1967 Chevy Camaro - Restoration Detail - Original Paint

[KJW Detailing]

1967 Chevy Camaro - Restoration Detail - Original Paint



Good Evening AG's,

Later this week, I'll be detailing a first year roll out, almost entirely original 1967 Chevy Camaro RS Convertible. The owner is having this vehicle detailed and then put it up for sale.

I completed a thorough walk around last week and here are a few things I noticed...

Color - Granada Gold (non bumble bee package)
90% of the vehicles paint is original SS, it's heavily oxidized (zero reflection)
10% of vehicles paint is new(er), in the sense its a two stage paint job.
The chrome accents and wheels have some pitting, but I think its removable.
The convertible top and interior are both in good condition, although the polished metal on the steering wheel will need to be polished.
The engine bay is in good condition, but the their is an area on the engine block, in which the orange powder coating is rusted and pealing off.

What we discussed...
Premium Level Detail, Interior Detail, Polish Chrome

My Plan Of Attack...
Engine Detail*
Foam Cannon Soak (maybe...not 100% sure a pressure washer would be a smart choice for this vehicle.)
Wash
Clay
Meg's#7 (12+ hr soak), removal and then reapplication of Meg's#7
Polish Chrome Accents and Wheels
Meg's #7 removal
Test Exterior Paint for the least aggressive method towards removing the oxidation.
After removing oxidation, I will follow with one polishing step.
Seal Paint and Chrome Trim
303 Convertible Top Protectant
Interior Detail
and then all the little things...

*Engine Detail...the engine is in good condition, considering its age. The engine block is in the worst condition and that's contained to one area where the orange powder coating has rusted and is flaking off. This area is my biggest concern, because its 100% original and is the major selling point. I need to clean this well, but safely. What are your suggestions towards doing this properly...what do I need to cover or remove? Should I just clean via a rinseless method?

I'm hoping that those with a bit more experience working with a classic such as this, would be able to offer a bit of insight or things to be cautious about.

Below are a few teaser pictures.

Thanks, Kieran

[hernandez.art13]

This looks like a soon to be beautiful Job

[57BORNTORUN]

The tail light housing and gas cap are pot metal not much you can do there except buy new.The hubcaps I believe are stainless and can be polished.Post a pic. on the steering wheel as they offered 2 or 3 as options that year.The engine is not powder coated it`s painted.I built several of these cars and own a 69 BB.

[57BORNTORUN]

The trim is stainless and can be polished as well yet it`s better done off the car.I have done it on cars but it`s not the same.

[Mike Phillips]

Awesome!

While the before picture you took of the hood and attached is good, before you start can you get the "Overhead Hood Shot" for the hood and the trunk? It's a lot more powerful for your before and after shots.

A lot of times I'll actually get a work stand, step stool or even a ladder out to get this shot, like this...

Live Video Broadcast - 1947 Chevy & 1986 Porsche 928 - Extreme Makeovers







One of my Detailing Boot Camp Class students did this and I think the pictures do the talking when I say it adds a lot of power to the before and after shots, especially on really cool cars like this Camaro with antique single stage paint.

1971 Dodge Coronet Original Paint Extreme Makeover with Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze


Before








After







And definitely get the shots before you start to rub or buff and make a shiny spot like this as it ruins the "before" condition of the paint.


4 Steps to restore single paint paint - 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE



Note: In the above thread I did get the before shot before rubbing the #7 into that section of paint.


Have fun as the "opportunity" to rub out original or even antique single stage paint on cool cars like this Camaro is becoming more and more rare, especially if you don't actually own the car. That is... if you're a "detailer".


Already looking forward to the write-up for this project!




The power in the after shots is created in the before shots

[Mike Phillips]

Color - Granada Gold (non bumble bee package)
90% of the vehicles paint is original SS, it's heavily oxidized (zero reflection)

I'm pretty sure this paint is a single stage METALLIC paint job and from this era that means the metallic flake is actual aluminum. Modern metallics use plastic or mylar for the flake appearance.

Here's the hood shot you attached, I downloaded it and then uploaded it into your free gallery here on AGO. This paint is dry and brittle and is going to soak up the oils in #7 like a sponge. Be sure to use terry cloth wash cloths to apply and work in the #7.



The aluminum flake will be oxidized on all sides of the flake and since it's surrounded by paint you cannot remove "all" of the oxidation, just what you can rub on the surface.

There should come a point though where you stop pulling tons of black oxidized aluminum in the #7 rub-out process like I document here,

The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints


Oxidized Aluminum Flake
Look at the color of the residue coming off the paint and onto the white terry cloth towel; it's black. The single stage paint is butterscotch gold.






Question: Where's the blackness coming from?
Answer: The aluminum flake.


One of the benefits that we enjoy when car manufacturers switched over to basecoat/clearcoat paint technology is there's a clear layer of paint covering over the color coat of paint and this seals the paint and keeps it from oxidizing and deteriorating. This enables metallic finishes to last for a long time without oxidizing and this is why you no longer see any black residue coming off modern metallic finishes.




Ready to wipe-off the 4th application of #7 Show Car Glaze



As you can see, at this stage I'm no longer seeing heavy concentrations of black oxidation residue coming off and out of the paint. This is a good sign. This is what you want to see when restoring a single stage metallic finish.

10% of vehicles paint is new(er), in the sense its a two stage paint job.

