1931 Chevy Detailing

[FIDOAG14]

Howdy,

This post is going to be a bit lengthy but here goes:

I have a 1931 Chevy 5-Window Coupe (see attached) that is currently being stored at my granddads. I plan on bringing it down to my garage in either mid-may or early-june. Im pretty excited about bringing it down, still working on convincing the wife its a good idea though. Now to the best of my memory my dad had it stripped to bare metal and had it repainted sometime in the early 90s and it has always been kept stored in a garage. Im not 100% sure but its pretty doubtful that the car had a clear coat sprayed on when it was repainted, though the paint is very thick. It does have some minor garage rash from being stored for 20 some odd years but overall paint and body are in very good condition given its age etc.

Way on down the road Id love to spend the money to have the car brought to true "show car" level but for now it is good enough to be a Sunday/Parade driver. It has a few small mechanical issues (that I am aware of) but once those are resolved it will be in "driving condition". My granddad has kept it in running condition up till about a year ago when he started having trouble with the starter.

I doubt it has been washed in several years, though it is typically covered in the garage. Needless to say its dusty.

Heres where I need the help of Autopia, what would your suggestions be for properly caring for the paint?
Is taking a clay bar to it too risky?
I havent done a close up inspection of the paint in a while some Im not sure what the swirl situation is, but would it be too risky to attempt polishing them out? I plan on waxing it with PB Nattys Blue (because thats what I have and I like it). I have a griots garage 6" RO, some BF finishing polish and whatever pads came with the polisher (I dont remember as I sit here typing this, I think a yellow and a white) I know one is for wax/super fine polishing, and the other for fine polishing.
If the dusty and dirt has embedded itself into the paint, what should my approach be?

Furthermore, (and I hate this piece but what am I gonna do) when I bring the 31 down it will take my cars spot in the garage, forcing me to park my DD outside. I assume a coating would be my best bet for protection since it will be outside all the time, but I cant go forking out $100 bucks for that, are there any good <$50ish coatings out there? If not, sealants? My DD is a 2015 Mazda 6, absolutely love the car, always keep a fresh coat of Nattys on it. Should I look into buying a car cover for my Mazda?

Anyway, thanks in advance for the help and suggestions, Ill be sure to keep this thread up to date with my progress on the car and post more pictures once I get it in my garage.
-G
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30585&stc=1

[Ronkh]

I hate car covers. IMHO it gives a big false sense of security.

It is just my opinion (as is everything else I say....) but "classics" demand wax, not a new techno fancy product. I like to stay period.

Something else you may want to consider is do you want to water wash it, waterless wash it, or rinseless wash it.

Sounds like a blast of a project and a fun time

ENJOY !!!!

[Poorboy]

Nice car .. the real love of these is dying out with their keepers ..

If it was painted in the 90s it will be fine to treat as late model vehicle ... just remember to really dry the car well after a wash ... drain holes were not really thought out back then ...

Most people at shows I have frequented over the past 20+ years use waterless washes now to avoid excess water in places they cant see or dry ...

As for your DD, Id just keep it clean, polished and waxed as needed ... your time table may just be shorter between full details leaving it outdoors ... good luck with the 31

[JustJesus]

It is just my opinion (as is everything else I say....) but "classics" demand wax, not a new techno fancy product. I like to stay period.
...

I agree with that. Some cars, should just get the wax. Myself, Ive gotten a bit nostalgic about some things. Like for an older single stage paint, Id go over it with Megs M7, and top it off with Megs M16.


Nice car .. the real love of these is dying out with their keepers ...

OMG yes. It hurts to see some of these cars being so neglected. I pass by one frequently. Its the "shop car" for an oil change place called Oil Can Henrys. It is slowly fading out. Constantly covered in dust/dirt. I swear, one day Im just going to approach them, and may even do some free work on it. Just to give it some love.

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww116/JustJesus_Video/OilCan_zpsser1smxb.jpg (http://s711.photobucket.com/user/JustJesus_Video/media/OilCan_zpsser1smxb.jpg.html)

[FIDOAG14]

I hate car covers. IMHO it gives a big false sense of security.

It is just my opinion (as is everything else I say....) but "classics" demand wax, not a new techno fancy product. I like to stay period.

Something else you may want to consider is do you want to water wash it, waterless wash it, or rinseless wash it.

Sounds like a blast of a project and a fun time

ENJOY !!!!

Yea I couldnt agree more about classics demanding wax. I was thinking ONR for washing the 31... Gives me a lot more control over where and how much water is on the car. The top of those cars is vinyl so I definitely dont want water sitting up there (or anywhere else for that matter).

Fair point on the car cover, I dont mind washing more often anyhow.


Nice car .. the real love of these is dying out with their keepers ..

