Polishing a classic car

[Jenn1270]

A 66 Galaxy would make my dad salivate. He got rid of his pride and joy 68 Galaxy when I was born for a station wagon. Even though I am nearly 40 years old....I wish I had the cash to buy him another. He LOVED that car.

Jenn

[rohnramirez]

Thanks for the tips Mike, I'm glad I didn't just dive right in with the PC. I'll pick up some #7 glaze this weekend. As far as the wash goes, I may have to get this wet as it's been sitting uncovered in my pole barn for a year or so. I'll be purchasing a cover soon so the waterless car wash will be the norm after that.

The recent 1958 MB 120D i worked on had been repainted with polyurethane a few years back, the PC was all i needed to get that black to shine and glimmer. orange and white with 105/205. Anyway, sorry to have given the wrong advice, i didn't know there was a special technique to work on old single stage paints. Good luck!

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for the tips Mike, I'm glad I didn't just dive right in with the PC. I'll pick up some #7 glaze this weekend.

It sounds like from your description the paint on the Galaxie is in much better shape than most antique single stage paints BUT the point is if preserving the original paint is important to you then taking a simple precautionary step can't hurt and because paint is thin to start with the idea is to do everything you can to preserve it.

As far as the wash goes, I may have to get this wet as it's been sitting uncovered in my pole barn for a year or so. I'll be purchasing a cover soon so the waterless car wash will be the norm after that.

Sounds like a good plan. Sometimes washing is the right approach.

The recent 1958 MB 120D i worked on had been repainted with polyurethane a few years back, the PC was all i needed to get that black to shine and glimmer.

An old car with new paint is an old car with new paint, an old car with antique paint, paint that's either in good shape or hasn't past the point of no return, that's a completely different coating to tackle.

i didn't know there was a special technique to work on old single stage paints.

As I wrote in the article, most people just dive in and start compounding the paint or abrading it in some fashion and a lot time that will probably work, the article I wrote is for the person that wants to everything they can to preserve the original paint and is willing to take an extra step. Key word in the last sentence would be wants.

[swami]

The recent 1958 MB 120D i worked on had been repainted with polyurethane a few years back, the PC was all i needed to get that black to shine and glimmer. orange and white with 105/205. Anyway, sorry to have given the wrong advice, i didn't know there was a special technique to work on old single stage paints. Good luck!

No worries man...That's why I posted the question as I wasn't sure what to do either.

[swami]

It sounds like from your description the paint on the Galaxie is in much better shape than most antique single stage paints BUT the point is if preserving the original paint is important to you then taking a simple precautionary step can't hurt and because paint is thin to start with the idea is to do everything you can to preserve it.




Sounds like a good plan. Sometimes washing is the right approach.




An old car with new paint is an old car with new paint, an old car with antique paint, paint that's either in good shape or hasn't past the point of no return, that's a completely different coating to tackle.




As I wrote in the article, most people just dive in and start compounding the paint or abrading it in some fashion and a lot time that will probably work, the article I wrote is for the person that wants to everything they can to preserve the original paint and is willing to take an extra step. Key word in the last sentence would be wants.

That's exactly what I want to do, even though it's going to be alot of work. The car has lived most of it's life under a cover in a barn, it's had 10K miles put on it in the last 25-30 years. I want to keep the paint as original as possible. I'm only going to drive it 5-6 times a year, so I want to do it right. Once I get it done it's going under a cover. Thanks again for all your help.

[rohnramirez]

An old car with new paint is an old car with new paint, an old car with antique paint, paint that's either in good shape or hasn't past the point of no return, that's a completely different coating to tackle.

That's what i was trying to get at, cause all the old cars i do have new paint jobs. Either they're well maintained by the collectors or they're show cars.

As I wrote in the article, most people just dive in and start compounding the paint or abrading it in some fashion and a lot time that will probably work, the article I wrote is for the person that wants to everything they can to preserve the original paint and is willing to take an extra step. Key word in the last sentence would be wants.

Yeah..i understand. I guess i never had any experience with neglected single stage old paint yet. Hmmm..that gives me an idea, may be i can get something in the scrap yard. A panel really old, beat up and truly neglected. But i'd rather do it by hand, dowana ruin any of my pads.

[swami]

Can you post some pictures of your car. Is that an R-code 427?

My apologies to TheCougarGuy. I knew there were 8705 7-Litres produced in 66. What I didn't know was that a 427 R-code was available as a special order. It appears only 38 were built, 36 hardtops and 2 convertibles. The rest were 428's. Knowing that, I wish mine was a 427 R-code. I'm in the process of claying the car today which will be followed by glazing with Megs Show Car Glaze #7 as per Mike's instructions. I'll try to get some pics up post claying, pre glazing if I can figure out how to post them. I'll read the sticky and cross my fingers.

[swami]

Cars been clayed, next up the glazing.