Flex 3401 or PC for old 190e?

[MaxWax]

I'm heading to Finland to visit family this weekend and we have an old red 190e, I believe 1986 but I'm not sure. Anyways, the cars been washed and waxed with no clay or anything :doh: by my uncle or my father for the last 20 years. So the car has serious swirls and some minor oxidation but it's actually in really great shape aside from stuff I can fix. I'm just trying to decide whether it's worth it to bring my Flex 3401 or if I should just play it safe and use the PC. Any thoughts?

[Setec Astronomy]

You could go either way on that, but bring plenty of pads because it's probably single-stage and you're going to have a lot of red pads...

[BobbyG]

Because of its smaller size I'd opt for the Porter Cable but do bring a good supply of pads. I'm not sure how you're planning to clean them but a few terry-cloth towels might help cleaning them on the fly...

[Mike Phillips]

You could go either way on that, but bring plenty of pads because it's probably single-stage and you're going to have a lot of red pads...


Because of its smaller size I'd opt for the Porter Cable but do bring a good supply of pads. I'm not sure how you're planning to clean them but a few terry-cloth towels might help cleaning them on the fly...


I agree with both of the above.


Single stage paint dries out as it oxidizes and becomes thirsty. It will drink up whatever liquids are used, that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending upon the liquid. Solvents, even water will tend to further dry it out, you want to reinvigorate the paint with polishing oils.

Good oils will make the paint more workable and bring out the full richness of color. They will also stave off future oxidation to some level, at least more than nothing and definitely more than solvents. They do this by simply filling voids so air and water cannot fill the voids and cause further oxidation.

If the car/paint is important to you, definitely give this a read-through...

The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/25304-secret-removing-oxidation-restoring-show-car-finish-antique-single-stage-paints.html)

Saturation Application --> The First Application
This is a mostly unknown technique and that is to let the first application penetrate and soak into the paint for up to 24 hours before wiping the product off. The idea being to really apply the product wet and work it in really well and the walk away.

The idea is to allow the heavy concentration of oils to penetrate and seep into the paint for maximum saturation before removing the product and continuing with the process. In this case I finished applying the first application of #7 around 9:00 pm and then left the #7 to soak in until the next day. I started wiping the product off then next morning right about 10:00am.

Some will argue if this works or not but my experience is that with a porous single stage paint it does in fact help. One thing for sure it can't hurt.

Paper Test for Capillary Action
If you place a few drops of #7 onto a piece of paper and then monitor it over a few days you will see the oils in the #7 migrate or seep away from the actual drop of product. It does this through capillary action and the same thing can work to your car's paints' advantage if it's a single stage lacquer or enamel paint.

I placed a few drops about the size of a nickel on a piece of standard printer paper around 3:00pm.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/859/7CapillaryAction01.jpg

The next day I took these pictures at approximately 10:00am, (19 hours later), note how the oils in the drops of #7 have migrated outward via capillary action.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/859/7CapillaryAction02.jpg

Feeder Oils penetrate or feed the paint
This same effect can take place in a single stage paint but not only will the oils travel horizontally, they will also travel vertically, that they will penetrate downward "into" your car's paint and this is where the term feeder oils comes from as the oils penetrate into or feed the paint. The result is they will condition the paint restoring some level of workability as compared to just working on old dry paint, and they will also bring out the full richness of color, something that will showcase the beauty of your car's paint.



Also, take great before and after pictures like I explain in this article,

The power in the after shots is created in the before shots (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/21216-power-after-shots-created-before-shots.html)


Before
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/763/1960Ranchero01.jpg




After
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/763/1960Ranchero06.jpg



It's becoming very rare to be able to work on single stage paint, so enjoy the experience, modern paints are basically plastic.


:)

[MaxWax]

Saturation Application --> The First Application
This is a mostly unknown technique and that is to let the first application penetrate and soak into the paint for up to 24 hours before wiping the product off. The idea being to really apply the product wet and work it in really well and the walk away.

The idea is to allow the heavy concentration of oils to penetrate and seep into the paint for maximum saturation before removing the product and continuing with the process. In this case I finished applying the first application of #7 around 9:00 pm and then left the #7 to soak in until the next day. I started wiping the product off then next morning right about 10:00am.

Some will argue if this works or not but my experience is that with a porous single stage paint it does in fact help. One thing for sure it can't hurt.

Paper Test for Capillary Action
If you place a few drops of #7 onto a piece of paper and then monitor it over a few days you will see the oils in the #7 migrate or seep away from the actual drop of product. It does this through capillary action and the same thing can work to your car's paints' advantage if it's a single stage lacquer or enamel paint.

I placed a few drops about the size of a nickel on a piece of standard printer paper around 3:00pm.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/859/7CapillaryAction01.jpg

The next day I took these pictures at approximately 10:00am, (19 hours later), note how the oils in the drops of #7 have migrated outward via capillary action.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/859/7CapillaryAction02.jpg

Feeder Oils penetrate or feed the paint
This same effect can take place in a single stage paint but not only will the oils travel horizontally, they will also travel vertically, that they will penetrate downward "into" your car's paint and this is where the term feeder oils comes from as the oils penetrate into or feed the paint. The result is they will condition the paint restoring some level of workability as compared to just working on old dry paint, and they will also bring out the full richness of color, something that will showcase the beauty of your car's paint.



Also, take great before and after pictures like I explain in this article,

The power in the after shots is created in the before shots (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/21216-power-after-shots-created-before-shots.html)


Before
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/763/1960Ranchero01.jpg




After
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/763/1960Ranchero06.jpg



It's becoming very rare to be able to work on single stage paint, so enjoy the experience, modern paints are basically plastic.


:)

Thanks for the responses! I'm going to be using Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover, Finishing Polish and Opti-Coat. So I should leave the Swirl Remover on over night?