If it was painted in the 90s it will be fine to treat as late model vehicle ... just remember to really dry the car well after a wash ... drain holes were not really thought out back then ...

Most people at shows I have frequented over the past 20+ years use waterless washes now to avoid excess water in places they cant see or dry ...

As for your DD, Id just keep it clean, polished and waxed as needed ... your time table may just be shorter between full details leaving it outdoors ... good luck with the 31
Yea its a real shame too, these style cars are probably my favorite too.

Thats a very valid point with the wash/dry. Thanks for the advise on the paint, thats been one of my biggest concerns, how do I not screw this up, I dont know what Im dealing with.

Thanks for the responses guys!

Oh one thing I forgot! Any recommendations for cleaning up the engine and mechanical components? I was thinking waterless wash would be ok?

[Migue]

Beautiful ride, it also bums me out seeing art like this just not getting the love it needs . The Red Robin restaurant by my House has a nice classic truck as a billboard just sitting there and every time I drive by it the words "what a waste" go through my head.

Good luck with the project, looks very fun and like a good long therapy session.

[FIDOAG14]

Ok, I figured I`d just bump this thread and click and brag here rather than start a new one.

Went and got the car Saturday, put a little gas in it and sprayed some quick start on the air filter and the car started right up! Drove it on the trailer. When we got it home we took around the block a couple of times and then up into the garage. The old car needs a tune up, clean the carburetor and there is a leak up at the radiator (I suspect it is a cracked hose).

Anyway, spent about 5 hours on it yesterday just taking my sweet time with it and enjoying every minute of it. Here goes my first attempt at a click and brag write up.
*Disclaimer: I have only detailed the paint on the front half of the car, I`ll continue to post updates as I work my way through the car!*

Process:
Wash: ONR and a hose (two bucket method, went through all three of my wash rags)
Clay: Mothers clay bar kit and blackfire waterless wash for lube
Rewash (sort of): ONR, just rehit each panel as I went with ONR after clay
Polish: Griots garage with orange pad, Blackfire SRC Compound (for 2,000 grit sanding marks and swirls), then GG white pad Blackfire SRC Finishing Compound (for 3,000 grit sanding marks and gloss enhancement)
Wax: Poorboys Natty Blue Paste Wax

I know there is still a ton of paint correction still to be had but I just wanted to shine it up a little before I start all the mechanical stuff under the hood, eventually I`ll go back and polish more. The fenders are pretty nicked up and the paint has some serious orange peel but all in all I`d say it isn`t too shabby given the paint is 20+ years old and painted in a garage. It was repainted to match the methods in 1931, (primer, paint, lacquer)

Here are the pics:
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30910&stc=1
Loaded up on the trailer
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30903&stc=1
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30904&stc=1
Prewash, it was pretty dirty
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30905&stc=1
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30906&stc=1
Before and After of the chrome bumper, it was mildly pitted, mostly just dirt, cleaned up nicely though
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30907&stc=1
Left is washed and clayed, right is washed not clayed
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30908&stc=1
after first pass with the polisher
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30912&stc=1
Hood after polish
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30911&stc=1
Needs some work but pretty darn cool
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30909&stc=1
Waxed up (Front half only)

I have only done the top of the hood and the front fenders all the way through so far. I haven`t decided how I want to approach the side of the car just yet. The head lights, radiator grill etc also need some tlc.

I am taking my time with it, I started to clean the wheels yesterday but those spokes are going to take some serious time, I may stick a jack under the car and remove each wheel and clean one at a time.

Anyway, it ain`t perfect but I`m proud as hell of it!

[Poorboy]

nice first round :)

[Ronkh]

Oh YEAH !!!!

[Stokdgs]

FIDOAG14 - Looks Beautiful !!!
You really made an improvement on the front half - I love acrylic lacquer !
If it was painted in 1996, acrylic lacquer was still being used and it always compounds out great...

Your equipment and approach sounds good - you may need some more pads if you only have a couple... And some pad cleaner.....

If it was painted in the garage, then a good wet color sanding with some 600 grit wet or dry on an absolutely flat, rubber block would really make it perfectly level and shine even more... Of course, it would require some compounding to get the gloss back and a Rotary would always be the machine of choice..

Maybe you dont want to go there unless you have some experience in this area...

In any event - it looks great !!!!
Dan F

[FIDOAG14]

FIDOAG14 - Looks Beautiful !!!
You really made an improvement on the front half - I love acrylic lacquer !
If it was painted in 1996, acrylic lacquer was still being used and it always compounds out great...

Your equipment and approach sounds good - you may need some more pads if you only have a couple... And some pad cleaner.....

