Stang Neglected for 2+ years - UPP good enough?

T

texas328ci

New member
So, I'm planning on helping my brother restore the finish on his dark green 2001 Mustang GT. It hasn't seen a wash in over a year, and hasn't seen a coat of wax in over 2 years. :shocked The paint condition is just a mess. In addition, there are lots of significant scratches in the paint that you can definitely feel with a fingernail (some worse than others.)



I realize that without a touchup painting process, I won't be able to fix all of the defects. However, I'd like to do whatever possible to hide the scratches and improve the finish with a polishing session.



My question is, do you all think that 1z UPP is a strong enough cutting polish to make a large difference? I plan on using a PC.



Also, the follow up steps I had planned after the UPP were Menzerna IP and Menzerna FP. Is the IP necessary in this case, or can I go right to the FP after UPP?:nixweiss



I plan on following all this with AIO, SG and a topper.:cool:



Your thoughts/experiences/recommendations are much appreciated.



Thanks!
 
The bad news- if you can feel them with your fingernail you can't/shouldn't remove them. You won't get them with a PC anyhow.



The good news- you can make a significant improvement anyhow. I got the Volvo we used to have after it was *never* waxed for over six years (and that was sorta-fragile ss paint), was washed in the winter by "rubbing it with snow", and was otherwise neglected/abused at least as badly as the 'stang. Still got it looking great. Just don't expect miracles.



The 1ZUPP might not (well, it *won't*) solve all the problems, but it is, IMO the strongest you oughta use with a PC. It will leave marring that you'll need the IP to get out. FWIW, I'd go with a slightly different approach after the UPP. The K twins can make defects sorta noticeable and the Menzerna twins aren't always that user friendly (save the flames, I like FP and *I* find it easy to use), so I'd use:



1ZPP after the UPP, the 1Z WPS (or maybe a glazey-polish like Meg's #5/#3/#81/#7, in order of preference), then Meg's #16 or Collinite 476S. These won't last quite like the K twins, but they may very well look better overall given what you're working with. And they're all very user-friendly products. Since the 1Z polishes have wax, you can polish one time, and add the topper after the next wash (or just do more polishing after each wash for a while)- that way you don't have to kill yourself doing it all at once.



Oh, and clay that thing first. You'll be *very* glad you did.
 
Thanks a bunch Accumulator. I've read many times on here that the menzerna polishes might not be as "user friendly." In what regard? Are they tough to apply, work in, remove etc? I really had my heart set on trying those out.



What about 1Z UPP followed by PP then #80? Or would #80 be redundant for PP?



Given the care he's put into his car over the past couple of years, I think that durability is probably more important over protection. I could drop SG from the list, but I really like AIO. Does AIO show defects if you top it with a good sealant/wax?
 
I hear the Menzerna products can be hard to get off and they might not have the bite you need for this job. I'd try them out on another project at another time. The 'Stang just screams "1Z followed by a heavy wax" to me.



Yeah, I'd choose between the #80 and the 1Z PP (*I* would definitely choose the lattter). Durability-wise, the #16 and the Collinte will work well. Yeah, defects show after AIO-ing, sometimes more than before. Even though you like AIO (I do too), I'd leave it out and go from 1Z polish to wax. If the PP doesn't leave any micromarring (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't), I'd just wax over it and say "good enough". If it does leave the micromarring, get somthing like 1Z MP or WPs and then just wax over that. I've refreshed a fair number of beaters and I truly think this is what you ougtha do....sorry for the hard sell, but I'd hate for you to spend time and effort and then not be satisfied with the results. AIO just isn't the best choice for some jobs and likewise, this isn't (IMO) a good time to try out the Menzerna twins. You oughta just get the (potentially big) job done with the least amount of work and frustration.
 
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