ZCar Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

How do I repair/restore my paint?

781 views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Unknown User 
#1 ·
The Red paint on my (repainted) '76 280Z is fading to Orange...(yikes)...What is the best way to deal with this (I don't want to sink $2500+ into a new paintjob just yet)....Can I buff (grind?..haha) the top layer of paint off to get some of the darker Red back?...The car is stored indoors so sun-fade will not be a problem with the 'thinner' paint that will still be on the car.....
 
#2 ·
Depends on what kind of paint it is. Acrylic enamel, for example, can't be rubbed out unless it had hardener added when sprayed. Synthetic enamel goes on beautiful when sprayed, but turns to crap in nothing flat and can't be brought back by any method I'm aware of. You didn't say when the car was painted, either, which might say volumes about the quality and type of the paint.

Assuming the best — that the car was sprayed with acrylic enamal and hardener, or one of the newer catalyzed paints - you may be in luck. My best results in restoring faded paint have been with Meguiars products. The restorers (rubbing compounds) come in various strengths. I would go to a quality paint place (like a body paint supply) and ask them for their recommendation. Meguiars line is also available at the various chains (Pep Boys, Chief, Kragen), but those people don't know their a__es from a hole in the ground.

Anyway, get the 'system' -- rubbing compound (light and maybe medium strength if you need it), some finishing polish and their excellent carnuba wax. You can rub by hand but an orbital buffer is a bit quicker. You'll be amazed how well Meguiars can bring back quality paint. Good luck!
 
#3 ·
Depends on what kind of paint it is. Acrylic enamel, for example, can't be rubbed out unless it had hardener added when sprayed. Synthetic enamel goes on beautiful when sprayed, but turns to crap in nothing flat and can't be brought back by any method I'm aware of. You didn't say when the car was painted, either, which might say volumes about the quality and type of the paint.

Assuming the best — that the car was sprayed with acrylic enamal and hardener, or one of the newer catalyzed paints - you may be in luck. My best results in restoring faded paint have been with Meguiars products. The restorers (rubbing compounds) come in various strengths. I would go to a quality paint place (like a body paint supply) and ask them for their recommendation. Meguiars line is also available at the various chains (Pep Boys, Chief, Kragen), but those people don't know their a__es from a hole in the ground.

Anyway, get the 'system' -- rubbing compound (light and maybe medium strength if you need it), some finishing polish and their excellent carnuba wax. You can rub by hand but an orbital buffer is a bit quicker. You'll be amazed how well Meguiars can bring back quality paint. Good luck!
 
#4 ·
I think the car was painted about 10 years ago
with a 1980 Porche Red...Thats what the paintcode
reader said (you know, those little machines they
put on your current paint to 'read' the paint color directly )....so, since I have no idea about
paint types/qualities I am still at a loss as what to do...I don't even know if it is clear-coated or not....
I suppose I'll have to try it somewhere (under the hood??) and see what happens......
 
#5 ·
> I think the car was painted about 10 years
> ago
> with a 1980 Porche Red...Thats what the
> paintcode
> reader said (you know, those little machines
> they
> put on your current paint to 'read' the
> paint color directly )....so, since I have
> no idea about
> paint types/qualities I am still at a loss
> as what to do...I don't even know if it is
> clear-coated or not....
> I suppose I'll have to try it somewhere
> (under the hood??) and see what
> happens......

I had difficulty accessing some of the posts in this string, so bear with me if I'm giving you the same advice you've had before.

If you want to spruce up a faded paint job until you can afford to have it redone, here are the three steps: 1. Get yourself a good wax and polish remover and follow the directions to rub off all the old built-up goop on the finish. 2. Go over the exterior portions of the car very lightly with rubbing compound so as to avoid taking all the paint off. 3. Put a coat of a PTFE (polyteflonflouroethylene) based wax like Nu Finish on the paint. PTFE finishes are more a coating than a wax, they last a long time and seal the pores in the paint. You may have seen an annoying Australian hustler peddling an inferior PTFE finish on infomercials, but I've found that Nu Finish, which is available just about everywhere in the U.S., is by far the best.

If your car's still too dull for your taste, put some Meguiar's Classic Wax on over the Nu Finish after about a week. That's a lot of work, I know, but you'll probably be so amazed at the results you'll think twice about repainting the car. A friend of mine used this technique on the original red paint of a '68 VW and was so pleased he decided to keep the thing instead of selling it, as he'd planned.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top