If it was painted in the garage, then a good wet color sanding with some 600 grit wet or dry on an absolutely flat, rubber block would really make it perfectly level and shine even more... Of course, it would require some compounding to get the gloss back and a Rotary would always be the machine of choice..

Maybe you dont want to go there unless you have some experience in this area...

In any event - it looks great !!!!
Dan F
Dan,

Thanks for the compliments, I couldn`t believe the transformation of the fenders from the polishing!

That paint seems pretty tough, I have some experience wetsanding from back in high school (I worked at a paint and body shop and my primary function was wetsanding) though most it was on primer at 400 and 800 grit.

I definitely think more pads would make a world of difference as far as correction goes but those darn things are pricey! Anyway I cleaned those two up pretty good I think they`ll be fine for the rest of the car but probably ought to just chunk them after. They are what came with the kit I got when I got the buffer for Christmas. I need some pad cleaner for sure though! Would make it a world easier to clean them I imagine.

All that said, The body for the most part is probably worth sanding to correct at least for the time being. But I`ll probably take this first pass approach to rear fenders and then leave them alone, they have a ton of chips and scars in them and would better off with a total repaint. But I`ll make them shine until then!

I`ll keep posting pictures as I work on it, I realized I didn`t get very many good before/after of the correction.

Anyone have any suggestions for buffing those scratches out of the chrome around the Chevy badge?
I have some turtle wax chrome polish that doesn`t seem too abrasive :unsure:, some griots garage chrome cleaner and the aforementioned paint polishes.

The paint color is called Bolling Green, it`s got some blue in it, the polishing really brought the color back to life and it is just beautiful paint. I`ve got to hand it to my dad and the guy that helped him repaint it, for all of the imperfections in it I know I sure couldn`t have done that well. Plus they put it on pretty thick so I`m not real worried about running through or anything.

[Stokdgs]

FIDOAG14 -

Glad to hear you know about wetsanding ! When I was taking my Apprenticeship in Painting, I must have sanded a million miles of automotive bodies before I graduated from that level.. :) I loved it though, because I could fix all the mess the bodyshop guys did - remember those nasty 80 grit scratches they left, and the grinder marks ? :) Yeah, they make a mess to get their part done - well some of them -

Glad you have that part figured out if you ever had to do it...

There is no really good way to remove scratches in chrome, since its plated by dipping in the solution.. You just have a thin layer of it that is on top of nickel and something else...

If something like Simichrome, etc., doesnt touch it, then its too dangerous to me to keep working on it, because if you remove it completely, that will look worse..

Of course, it is your vehicle so you can experiment all you want and it will be ok, right? :)

If you want to help revive that paint a little more, and since its acrylic lacquer I believe, I would get a bottle of Meguiars Nbr-7, Show Car Glaze and rub that all over.. It feeds the lacquer and really makes it look great.. It is not long lasting though, but old lacquer that is dry can really benefit from this...

Back in the day of acrylics - lacquer and enamel - everyone at every car show here in California had a bottle of it and slathered up their car during the show to keep it looking very deep and wet....

I like that you can work on it as long as you want and do whatever you want to it and there is no pressure to hurry up and finish because another one is waiting to come in.. :)

You are doing great !
Dan F

[FIDOAG14]

Dan,

Either unfortunately or fortunately a lot of the time I was the one making those nasty scratches with the rough stuff and then having to fix it! Only did it one summer but I loved it, sanded till my fingers bled most days (wasn`t smart enough to wear some gloves back then)

I appreciate the tip about the chrome, parts of the chrome on the car need removed and redone and parts just need some TLC. I`ll give the front end the old college try and if it doesn`t come out to my satisfaction I`ll add it to the list of "to be chromed". I`m going to have to pull the radiator anyway...

You bet I can experiment! I have added Meguiars Nbr-7 to my wishlist so I don`t forget about it next order! I`m glad to hear that acrylics/lacquer combo is pretty sturdy, I won`t be afraid to get into it a little if I need. I did notice (and this is probably from it having been painted in a garage) that large parts of the paint have some veins or scratches. I`m not sure how to describe it, I`ll see if my camera can pick it up. Anyway I don`t think it can be polished out so covered up with glaze is probably the better route.

Really appreciate the kind comments and suggestions! I`ll let you know how it goes with that chrome and the rest of the paint.

[FIDOAG14]

Last night I took the hood latches off and cleaned them up the best I could, they were mainly just dirty. Had a devil of a time trying to clean up the bracket where it bolts into the body on them, but they look better than they did.
50/50 shot and an after shot. Used GG Chrome Cleaner, Turtle Wax Chrome Polish on the nasty parts and water and a dry MF to wipe clean. Really made a big overall improvement!
http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30921&stc=1http://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30922&stc=1

[briarpatch]

cool car....chop that top and lower it....it could become an awesome street rod