Old Classic Car Paint Correction (All the input I can get would be great)

T

Toymachine2009

New member
So my neighbor just got an old Classic Car. The paint has a little oxidization on the roof and some minor swirling and water spots on the paint. Other than that paint is in pretty good condition...



I just got done giving it a wash and it looks a lot better already all cleaned up but I showed him the swirls and has minor scratches in the clear up front that I am pretty sure I can get out.



What I have to work with



Griots DA

M105 and M205 and HD UNO



I can order whatever pads you think I will need for this job.



So my question to you is can I get this done with my Griots DA. Is there anything I should be aware of on older paint? Is the paint softer or harder. IMO it seems like the clear is harder because my 2005 g35 has WAY more swirls than this car does.



So if you were doing this car with a Griots DA what products and pads would you use.



Also IDK if if you can tell from the pics but the white sidewalls are pretty yellow. Anything I can do to whiten them up? Sorry for the bad pics I took it from my balcony after I was done washing it. I will be attempting this next weekend. does $150 dollars sound fair for the paint correction?



I was thinking doing these steps.



Wash

Clay bar surface

Polish with Orange or yellow with M105

Polish with White pad with M205

Wax the car.



Any input or suggestions would be great as I dont want to hurt his old classic car but I also want it to come out really good. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.



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Unless the car has been repainted it probably doesn't have a clearcoat. Also, do you have a lot of time on your hands, because $150 is quite cheap.
 
I actually do have a lot of time I'm 19 no job my gf works 7 hours a day I been detailing non stop because I been so bored... And there is clear.. What else would the swirls be in? There is clear it's glossy and shiny I no for a fact there is clear on that car. Not sure if it's original paint or what. If there was no clear then there's nothing I can do?



I can feel the contaminants in it and everything.. And if it wasn't cleared wouldn't it be not as shiny and in ALOT worst shape like the entire car oxidized?
 
toymachine2009 said:
There is clear it's glossy and shiny I no for a fact there is clear on that car.
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Glossy and shiny does not mean that the car has a clear coat on it. Take some M105, put it on a MF towel and rub it on the paint. If you get paint transfer on the towel then it is a single stage paint job.
 
Dubbin1 said:
Glossy and shiny does not mean that the car has a clear coat on it. Take some M105, put it on a MF towel and rub it on the paint. If you get paint transfer on the towel then it is a single stage paint job.
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okay thanks. I will certainly try that before I go to polish it. If there is no paint transfer on the towel then there is clear?
 
toymachine2009 said:
.. If there is no paint transfer on the towel then there is clear?
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Right. And I'd treat a single stage paintjob differently from a b/c one, at least in many (most?) cases.
 
Accumulator said:
Right. And I'd treat a single stage paintjob differently from a b/c one, at least in many (most?) cases.
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When you say single stage that means without the clear? And if so what would you do?
 
So a few more questions. If there is clear coat obviously I can clay bar and polish. If there isn't can I still clay bar at least to make the surface smooth again?



Also you see all the chrome pieces up front and along the side of the car.. Well its heavily scratched as well. Anyway I can restore than to at least 80% if not better. Can I polish that out with the M105 or M205 or is there a different product I should be using for the chrome pieces.



Thanks in Advance.



Edit: Found this.. Anyone use this for metal pieces?

Optimum Metal Polish 8 oz
 
Even if its a single stage paint job you can still polish it. As for the chrome, if its scratch then there is nothing you can do to reduce or remove scratches in chrome.
 
toymachine2009 said:
I can still polish it? Do I do it the same way? Or do I have to go less aggressive?
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Some sorta-random thoughts follow:



Sure you can clay it, but you might need more clay than usual if the paint isn't in great shape. If it's really oxidized you might want to use a paint cleaner *before* the clay, even if that sounds bass-ackwards.



Most ss paint (with the exception of white) is relatively soft, but you never know until you start working on it.



Watch for think areas, especially on edges. Don't get carried away being all Autopian about the marring lest you take off more paint than is wise. That's generally not the #1 priority anyhow; don't treat it like a new Toyota.



You'll need a lot of pads as they load up, but don't stress out about the pigment transfer, it looks more serious than it really is.



Some of us approach ss differently from b/c in part because we want a different, "period-correct" look, that's deeper and less glossy. (Repeat my "it's not a new Toyota" idea.)



Some ss paint responds *REALLY* well to Meguiar's older products that have a lot of their Trade Secret Oils.



You might want to look up Mike Phillips's thread about this subject, including the ones where he discusses pre-treating with M07.



Be careful using M105/M205 on chrome, and start with the M205 if you want to do this. Sometimes it works out wonderfully (and I mean just *GREAT*), other times it's one of those "oops!" situations where you just ruined something and I'd hate to do that to somebody else's car ;)
 
toymachine2009 said:
Thanks for the input..
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Well, I probably gave you plenty of food for thought besides any downright practical info, but I always get just a little nervous when people who are used to working on modern paints first tackle something like this. I'd really hate for you to have an "oops!".



Now don't go getting all paranoid or anything, just treat that old-timer more gently than you might normally do it, and remember to, uhm...forget about being all Autopian about correcting the marring; "first, do no harm" if you get my drift.
 
Of course. Def going to start out with M205 on a White or Green pad and not apply a TON of pressure. DO a little test spot and see how that looks! Will the paint transfer ruin my pads (If there is no clear)
 
The paint transfer won't ruin the pads. I've polished my single stage car quite a few times. After you're done, spray them with APC and let them soak for 15 minutes or so. Dawn Power Disolver works well for a final cleaning but wear gloves if you use it.



You're going to need quite few pads for this job. Clean them often with a terry cloth towel and a brush so they don't gum up and lose thier polishing ability.



Post some closer before pics. As an old car fanatic, I'd love to see some good before and afters of that beast. I don't evny you - that's a TON of polishing.
 
dschribs said:
The paint transfer won't ruin the pads. I've polished my single stage car quite a few times. After you're done, spray them with APC and let them soak for 15 minutes or so. Dawn Power Disolver works well for a final cleaning but wear gloves if you use it.



You're going to need quite few pads for this job. Clean them often with a terry cloth towel and a brush so they don't gum up and lose thier polishing ability.



Post some closer before pics. As an old car fanatic, I'd love to see some good before and afters of that beast. I don't evny you - that's a TON of polishing.
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Why is it any more polishing than another car?
 
dschribs said:
The size of that car would KILL me.
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Well the good thing about him being my neighbor is I can do this car over a period of time.. And haven't people done much bigger cars and trucks.. A lot of people do their trucks or suv's I don't see it being anymore than that.. I don't think this will be that big of a deal.. Start out with light abrasive and pad and see where it goes from there..
 
dschribs said:
The paint transfer won't ruin the pads..
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Right :xyxthumbs



Even if they look really stained they'll usually still be OK. You might not want to use them on a white car, but it probably wouldn't matter even for that.
 
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