New Member - New Project

V

vcallaway

New member
Since I've posted a couple of notes I figured I would intro myself.

I'm in my 40's and have detailed cars since I was a youngster. My dad would buy and old car and fix the mechanicals and my job was to make it look nice for sale.

I've done several car restorations and normally just do detailing on my own cars.

I belong to a local Merkur car club. I recently made the mistake of stating that a couple of cars slated for dismattling could be put back into shape with some TLC and not much money.

A few days later the car in the picture below showed up at my doorstep. It was covered in moss and pine needles. This picture was taken after a quick hosing to see what was under the moss.

The sunroof had been left open and after the last 40 days and 40 nights of rain we've had it was very wet and covered in mold. The interior is now stripped and sitting in my garage drying out.

The goal is to make this car not just road worthy, but looking as new as possible. My budget is $1,000 which includes tires. I've already spent about $200 on a new battery and the parts to get it running properly. The project will be documented on a website once done.

I have a plan for restoring the paint, but I'm curious how some of you would go about whipping it into shape.

project1.jpg
 
:surrender That car needs some major :help:. First of all you are going to need a paint cleaner to remove that oxidation- Klasse AIO will do the trick. From there you will want to clay and polish the paint. What polish you use will depend on the condition once you remove the oxidation. If you are going to be doing this by hand, I would suggest against it or buy a PC. The AIO will get the paint red again but won't remove any scratches or swirls.

The paint looks like its in decent shape concerning rust, CC faliure and the like except above the tail lights, which would need to be repainted. Get a plastic polishing kit aswell to revive the headlights aswell.

The Kalsse AIO, some polishes (Poorboys for easy application and removal), PC and foam pads, Sealant, tire and trim shine, plastic kit, window cleaner and a lot of labor will get that car looking 100x better.
 
Welcome to DC. Yes, new wheels will be a good start, but I must say you have a big job ahead of you. What is this plan you got? I think with the right tools and products plus some hard work you can bring the paint back to life. I don't know about the interior because I've never had to deal with something that bad. I would take whatever extra cash you got and put it towards some new carpet and seats. I would think that after having that much water inside for that period of time the carpet and pading is beyond repairs. Good luck.
 
The interior can be revived. New parts are not available.

The part above the tail lights is actually a plastic (factory) spoiler. That item will just be replaced with one from a donor car.

Living in the Northwest you learn quickly that mold and moss take over everything. Some of you may cringe, but I've found that the best first step is to clean the whole exterior using soft scrub w/ bleach. It is used mostly to kill the moss and does not harm the paint.

After doing that the car gets another round of hand washing.

I have some Meguiars Diamond Cut Compound that I intend to use. I tested a small area and it appears that it will clean up the paint rather well. I used a wool pad which is what Meguiars recommends. I'll figure out the next step after that one is completed.

My process for leather is a bit unconventional as well.

I've only done one seat so far. I used a dilution of anti-bacterial hand soap with distilled water to clean the mold. I then take petroleum jelly with my bare hands and work it into the leather. I buff that off with a MF towel and then work in leather conditioner.

The carpet was in excelent shape, just wet. I will use a steam cleaner to clean it up.

After I get the car back together I'll use an ozone generator to make sure all the mold spores are dead.

Here is a picture of my car. It was in similar shape when I got it.

My87.jpg
 
vcallaway said:
Here is a picture of my car. It was in similar shape when I got it.

My87.jpg
Click to expand...
If you can make the car in the first picture look anything like the car in the last picture, you are not a detailer, you are a magician.:)

Charles
 
If you're going to make a go of that oxidation then I have a few suggestions:

Get a paint cleaner (AIO, Pro Polish) to lift off the oxidation

Get a Rotary (just for the oxidation, harbor freight has a couple cheap ones that will serve your needs) and a Backing plate that will let you use an 8.5" wool pad (or tufted foam pad) no foam pad will hold that much dead paint

Get a spur for the above mentioned setup (the pads will load up)

Wear crappy clothes (it's still paint that you're dealing with)

Make sure you know that the metal may poke out from under the paint, it doesn't look like you'll have a lot of good paint left under there

If you're gonna go for it I comend you, I hope you get a good return on your investment. Good luck.
 
I have nothing to say but that is a good "Before" pic. Once you get after pics.....that would be a perfect "Customer getter". I would put a billboard up in your town with those pics and your phone number! Can't wait to see the afters
 
You can have the rain. They just said on the news that we set a record for rainfall in one month. Nearly 12 inches. That puts over 100 inches of snow in the mountains!

I started on some of the interior pieces today. Still raining too much start on the paint. I'll post in the showcase forum.

I write software for a living. The cars are my distraction from technology.
 
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