Mike Phillips
09-08-2016, 04:41 PM
Whisper Thin Paint on Classic Cars by Mike Phillips - Be Careful! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/104788-whisper-thin-paint-classic-cars-mike-phillips-careful.html)
Recently we restored the original paint on a 1972 Corvette. Before we started, we inspected the paint and specifically inspected all the raised body lines for thin paint. The owner, Kent told me his Dad purchased the car brand new so the car has always been in the family. Kent also told me the car has never been machine polished. His Dad and Kent had only hand waxed the car.
Even so... I know from experience that when cars get this old they can have very thin paint on the raised edges of body lines just from decades of wear-n-tear or "touching". Including washing, drying and waxing. Even from people simply putting their hands on commonly touched areas paint on these raised body lines.
Keep in mind, gravity causes wet paint when it's sprayed to flow downward, this is another reason paint starts out thin on these areas.
Over the years I have created and used a term for very thin paint that's not quite worn through but is very very close. I call this term
Whisper Thin Paint
And with this Corvette, I was able to capture to sets of pictures.
1. Exposed primer - This is where the paint HAS BEEN worn through.
2: Whisper Thin Paint - This is where the has NOT been worn through but it's very, very close.
Here are those pictures....
1. Exposed primer - This is where the paint HAS BEEN worn through.
First the frame-up shots so you can see the area from far away...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108727
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108728
Thin paint
Here you can see where the paint has worn though and now the primer is exposed. This is also right where a person would commonly place or rest their hand, that is next to where the door opens.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108729
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108730
2: Whisper Thin Paint - This is where the has NOT been worn through but it's very, very close.
First, here's the frame up shot. As you can this is the top of the rear fender line.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108731
Now we get closer - look carefully...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108732
Whisper Thin Paint
Just a little rubbing right where you see the darker color along the raised body line and you'll go through the white paint and expose the black primer.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108733
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108734
We carefully buffed this car out and I think the original paint is good for another 44 years!
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108735
The bigger picture
And the bigger picture is anytime you're working on a classic car wit the original paint, CLOSELY inspect the paint for areas where the paint has been worn through AND for areas where the paint is WHISPER THIN. The paint has NOT worn through but it's very very close to wearing through.
Then - avoid rubbing, touching and especially machine buffing the raised edges and raised body lines. Simply make it a practice to work up to these areas but no ON these areas.
:)
Recently we restored the original paint on a 1972 Corvette. Before we started, we inspected the paint and specifically inspected all the raised body lines for thin paint. The owner, Kent told me his Dad purchased the car brand new so the car has always been in the family. Kent also told me the car has never been machine polished. His Dad and Kent had only hand waxed the car.
Even so... I know from experience that when cars get this old they can have very thin paint on the raised edges of body lines just from decades of wear-n-tear or "touching". Including washing, drying and waxing. Even from people simply putting their hands on commonly touched areas paint on these raised body lines.
Keep in mind, gravity causes wet paint when it's sprayed to flow downward, this is another reason paint starts out thin on these areas.
Over the years I have created and used a term for very thin paint that's not quite worn through but is very very close. I call this term
Whisper Thin Paint
And with this Corvette, I was able to capture to sets of pictures.
1. Exposed primer - This is where the paint HAS BEEN worn through.
2: Whisper Thin Paint - This is where the has NOT been worn through but it's very, very close.
Here are those pictures....
1. Exposed primer - This is where the paint HAS BEEN worn through.
First the frame-up shots so you can see the area from far away...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108727
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108728
Thin paint
Here you can see where the paint has worn though and now the primer is exposed. This is also right where a person would commonly place or rest their hand, that is next to where the door opens.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108729
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108730
2: Whisper Thin Paint - This is where the has NOT been worn through but it's very, very close.
First, here's the frame up shot. As you can this is the top of the rear fender line.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108731
Now we get closer - look carefully...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108732
Whisper Thin Paint
Just a little rubbing right where you see the darker color along the raised body line and you'll go through the white paint and expose the black primer.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108733
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108734
We carefully buffed this car out and I think the original paint is good for another 44 years!
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=108735
The bigger picture
And the bigger picture is anytime you're working on a classic car wit the original paint, CLOSELY inspect the paint for areas where the paint has been worn through AND for areas where the paint is WHISPER THIN. The paint has NOT worn through but it's very very close to wearing through.
Then - avoid rubbing, touching and especially machine buffing the raised edges and raised body lines. Simply make it a practice to work up to these areas but no ON these areas.
:)