Stain problems with newer cloth seats.

[imported_Intermezzo]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by Andre` [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>2,000 Grit wet & dry sandpaper and a 3M compound like Perfect-it fine cut rubbing compound or Finisse-it2, and a rotary buffer.

removing OP can be counter productive. The clear coats UV blockers are in the upper 0.3mil part of the clear, if you remove more than 0.3 or 3/10 of the clear coat it, may fail, this means repainting. [/b]</blockquote>
Great post Andre! That`s just the info I was looking for. A friend of mine wants to get rid of his OP and I`m trying to convince him not to!

[admac]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by DETAILKING [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>And can not be removed with wet sanding as the clear coat lays on top of it. You just have to live with it, unless you do a repaint. My BMW has it bad, and it distrorts reflections on some body panels. Not impressed with BMW paint.........sad. [/b]</blockquote>
are you sure of that dk? the only reason i ask is that, like i said above, i actually got rid of orangepeel in a rattlecan paint job i did on an old motorcycle. i just applied clear coats to the top and wetsanded and buffed the top layers. the paint was as smooth as glass. no visible OP distortion. the red jeep above looks amazing to me and it looks as if he`s removed the OP from the paint job. plus, this article shows someone not only eliminating orange peel, but a big dimple in the paint.

[Cork]

From my experience (very limited) the orange peel is in the clear.

It may be possible that it is also in the basecoat. I had my streetrod painted several years ago and the bodyshop showed me how to wetsand the clear and then they used a rotary buffer to bring back the shine.

[rmccall6]

While wet sanding can result in some good...uh, results, its not something you should be doing just to make the overall finish look better.....should be used for small dust nibs, pits ect. Like many have said, the densest part of the clear coat is the very top layer, and wet sanding will quickly remove this layer (with very gentle and cautous hands though, 2000 grip paper can remove paint slower than a buffer). If your OEM paint has orange peel and you really want to take car of it, take it to a body shop to be sanded and re-cleared. BTW, dlw, thats the best example of a perfectly detailed car ever to grace this forum, IMO.

[Lemonxxs]

orange peel can be in all coats if it is not wet sanded after each coat. There was another thread about orange peel with lots of info.

[Cybercowboy]

My vette has orange peel. Would I consider wet-sanding it? No.



DK, I think you may be wrong this time. If I remember Ron Ketchum said that older clear coats had more solvent, making them "spread out" more before they dried. But environmental concerns have caused the manufacturers to use low-solvent clears for the last several years. These types of clear are much more prone to orange-peel. If you have ever painted anything with laquer you know how important thinning it can be.



Anyway, the base coat on a clear coated paint job is very very thin. The clear coat is maybe 10-20X the thickness so any hills or dales will be there.

[jr weeks]

I would also like to reiterate that you shouldn`t try this on an oem paintjob unless you are very experienced. Aside from the dangers of going too far, ( oem clears are THIN! ) even if you`re successful in getting a beautiful mirror like finish, you do risk removing the UV`s AND you now have NO headroom in the event you do get a scratch or etch from a bird dropping etc. It can be done successfully,as was seen, but there`s not much margin for error in getting a lasting result. Kudo`s on the Jeep, looks great.



I too have painted quite a few cars, and I wet sanded my Supercoupe here completely to remove all OP, but then, I applied 4 coats of DuPont clear, so I had room to play with to a certain extent.



It is a great thing to know this art, but as was said, you must practice on something expendable. Cheers.

Brad4rdHay & darbh, thank you for the great compliments! I`ve had so much fun with the Jeep that I`ve felt guilty for neglecting the Vette. My next step with the Jeep is a set of Wet Okole neoprene seat covers, black with yellow inserts http://www.wetokole.com/. I call the Jeep my "ricer wannabe". See the type R badging on the back of the Jeep, it`s my response to my 15 year old son wanting a hot Honda for a school car. No disrespect import owners, I`m a fan and am traveling from Omaha to Albuquerque next week to pick up a VTEC Prelude for his birthday surprise. BTW, I totally agree with you guys that say that anyone who wet-sands their whole, already nice car is certifiable, just ask my wife!

[8ball]

dlw:



A Lingenfelter Vette? Wet sanding the Jeep? New Mexico to get a VTEC for your son?



All I can say is

[Cybercowboy]

Bow down to the Lingenfelter. They are fast and very very bad.

I`m just a good old boy from Omaha who`s been blessed, my wife is probably the most understanding person in the world. She encouraged me to quit a very good job as a manufacturer`s rep for NAPA auto parts and follow my dream to open my own computer store. After 18 years of 100 hour weeks and probably a great toll on my health, I retired Dec 31, 2000 at age 51. I`m certainly not rich and we have to be very conservative about a lot of things, but she insists that I have my toys that I love. She loves to say "there goes my remodeled kitchen" every time I pull out of the driveway in my Corvette! I detail a few cars now and then for a little extra cash and have worked a few part time gigs whenever I want to spend a little on essentials like the wheels for my Jeep, etc. I`m also a Zaino distributor, so I get a good deal on my detailing products! Overall, life is pretty darned good, all I need now is to win the Powerball (just to get that kitchen remodeled, mind you)!

[imported_doug]

yeah, DK - I`ve got to say I`m not sure I agree with you.



It may BE in all coats, but it only SHOWS/MATTERS at the surface - because the clear is filling in everything underneath. If you sand the clear down flat (assuming there is enough clear to do so, and that you know how) it will be gorgeous, and no evidence of any "under the surface" OP will exist.



At least, that`s what I have observed, and I`ve talked to a number of hot rodders/show car owners/painters.

[tldesigner]

You`re right Carguy... I painted a `77 Pontiac with a defective pressure guage and the lacquer was shot at about 55-60 psi. The finish looked like powder and felt like powder. I layed 2 gallons of clear coat on top of the rough/dull finish and proceeded to wet sand... mirror finish... a mirror finish over power.



No orange peel at all, but you could tell something was funny with the base coat since the metalic particles didn`t flow properly.

[imported_Intel486]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by dlw [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>Brad4rdHay & darbh, thank you for the great compliments! I`ve had so much fun with the Jeep that I`ve felt guilty for neglecting the Vette. My next step with the Jeep is a set of Wet Okole neoprene seat covers, black with yellow inserts http://www.wetokole.com/. I call the Jeep my "ricer wannabe". See the type R badging on the back of the Jeep, it`s my response to my 15 year old son wanting a hot Honda for a school car. No disrespect import owners, I`m a fan and am traveling from Omaha to Albuquerque next week to pick up a VTEC Prelude for his birthday surprise. BTW, I totally agree with you guys that say that anyone who wet-sands their whole, already nice car is certifiable, just ask my wife!
[/b]</blockquote>
Get your son a Lightning. Add a air ram hood, nitrous, lowering kit, computer upgrade, custom exhaust, and a bumper stick that saies "Rice Killer"

Then when he comes home ask what the kids with riced out hondas are saying.

[vettefan67]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by Intel486 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>Get your son a Lightning. Add a air ram hood, nitrous, lowering kit, computer upgrade, custom exhaust, and a bumper stick that saies "Rice Killer"

Then when he comes home ask what the kids with riced out hondas are saying. [/b]</blockquote>Heck that! Give the kid the Jeep and get yourself that tricked out Lightning! :up

BTW very nice job on the Jeep!