Clear coat repair

[supra90]

I appreciate all you help Don. I am a total novice to this whole detailing hobby. I have always kept my cars in very nice shape. Wash, wax, keep it away from other cars in parking lot, and garaged. So I have a 1990 Supra that shines like a new car. This is without claying or using a buffer. Just frequent washings, keeping it out of the sun, and using a good polish and a very good wax. I read this website and I am overwhelmed. All these different products. Too many choices! Not healthy. I heard of claying but if the car is clean, and washing with soap there really is nothing left to clay. Only thing on the car is wax. That is the problem with this clear coat project. I don't want to wetsand the headlight or nose. Just would like to get the wax off to get adherence. Like you said I would have to leave the clear on for about a week, if not wetsanding. Just wondering why do so many guys clay before they even start working on scratches. I guess it lubricates the surface and helps.
I have never used a paint sealant either. I mean...you could make this into a 2 year graduate program with all the info and products! Do you think I should clay to deal with these minor defects. Or just get off the wax. The car has no contaminants. It is garaged 95% of the time. A good soapy washing/dry and the surface feels very smooth. I did buy a mother's clay bar, but returned to Pep boys. I just thought it was a little over the top. And of course....it's not going to fix my defect. Curious what your thoughts are on this.
Again, thanks Don...I really appreciate all your help.

[Dadillac]

Clay bars do not fix defects. They work kind of like the tape pet hair rollers. You wipe the clay over the surface and it picks up stuff that washing will not. Not a necessary thing to do but it gets all of the contaminants off of the paint. As far as wet sanding clearcoat. I never use anything coarser than 1500 grit. Use the 2000 that you have. Place the paper in a bucket of warm soapy water for about 15-30 minutes before sanding. This will assure that the paper is completely saturated. Fold or tear the paper in small sections like 4" x4". something easy to control. Wet the clearcoat that you will sand and keep it wet. I usually run a garden hose while I sand. You don't need a ton of water you just need it wet. As you are lightly gliding the paper across the clearcoat you will notice the water getting milky colored. That is the clearcoat that you are removing. Sand in two different directions so all of the scratches aren't going in one direction. After sanding for a short time, I usually go by feel, stop sanding and dry the area. The shiny areas that remain are low spots that the paper didn't hit. I usually "knock down" the orange peel, not remove it completely. You will have to decide for yourself how far you want to go. Once you have it how you want it it is time to buff it out. You will need an aggressive compound to remove the scratches. For the small headlight cover I would recommend doing it by hand. Once it starts to shine you can polish out the rest of the scratches usually and then wax it. Sounds difficult but it really isn't. I strongly recommend you buy some cheap clearcoat and practice this on something. Anything that has auto paint on it that isn't part of your vehicle. Go to a junkyard if you have no parts laying around and pick up anything small that has halfway decent paint on it. Just pick up something that is cheap cheap cheap. Get the feel of it and then get to work. As far as the bumper I am not sure. Hard to figure that one out without seeing it

Don

[RedXray]

Do not sand before clearing. If you have a clean wax free surface the clear will stick to it.

wut

[supra90]

