White 1981 Camaro

[TMQ]

Going to be working on this tomorrow Friday, Aug 8th.

Paint is really bad shape. Lots of swirls and med scratches. Haven't been cleaned for few years.

The paint is a repaint in acrylic enamel. The kind that will not absorb megs # 7. Will do the basic wash and see which direction I will go.
Tentative thought is, Iron-x, rinse, prep paint with comet, rinse and then dry.
Will do deep cut with Rupes blue compound, then refine with Rupes yellow pad and the Rupes yellow (fine) polish. Then maybe seal with a paste wax of some sort.
Will also see how well it will respond to BlackFire One Step.

Can not wait to get on it with my new CBeast!

Initial Pics.

[Jayfro]

That brings back some memories, my girlfriend in high school had the same car!


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline

[WillSports3]

If I can make a suggestion, depending on how oxidized the paint is, maybe go with a microfiber cutting pad of some sort just so you can remove as much of the oxidized paint as possible? Foam pad might get absolutely filled with oxidized paint and scour the surface mercilessly.

[TMQ]

willsport--noted.

Hope comet will deal with the oxidized paint and finish off with BlackFire One Step.

Will be testing and testing!

Tom

[nrengle]

Ummm, when you say comet, the first thing I think of is the sink scrub. What exactly are you using?

[TMQ]

The actual comet for sink...!!!

And for this type of paint, it's ok to use.

Now if you had the factory single stage, pre-70's or so, I would do the meg's # 7. Apply, remove and apply again.

The paint on Camaro will not absorb the oils from meg's # 7 therefore useless.

Like I said will do basic wash and see if that's enough, if not then will use comet.

Tom

[TMQ]

I've already done a test spot. Compounded with Rupes blue and polished with Rupes yellow. Paint turn out perfect.
And It went kind of too easy. This leads me to think I might just only need to just:

1. Wash/dry. No comet.
2. Just do one step-BlackFire one step.

It might be all it needs.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

Tom

[rlmccarty2000]

I had a 1980 Camaro I bought used back in 1982. It had the 6 cylinder engine and was so slow it was down right dangerous. They were nice looking cars but severely underpowered. I kept mine for 6 months before I traded it in. So many cars in the late 70’s and 80’s were hindered by poorly engineered smog equipment and gas saving engines. I hope you have done an LS swap or dropped in one of the other marvelous engines we have today.

[TMQ]

It has a V8 in it. Dunno what engine. Bruno's Classic has done lots of work to it.

I was supposed to have car today--owner decided wanted new intake and carb and I had to wait.

Now it's ready for me tmw.

Tom

[TMQ]

I agree! Swapping in a LS motor would be cool!

Tom

[TMQ]

Wash...

Nope: It didn't need the comet treatment. Washed great!

Pictures:

[TMQ]

Performed 3 step on half of the car and a one step on the other half.

Reason is---3 step on the orginal paint and only a one step on recent paint.

Scratches and swirls were bad. Even worst---Embedded dirt. Dirtiest paint ever seen on the original side.

[PaulMys]

Awesome work as always, Tommy....... :)

[TMQ]

The picture order isn't right in the above post--Oh well.

Anyway---Onto final pictures below.

[TMQ]

Paint was hard to cut!

Used microfiber pads with Rupes blue compound for the initial cut.
Removed haze with Rupes yellow pad and polish. Cleaned things up.
Did the BlackFire one Step with Rupes yellow pad. Perfect! And Protected as well.

Took me 5 and half hours to finish. Plus interior/glass and dressed tires too!

CBeast make things very very fast!

I'm very happy with results.

Learn one thing---force rotation can burn through edges in a heart beat!

Tom