Advice on Clear Coat?

Cool pics DK! Great reflection shot. I can just imagine my wife now "we came out to enjoy the beach and you're going to take more pictures of your car???" :D
 
I have 3 questions, and hope you guys can point me in the right direction.

My beloved DD is going through TERRIBLE clear coat failure. I understand that a repaint is the only way to make it look new. First question, is there any way to sand off the remaining/failing CC and then seal the paint? Repainting is not an option due to cost constraints, so, I'm trying to find a way to salvage what I can of the paint in the other affected areas. Picture below of the trunk so you guys can see the extent of the CC failure.


150293_674126483533_57212420_36804962_8042681_n.jpg

For reference, this is a 1998 Ford.



The other 2 questions are for my "weekend car." I want to avoid what is happening to the DD. The dealer totally messed up the paint with their "free detail" and the car now has swirls all over it.

Second question is how to fix the scratches pictured below:

Driver's side door handle with the deepest scratches on the car
76865_674127306883_57212420_36804974_924245_n.jpg


Angled view of the scratches in the door handle area
148411_674127845803_57212420_36804984_4507806_n.jpg


Third question is if the spot pictured below is a portion where clear coat has fallen off. Seeing one car go through unstoppable CC failure was bad enough.

View one of suspicious spot
76131_674127880733_57212420_36804985_1342358_n.jpg


Different angle of suspicious spot
74164_674127930633_57212420_36804986_3410054_n.jpg



This car is "new to me" and I've not yet treated it with anything other than biweekly ONR washes.

Here's what is in my arsenal:
PC 7424XP
LC Yellow Compounding Pad
LC Orange Pad
LC White Pad
LC Gold Pad
M105
M205
BFGEP
BFWD
BFMS
MicroFiber applicators and towels
Unigrit 1000, 1500, 2000 dry/wet sanding paper

Thanks!
 
To answer your questions:

1. No, there is no way I am aware of to sand off the clear and buff out the color coat. Problem is the color coat is incredibly thin and there is little gloss to it. It was the clear that provided the film build and gloss, not the color coat. So even if you could somehow separate the two, the color coat would not polish up enough to make the task worthwhile. Sorry, the only solution is a repaint.

2. The scratches are easier to deal with. The handle scratches can be polished out by hand using M105 & M205. Use a MF towel or app and work steady, checking your work as you go along.

You can use the PC to remove the scratches above the handle on the door. M105 + orange + speed 6, then M205 + white + speed 6. Shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes for both sides.

The clearcoat pics are hard to determine. Is it a depression in the clear? Can you feel it with your fingernail or fingertip? It might be an acid rain spot, which can be sanded down with the 2000 grit then polished out. I can't give much advice here as I can't tell what it really is. Maybe a few small experiments with sanding and polishing might improve things.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for replying. I know the CC failure paint can never look "new." I just was looking for a way to make the car not look...white...it is especially noticeable because it is supposed to be dark green. The clear coat is "flaking" off already, so I didn't know if it could be helped along or just left to become worse. Since this car is the DD and mechanical functionality is more important, the appearance issue not a necessary thing (it just pains me to see the paint become worse and worse).

The information for removing the door handle scratches is invaluable. I wasn't sure how to properly polish the area, or even what speed to use with the PC.

As for the suspicious spot...it is very difficult for me to tell if it is a different level or than the surrounding area. When I run my finger over it, it feels different, but I can't tell if it is because it was a badly done touch up or an area where the CC fell off. When I ran my nail across, there was a difference at the edge of the spot and the normal looking paint, but I didn't want to press any further and cause any damage.

Thanks again, Bret.
 
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