wut

I agree. I was told wet sanding would help the clear coat to adhere. Dadillac is talking about what to do after applying clear coat over a defect. I basically have a few etch spots each about the size of half a dime on the headlight of my car. You really can't see it unless you are on top of it. I though I could take it out from wetsanding with 2000 grit, and megs compound and polish. The wetsanding did not take the etching out, although it is a little less obvious. I was upset when the wetsanding and polish did not work, because it did not look like it went thru the clear. I had a bit of very hot engine coolant spray on the headlight from a busted hose. I should have kept my hood shut, but I saw coolant pouring out of the bottom of my car.
Dadillac, wants me a total novice, to get the wax off the headlight with soap and alcohol and then spray a few light coats of clear and then a medium coat. Then he said wait about a week for adherence, and polish out the orange peel. He has been very helpful and has given exact instructions. I agree you don't wetsand and then apply clear. I would like to practice. But I am concerned I could make a cloudy mess. He told me the where to order the clear from. I actually ordered some touch pt from this place. The defects are in the back of the headlight. I drive with the headlights up so you only see a little bit. There is some black engine coolant that did burn thru the clear down to the paint. So I really don't know whether it is better to have the area cleared, or do a repaint and clear. It is a lot of work for a little bit of barely noticeable damage. I also don't think a body shop could get a good color match. I am afraid I would have two different colored headlights. I am leaning towards a re clear to fix minor defects, and drive around with headlights up like I have been doing. But the body shop wants to put down new base coat. He said, " you just can't put on new clear, you have to add base coat if you are sanding the clear down." I don't know... I haven't showed it to him but when he see the whole headlight, that is a little bent in the back and the black coolant, he is going to want to paint and clear. With the headlights up most of this stuff is under the hood. It doesn't really bother me. It is a 90 Supra, darkl blue pearl paint and not easy to match. Curious what would you do in my situation? Pick your poison. Oh by the way.....the damage you can see with headlights up is some minor etching of clear. About 3 spots the size of half a dime each. I went over it with my finger nail and did not feel anything so I thought I could wet sand it out. Didn't happen. I was told it's thru the clear, even though it's doesn't catch your finger nail. But the etching area does feel rough to the touch.

[supra90]

Hope you are having a good weekend Don. As far as clearing I read the pro shops use the two stage clear coat. The one with the hardener. This creates a durable long lasting clear coat surface. I have seen online that one stage clear does not last as long.
I really wish I had a good spray gun, and all the equipment needed to do my own repair work. The shops around my area are ridiculously expensive and some do good work and some don't. And they generally are not pleasant people to deal with. I don't have any dents or any major body work. Just really a few spots with some clear coat problems.
As far as the end of the nose I will try to send you a pic. You really can't see it on a cloudy day. Again, like a lot of these things you have to be looking straight on in the sunlight. The whole nose was repainted. They did an excellent job. Mirror smooth. But someone when they wet sanded the clear on the very tip of the nose in the middle, went a little too far or they just burned thru the clear when buffing it out. I know you need a pic. Again, it's a tiny spot on the tip of the nose of the plastic bumper. If you step back in the sunlight you see a little bit of light blue. It could also use a little clear on it.
Again, it's a tough situation because it is so tiny and barely noticeable. Probably best to leave it alone. But I am just wondering if you have ever heard of people spraying new clear over old and blending it? Is that possible? I have read it is hard to do. You will see a line where the new clear ends and the new begins. I will keep you posted on my exterior defect follies. Again thanks, Paul

[Dadillac]

Under normal circumstances you always wetsand the clear before applying more clear. But since you have already wetsanded the area, if you wetsand it again, you may burn through the clear that is on there now. That is why I say do not wetsand the area before adding more. If you burn through you are likely doing a complete repaint. And as far as spray cans being as good as properly sprayed paint. The spray can paint will always be lagging behind. It just isn't the same. But if you get good quality paint the gap isn't that wide.

Don

[Dadillac]

As far as blending clear. I feel it is much easier than blending color. When blending clear you do not spray it to a tape line. You spray the area to cover. Each coat gets sprayed a little further out. Then you wetsand the entire area to knock down the overspray that will be around the edges. I would much rather spray and blend clear than a color/clear area. Just my preference

Don

[Dadillac]

Oh and lastly. Right now you have an issue that may need a repaint. Trying this fix will cost minimal $ and may save you the time and cost of the paint job. Most places by me will not paint anything for less than $250. No matter the size. So if you try the clearcoat and it doesn't come out as you would like you really aren't in any worse shape than before. Only you can decide if you want to try and repair the area. If you can live with it then leave well enough alone. If it will bother you always then give it a shot. If it bothers you that much you probably will get the headlight cover repainted anyway. So nothing to lose really and a lot to gain

