I was reading a thread recently about a fella that bought a Caddy that had been sitting under a tree or something, and the paint needed some attention as it was spotted with sap, oxidation, etc. Someone had suggested Scotch Brite pads and some Ajax. The paint on my 50 Chev (attached pictures) needs some attention as well, and was wondering if that combination might be abit coarse for paint? Is there the possibility of leaving slight "swirl" marks or something? Or am I just paranoid. I'm not looking for a shine, more just a clean-up of the paint. Thanks for your help! I'm still pretty new here and have really appreciated the info and advice I've received.
I would imagine scotchbrite would just rough up the paint. Unless you have things on the paint not noticable in the pictures, I would concentrate on a chemical clean vs an abrasive clean.
great lookin' car there. some paint just don't shine up no matter what you use. I would guess by looking at the picture that the paint on there would rub out real nice with some mirror glaze. I wouldn't even use the heavy duty stuff. I've polished up quite a few older paint jobs and that looks like a good candidate for shiney. try a little spot with something with minimal abrasive and see what happens. I think you would be pleasantly suprised. look at the handprint on the trunk.. just touching it with your sweaty palm brought some of the color back.
maroon scotchbrite pads are used to scuff paint for a refinish, so I would say no. +1 on the compound, glaze, polish methods.
I wouldnt use a scotch brite for cleaning moss and filth off unless i was going to paint it in the near future. What he was saying does work ive done it before on an old chevy van but if you have moss in the drip rails and window channels use some comet or ajax and scurb it with a scrub brush or tooth brush instead of a scotch brite.
I recently tackled a similiar job. I used a heavy duty swirl remover with an orange pad and orbital buffer. You would be amazed at the results. Wish I had taken some photos.
... mirror glaze #7 used to be the fine polishing liquid. not sure if it still is. but I'm sure they make something similar. stay away from rubbing compound until you try the low abrasive stuff
This might not be for you,but, recently my wife got stuck behind a sealer truck( used to seal driveways) the damn thing sprayed a mist all over her Caddy, for what its worth, we played with some cleaners and tried WD 40 it dissolved all the tar, and after a wash to rid of the WD 40 it worked well and did not affect the paint... hope this helps...
Thats a nice car. good candidate for shiny with the existing paint. Maybe start with some No. 4 or five and finish with No. 7
When I was in high school the crafts teacher made me and two of my buddies wash the home economics teachers black car. We used Ajax. I can still remember her crying about the finish on her car. Miss Sweet. She never came through with the cookies she promised before we washed the car.
Paint doesn't look too bad from what I can see. You might try just a good washing, then clay bar, then buff. I did this on my old, original paint Fairlane wagon and it came out looking like new (well almost, but it was a 10 footer).
Try this: Place the car in a shady area and allow the surface to cool completely. This is important to avoid streaks and uneven results. Then wash it in the normal way using car wash soap to remove all loose grit, sand, dirt, etc. which could scratch the paint from all the nooks and crannies. Then, mix about a half cup of Comet cleanser in with Palmolive dish soap in a bucket of hot water. Using a sponge, wash a small area of the car and check the results. You can add Comet to the water until the right ratio is acheved. You can also sprinkle a little extra Comet onto the wet sponge if necessary, as it often is on top surfaces such as hood, top and trunk lid. Comet cleanser is a mild abrasive which will do the same job as polishing compound but is much easier to use. Combining it with Palmolive dish soap allows the surface to be flushed clean with a hose, leaving nothing but clean paint to judge your progress. This will remove all oxidation and dead paint as well as tree sap, bird do-do, crud, crap and corruption that has baked onto the paint surface...but it will not harm the paint beneath unless you go crazy and scrub too hard for too long. Follow up with a commercial cleaner/polish/wax and your paint will look like new. This method will also brighten up stainless, chrome and glass without fear of damage...unless you use too much Comet, too little water or too much scrubbing pressure. I've used this method on many cars which sat outside for long periods and all turned out great! Just remember to work up to the amount of Comet and scrubbing pressure required, don't go full-out at the beginning. Use common sense and you'll be very pleased. Good luck!
