Need help on "details" of restoring old paint

[imported_Skybax]

Hey all



Was reading about products online and stumbled across this forum!



Wanted some advice on some steps I`m going to take on my cars finish.



THE PAINT:



It`s 20 year old re-paint, single stage enamel, and it`s black. Has a nice glossy finish and smooth to the touch. It`s been garaged for the majority of those 20 years so it`s not badly contaminated or oxidized. So I`m not going to use a clay bar.



The problem is it`s been abused maintanence wise via poor washing. There is mega swirls and scratches. There is also blemishes and rub marks from garage abuse. (people, boxes, lawn mowers, bikes, etc)



The paint is starting to crack and check in places showing it`s age. Also noticed where there are chips the paint doesn`t look very thick. Here are a few pictures. It looks much worse in person.



http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v11/skybax/AMX/



THE CONCERN:



I have a friend who has been buffing cars for a very long time. He was going to do it for me. Problem is he is too busy (house, kids, his cars, etc) and won`t be able to do it for a while.



I don`t want to wait till 6 to 8 weeks to do this. I want the car to look it`s best this summer while I`m driving it and taking it to car shows/cruises. So I decided to do it myself.



I don`t want to use a buffer because I`m not experenced with one, it`s 20 year old black paint, and it`s thin. So I decided to buy a DA orbiter/polisher because it`s safer to use, especially in my situation.



THE SOLUTION:



Here is what I have come up with.....



Step 1: A VERY light cutting product. Suggestions? I want something that will remove many of these marks but not cut too deep. Remember I am going to be using a DA polisher, not a buffer.



Step 2: Meguiar`s #9. (with machine)



Step 3: Meguiar`s #7. (by hand)



Step 4: Top quality wax with no cleaners. (by hand)



I realize I cannot make this paint new again. I just feel it has the potential to look 100% better than what it is now.



I also need help on which foam pads to use on which steps.



Any other suggestions are welcome and appreciated.



Just remember the paint I`m working with and my limitations when responding.

[Accumulator]

Skybax- Welcome to Autopia!



A number of us have dealt with stuff like this. Besides what I post here, search on something like "old paint" and the user-name "Mike Phillips". Mike *really* knows his stuff about this topic.



Your plan (#9/#7/wax) sounds just right. I`d use fairly gentle pads for the #9, not a finishing pad, but a soft polishing pad. I`d apply/remove the #7 with a *VERY* soft 100% cotton terrycloth towel. Go easy on the pressure so you don`t mar the paint. Apply the wax with a foam wax applicator and remove it with a (very soft) plush MF towel. Use a high lubricity shampoo so you don`t mar the finish with subsequent washings, and dry with a WW MF for the same reason.



Note that you might need a more aggressive polish to remove the marring. This gets tricky with thin paint. I`d use Meg`s #80 (*VERY* carefully) where it`s *really* needed and otherwise just accept that the finish will never be perfect.



For the final wax, I like Meg`s #16, but Mike is a big fan of their NXT Tech Wax, which would probably hide a bit of your remaining marring better than the #16.

[imported_Skybax]

Thanks for the welcome and reply. :)



Question on a few things.....



What pad do you suggest on the first step using #80 to cut it?



(note: using pc, not a rotary buffer)



And what does the "WW" mean in front of the MF? (micro-fiber)

[Accumulator]

Skybax- In the interest of *not* making an irreperable mistake, I`d use a polishing pad with the #80. Err on the side of caution.



WW= "Waffle Weave" (microfiber).

[imported_Skybax]

Thanks for the help.



Here is what we did.....



1) #9 cleaner polish with DA

2) #9 cleaner polish by hand



These 2 steps took 5 hours in evening.



3) #7 glaze by hand

4) #26 wax by hand



These 2 steps took 4 hours next morning.



Here are the results...



The pictures are not that great but you get the idea.



http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v11/skybax/AMX/



What the car really needed was to be cut with something more agressive first, but with the age and condition of the paint I didn`t want to chance it. That`s why I took the safe route and did the 1st step twice.



I would say from a scale of 1 to 10..... it went from a 5 to an 8.



I am very happy with the results, it looks great. Thanks again.

[Accumulator]

Nice job. Glad we could be of assistance.