Bought an older car in need of some serious work, little help?

your steps sound pretty good. wash, clay, then wash again, go at it with the colorx, then put a layer of nxt on it, then in about 24hrs, go at it with an additional layer of nxt. The colorx isn't going to work miracles, but it should cut through the oxidation, and maybe fill a few of the lighter scratches and swirls. Good luck on the process.
 
Yea.. I figured it wouldn't, but it'll be better than nothing IMO, and its a place to start.



Should I use some MF towels to apply remove the ColorX, as well as remove the NXT, or will regular cotton towels work? I might make a trip to Costco to buy their MF towels..
 
Colorx works well with a terry applicator pad, i think you can get like 12 for 3 bucks practically anywhere. Remove both NXT and Colorx with MF towels.
 
your process sounds good. let us know how it came out and post some pictures if you can! but yeah, buy a couple packs of Costco's MF towels, not the best, but better than regular cotton towels. oh, you can also use the MF towels to dry your car after washing/rinsing. they absorb water pretty well and are better than using a chamois.



and cool, you must've had a really good time in hawaii! :D what kind of stuff did you do? go to the beach? and san diego isn't all that bad, is it?
 
Oh yea, plenty of beach.. lots of just driving around, it's so beautiful out there its just ridiculous. We went to the North Shore for a bit just to check things out, also hit up Hanauma.. simply amazing. San Diego's nice, I love it here, but I think I'd drop it in a minute for Hawaii.. :D



I had to replace my valve cover gaskets today, so no washing today, I'm gonna try and do it tomorrow though.



Thanks guys!
 
heh heh after reading about your purchase of a Fox Stang, i just had to work on mine's.



MPPC (Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner) + NXT =



89-7-19-nxt-front.jpg


:xyxthumbs
 
Ahh thats awesome man! That's in really nice condition, I'm totally jealous! Plus you've got the way better 10 holes, these turbines need to f'in go!



What do you use on the black trim around the windows to keep them in good condition?



---Sidetrack.. what all have you done to it? It looks lowered..
 
w00t! Looks like a friend is going to let me borrow his PC 7336.. sooo.. should I get something thats going to be a little more abrasive, but obviously easier to use with the PC? Something like DACP, or would Megs #9 be better for this application? After I use that I'll still probably try the NXT, a lot of people seem to have good luck with that and it can be had locally for cheap.



Also, what should I use now to apply the polish that I end up getting? Is there something I can buy locally (autozone, kragen, walmart, costco)?



Thanks again everyone. :)



-Ronald
 
Ok, now you're at least gonna be respectable. We're going for a 5 footer here, so lets see what we can accompish...



first off, i'd touch up the spots that can be touched up. Anything that's down to bare metal, and body spots that are scratched.



What pads will you have with the PC? You definitly want something like DACP, or my fav. 3M fine cut. You need all of the abrasives you can get to start with. Then something that will polish and fill... If you're looking local, i'd stick with #9 or 3M SMR, then NXT for your polish and wax. I'd also apply the polish with the PC if you have the extra pad, just for the extra polishing action you get from the PC...



I think you'll make it look much, much better as long as you don't expect perfection.
 
I don't know what pads he has, if any, which is why I'm wondering if I should maybe order a set up so I can have some this weekend.. it would be an investment since I wanted to get a PC sometime soon anyways.



I was going to maybe order that set from properautocare.com , but they seem to be OOS on a lot of stuff.



I'm guessing there aren't very many local places to get pads?
 
Do you have NAPA around you? They have pads over here on the east coast.. Other than that you should try paint supply shops and i'd still even check out your auto parts stores and see if they have any..



You could also always go to meg's online and check their pro distrubitors for your area, and see what they have...
 
heh heh, actually i think mine's also qualifies as a 5 footer. :D you can't see it too well, but around the antenna base, there's rust. i also got rust at the base of the windshield, the bottom of the driver side fender where the water runs out from, and on the rear hatch. not to mention, whenever it rains, it leaks somewhere in the backseat. plus some of the window trim is faded....basically it needs a good resto! :p



and the 10-holes are nice, but it was way nicer when i had these on:



89stang.jpg




i miss my pony rims with potenza 730s. those things gripped! on the 10-holes, i have BFGs, Comp T/A HRs on the front, Touring T/As on the back. not the best combo, IMO. :(



on the trim, i used Meg's Gold Class Trim Detailer. not bad stuff, just gotta make sure you wipe it off after letting it sit for a while, i let mines sit overnight. also i wasn't careful enough and got some of that stuff onto the surrounding paint. not a total PITA but more work. and my quarter window trim is just like yours, not smooth.



and yeah, it's lowered, H&R springs (750 lb in the front!), Koni Yellow SA struts/shocks, Max. Motorsport front end kit (tower strut bar, lower K-member bar, caster/camber plates, aluminum steering rack bushings) plus their brake kit. :xyxthumbs



and you'll love the PC! as for pads, try checking with the local Meguiar's Pro-line dealer, they might have different pads. you can check out meguiar's website for the dealer locator, although i heard it's not up-to-date.



do you know if it is a single stage paint? you can check by rubbing some polish and seeing if there is paint transfer on your pad (the pad will have some blue on it). from your pictures, it doesn't look like you have too much oxidization or swirls. MPPC, #9, maybe ColorX might work. i posted this on meguiar's online about what i used:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1915



but yeah, polish and follow it up with two coats of NXT, if possibly, 12 hours between each coat. if not, at least 1 hour. and if your friend has different products, you can also ask him what he would use. i've seen the #9, #7, and #26 combo and it looks nice too!

good luck and have fun! and be sure to post pics!
 
