1973 Lotus Europa oxidized original paint

[rjbaren]

Wow Mike, that is great. The paste wax I started to use on the hood , SC Johnson Paste Wax, didn't enhance the shine of the #7 but it didn't dull it down either. It still looks wet or oily. Also, the SC Johnson wax doesn't smell very good and I don't believe it was has any Carnauba, at least it is not only the label. There is a stamp on the can "National Wood Flooring Association Member". I guess I used wood floor wax. There is another label with the address and phone number for additional information and a copyright date of 1988.

I probably should have read the label first. I don't think it will hurt anything and I bet it won't last as long as a car wax. But then again it looks the best so far.

[WillSports3]

SC John Paste Wax is actually a mix of carnauba, paraffin wax, as well as microcrystalline wax which is a wax byproduct of distilling petroleum based products. The "cleaning agent" in it is mineral spirits. It also contains 1,2,4-trimethybenzene which long story short, is a light reflecting agent.

Here is why the wax works great on your paint. The single stage paint of that era is nitrocellulose paint, which is essentially a lacquer finish. Guess what other things lacquer finishes are used for? That's right the final touch to wood. When you put the wood paste wax onto wood, you're shining up and protecting a lacquer finish designed for wood. So in your case, wax made for a lacquer finish is quite good. Little known fact, Meguiar's started out making furniture polish. You can actually use Meguiar's products for guitar finishes.

Nitrocellulose paint is essentially a mixture of solvents, wood and cotton pulp blended together with dying agents to create whichever colour that the car finish is. Basically, your paint is very absorbent.

Mike, I don't know of Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #3 would work for him? Machine applied glazing finish? I'm not an expert on Meguiar's products at all, I started off all of this with Mother's but the description seems to fit. It deposits polishing oils back into the paint.

Other interesting fact about Franks wood wax, if you got leather seats, go ahead and throw some on there too. Do a test spot just to make sure. Vinyl, metal or plastic? Try a test spot somewhere not easily seen but other wise you should be good to go.

[Mike Phillips]

Little known fact, Meguiar's started out making furniture polish.

I have a pretty good collection of the antique Megs furniture line,

What might be interesting is to see a well done side-by-side comparison of the product he's using a Meguiar's Furniture Cleaner and Furniture Polish,



(We've perfected the art of polishing furniture long before we perfected the art of polishing automobiles)

Nitrocellulose paint is essentially a mixture of solvents, wood and cotton pulp blended together with dying agents to create whichever colour that the car finish is. Basically, your paint is very absorbent.

The above is true of VERY EARLY lacquer paints - later they switched over to see oil, like soy beans and flax seeds. I don't think there was any nitrocellulose lacquer paint be used after say the 1930's.

Mike, I don't know of Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #3 would work for him? Machine applied glazing finish? I'm not an expert on Meguiar's products at all, I started off all of this with Mother's but the description seems to fit. It deposits polishing oils back into the paint.

#3 Machine Glaze is or was basically a wetter version of #7. Because he's already done the #7 Rub Down Technique, I don't think there would be much to be gained by machine applying either #3 or #7 but he could try.

I would have to look at a new bottle of #3 - my guess is it's no longer what it was originally. It might still have the correct TS Oils - just very different than what it use to be. I have very old #3 Machine Glaze in glass bottles about 5 feet from my desk.





Then later in the very rare cylinder plastic bottles... most cracked becaue early plastic was brittle anyway and it doesn't get more flexible with time...

[Mike Phillips]

Wow Mike, that is great.

I'll try to get it shipped out today.

[WillSports3]

Oddly enough Mike, if the paint code for his car starts with an L, it is indeed the old style nitrocellulose paint. Depends on his paint code. Lotus used it for his year for whatever reason.

[Mike Phillips]

Oddly enough Mike, if the paint code for his car starts with an L, it is indeed the old style nitrocellulose paint. Depends on his paint code. Lotus used it for his year for whatever reason.

Make sense - even to day, the British call modern clearcoats lacquer.


And the dulling would also make sense as I would say nitrocellulose lacquer paints are probably the most delicate and susceptible to dulling and especially when they are old.

[WillSports3]

Makes me wonder, almost makes perfect sense that wood furniture wax worked so well. Who would've thought lol

[Deviant Detail]

I would really like to see photographs as they would provide a better means of helping you. In high school, our neighbor had a Europa and I would taking a running jump over the roof of it going to school.

[Mike Phillips]

I have a few cans of this in my antique wax collection. If you would like to try it - send me your shipping address and I'll send you a can as a free gift to show my appreciation to you. I appreciate that you trusted my name and the Autogeek name enough to

A: Join this forum where there are so many other social media touch point and gurus out there you could have went to.

B: Take my advice and do the #7 Rub Down Technique to a car that is apparently important enough to you that you want to get it right the first time and avoid repainting it.

C: Stuck through the process from start to where you're at now - still coming back looking for help.

Wow Mike, that is great.

Update

I made a short video showing how to break-in a can of M16 and will share here next week.

Also was able to get a package shipped out to you today. Will send you the tracking number.


Here's what I'm sending....

[Mike Phillips]

The owner send me some before and after pictures showing the Meguiar's #7 Rub Down Technique "transformation".


BEFORE




I cropped out everything but the car from the above picture....




And in the first picture, unless you're paying attention you might not have seen the doors hanging up in the background.






Looks like a picture of the car being brought home from wherever it was discovered.








Here you can more easily see the original condition of the original single stage paint.









AFTER

Here's some recent pictures after rubbing the original paint down with the #7 Rub Down Technique multiple times.










Looking so much better!





Nice work!


By the way, the above pictures are in your free AGO gallery here,

rjbaren Gallery - AutogeekOnline Gallery