How to restore a Barn Find - 1969 Ford Thunderbird - #7 Rub Out + FLEX = 3D products

[Audios S6]

Great work guys.

Mike, was there a reason you did not tape/mask the raised body lines on the hood and trunk while doing the compounding step?

[BillE]

OUTSTANDING write-up Mike!

Props to all involved in this project.

Bill

[jeanjaian]

How awesome!

Quick question. Even with lower RPMs, could we manage do correct the paint safely and get great results as you guys got?

[LSNAutoDetailing]

Mike, fantastic article and great restore on an American Classic! I was waiting for these photos!

[Mike Phillips]

Awesome write up and amazing restoration!



Thanks Jaret,

I'm not sure I'll ever meet the current owner, maybe?

I'd sure like to see this face when he sees the transformation.


I've just about finished steam cleaning the interior. When I say the interior is gross I mean gross! It was brown with years of grime, as though a ditch digger owned the car, (nothing wrong with ditch diggers and if fact I've worked as a ditch digger in my life the point is it's very dirty work. It was also covered in some sort of orange slimy stain. Reacts like mold, so orange colored mold.

The good news about the Dupray Steam Cleaner I'm using is it heats the steam up to 345 degrees and kills pretty much everything.

The interior is looking like brand new so I think this is going to blow away the owner too. The hard part is it's been a challenge to capture good before and after pictures since it's a hardtop car. Convertibles work the best for before and after pictures.


I'll be finishing the steam cleaning today so I can get this car out of the garage and should have the write-up posted this week.


:)

[Mike Phillips]

How awesome!

Quick question.

Even with lower RPMs, could we manage do correct the paint safely and get great results as you guys got?




I need more information?

When you say,


Even with lower RPMs, could we manage do correct the paint safely and get great results as you guys got?


Do you mean, if you had performed the work with rotary buffers instead of dual action polishers and used low RPMs with the rotary buffers could you have produced the same results that we achieved using dual action polishers?

Is that what you mean?


:dunno:

[damaged442]

Well done! Ugly or not, the car came out great! (I personally think it is a neat looking car) What a transformation! You guys are magicians!

[Mike Phillips]

How awesome!

Quick question.

Even with lower RPMs, could we manage do correct the paint safely and get great results as you guys got?




The answer is "yes".

The issue is you need to work harder at avoiding what are called,


Tiger Stripes




Below is the only pictures that kind of show what tiger stripes would look like on old, single stage metallic paints.





Tiger Stripes from the buffing process
For this meaning of the term tiger stripes, if you buff too much on single stage metallic paint you will remove enough pigmented or colored paint plus abraded the aluminum flakes enough to leave stripes or lines in the paint that mimic the way you moved the buffer over the paint.

I don't have any good pictures of Tiger Stripes from over-buffing single stage metallic paint. I've seen it in my life but must not have had a camera handy.

You can get an idea of what this over buffing of single stage paint can look like in this write-up. I'm not saying my friend Craig over buffed this paint, it could have happened from before he owned the car. But you can definitely see a pattern of light and dark lines in the paint after he removed the extreme oxidation and restored clarity and gloss to the finish.

1971 Dodge Coronet Original Paint Extreme Makeover with Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/62605-1971-dodge-coronet-original-paint-extreme-makeover-meguiar-s-7-show-car-glaze.html)


Before

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/1971_Dodge_Single_Stage_009.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/1971_Dodge_Single_Stage_010.jpg



After

IF you look you can see dark sections and light sections this is where less paint and more paint has been removed at some point in the car's life from buffing.

This doesn't mean Craig the owner did it when he saved the paint job, he may have, he may have also revealed the appearance differences when he removed the oxidation.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/1971_Dodge_Single_Stage_011.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/1971_Dodge_Single_Stage_012.jpg




What can you do?
The best thing you can do when buffing on single stage metallic paint is to take a very non-aggressive approach when choosing compounds and polishes and use a light touch. Then always use a crosshatch pattern when buffing, don't simply go from side to side.

And if it's not your car then less is more...

First educate your customer on the type of paint their car has and the unique issues buffing on and restoring this type of paint brings to the table. Then under promise what you can do and then do your best to over deliver. And of course this forum is always here to help.





So buff slow... don't buff aggressive... light pressure and more time.

It would be much safer to use a dual action polisher IF you are in fact working on antique single stage paint and IF you are in fact working on antique single stage METALLIC paint.

Tricky stuff when it's old and neglected.

Hope that helps...


:)

[LSNAutoDetailing]

Mike you really think the 69 T-Bird is ugly? I really like them. Perhaps not in that color or with that roof... A solid black or another color would do it some justice.
I really like the sleek lines of the 69... Not to many of them on the road, up here the popular flavor is 55-59 or 64-67's... Anyway as stated above, I love how it came out! I wished I lived closer and could do the Thur night events.

[jeanjaian]

The answer is "yes".


Hope that helps...


:)

Of course, Mike. I'm sorry I forgot to mention about the rotary buffer.

Thank you.

I ask because I prefer to work with my Flex PE 14-2... So if we have time and patience, we can use lower RPMs (say 1400rpm with solvent-based compound like Menzerna, which I use), and achieve a great result.

I assume the pressure must be the lightest possible...

How about pads? Is it safer to use a Purple foam wool (by Lake Country) or is it better to use an agressive foam pad?

[Mike Phillips]

Of course, Mike. I'm sorry I forgot to mention about the rotary buffer.

Thank you.

I ask because I prefer to work with my Flex PE 14-2...




What are you working on?


Barn findes with antique singles stage paint?

or

Mondern cars and trucks with modern basecoat/clearcoat paint systems?

:dunno:

[jeanjaian]

What are you working on?


Barn findes with antique singles stage paint?

or

Mondern cars and trucks with modern basecoat/clearcoat paint systems?

:dunno:


I'm just planning what to have and how to proceed when I get projects like a 'Barn find'.

I've already polished an old truck with single-stage paint. But it was repainted about 15 years ago. The results were amazing!

However, I'm not really confident on how to proceed with a 50-year-old single-stage paint, for example. (Foam or foam wool pads)

[Mike Phillips]

Mike you really think the 69 T-Bird is ugly? I really like them. Perhaps not in that color or with that roof... A solid black or another color would do it some justice.



I agree a different color and get rid if the vinyl roof and it would be a much better looking car.

I DO like the 429 BIG BLOCK FORD this old bird has nesting in the engine compartment.





I really like the sleek lines of the 69... Not to many of them on the road, up here the popular flavor is 55-59 or 64-67's...

Anyway as stated above, I love how it came out! I wished I lived closer and could do the Thur night events.




My favorite birds are the square birds, that is the 1958 and 1959 Thunderbirds and the convertible version.


:)

[Mike Phillips]

Mike you really think the 69 T-Bird is ugly?



Yes. I love the Square Birds, especially the convertibles.






I really like them. Perhaps not in that color or with that roof... A solid black or another color would do it some justice.

I really like the sleek lines of the 69... Not to many of them on the road, up here the popular flavor is 55-59 or 64-67's...

Anyway as stated above, I love how it came out! I wished I lived closer and could do the Thur night events.



I've seen some really nice birds in this body style, we had a custom black on our first TV show, "What's in Autogeek's Garage".


But yeah, I prefer a hotrodded 1958 or 1959 convertible. I grew up with my best friend Brian who had and still owns a 1956 Tbird.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/CaddyAndTbird.jpg


:)

[Mike Phillips]

:updated:

Shared this write-up here,


Lake Country Microfiber Pads used with flex 3401 (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/flex-polishers/124976-lake-country-microfiber-pads-used-flex-3401-a.html)


:)