Don

[supra90]

Again thanks. I guess clear does not atomize as well from a can as it does from a spray gun. Just ain't gonna happen whether it is clear or color. That's why I prefer a pro with a spray gun to get a better result.
Like you said, I do have nothing to lose. I could order that two stage clear(with hardener) and do the 2 light coats and then one medium. I would try to first take the painted headlight cover off. It requires a few screws. The black from the engine coolant will always be there unless a repaint is done. But that is concealed under the hood just like the tiny dent. I will see what the body guy says. This guy is a bit of a scumbag. He would get impounded cars from the cops, when people were arrested for DWI's towed to his place. He would then switch a good battery and put in a lousy one. The body shop guys in my area are not great people, and I generally try to avoid them. That's why I am careful with my car. AND WISH I HAD THE EQUIPMENT TO DO THIS MYSELF AS I ENJOY IT AS A HOBBY!
Anyway...it is so minor the average person would live with it. But if I can clear it I might try it. Would have to be careful not to get a tapeline around the side of the headlight, as that area is NOT CLEARED. Only the top is cleared. Picture a pop up headlight that is dark blue on top, and on the sides it has an unfinished light blue look. It's the same on both sides....just came out of the factory that way. I would have to tape the sides, and most likely take the thing off or I would have to tape the fender, nose and sides to avoid over spray.
I understand what you are saying about the nose. I could feather it out and do three coats. I guess with no tape line it will blend. Of course wet sanding I find to be a bit scary. I am afraid I could over do it. I am a strong guy and don't realize my strength and could wetsand too much clear off. Have to be careful. Also I don't have a lot of patience so I want to see a result fast. That's not how it works.
But I will order that two stage clear, take off the headlight and do as you eloquently instructed. I guess when you say alcohol you mean the kind you use for cleaning a wound(lol). That would avoid using solvent. The only thing on the headlight is wax. Not going to wetsand anymore.
I have a guy I know who does his own body work. I met him on Supramania when I sold him an old interior panel. He is out in the Midwest, on a big farm about 250 miles away from anywhere. He is in Northern Minnesota. Nice old guy who is into Supra's and has the equipment. I am tempted to bubble pack and sent out the two headlights to him so he can see the color. He is already painting a dark blue pearl Supra so he has the color. I have talked to him at length and he seems like a legit guy. He had to trust me when he sent me money, I am tempted to send the headlights out to him. Just may never get them back. He told me he would do a factory level job. I am going to talk to him tomorrow. I just alienated one body shop, and they won't work with me. They did inferior work and did not want to redo it.
Curious what area you are from? Sounds like an upper class suburb like mine. $250 to paint 7x7 inches? That's probably what this guy would charge me. And the color might not even come out right. But this guy has been in business for 25 years, but he is unpleasant and switched a battery on me. Not someone I want to give my money to.
Also I guess that "lag" you talk about is not as severe with clear coat. I guess the difference in spray gun and can is greater with basecoat. With clear if you do is skillfully it could come out pretty good from a can, because you can always wetsand and polish. Painting base is different. If you put down rough or uneven base, no sanding or polishing is going to help. Might make it a little better, but still will not look factory. Just my two cents worth. Also wondering if you have ever checked out the Junkman video's. AA guy who does all of his work out of garage. He has two hours of video's up about everything from painting to defect removal. But he know his stuff and has the equipment. I don't even know which grit to use for each step. I wetsanded the clear with 2000. Done with that. As far as what to use for paint, or bondo I wouldn't have a clue.
I really wish I could do this stuff myself. But my garage is not big enough and I don't have the equipment. Sounds like my buddy out on his farm, doesn't have much to do. He is a car guy, worked for Chrysler and has a lot of technical knowledge. Maybe sending the lights bubble packed out to him might be the way to go. No risk....no reward.

[Hazcat]

What did you get on your Supra's headlight cover and what does it look like? Oh yeah, can you put up a picture? Did you say it was blue?