North American Turbocoupe Organization



Saving a paint job
grey88smokin Offline
Posting Freak
#1
Well I finally have my vacation hours in after killing myself all summer(the busy season) at work making money for the car. The engine is all set and all I need are some hoses and fluids. The tranny is also going to be profesionaly rebuilt while it is out. So anyway I have a gabillion dollars into this car and its still looks like a pile.

It is the darker of the grey, charcoal I think it is. The paint is not all cracked like but it is real harsh, running your fingers on the hood or top of the fenders you can feel how rough the paint is. The sides like the doors and the quaters are not as bad. I tried to wax it two years ago when I got her and the wax got real stuck to the top of the sun baked fender and made no difference so I gave up. Paint is down the road possibly next summer or something like that. Maybe that paint money is better spent on school and then get the paint done lol. Either way I am looking for adivce on getting the paint to shine a bit. Wet sand ? Really good compound or something, I can spend some money on the car to look a bit shiny.

Thanks
John K
84 SVO 1C
08 MKZ
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longbedGTs Offline
Senior Member
#2
Im in the same boat. The paint on my TC is 'ok' and would get me by until I can afford to paint it. I tried to save the roof by waxing it but after I started buffing one area, it just made it blotchy so I stopped. Im just going to wet sand the entire roof, and go over it with some rattle can clear.
88 TC 5spd~money pit
88 TC 5spd~78K miles
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powered by turbo Offline
Member
#3
My charcoal 87 has the same problem. The clearcoat has started to peel on the hood, roof, and trunk. I was planning on wet sanding out of the peeling areas and see if I could blend it in with rattle can clearcloat, too.
1986 Mustang SVO
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JediHacker Offline
Member
#4
the paint on my TC was never takin care of and it looked like crap, so i tryed dri wash , and it cleaned and polished my paint. it shined like a show car, but it steal had the bumps so i cly bared it then dri washed it agen and thats what did it. i started doing moblie detailing and the only thing i use is dri wash.
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grey88smokin Offline
Posting Freak
#5
My clear seems ok, the top parts are rouch to the touch and look like a bit faded. I think its is oxdized (SP?), I used mcguiers pre wax cleaner, it removed a bit of the faded white parts and took a ton of dirt off. Seems after 2 applications of that and a good wax there might be some shine left in it. After an hour on the hood I can see myself in the reflection. The paint does not look new but does look like I can get some life out of it.

I will try and get more done on wednesday as I dont have work and see if I cant get a pic or two of the progress.
84 SVO 1C
08 MKZ
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#6
If you have never used a clay bar, try it. It's amazing the crap they will remove from the paint.
Use it as a first step. If the clear or paint is good but rough, that's a good indication to clay it
Pete Dunham


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Ryan H Offline
Posting Freak
#7
Where would one go about buying a clay bar?
'88 TC Smile Walbro 255HP, Stinger FMIC, PIT BOV, Pro 5.0, Kirban, RR cam, FRPP strut tower brace, T3
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Matt S Offline
Posting Freak
#8
Any place that has more than your standard fare of turtle wax almost ALWAYS has a Mothers or Meguiars clay bar. It's simple really; a mound of clay that's the right softness and composition; and a very small bottle of "lubricant" with some directions. You'll learn in the directions that soapy water will do just as well as their expensive stuff.

Mold it flat, and run it over the paint when wet with very light pressure. After a few passes of the same area it'll stop feeling like you're going over sand paper. That's the clay bar removing all the tree sap, road tar, grime, AND WAX from your car's paint. Rework the clay and turn often. Now that it's clean..rewax!.
I swear by doing this twice a year; I'll give it a whirl on the clearcoat peeling of the other one maybe.
Sold it Sad*
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grey88smokin Offline
Posting Freak
#9
Thanks for the advice, I finaly had the time, energy and a day off. I spent 4 hours today on the car, washed, clayed and then used a 3M cleaner wax, med oxidation removal. 2-4 coats of wax on the car depending on the location and it looks great. Some spots like the hood took more time and attention, and a few coats of wax but the difference is huge. A conferming "O wow" from my dad told me it was not just me.

The clay worked great, it took TONS of dirt, grime, tree sap, and other contaminants off quite easily. They were otherwise impossible to scrub off with a regular bath. Anyway I am real happy with the results, I allmost don't recognise my car! I took tons of pix and will have them on my cardomain.com link in my sig soon.
84 SVO 1C
08 MKZ
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shays88tc Offline
Senior Member
#10
yeah a clay bar is the way to go, adams' polishes makes a good one. plus, they last awhile too
Completion Date: Quarter to never..
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