Best way to take off the clear coat?

[Crazy Quattro]

I bought a 88 BMW 635csi and it seems the owner noticed rust developing so they sprayed a really cheap layer of clear coat on it to make it stop.



Can i take a rotary to it and try to maybe even it out. What I would like is just a thin layer of the clear coat left. Whats on it now is too thick and even has clear coat drip marks. :cry:



Or am i better off sanding down the whole car and getting a paint job?



Not sure if you can tell from the pic though, but look at the hood. You can see the pit marks in the clear coat. I really just want to even it out.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/355423397_9322f3d0ab_b.jpg

[Accumulator]

Oh [expletive] what a thing to do to a nice 6-series :rolleyes:



The real answer is to get it painted and have the rust fixed properly while they`re at it. But that`ll cost a bundle.



The rotary alone wouldn`t be my solution, I`d wetsand it first and *then* start compounding. But IMO it`s gonna need professional paint/body work sooner or later and rust repair/etc. doesn`t get *less* expensive with the passage of time.



A gray 635 is *such* a nice car :cry:

[Crazy Quattro]

Yea good call. I should just get the rust fixed for the time being and do things right with the paintwork when i have the money for it.



Otherwise the car runs great and i love it.

[Accumulator]

Yea good call. I should just get the rust fixed for the time being and do things right with the paintwork when i have the money for it.



Otherwise the car runs great and i love it.





Sounds like a good plan. Glad to hear the mechanicals are OK and how much you appreciate the car. I think it`s really something special :xyxthumbs

[LeadingEdgeDetail]

Isn`t that what banks are for? Protecting beautiful cars? ;)

[chas.007]

wet sand with 2000/grit,compond , with smooth compound with no grit ,polish,hand wax with any top grade carnuba paste.

[Crazy Quattro]

wet sand with 2000/grit,compond , with smooth compound with no grit ,polish,hand wax with any top grade carnuba paste.





I been actually reading up on wetsanding. I guess this car would be perfect to practice on, i mean if i screw it up then no biggie cuz it needed a paint job anyways.



From what i read though, the PC wont be enough after wetsanding?



Rotary here i come. I wanted to get one anyways after owning my PC for two years. :cooleek:

[Accumulator]

From what i read though, the PC wont be enough after wetsanding?



Rotary here i come. I wanted to get one anyways after owning my PC for two years...





Far be it from me to delay your rotary purchase ;) But 3K scratches come out OK by PC especially with 4" pads (even on hard clear). 2k scratches aren`t as easy, but are doable, and even by hand (I used 3M PI-III RC 05933 on the S8), if you use Meguiar`s Unigrit paper, wich is a *lot* more uniform than 3M`s stuff.

[Crazy Quattro]

So i went ahead and tried to wetsand. Only thing i could find locally was 1500grit 3m sandpaper. Good is news is that it seems to work but takes a LONG time. Maybe i need to move up to 2000 grit?



Needs to be polished more also. All i had was the PC with yellow pad and Menzera Final Polish. But the results came out decent i think. Hood is untouched, front was wetsanded.



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/157/407363050_daaf8160bd_b.jpg

[imported_iceberg]

Nice work!



FYI, sandpaper grits are FINER the HIGHER the number. So 2000 grit would take you longer to wetsand a defect out, although should induce finer scratches which are likely to be easier to remove.

[Accumulator]

Yeah, and I wouldn`t go stronger than the 1500 even if it *is* taking a long time. But that sure *IS* a lot better looking!