Polishing heavily faded paint, does it always work?

"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
07/31/2014 at 15:40 • Filed to: None

Does anyone have any experience with bringing heavily faded paint back to life? I've spotted this car (not the car pictured, but similar paint condition) that's very interesting save for the horrible paint. Can that paint job be rescued with some hard work?

DISCUSSION (23)

roflcopter > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:47

It depends on what kind of paint it is. If it's single part part then you can typically get it looking pretty good again as long as there is still paint on the car.

2 part paints(color+clear) typically get trickier because if the paint is going, the clearcoat is probably peeling or about to, and polishing could quicken that kind of thing. Some oxidation and hazing can be fixed in almost all cases though.

duurtlang > roflcopter
07/31/2014 at 15:49

I don't have a clue, to be honest. It's a BMW like the one in the picture.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > roflcopter
07/31/2014 at 15:49

what he said. If its single stage, clear and colour in one, yes. If its base clear, probably not. The clear would be very thin or burnt through entirely.

505Turbeaux > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:50

reds always come back nice, but seem to fade the fastest. That could use a good cut with some compound for sure

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:50

Single stage paint: the answer is often yes, as long as there's paint then there's clear in it and you can pull some kind of sheen out of it.

Two-stage paint: the answer depends on what point the paint is at. That pinkish looking stuff? Probably zero clearcoat left there, and you can polish paint all you want but it's not going to shine. The fenders and doors look like they've got enough sheen in them to have some clearcoat left, and they could clean up nicely.

Something that's too far gone to save is a pretty great place to learn to be aggressive with a rotary (not orbital or dual-action) buffer, as you can't really ruin it any further.

Marcus Rhatigan > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:52

Pretty sure I tried every consumer solution on my oldest kid's black final gen Prelude. Orbital, clay bar, various Girot goops, etc. Didn't make one bit of difference, sadly.

roflcopter > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:53

Then it should be single part(I'm like 70% sure). My buddy's E30 was in rough shape and he polished it up nicely, basically if there is no peeling/flaking going on then it should be able to be done. Just make sure to try it in a place that's not super noticeable first and go slow incase it manages to make things worse, be careful around edges, creases, and corners if you're using anything abrasive so you don't burn through and you should be good.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > 505Turbeaux
07/31/2014 at 15:56

Wanna come on over and bring the red back to life on the Montego then?

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:56

Larry from Ammo does some good trouble shooting with paint in this barn find!

505Turbeaux > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
07/31/2014 at 15:59

sure, when I can finally sneak out there! You should see this diesel s10 I cut on once, came back so nice from such shit.

twochevrons > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:59

My 850R looked similar to that when I got it, and it polished up really well.

As other commenters have said, it comes down to whether it is single-stage or clear coated paint. You can make single-stage look good so long as there's paint left to polish, but once clear-coat paint starts to look rough, there's not a whole lot that you can do. From my (limited) experience, it seems that "bold" colours such as reds and yellows and the like are more likely to be single-stage, while metallic and darker colours are more likely to have clear coat.

If you can see a transparent layer peeling or bubbling anywhere on the car, you've got clear coat, and once it gets to that stage, it can't be saved. An easy way to positively identify single-stage paint is to start polishing it. With single-stage, your polishing cloth will start picking up the paint colour.

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 15:59

Ah yes, fire engine red that has turned pink over the years. I've seen a red MK III Golf that looked like this respond very well to a good wax and polish. Some cutting compound and then a good coat of wax usually does work wonders. I wouldn't try doing it by hand though. These polishing machines can be had for €15-20 and I can't see one of us doing more than one panel thoroughly before our arms fall off.

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 16:00

How's the job hunt going BTW, if I may ask?

E92M3 > duurtlang
07/31/2014 at 16:09

The clear coat in the picture you posted has peeled off partially You can buff the paint that's exposed, but it will never look perfect because of the edge where there is still clear coat.

duurtlang > Klaus Schmoll
07/31/2014 at 16:10

Good and bad. I've found a temporary job back home, I'll start next Thursday. I'll be taking German courses at the same time. Luckily I don't start from zero, so I'm positive this will have a great effect on my ability to speak German.

I didn't plan on this Dutch job, but I do need to eat. This gives me a bit of extra time and preparation, and I hope to move to Germany in early 2015. Maybe earlier if I accidentally do find a job there. I'm trying to come in contact with the university there, it happens that the group I worked with during my Masters cooperates quite a lot with a similar group in München. The advantage of a university is that you don't need perfect German, and I do speak English.

If you accidentally come across a job I could be qualified for (Masters degree in Biology), don't be afraid to contact me :)

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > 505Turbeaux
07/31/2014 at 16:25

diesel s10?

does not compute

505Turbeaux > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
07/31/2014 at 16:31

1984/85 only, Isuzu 2.2 N/A engines. this one had 22K miles on it too

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > 505Turbeaux
07/31/2014 at 16:32

WHAAAAT.

I've owned 2 S10's (blazers) didn't know diesel was in the cards at any point. I wouldn't have bought it because I hate diesels but still.

505Turbeaux > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
07/31/2014 at 16:33

lol here was the truck before my client bought it

twochevrons > Klaus Schmoll
07/31/2014 at 17:50

I made that mistake on my Volvo wagon. A thorough polish and wax took it from dull pink to a beautiful glossy red, but it took an entire day, and my arms felt like rubber bands for days afterward. I'll be buying a polishing machine next time.

Klaus Schmoll > twochevrons
07/31/2014 at 18:26

Yep, the first panel (front wing or so) is fine. You see what you can actually do, and you get all pumped up. By the time you get to the door next to it ..... I don't have to tell you.

twochevrons > Klaus Schmoll
07/31/2014 at 18:28

My problem was that the excitement (and a fair bit of beer-induced optimism) carried me through. It didn't feel too bad at the time, but I seriously regretted it the next day.

Klaus Schmoll > twochevrons
07/31/2014 at 18:35

But you got a better looking car out of it! And a little bit of an intoxication as well. Win-win situation!