Paint Restoration Suggestions

[protowrxs]

I have an 85 1C with the original paint. It's not perfect but not really bad for the age. I would like to get the paint buffed out and waxed before it gets nasty here since I have the '69 Mustang in the garage and the SVO will have to wait for a carport next spring and a future shop.

Any suggestions / experiences / etc on getting black back to the best it can be?

I've heard some local suggestions of Dri Wash instead of buffing and some input on claying but thought I'd ask the other 1C'rs here if they have any good (or bad) personal experience. Searched for 'paint', 'compound', 'buffing', etc without any good results to me.

Thanks
-Stephen

[MeZapU]

Have you tried a detailing shop in your area?

[Chuck]

I've used only "Liquid Glass" products on my car since 1989. Sometime hard to find but the finish is amazing. After I do mine, the polishing cloth even slips off the fenders by itself. It really is Liquid Glass. They also have a cleaner and a pre-polish.

[protowrxs]

Have you tried a detailing shop in your area?

I'm such a do it yourself guy to a fault actually but thanks for the suggestion.

Nice looking SVO Chuck - I have much less to work with :-)

-Stephen

[Chuck]

I'm such a do it yourself guy to a fault actually but thanks for the suggestion.

Nice looking SVO Chuck - I have much less to work with :-)

-Stephen

Thanks, but the picture is of the SVO AFTER the Liquid Glass.

[Billibew]

The paint on my SVO was in pretty bad shape. Lots of oxidation and pitting from having sat for so long outdoors. It really needs to be repainted, but I managed to get it looking pretty good by using a rubbing compound and a good waxing. I used Perfect-IT by 3M and a variable speed grinder fixed with a professional foam polishing pad. Lots of passes over the really bad areas until I felt like it was as good as it was going to get. Then I finished it with a good hand waxing, using a high quality wax. The results looked pretty good from a distance but any discriminating eye up close will see the imperfections. Of course my car is a white (9L) and it is more forgiving than most colors.

My neighbor is a paintless dent repair man and has had a lot of experience with detailing cars and I heard him mention claying before on dark cars like black. He said if it is done right it can really make one look good.

[protowrxs]

Thanks, but the picture is of the SVO AFTER the Liquid Glass.

Ha, yeah I understood that - It still had to be nicer paint wise than mine is now. It looks great.

Thanks for the suggestions - Will pick some options and see how it turns out.

In other news I got the passenger side window felt/rubber channel in yesterday and the door frame repainted to gray and proceeded to lock the keys in the car in the aux position... spent two hours breaking into my own car. Thought I was saved by the extra remote for the keyless entry I added last week but it wasn't 'programmed' for the unit yet so it didn't work. Kept forgetting to get another set of keys made... no more forgetting now.

Fortunately it is a sunroof car and I was able to get a wire to hook the switch and open it up. I now see why they put the door locks way down under the arm rest. Impossible to easily get to with a coat hanger.

-Stephen

[Chuck]

Fortunately it is a sunroof car and I was able to get a wire to hook the switch and open it up. I now see why they put the door locks way down under the arm rest. Impossible to easily get to with a coat hanger.

-Stephen

I've done that a couple of times. Once on a Sunday at an Autocross (had to hitch a ride to find a laundry to get a coat hanger) and once at a gas station (locksmith next door only charged $10.00). Now there is a spare key in a magnetic box someplace on the car (door key only).

[Henson]

Paint Restoration Suggestions

Get some buffing compound and a buffer. Go to your local paint store and talk to them they'll set you up I'm sure.