I save the scotch brite pads for the white walls. They'll take the paint off faster than 5 beers will fix. I've also removed lotsa oxydation with comet (a little dab'l do ya.) then wax. Nice ride. Start somewhere inauspicious then decide.
There are WHITE scotch guard pads available. I do not know if you can get them from auto / part stores. You CAN get them at restaurant supply store everywhere. The are used for cleaning china and dishware. Same weave type material as SCOTCH PADS but much softer and less aggressive bite. I have used these in the past to bring oxidized and tree sapped paint back to a point that they are able to take a good buffing compound. Not show room but you will be amazed at the results.
clay bar kit and some paint cleaner /polish /compund of your choice try a detailing forum , they love to help out people with tired old paint http://autopia.org/forum/index. www.detailingworld.co.uk
Thanks for all the information and advice, I appreciate it. I'm glad I asked. Once I get'r all purdy-like I'll post a couple "after" pics.
I posted the deal on the ScotchBrite pads. I need to be more specific, as I see you guys envisioning a big wad of steel wool, or the red sanding discs being used. Not at all. These are the household items with a sponge on one side, and a green abrasive pad on the other. I've used the pad and Ajax/Comet on white, blue, and green vehicles without a problem. I would power wash the vehicle, then go over the car with a mixture of dish soap and Comet, then hand-wash the car. Use LOTS of cold water as you go! The white car, a '63 Dodge Custom 880 wagon, was parked under a huckleberry bush for several years, and was nearly black when I got the car. Washing it as I've described, got the car as white as it was ever going to get! Very similar to missydad1's approach above. Picture of the "after" is below - I don't think I'd use the technique on a very dark-colored car, unless I knew the paint was not that great and all I wanted was a clean-up. This wagon buffed out very nicely, and you could not tell that I had used this method to do the job.
the comet & soap trick works, i used to work at a ghetto used car lot & washed almost every car that way one summer ........ beats the hell out of compounding it cool car & good luck!
On any old paint, start with the least abrasive products first, and if they won't work, work up to more abrasive stuff. Here's another forum thread with my before and after pictures. http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=QuestionAnswer&Number=5267302 There are a number of detailing forums too. Just a warning, those guys get real nutzo about brands. As said, start with a good wash, and wipedown. Get as much dirt off as possible. The top surfaces will be the worst, and if it sat in one spot, there will usually be one good side. Work the good side first, then try to get the rest to match. It will be the easiest and take less aggressive methods, so it's a good place to learn your chops. There will be a ton of hand work around edges and tight corners, plus the edges and jambs. It's better to do this in stages and work up to a good finish than to burn a bunch of paint trying to hurry.
compound and a wool pad will work great no scotch pad way too coarse i have done many like that works great GREAZY HUBCAPZ CC
I tried buffing with compound on a light yellow car that had stains of leaves on the top surfaces.Compound helped but didnt completely remove the stains.I used water and dusted some comet on the panel and buffed a spot,took it off so i did the surfaces that way then washed and finished with Meguiars #7.It looked fine so comet does work but you have to be careful not to over do it.... Steve
I have used the Comet trick plenty of times for giving dull paint a little bit more life. Of course I would first try it on a spot that you can live with a bit of damage. Rear lower quarter or something like that. DO NOT scrub hard. Try to rub no harder than you would for a regular paint job or you may be taking off more than just oxidation. I personally would rather use the Comet trick three times than cuss the fact that I screwed it up trying to hurry. After you get the paint as good as you can, go over it with fresh wash and wax to get the shine to hold a bit longer.
as someone already mentioned the White Scotchbrite would be the only one you would want to use. It is the finest one 3M makes
Here are some progress pics. I gave it a good wash with a small amount of comet added to the water and carwash mix. Just used a soft washmitt and didn't scrub hard. Came up GREAT! I took a pic of the roof with 1/2 washed to see the difference. I think I may use the same mix again one more time to see if there is any more improvement. Thanks everyone for the great advice, I appreciate it.
James nice looking ride! How much comet did you add to the bucket, I think would like to try this on my car and see what a difference it would make. Mike
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