother, another thing is that the 69 coupes aren't worth a whole lot, so replacing all the panels might cost more than the car is actually worth, at least monetarily, you can't really put a price on sentimental value though

 

[jim7485]

Try this....

Check out this site for some good FAQ's regarding paint care. http://www.carcareonline.com/howto.aspx A great resource even if you don't buy anything. I have no relationship with them, I'm not selling anything (never taken a shower with the owner or any such thing). Just a satisfied customer. I used 3M Imperial Hand Glaze followed by One Grand Blitz Wax on an older Porsche a few years back. Everyone thought I painted the car. A great combination.

jim-

 

[SixFivePony]

I totally stole this from another site that I go to, the washing/detailing forum is ridiculous over there.

To avoid flames, I've replaced the word "truck" with the word "mustang in the post. I hope this helps.

Having a good looking mustang is all about the prep work. NXT, or any other wax for that matter will not magically transform your paint, it is mearly a sealer to preserve the work you have done with polishing and claying, it will add some shine, but does nothing to "fix" your paint.
Your mustang sounds like it may be somewhat neglected but not horrible. The first step will be to wash your mustang with Dawn dish soap in order to remove any old wax. This step also removes some of the oils from your clear coat, but we will be replacing them later so dont worry. Dont make a habit of this step though.
After the dawn I would start out with a good claying of your mustang. Its quite easy but time consuming. The main purpose of this step is to remove contaminants from your paint such as overspray and other undersirables. It may seem pointless, but this step is very important if you are looking to achieve top notch results. Pick up a nice clay kit, Clay Magic is what I prefer, but the zaino clay is also quality.
Next you need to polish your paint. This is the step where you would be removing the swirls. Since you dont have a DA and dont wish to purchase one what you can do here is somewhat limited. I would really reccomend you pick up a Porter Cable, but if it's not something you are interested in then that is your choice. You can still achieve some results by hand though. I would reccomend 3M's swirl mark remover for the job. Meguiars Scratch X is also somewhat effective for a 'by hand' application.
At this point you are going to want to wash your mustang with dawn dish soap agian to remove all the residue from polishing and claying and promote ultimate adhesion of your chosen sealer. This is the step where you choose what you want to seal with, and also where you achieve ultimate shine. If a store bought product is what you want then NXT will be your best bet, it shine well, but unless your mustang is garaged then it only lasts for about 2 weeks to a month.
Other products you might consider are Zaino or Tropicare, there are debates as to which is better so I'll stay out of all of that, read up some and pick what you think is best. After you have sealed your paint then all it comes down to is maintenance.
Keep the mustang washed with a quality auto shampoo and maintain your layer or protection with a quick detailer and regular applications of your chosen sealer. If you do that you can effectivley avoid all the work of doing those pesky first few step on a repeated basis. Just remember, no 'wax' (and i only call it that is because that what most people mistakenly call these synthetics) will cure your paint. If you want your mustang to look good its all about the prep work, your 'wax' is just the final step.

 

[Old Blue]

as far as replacing the body panels. there is not a great deal of rust, and it looks fairly straight i guess. but the problem is i hate bondo more than i hate terrorism. The door skins have probably 10lbs of bondo and filler combined. the fenders and hood i want to replace with fiberglass, even though they arent really that bad. i like the weight loss with fiberglass. also, coupes are quite a bit lighter than fastbacks. I have totalled the cost of replacement panels at between $1,700-$2,000, then about another $3,000 for the paint itself.

as far as the worth of the car. i dont really care much. i bought this 69 coupe first, then i bought a perfect, cherry, Grabber yellow 1970 Mach1 with a 351C hurst 4-speed, shaker ram air, spoiler, louvers, deluxe int, fold down rear seat. it was a looker, i got more lovely ladies that came up to me and wanted to chat than in my 69 mustang. but the truth is, i ...(puts on flame retardant suit) i just dont like fastbacks. i love the way the coups look far more, and the 69 more than any other year. just my preferance.

I sold the 70 mach for abround $20k. if i were lucky i would get 5K for my grande, but that isnt importan to me. Fastbacks are super trendy, and i hate being a follower. seems nobody likes the 69 coupes when there are covertibles and fastbacks to pick from. I had a perfect 70 mach, but i could not modify it carefree like i can my 69 coupe because i would be destroying its originality, losing matching numbers, and lowering its value on the market. The Mach was an investment, but not a car i fell free to do crazy things to.

I want 69 GT500 convertible decklid and rear 1/4 panel caps. i want a black vinal top, front spoiler, shaker ram air, 5-speed and 408 stroker with torq thrus II's pushing the offset to the far edge of the fender wells. full bucket aftermarket leather racing seats, and a 69 original tach cluster.

even if i prefered the fastbacks over the coupes. many would think i was smoking crack to detract from a fastbacks original config. The way i look at it, im going to make my coupe the perfect car for me, and a car that i wont care about keeping original. lets face it, every 69 coupe you see on ebay for sale that is in nice shape are all perfect original slushy granny cars that they were when they were new (with the exception of the rare big blocks that pop up on occassion)

plus, nobody will want to steal it because its not a fastback, just a dumpy coupe =P

this coupe was my first car ever, it has served me well for nearly two decades, and its due for a makeover.....dammit where is Overhaulin when i need them....

(ok, i just realized how much of a coupe fanatic i have become, hope i haven't scared anyone)

 

[SixFivePony]

If you get fiberglass, you're gonna do some bodywork. It'll be bondo, but for fiberglass. No way around it, 'glass never comes perfect.

