VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Body - Sheet Metal, Paint & Wood Rise of the oxidized paint

Guys -

As I've posted elsewhere, I picked up a '78 Malibu that I'm retro-restoring back to the original look for use as a daily driver (I've pulled off so far the chrome tail pipes, the neon fog lights, and the big red windshield sticker..eh gads... :rolleyes: )

The paint is in pretty good condition except for the trunk and hood, which is weatherbeaten over the years from sun and rain exposure.

Here's the problem: I carefully took down what I thought was the oxidized layer on the trunk with rubbing compound, then brightened with polishing compound and finished off with car wax. The results came out pretty good, but after a week much of the oxidization surfaced up.

Is there a different or extra step I should be using to get to the "good" paint that I can maintain, or am I on the wrong track...? I've yet to get started on the hood.

I'll troll this question out again just to look for any takers. In addition, the vinyl top is in good condition; I've used some cleaners and conditioners to keep it healthy looking (geez, sounds like I'm washing my hair ), but I can't seem to get it to shine. Any suggestions on that as well?

ES

Hi Ed-
It sounds to me like you are on the right track.

My thoughts are that either you have not rubbed through the oxidized paint yet, or maybe the old finish has sustained too much damage to be revived. Is there an area of bad paint that is somewhat hidden from view where you can experiment with rubbing compound depth (or maybe 2000 wet paper) to determine how far is too far? The only other thing I can think of is to carefully sand it down uniformly without going through the paint, and then give it a coat of thinned clear to keep the color up and shinny. You could add some flattener to the clear to try to match the gloss of the old finish, or you can dull it down some with abrasives to try to match the original paint after it cures. I have not tried either of these suggestions, so both would require experimentation on a concealed spot. You know best what your goals are with the car, but this might work as a temporary fix until a new paint job.

I don't have any experience with vinyl tops, so I can't offer any advice there.

Hope this helps.

SPEEDLINE

Yes, definitely does, Speedline. I can experiment to see what'll work. It's intended as a daily driver for now, so I'm easygoing about the final strategy and results. As mentioned, the sides are in manageable shape. Apparently the older couple who first owned it parked it religously in one spot outdoors, and it's interesting to see how the sun has specifically faded just the hood, trunk, and one discernible patch of the rear door vinyl. :rolleyes:

There's enough paint layer to work with. Can you clarify to this here greenhorn on your suggestion -

- when you say "sand down", you're talking around 1000 to 1500 wet paper?
- what is "clear", and what's the process of "thinning" it?

Thanks for the help...

ES

Hi Ed-
I think I'd try block sanding with 2000 wet paper and see how it cuts. If you feel you are sanding forever with little results, try 1500. Obviously, once you have cut through the color coat you are cooked, so better to be on the safe side, and test a small area. 2000 and 1500 can be buffed out, too, so you may find that after the sanding you can polish it up without the clear. If your car's finish is a metallic, the test area is important because metallics are not meant to be sanded. When they are, it cuts into the little metallic flakes and can change the appearance of the paint when compared to the original. It is a no-no on new paint jobs, but may not be objectionable on your driver, especially if the metallic is a finer (smaller flakes) one.

The clear I am referring to is the modern "clear coat" in a base coat/clear coat paint system. It must be applied with a spray gun, and careful attention must be paid to masking areas not to be covered, and cleaning of the sanded surface before application. Clear is nasty stuff, health wise, and rather aggressive on undercoat. Again, a test is recommended to insure that it is safe over your original finish. If you don't feel comfortable getting into all that, you might be better off passing on that route. If you want to give it a shot, choose the least aggressive clear and thin it about 10%.

I would be inclined to try the sanding and buffing/polishing method first. It might work fine, and you will not have caused any problems. Just proceed with caution and a light touch, and allow it some time to see if has solved your problem, as you did with the rubbing compound.

SPEEDLINE

Okay, Speedline - I'll follow the first steps you outlined.

This car has a solid factory paint in a red tone - I recall on the dealer brochure it's a name like "Canadian Maple" or some such thing - and I think I can go the 2000 wet paper route without getting into too much trouble.

I appreciate the detailed advice...Thanks!

:arrow: (no one seems to use this little graemlin - I think Bill Barker better retire him...ES)