Neglected/Abused 29 year old Mercedes Paint - NOOB

[nmwhitneyjr]

Greetings All,

I have a 1991 Mercedes 300D that spent several years parked under a previous owner's tree. I bought it from the son of the original owner with a mere 113k miles on it. As you can tell, it's overall in respectable shape... but up close, the paint needs help. It has sap and water stains not to mention more than a few scratches where stuff was evidently stacked on it. I've included a few pics of the worst of it.

The second pic is the top of the drivers fender. It's the worst overall area on the car. Pics 3 and 4 are of one particular sap stain (from different angles) on the hood. There are three other spots just like this but much smaller. The lower, lighter colored trim areas are plastic, and the paint barely holds a shine there.

Father's day brought me a DA polisher, so I'm ready to do what I can on this paint job. This is a daily driver so I'm looking for a reasonable, cost-conscious brand (I've always liked Meguiar's) to keep this machine looking as nice as possible. My primary goal is to keep the clear coat intact. It's not peeling anywhere but I am concerned that any paint decontamination / cleansing / correcting that is done could harm what's left.

It's worth mentioning that I don't have a garage so I would like a fairly tough final stage (I've read good things about ceramics, but I'll defer to the experts here).

Peace,
Norm in NC

[Mike Phillips]

Pics 3 and 4 are of one particular sap stain (from different angles) on the hood. There are three other spots just like this but much smaller.

Those sap stains are like the FRACTURED/WRINKLE ETCHINGS some bird droppings cause.

You cannot fix them. Here's pictures and read what I wrote about removing this type of paint defect.



Type II Bird Dropping - Fractured/Wrinkled Etching

Type II Wrinkled Etchings are usually too deep to fix safely. The problem is the paint fractures, (splits apart in tiny lines,), or wrinkles as the paint swells and bunches together. In both instances, the resulting defect is throughout the clear layer of paint and not topical.

Thus trying to remove it will require removing so much clear paint that you will likely expose the basecoat, or colored layer of paint which has a dull appearance. F

or this reason it's not safe to try to remove a Type II Bird Dropping Wrinkled or Fractured Etching.




Here's the full article on bird dropping stains


Two Types of Bird Dropping Etchings

[TTQ B4U]

That's a beauty! Nice find! Paint looks decent. I wouldn't worry too much about damaging what's left of the clear coat. The only heads-up I would give is that on something that old and been left for so long, you might and I say might end up removing some oxidation only to reveal some more fracturing or crows feet. It happened to me on my son's Jeep. Paint looked flawless outside basic clear coat oxidation when I bought it but upon correction work, the oxidation was removed revealing some minor crows feet on the hood and roof. I was a little bummed in once sense but it is what it is and the paint overall is still outstanding otherwise and in most all other areas.

I would likely approach the above with a test with just a simple AIO. Have enough pads on hand to swap one every panel. Likely two for the hood and two for the roof if not more given size. If the end results are acceptable you're done. If it's really bad and you need to compound as well, that's fine too but I would start with seeing if just a polish is good enough. I say this as you don't have to solve the worlds problems here in one day. You could AIO it now, enjoy it, work on the other things and then come back and hit it again later perhaps with a polish and then coating, etc.

I approached the Jeep that way and now have it coated with Cquartz and Gliss and love it as is even with some minor flaws aka Character Marks, aka Remembrances aka Beauty Marks. All the ways I try and convince myself it's all good

[nmwhitneyjr]

I feel like the car needs a good claying out before AIO (or anything else for that matter). I'm leaning towards the Mequiar's "aggressive" clay. Is that a good plan or should I use something less aggressive first?

What AIO's would folks suggest to try?

[nmwhitneyjr]

Those sap stains are like the FRACTURED/WRINKLE ETCHINGS some bird droppings cause.

You cannot fix them. Here's pictures and read what I wrote about removing this type of paint defect.

Thanks for the link... helped to reign in my expectations about resolving/removing those spots. (And I had low expectations to begin with).

Since the clearcoat/paint are compromised in those spots, what would be a good plan to keep them from getting worse?

[Mike Phillips]

I feel like the car needs a good claying out before AIO (or anything else for that matter).

I'm leaning towards the Mequiar's "aggressive" clay.

I recently used Meguiar's Aggressive Clay to remove some paint overspray when the normal clay I use, Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay, didn't work. It was good to revisit the Meguiar's Aggressive Clay and I'm here to tell everyone, there IS a DIFFERENCE between clays.