 

[bnickel]

as far as replacing the body panels. there is not a great deal of rust, and it looks fairly straight i guess. but the problem is i hate bondo more than i hate terrorism. The door skins have probably 10lbs of bondo and filler combined. the fenders and hood i want to replace with fiberglass, even though they arent really that bad. i like the weight loss with fiberglass. also, coupes are quite a bit lighter than fastbacks. I have totalled the cost of replacement panels at between $1,700-$2,000, then about another $3,000 for the paint itself.

as far as the worth of the car. i dont really care much. i bought this 69 coupe first, then i bought a perfect, cherry, Grabber yellow 1970 Mach1 with a 351C hurst 4-speed, shaker ram air, spoiler, louvers, deluxe int, fold down rear seat. it was a looker, i got more lovely ladies that came up to me and wanted to chat than in my 69 mustang. but the truth is, i ...(puts on flame retardant suit) i just dont like fastbacks. i love the way the coups look far more, and the 69 more than any other year. just my preferance.

I sold the 70 mach for abround $20k. if i were lucky i would get 5K for my grande, but that isnt importan to me. Fastbacks are super trendy, and i hate being a follower. seems nobody likes the 69 coupes when there are covertibles and fastbacks to pick from. I had a perfect 70 mach, but i could not modify it carefree like i can my 69 coupe because i would be destroying its originality, losing matching numbers, and lowering its value on the market. The Mach was an investment, but not a car i fell free to do crazy things to.

I want 69 GT500 convertible decklid and rear 1/4 panel caps. i want a black vinal top, front spoiler, shaker ram air, 5-speed and 408 stroker with torq thrus II's pushing the offset to the far edge of the fender wells. full bucket aftermarket leather racing seats, and a 69 original tach cluster.

even if i prefered the fastbacks over the coupes. many would think i was smoking crack to detract from a fastbacks original config. The way i look at it, im going to make my coupe the perfect car for me, and a car that i wont care about keeping original. lets face it, every 69 coupe you see on ebay for sale that is in nice shape are all perfect original slushy granny cars that they were when they were new (with the exception of the rare big blocks that pop up on occassion)

plus, nobody will want to steal it because its not a fastback, just a dumpy coupe =P

this coupe was my first car ever, it has served me well for nearly two decades, and its due for a makeover.....dammit where is Overhaulin when i need them....

(ok, i just realized how much of a coupe fanatic i have become, hope i haven't scared anyone)

wow you just almost described my car with the mods you want to make. mine is currently in the body shop getting painted. it id going to be acapulco blue with a black vinyl top, boss 302/mach 1 style blackout hood, taillight pane and head light openings. it already has the 69 shelby vert side scoops, but the decklid and end caps just weren't in the budget this time around. i have a 351w with an FMX auto currently, but i have an aod in the garage that just needs building whenever the budget will allow, but i'm not going to do a stroker motor. i currently have 86 gt buckets in the car, that will be recovered, possibly in leather but i'm still debating the leather part. BTW i have a 69 GT coupe, i've gotten a lot of flack from som purists about modifying an original 69 GT, but i absolutely will not ever repaint it the original lime gold so i may as well do what i want with it, mine was also my first car , i've had it for a little over 20 years now.

 

[Old Blue]

wow you just almost described my car with the mods you want to make. mine is currently in the body shop getting painted. it id going to be acapulco blue with a black vinyl top, boss 302/mach 1 style blackout hood, taillight pane and head light openings. it already has the 69 shelby vert side scoops, but the decklid and end caps just weren't in the budget this time around. i have a 351w with an FMX auto currently, but i have an aod in the garage that just needs building whenever the budget will allow, but i'm not going to do a stroker motor. i currently have 86 gt buckets in the car, that will be recovered, possibly in leather but i'm still debating the leather part. BTW i have a 69 GT coupe, i've gotten a lot of flack from som purists about modifying an original 69 GT, but i absolutely will not ever repaint it the original lime gold so i may as well do what i want with it, mine was also my first car , i've had it for a little over 20 years now.

wow, your car sounds like my cars evil twin (i mean that in a good way, evil cars are the appitomy of cool) any chance you can show me some pics of it? i would love to see it, before durring or after its done. i wont copy anything, i just rarely see anyone go hog-wild on 69 coupes, would love the inspiration. my email is [email protected].

i have never seen a GT coupe before, i'll bet its a rare bird, not that im an expert or anything. to hell with the purists, enjoy that car!!! only a person emerging from 1969 criogentic stasis could enjoy lime gold, im with you buddy!

 

[bnickel]

wow, your car sounds like my cars evil twin (i mean that in a good way, evil cars are the appitomy of cool) any chance you can show me some pics of it? i would love to see it, before durring or after its done. i wont copy anything, i just rarely see anyone go hog-wild on 69 coupes, would love the inspiration. my email is [email protected].

i have never seen a GT coupe before, i'll bet its a rare bird, not that im an expert or anything. to hell with the purists, enjoy that car!!! only a person emerging from 1969 criogentic stasis could enjoy lime gold, im with you buddy!

my problem is i don't have a digi cam, but i have some film i need to develop that i might be able to get on cd. as soon as i get some that i can post i will. thanks. there's really not a whole lot different from my car than any other coupe. it does have the mach 1 style hood scoop (it's actually a gt scoop but everyone got used to seeing them on the mach's so it kind of stuck, i guess, they were first used on the 68-1/2 cj gt's) and hood pins and the one year only gt gas cap with the gear tooth pattern on the edge surrounding the pop-open center. other than that and the one year only 69 gt rocker stripes there is not a lot of visual cues to tell a gt apart from a 6 cylinder coupe, oh they did come with the gt styled steel wheels, but i don't have a full set currently, i will eventually go to a wheel vintiques 15x8 gt style wheel all around