The owner of this car has made a wise decision hiring you to do the paint restoration. By doing this right you'll be doing everything humanly possible to make the original paint match the new basecoat/clearcoat painted sections for an overall more uniform appearance to the Camaro.

[statusdetailing]

The only real advice I can offer, which you probably already know, is cover the distributer, air intake, alternator, etc with a plastic bag and tape shut. I probably wouldn't use a pressure washer. Possibly clean an area at a time with something like meg's super degreaser, apc+ or opc. Aggitation is going to important since you won't be using pressure. I'm sure you have good detailing brushes. I'd maybe do a section at a time, rinse and then use compressed air to make sure you're not getting too much water in weird areas. I rarely work on classic cars, so somebody else may have some better advice.

[KJW Detailing]

First, thank you for the replies and advise.

@Mike.Phillips I will certainly make sure to take an over head photo of both the trunk and hood. I would be shocked if I didn't take 100 before and after photos, just to make sure I got them all!

I will also make sure to thoroughly read through all of the threads you listed Mike.

@57BORNTORUN I will take a photo of the steering wheel when I begin the project. Thanks for the heads up on the different accents found around the vehicle. I will likely tape around the accents and polish to the best of my ability while still attached to the vehicle. Do you think Optimum Metal Polish and a Mothers Ball will do the trick?

Can anyone add to what statusdetailing said about engine detailing on this vehicle?

Thanks!

[57BORNTORUN]

First, thank you for the replies and advise.

@Mike.Phillips I will certainly make sure to take an over head photo of both the trunk and hood. I would be shocked if I didn't take 100 before and after photos, just to make sure I got them all!

I will also make sure to thoroughly read through all of the threads you listed Mike.

@57BORNTORUN I will take a photo of the steering wheel when I begin the project. Thanks for the heads up on the different accents found around the vehicle. I will likely tape around the accents and polish to the best of my ability while still attached to the vehicle. Do you think Optimum Metal Polish and a Mothers Ball will do the trick?

Can anyone add to what statusdetailing said about engine detailing on this vehicle?

Thanks!

If the owner requests and is willing to pay you I can walk you through the process of polishing the stainless on the car.Remind him it`s time consuming but it does make a difference on sale price.Just a thought as most people dont really know what polished stainless is suppose to look like.

[Mike Phillips]

Can anyone add to what statusdetailing said about engine detailing on this vehicle?

Thanks!

The only real advice I can offer, which you probably already know, is cover the distributer, air intake, alternator, etc with a plastic bag and tape shut. I probably wouldn't use a pressure washer.

Possibly clean an area at a time with something like meg's super degreaser, apc+ or opc.

Agitation is going to important since you won't be using pressure. I'm sure you have good detailing brushes.

I'd maybe do a section at a time, rinse and then use compressed air to make sure you're not getting too much water in weird areas.

Jeremy aka statusdetailing gave some great advice, get a good degreaser and dilute it according to directions, don't use it overly strong or you can stain painted surfaces in the engine compartment like the fenderwells.

A buddy of mine, Mel Craig shared a really good technique with me a few years ago and that is to divide the engine compartment into 4 sections or quarter and then only apply your degreaser to one quarter and then "focus" all your scrubbing to only this quarter and then rinse and move to the next quarter.

Scrubbing the different areas and components in an engine compartment is clumsy at best and very time consuming if you really want to get her clean. So by only working a single quarter at a time "YOU" stay focused on the surfaces in that quarter and take my word for it that helps a lot.

Plus, by only applying degreaser to one quarter, as you work that quarter you won't have degreaser drying on you over the rest of the engine compartment and you won't find yourself hurrying to try to get to the other sections before the degreaser dries.

I tend to cover electrical components in this order, (I show this in my Detailing Boot Camp Classes also)

• Plastic bags or Saran Wrap
• Tin Foil formed over the plastic and component
• Painter's Tape or Duct Tape, depending upon the importance of the component staying covered.

I remove the air cleaner and cover the carburetor with microfiber towel first, just in case any water gets to it and the a plastic bag or Saran Wrap and the lots of tape and secure the tape around the base of the carburetor so no liquids can get under it.

Older cars have Electric Relays, you'll see this on the inside of the fenderwells, the firewall or the core support, cover and protect these two as when they get older the cork gaskets inside them get brittle and shrink away and it's easy to get water into them. If they are original, the points inside are already old and corroded and you don't want to make them any worse.

Cover:

• Distributor
• Carburetor
• Alternator
• Relays
• Any Breather Cap for air or oil on the valve cover

The above is probably good.


Get a boat load of different bushes, the new Daytona Speed Master Pro Wheel Brush works GREAT for cleaning engines but you can also use the Daytona Speed Master original style.


A couple of other things you can do to really "brighten-up" the engine compartment is to take a cleaner/wax to any glossy painted areas including the air cleaner, radiator hold down bracket, (if either had shiny paint at one time), all the parts of the fender that hang over into the engine compartment, and any shiny paint on the firewall around the fresh air grill and the wiper motors.

Install a new air cleaner and a radiator cap, install new hose clamps and clean the water hoses with the APC and then dress.

After you do all of the above, fire that motor up ASAP and let her run and get warm and burn off any left over residues and dry them out of places liquids shouldn't be.

I'd also warm up the motor first just to get the grease and gunk warmed up before you start.

And as always, take good before and after pictures...