White 2002 F350 Dually

[DMW]

A customer brought me her white 2002 F350 dually with 300k+ miles on it in for a quote. The truck lived most of its life in Texas, and it's in very good shape given its use and age, but the paint feels chalky and has swirls. I told her that I don't recommend doing anything more than a light polish as I think the clear coat is mostly gone.

After doing some research, I'm wondering if it is a single stage paint. Does anyone have experience with a white Ford vehicle from the early 2000s?

I have polished a red late 80s Bronco II before and it came out very nice, but it turned my pads red. I'm wondering if I'm in for the same this with this F350.

[Mike Phillips]

After doing some research, I'm wondering if it is a single stage paint. Does anyone have experience with a white Ford vehicle from the early 2000s?

It's possible it's single stage but even by the year 2000 most cars, trucks and suvs were painted using bc/cc paint systems. There are exceptions to the rule however.

Clearcoats can oxidize kind of like a single stage finish if they are neglected long enough. I'd recommend doing a Test Spot and see what happens. Years ago Richard Lin buffed out a classic Camaro, (I think it was a first generation), the Camaro was a dark blue color but so oxidized some areas looked whitish. If I remember correctly he went into the project thinking it was a single stage paint system and come to find out it was a basecoat/clearcoat paint system just super oxidized. And "yes" he did bring it back to life.

Sometimes you just don't know what you can do until you "do".