Cool, I have a Napa close by to me, I checked the Meguiars Pro distributors, Carquest is a big distributor and theres a ton of them around, so I'll see what they have.



I'm not sure if the car has a clear coat on it or not, but I'm pretty sure it does, I think all the paints that year were... but I could obviously be wrong.



Now, should I be using a yellow polishing pad for my first step? I'm going to go with MPPC, #9, ColorX or DACP.. whatever I can buy here in town. Or will a white polishing pad work?



Then I'll use whatever SMR product I can find again, and then NXT.



Soo.. 3 pads total, 2 white, 1 yellow, or just 3 whites?



Hirosh, thats a damn nice car.. good to see you have properly done suspension, whoever did mine sucks, I scrape on everything and the car slams hard when I hit bumps in the road. :mad: It's probably riding on the stock struts and shocks too. :rolleyes:



Thanks again everyone. :)
 
looking at your pictures, you might be right in that it is clear coated. it looks like it has metallics, and metallics usually are clear coated.



hmmm, pad selection. hard to say what is best for you.



when i was doing my stang, i found the CMA cutting pad with Meg's #80 Speed Glaze to be too much for the paint, and created more marring. the polishing pad and MPPC worked the best.



can you afford more than 3 pads? if so, get 1 cutting pad, 2 polishing pads, and 1 finishing pad. if not, just get 1 cutting pad, and 2 polishing pads. sorry i don't include the colors because for each manufacturer (Meg's and CMA) the color schemes are different. i've found the finishing pad to be nice and easy in applying NXT. it applies it thinly and evenly, not to mention you don't have to use as much of NXT to cover the whole car and it is much quicker than by hand. but if you can't afford it, you can still apply NXT by hand.



your steps sounds good: MPPC, #9, Color X or DACP with a polishing pad. A cutting pad might be really good on the roof though won't do nothing for the rust. :p and be careful the pad doesn't pick up any rust and scratches the rest of the car! i think a polishing pad will work well for the rest of the car. just to warn you, you might have to make two or three passes to clean up the paint.



SMR - er, i think MPPC, #9, ColorX or DACP would be a SMR. ;) i think with most of the above products, you can go right to the NXT. just make sure all swirls and oxidization is gone before applying NXT.



you'll probably have to experiment with what pad and product will do the best job on your paint. and remember, use the least aggressive product and pad! i think that would be, from least to most aggressive, ColorX, #9, MPPC, DACP. i know DACP is the most aggressive, but it has been used (by others) with a polishing pad to get some good results.



with the NXT, do two coats, if possible, 12 hours between coats. if 12 hours is not possible, at least 1 hour between coats.



and thanks! it took me months of research to figure out the proper way of dropping my stang. :p but that don't sound too good. do you know what kind of springs and struts/shocks you have?



and it's great to see a Fox Stang here. and detailing can be confusing, just ask if you have any more questions!
 
LoL, obviously since I'm asking about SMR after all that.. :D



I don't really know what I can afford without seeing what these places have to sell, and how much..



I guess what I'll use will pretty much depend on whats available, and whats within budget.



Ay.. its gonna be a full day.. lol. Wash, clay, wash, polish, wax, die. Sounds about right, right? :D



No idea what's on there right now, I haven't taken the wheels off or anything to check stuff out. The suspensions gonna have to wait though, I've got more important things (ie rent and food) to deal with first. :)



I also have a 98 Cobra

IMAGE014.jpg




If I find the time/energy this weekend, I might spruce this guy up with my friends borrowed PC.. :)
 
yeah, detailing can be costly. :shocked

and it does take up a lot of time. well, if you get ColorX, it might help cut down on time spent, make it a 3/4 day. :p



but you got the process correct, except the die part, that is usually the :shocked followed by :bounce



and i wish i had more money to resto my '89 more. it make a nice daily driver.



:scared :xyxthumbs damn that's a nice Cobra! what do you use on it? and is it stock? i love that body style, especially when it's a Cobra R! :bow then again, i love Mustangs! :p
 
lol, ColorX it is then!



Thanks! It's fun to drive, but expensive with gas prices the way they are. It's basically stock, K&N, Tri-Ax shifter, welded in Race Magnums.



Lets see.. I washed that car with some Zymol soap using 1 bucket and some sponges. Dried it off with a CA water blade and chamois. Then applied Zymol, misted water on it, then buffed off with a terry cloth towel.



:lol:
 
wow, Zymol really gave it a nice shine! how long does it last?



er, you do know about waffleweave MFs for drying your car, right? ;) if you get those Costco MFs, they're okay for drying the car.



i know what you mean about gas prices. i think that is why i'd rather drive the '89 instead of the Mach1. regular unleaded is cheaper. too bad my '89s A/C needs new lines. :(
 
LoL.. I do now.. the Cobra picture was taken like 6 months ago before I had even heard the words "Microfiber".



I've always been pretty impressed with the shine and smoothness of it, I can drop a towel on it and it'll just slide right off. Plus it's cheap and readily available, but it only beads water for *maybe* a month at the most.



Yea, dude when I bought this car, the AC was dead.. that was the first thing to get taken care of (after the oil leak), no way in hell I was gonna roll without the AC any more than I needed to. This car gets on average 2.5-3 mpg more per tank than the Cobra, AND I can put in the cheap 87 octane, saves me a good chunk of change weekly. :)



I can't wait for this weekend, I really want to start detailing this pile!
 
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