Paint detail questions
July 13th, 2021, 11:32 AM
#1
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Location: central Indiana
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Paint detail questions
The paint on my Olds is probably 15 years old. I had a semi-professional paint/body friend help me with this paint job, he has since moved away so asking for his opinion isn’t an option.
If I remember correctly, it’s PPG paint, base coat/clear coat. It’s a early 2000ish Corvette color, don’t recall the paint code.
My concern? The paint has a “textured” feel to it after a few months. Every fall before parking the car for the winter, after a through washing, I use Meguires medium cut cleaner (#1) followed with a fine cut cleaner (#2), then number 7 show car glaze, then number 26 yellow wax. My hands hurt for days after (arthritis SUCKS!!) but the car looks great.
The car spends most of its dormant time in a garage. The paint on my daily driver Ram truck is almost as old, the truck sits outside, and doesn’t have the same texture feel, nor does it get nearly the loving attention (pretty sad for a truck that cost 50k new!!)
Whats going on here? I’m not terribly concerned about it, for amateur paint job (albeit supervised by someone who knows what he is doing) I think it looks pretty good. I’m kinda curious how many times I can use the cleaner before damaging the clear. I assume the texture feel is simply dust/dirt settling in the finish, if that’s the case, why doesn’t the vehicles that are much more neglected and exposed to the weather not affected? None of my cars have that mirror finish, did I get lazy and stop too soon with the final cut and buff?
I don’t have a electric buffer/polishing wheel, and without an expert looking over my shoulder I’m not sure I’d like to attempt another polishing session if I bought one.
Opinions?
If I remember correctly, it’s PPG paint, base coat/clear coat. It’s a early 2000ish Corvette color, don’t recall the paint code.
My concern? The paint has a “textured” feel to it after a few months. Every fall before parking the car for the winter, after a through washing, I use Meguires medium cut cleaner (#1) followed with a fine cut cleaner (#2), then number 7 show car glaze, then number 26 yellow wax. My hands hurt for days after (arthritis SUCKS!!) but the car looks great.
The car spends most of its dormant time in a garage. The paint on my daily driver Ram truck is almost as old, the truck sits outside, and doesn’t have the same texture feel, nor does it get nearly the loving attention (pretty sad for a truck that cost 50k new!!)
Whats going on here? I’m not terribly concerned about it, for amateur paint job (albeit supervised by someone who knows what he is doing) I think it looks pretty good. I’m kinda curious how many times I can use the cleaner before damaging the clear. I assume the texture feel is simply dust/dirt settling in the finish, if that’s the case, why doesn’t the vehicles that are much more neglected and exposed to the weather not affected? None of my cars have that mirror finish, did I get lazy and stop too soon with the final cut and buff?
I don’t have a electric buffer/polishing wheel, and without an expert looking over my shoulder I’m not sure I’d like to attempt another polishing session if I bought one.
Opinions?
July 13th, 2021, 12:41 PM
#2
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,060
Without seeing it... consider wet sanding a small area with #3000, it is so smooth it is tough to do damage. Next, buy the buffer in a DA (dual action) model to prevent damage/burning and compound it using fine compound.
About your truck paint holding up better, modern factory paint material coupled with the controlled environment application process is not impossible but tough to beat.
Imagine if some of today's paint and corrosion resistance were part of classic cars. Many more would have survived.
I've seen a few repaints that are nicer than factory but they are big $$$$$ and the exception.
About your truck paint holding up better, modern factory paint material coupled with the controlled environment application process is not impossible but tough to beat.
Imagine if some of today's paint and corrosion resistance were part of classic cars. Many more would have survived.
I've seen a few repaints that are nicer than factory but they are big $$$$$ and the exception.
July 14th, 2021, 04:59 AM
#3
For ANY paint correction issues, you should always work backwards, with your compounds/polishes. Short version of making a new paint job like a mirror is:
Wetsand with 800 or 1000 to remove orange peel. Sand with 1500, sand with 2000 ( I reserve this step for darker color). DA (wet) with a 3000 grit TriZak pad.
Compound with fine cut compound, usually on a wool pad. Follow with Polish on a foam pad, slower speed. Polish with softer foam pad, with swirl remover polish. Hand glaze, or wax.
So if hand polishing with a mid range polish doesn't work, you need to go backward to a fine compound, but use a machine. Hand compounding modern paints is like trying to paint your house with an artist's paint brush.
Usually the hood, trunk and roof have more oxidation than the sides, so they usually need a more aggressive step. If yo're getting surface texture, it may not be the paint, it may be contaminants on the surface. Try a clay bar first, before hand or machine polishing. It's not even a bad idea to use it before ANY paint correcting, just to be sure of a clean surface. Dirt, or contaminants on the surface will get caught in your cloth/pads, and do more damage.
Wetsand with 800 or 1000 to remove orange peel. Sand with 1500, sand with 2000 ( I reserve this step for darker color). DA (wet) with a 3000 grit TriZak pad.
Compound with fine cut compound, usually on a wool pad. Follow with Polish on a foam pad, slower speed. Polish with softer foam pad, with swirl remover polish. Hand glaze, or wax.
So if hand polishing with a mid range polish doesn't work, you need to go backward to a fine compound, but use a machine. Hand compounding modern paints is like trying to paint your house with an artist's paint brush.
Usually the hood, trunk and roof have more oxidation than the sides, so they usually need a more aggressive step. If yo're getting surface texture, it may not be the paint, it may be contaminants on the surface. Try a clay bar first, before hand or machine polishing. It's not even a bad idea to use it before ANY paint correcting, just to be sure of a clean surface. Dirt, or contaminants on the surface will get caught in your cloth/pads, and do more damage.
July 14th, 2021, 07:09 AM
#4
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Location: Plano, TX
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Have you tried just using a clay bar? It might just be schmuck getting stuck to the paint and needing a bit more persuasion to come off.
The truck's OE paint is probably much harder, so it's more difficult for anything to get embedded.
The truck's OE paint is probably much harder, so it's more difficult for anything to get embedded.
July 17th, 2021, 06:10 AM
#5
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Location: central Indiana
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I have never used a clay bar, I guess next time the paint gets the textured feel again I’ll try one.
I wouldn’t mind trying to wet sand and polish the car, if I had someone looking over my shoulder.
I wouldn’t mind trying to wet sand and polish the car, if I had someone looking over my shoulder.
July 17th, 2021, 09:47 AM
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Asheville NC
Posts: 1,160
You might want to practice with the buffer on the PU. I used a buffer about 10 years ago and was not happy with the results. Recently I blocked my car out using 3000 and 400 grit and buffed away. I was not really concerned about doing damage as I was considering repainting the car if I wasn't happy. After a few hours I had the buffing down pat and am now confident. As was mentioned, different waxes at different stages, and using different foam pads make a different results. I think approaching it cautiously you will get the hang of it.
Steve
Steve
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