Buffing

[Guest SJMcKee]

Ok, showing my rookiness here, I want to buff my 47 out to get the oxidation from sitting around for years. What is the go to product everyone uses to do this.

I'm debating on doing it myself with a power buffer, or taking it in and have someone do it for me. I'm a guy that washes my truck twice a year, Spring and Fall. To get the dirt off.

So this is a new challenge for me, can't tell you when I last waxed a car. I think 20 some years ago.

[auburnseeker]

Ok I wasn't' going to answer because I'm short on time but I saw you have a 36 Chrysler :Dso I'll give it a shot.

I've buffed quite a few finishes. For oxidation. 3M makes some pretty good products. Perfect it I believe is one of them. Meguiars also makes some pretty good compounds. If you are going to use a power buffer make sure you use a variable speed one you can start slow with. You will want to go very easy on the edges and may even want to tape over any peaks or crowns that are pronounced so you don't burn through them.

Slow is better than fast if you are unfamiliar with buffing as you can burn right through to the primer in a hurry.

If your oxidation is pretty bad, No shine at all and rough to the touch you may even want to consider wet sanding it with 2000 grit paper first.

Depending on what type of finish is on your car it will buff differently. Laquers buff relatively easy and you can get a mirror shine. Enamels depending on how old I've found can buff quite hard especially if they are still soft. The buffing creates some heat so the finish doesn't buff real well.

I have honestly used Mothers mag and wheel polish to buff quite a few spots on various cars and had amazingly good results. I'm sure you will hear differently but I have buffed much of the 36 Chrysler Avatar under my user ID with it. All by hand without a machine.

As always start with an inconspicuous area and go from there if you are happy with the results.

Make sure your buffing pad stays free of any kind of debris. The finish scratches real fast if you get a speck of dirt on the pad. BE sure your car is clean when you start.

You will probably need to use a couple of different compounds. There is usally a coarser compound although you may not feel it in your finigers if you rub it between them. Then you will use a final small scratch remover and even a glaze to finish it off. I think Meguiars has a number on the bottle like 2 might be the 1st step and #16 or something might be the final step. You will have to check the bottles to see. They should be available at most auto parts or especially paint supply stores. The 3m products work about as well. I've used a company called Presta as well and they all work about the same I believe.

If you are not a patient person you may want to just have someone do it for you. It's easy to try to rush and ruin the finish.

I've made some terrible finishes look like a pro paint job, with alot of patience and time. It's alot cheaper than a new paint job.

[Rusty_OToole]

I recommend you DO NOT use any kind of power buffer. Even in the hands of an expert they can burn through a paint job in seconds.

If your car has the original paint it is thin enough to begin with.

The gentlest thing to use would be your favorite brand of car wax and a soft rag Wash the car by hand using warm water and car wash soap. Polish the paint by hand. When you have done the whole car, go over it again. Keep doing this as long as the finish keeps coming up.

I once did this on an old Renault with red paint so badly oxidised it looked like primer. Every time I went over it, the finish came up more. In the end I polished it 9 times. That old dull paint looked like brand new. It was so slick I could toss a clean rag on the roof and it would slide the length of the roof, down the windshield across the hood and onto the ground.

All I used was some leftover Turtle Wax and Rain Dance I had lying around.

If you want to be a little more aggressive go to an auto supply store that sells bodywork supplies and buy a bottle of fine rubbing compound, the finest they sell. Use it to GENTLY remove the dead paint before you start polishing.

Give the car 4 coats of wax and it will look great.

[Bhigdog]

I agree with Rusty. If the paint is oxidized I'd start with a "cleaner" and see how it goes. If you need something a bit more aggressive I'd go to 3M Perfectit very fine. Finish with a good wax. All by hand...................Bob

[Guest SJMcKee]

Thank you guys for the information, I will go with the standard wash and wax (several waxings), and see where that takes it. Will let you know how it turns out. thanks again.

[DNC]

The web site in the link below is the best site/forum I have ever discovered on detailing. I have belong to the site for several years now. They have helped me do the impossible and continue my mental illness of trying to keep my car spotless.

http://autopia.org

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Macquier's "Cleaner Wax" and Rusty's approach will get most finishes back in time. A couple applications on that will do wonders... Once you are where you want to be, use a good carnuba wax that goes on the old fasioned way - harder to put on and take off, and it will last you the season.

DNC, thanks for the tip, I have a small stain from a particularly nasty berry on the hood of my A-4, and I am going there next as I have been unable to figure that one out...

[JustDave]

hello regarding the buffing,im kind of old school,but lately ive been using a

material called a clay bar,i use it with soapy water in a spray bottle in the shade,rince the car real good or a good washing then rub the clay bar over the paint surface,youll immeadiately feel a difference in the finish,rub the whole car then rewash it and look at the finish if its acceptable if not reclay it then wash again,at this point use a good liquid wax and some old fashioned corn startch,apply the wax and while the wax is still damp dust the corn startch on top,its alot of work but youll be happy when finished,in my early years at the body shop (late 60s) i had to do all the black cars this way,they said it was called paying my dues,ive used this on my employees since but they all felt it was a punishment,dont be surprised if you dont get it done the same day its hard work, any detail supply or automotive supply store will have it , dave

[Rusty_OToole]

The corn starch will remove wax residue and eliminate swirls in the final wax finish especially noticeable on black cars.

Another way to do it is fill a cotton sock with corn starch and rub the car.

[Rusty_OToole]

It may take several days hand work to bring back the finish but once it is done it is easy to keep it nice.

On my motorcycles I used to use Pledge and a soft cloth once a week, it kept the finish in perfect condition and took only a few minutes once it was polished and waxed to perfection. That was in the seventies, since then Honda came out with their own spray polish that does the same thing.

[Guest Kingoftheroad]

I agree with Rusty, stay away from power buffers, especially if you have little or no experience using them. I've seen so many folks burn edges or literally remove most all of a nice or new paint job off the top of a car in just a few short years with a power buffer. Stick with hand rubbing the paint, you'll do far less damage and you won't take off nearly as much paint as a power buffer would.

[60FlatTop]

My body shop friend hates me when I tell people this..... If you haven't worried about the paint in 20 years just go out and get a half gallon of kerosene. Dampen a soft cloth with the kerosene and massage it in gently. Then take a clean cloth wipe off any excess.

When it starts to dull or get dusty do it again. I have literally made thousands of dollars doing this. I read a label that said "petroleum distillates", hell, I know what they are!

Bernie

[MochetVelo]

Hand polishing is probably best for an old original finish but, when necessary, how do you use a rotary buffer? I squirt on the buffing liquid and smoosh it about with my fingers and then buff. I've seen others apply it to the pad, squeeze some on the panel and rub it around with the buffer turned off, and apply drips here and there and buff them around. Any way I do it, it seems to shoot compound everywhere, but I'm wondering what method works best for a good finish.

Phil

[Rusty_OToole]

I know a guy who is quite expert, he has been polishing his cars with a power buffer for years.

The first thing he always does, is tape off the edges of all panels, seams, and fender edges with masking tape to prevent burning through.

If compound is flying around I suggest you use less of it and slow down the buffer. There is no hard and fast rule. I like to squirt the polish on the car and rub the buffer around in it. Others put the polish on the buffing pad.