What stuff can be used on non-clearcoats?

[Sad, little man]

I`d like to detail a relative`s car just as a favor, but the thing is, it`s a 1960 Corvette which I believe has the original paint. Talk about not wanting to screw up a job. I was wondering if there`s anything I need to do differently from my clearcoated car. I was planning to...



Z-7 wash

Claybar (Do I need this if I`m going to polish? I don`t have a good bar on hand.)

3M Swirl remover

Megs Mirror glaze (#83 I think. It`s an 8 on their cutting scale)

Z-1

Z-5

Possibly an S-100 Topper



I was wondering if Z-1 or Z-5 will cause a problem without a clearcoat. Do I need to buy Z-3? Basically I just want the car to look nice without putting any compromising chemicals on the paint or... Going through it. :scared The car sees no rain or snow, BTW.

[hondaguy2582]

go right ahead and use your products. Clearcoat safe is base coat safe as well, its just clear coat was more sensitive in the beginning b4 they actually perfected it. Base coats are easier to see results on also, so you don`t have to worry about seeing swirls galore as you do with clearcoat.

[Accumulator]

Sad, little man - Sounds like a fun project! *I* wouldn`t use the #83/DACP myself, a bit TOO aggressive and your REALLY don`t want to cut through that paint. Do a search on "single stage" or look for posts by Mike Phillips. There are different approaches to working old s/s paint. Just remember that it`s only original ONCE, s/s of that vintage is generally EASIER to cut/softer than modern basecoat/clears.



See what the SMR does but remember you`ll have to remove the fillers before using Zaino. Maybe step up to 3m PI-III MG (pn 05937), but be careful, even with that. There`s a bit more to working s/s than just polishing away until the marring is gone (see the posts you`ll find with a search for details).