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

[Mike Phillips]

how do you wash your mf towels after you use them on SS? do you keep them or throw them out???

Wash them and use them some more. I don't major on the minors. I've never seen the performance of a microfiber towel hindered because it shows color staining from a previous project. As long as it's washed and dried and free from any contaminants it gets put back to work.

i am guessing it isn't wise to wash your SS mf towels with any other towels the first wash or two?

Doesn't hurt to wash both microfiber towels and terry cloth towels separate for the first wash, after that I don't think there's going to be an issue.


Just don't wash cotton towels with your microfiber towel. I have article related to this in my article list.


The 4 minimum categories of wiping cloths

[dreamps]

awesome mike! i have the towels still sitting there bc they are red and wasn't sure if i should bother washing them. thanks again for the knowledge!

[foamingcarwash]

you talk about restoring the color but can a single stage paint have swirls, if so how do you go about removing those?

[feds27]

I love reading this thread every time it gets bumped up to the top. It's a good reminder about preserving paint vs. polishing/removing paint. Least aggressive approach.

[BillyJack]

you talk about restoring the color but can a single stage paint have swirls, if so how do you go about removing those?

Yes, SS paint being less flexible and less durable than modern coatings is more susceptible
to swirls, scratches and the like, but the same qualities also make them easier to polish.
The expression "use the least aggressive product" applies much more here than modern urethanes. Products such as Meguiar's M80 and M03, to name a few, normally considered too mild for any correction on the tougher clearcoats, may be just the ticket for minor defects in an older SS paint surface.

Bill

[07gtcs]

My mother in law has an old Ford Topaz, silver in color. I have alot of the Black Fire line, can these be used after the #7 to bring back some of the shine? Its no show car, but it hasn't been waxed in years.
Thanks.

[BillyJack]

In my humble opinion, what you use after the #7 isn't as critical as the #7 itself. I've used various polishes, compounds, even AIO's with equal results. My preference is Meg's M80 since it's an oil-rich product like #7, but sometimes you may need something with a bit more cut in some areas. With the other products, I'll give the paint another rub or two with #7 after polishing, just to feed it a bit more before my LSP. I don't know if the extra step is necessary, but I let the paint tell me when to stop. Once the paint seems reluctant to soak up any more #7 and the #7 just seems to float on top of the surface, then it's time for LSP.

Bill

[Mike Phillips]

you talk about restoring the color but can a single stage paint have swirls,

if so how do you go about removing those?

When working on single stage paint you are working on colored or pigmented paint and thus you are indeed restoring the "color" if you use the right products. IF you use high solvent products or things like detergent washes you won't restore color but instead fade color.

The term,

Bringing out the full richness of color


Is primarily about working on single stage paints and it is one of the primary goals. When working on clear coat the primary goal is to restore "clarity", that is make the clear layer of paint as clear as possible so your eyes can see past it to the color coat under it. You cannot affect the color coat under a clear coat, all you can do is affect the clear layer.

I also address both the color issue and the swirl issue in-depth in this article,


The practical differences between single stage paints and a clear coat paints

Top: 1965 Mustang with single stage finish. Bottom: 2009 Mustang with a basecoat/clearcoat finish.




Great questions...

[jenniferny]

Originally Posted by jenniferny
I was told by someone on the forum that he has seen you use a glaze that you put on a cars paint and let soak in overnight and the oils in the glaze soak into the paint and it improves the paint and makes it look deeper. Is this true, and if it is what glaze do you use? I have a 33 year old Pontiac that was painted Atlantis Blue in 1979 that I am trying to make look as good as possible. I have compounded the car, then polished the paint and that has not helped. The paint is glass smooth and shines nice, but looks kind of like it has a haze covering the paint that does not allow the beauty of the paint show through and appears flat or dead. Thank You for any assistance that you can offer!

Posted by Mike Phillips
You heard right, here's the link to my article,


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


Posted by jenniferny
Mike, Thank You for taking the time to respond to my message! Now I have a chance for my car to have the gorgeous paint that it has had in the past!!!

Jennifer


Posted by Mike Phillips
No problemo, looking forward to your posts on our forum...


Posted by jenniferny
Mike, Thank You very much for the reply, and especially for the article. I read all 7 parts and found it very interesting. I just wish that I had asked you the question last week before I compounded the paint.

Posted by Mike Phillips
Yep... that's the mistake most people make.


Posted by jenniferny
I am ordering the 64oz size to make sure that I have enough to do the whole car. Is there a point where adding another coat no longer helps? Can the glaze be machine applied, or is it best to do it by hand? I have a PC 7336 and Lake Country Pads. I am hoping that it will make my car look better and I am not to late! One more question, does the Glaze do anything for Base/Clear Coat paint?
Mike, Thank You Again for all the help!!

Jennifer

If Mike Phillips replies to my last post I will add it later

[Baconz2012]

Quick question. If you've already waxed the paint on a single staged paint. Could i still be able to go and use this method?

Thanks