Meguiars Professional Detailing Clay Aggressive - C2100

Nanoskin tools didn't work either.

Is that a good plan or should I use something less aggressive first?

If the contamination feels really bad then maybe go with the Megs clay. Be sure to cut the huge bar into at least 2 pieces. Form a piece into a patty like a pancake to use it and save the other piece or pieces for a future project.

What AIO's would folks suggest to try?

I'm a broken record here but it's only because it works so well. Get BLACKFIRE One Step. Sorry to say it only comes in a 32 ounce bottle but after you use it ONCE you will finish the bottle at some point moving into the future it works that good.

The for longer lasting protection than ANY AIO can provide, top with SONAX Polymer Net Shield.

Check out these two articles and be sure to have at least a half dozen foam polishing pads on hand. More pads are better.


Read through this thread,

Updated - Blackfire One Step makes a newb not feel like a newb...amazing product


See my review here,

Review: BLACKFIRE One-Step Cleaner/Wax by Mike Phillips





This is the after shot - the little dots you see are not defects - they are gold metallic flakes in the paint

This was after 8 section passes using the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher with a 6.5" Griot's Orange BOSS Foam Cutting Pad on speed 6




I used an AIO on a show car - something I normally don't do but look at the results...











Get some here...

BLACKFIRE One Step 32 ounce bottle








SONAX Polymer Net Shield - Closest thing to a coating without being a coating


SONAX Polymer Net Shield





Get them both here,

SONAX Polymer Net Shield 75 ml. - $9.99

SONAX Polymer Net Shield 340 ml. $29.99


SONAX Polymer Net Shield = good stuff....

[Mike Phillips]

Since the clearcoat/paint are compromised in those spots, what would be a good plan to keep them from getting worse?

Not much you can do. If you run a buffer over them the product you're using is going to fill in the crevises and look unsightly. I'd probably do it anyway and the wipe the area immediately.

Besides treating it like the rest of the car paint there's really not a lot you can do without getting very complicated. By getting complicated I mean, sanding the area down to primer and then applying touch-up paint that matches and then meticulously trying to make it look good.

Me?

I'd run a foam pad with One Step over the entire car, paint, glass and chrome, (any polished metal), then stick a fork in it and call it done. Drive it like you stole it.

Cool classic MB.

[Belo]

I wouldn't worry about a ceramic at this point and spend your time on the cleaning. Any of the numerous compounds and polishes will do. You may even consider 3D-one to save some time and money. With this product you just switch your pad. So yellow or orange for correction and a white for polish.

But best thing for this ride is a real thorough wash and clay. I really love the synthetic mitts. Much easier to use than a clay bar. Finish it with a good sealant like jescar/menzerna powerlock. Over the summer you can spread out your time working on the trim and other nooks and crannies. Makes the full detail more enjoyable, bearable and not seem like so much work.

[Eldorado2k]

I recently used Meguiar's Aggressive Clay to remove some paint overspray when the normal clay I use, Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay, didn't work. It was good to revisit the Meguiar's Aggressive Clay and I'm here to tell everyone, there IS a DIFFERENCE between clays.

Meguiars Professional Detailing Clay Aggressive - C2100

Nanoskin tools didn't work either.

I completely agree with this.

Not too long ago I bought a used 2002 Cadillac which had been similarly neglected like the car in OP...

I’d be willing to bet my paint was actually far worse than the OP.
Tree sap, oxidation, swirls, roughness, embedded iron particles, zero shine... You name it, it had it. Lol.





I tried the Medium Grade Claymitt and it was simply too much for it to handle... The paint was so neglected that it felt like it had a thick layer of sticky goop on top of the roughness which only a real claybar is effective at removing.

I didn’t have any Megs Aggressive Clay available so I had to use the regular Megs consumer claybar.

Round 1.



Round 2.



Round 3.



After 4 rounds of claying it was finally completely clean. [it had already went through 2 iron decontaminations and 2 rounds with the claymitt prior to this]



And after a good compound and polishing...



It went from this.



To this!



I’d recommend compound instead of an AIO... At least give Meguiars Ultimate Compound a try. That’s not what I used that time but I have used it many times in the past and its pretty awesome stuff especially when you’re a noob like I once was. Good luck and have fun.

[Belo]

and it's now the most famous 2002 cadillac in all the detailing world