can I save a fading paint job?

I have a 4 year oldsingle stage Candy Apple red Pearl acrylic enamel paint job on my ElCamino. It is fading like most cheap paint jobs. Wax seems to make it worse. Can this be buffed, or will that bring too many of the solids to the top and make it fade faster? I don't want to do any touch up or re spraying, just want to keep it decent as long as possible til the proverbial someday comes and I can respray it in a color I like.

 

yea buff it then wax it.

 

Acrylic enamel buffs out really nice, it also tends to fade out or get chalky looking after too much time in the sun. But you can buff it out as many times as you need to, basically until it's thin enough to see primer through.

 

Wait 20 years and you can call it patina.

You should be able to get the oxidized paint off and then it will clean up nice. But first you have to get that oxidized layer off, not just wax over it.

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If it's bad enough, you should give it a 2000 grit sanding, buff, then wax. Reds are the least UV stable pigments out there. They fade quickly if not kept polished and waxed

 

Agree.

 

Single stage candy apple enamel ????????????????????????

 

If there's no clear on it you better not sand it or use an aggressive compound. The results will be bad. Transparent candies and metallics will look like shit if you do any sanding or aggressive buffing on them. Discolor and metallic disruption.

 

Ford had a non-metallic red color called candy apple red. I'm sure his paint is NOT real Candy Apple Red ( 3 stage paint).

 

Yep know that, been pullin the trigger over 45 years.
A real painter (not an applier) uses codes not names

 

Its a pearl/metalic and has the look of Candy.^^^

I would buff it and lay out the cash to have a UV protected clear blown over it. You can get just a UV clear coat done at Maaco pretty cheap if you watch for a sale.

 

It was a cheap, off brand paint. Called a pearl, sure has the look, whether it has pearl in it, or plastic beads i don't know. I got what I payed for. Sanding and buffing I understand. Not my forte, but I can learn. how will the pearl solids, or whatever they are, being exposed on the surface of the paint affect the overall look, and longevity, if there is any with this stuff. That seems to be where it is dulling, and has been my reason for hesitating on color sanding it.

 

Not trying to hide the fact. I can paint things, but am not a painter.

 

if its a single stage pearl or metallic your going to have a load of fun trying to cut and polish it and not ruin it!! wash it real good lightly scuff it with a grey scotch brite and throw some enamel clear on it. I think ppg still makes a enamel clear.

 

I am not a real painter because I have not memorized the thousands of paint codes in existence, but I know that if I tell the guy at the supply house what i want he can look up the code in a catalog and get me the right stuff.

It has been a year or two since I purchased paint but the last time I did Dupont still marketed a non catilized clear enamel.

Here is a concept that we have not even considered, the paint does not need to be buffed if it is going to be cleared, all it needs is to be cleaned really well and the glaze broken.

 

How do you make sure the clear is compatible with the base? Test in an inconspicuous spot?

I've thought about this approach to get some more life out of my paint, something single coat, done fifteen? Twenty? More? Years ago.




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If you don't know what you got as a base then it is going to be test and guess as a rule.

I am not a professional painter but when Lynn and I had the shop when he had a compatibility problem he would spray on a couple of really dry coats to seal it up then paint after that. It worked for him although someoone else may not get by with it.

By the way if you want to bury your pin stripes in clear (a trick that some of the pros were doing way back when) that is how they did it, they sprayed the clear on really dry over the one shot then went on with regular coats and sanding after it was all sealed up.

 

I would try hand-buffing with MEGUIRE'S ULTIMATE COMPOUND - as easy to work with as their CLEANER-WAX, THE PAINT STAYS ON THE CAR - not on the rag. Not at all abrasive like with a trad compound. Maybe try the CLEANER-WAX first, see what you get. Let us know how it comes out!

A CAR COVER IS A MUST for a red car!!!

Good Luck, Tim

 

That is the only way I would touch that paint, if you do anthing else you will be re- painting it.

 

Please post some pix of this paint. I can guide you through a process. This link is where I learned a TON. You follow it as well and all the paint will have much deeper, wet look.http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...w-car-finish-antique-single-stage-paints.html

 

Slammed good link friend.

 

Is it on your El Camino? It will cost thousands to repaint, I'll take the car off your hands.

 

Public Service Medal for slammed - best explanation I have ever read about paint care and should be mandatory reading for anyone who has paint on their car....

 

Take a ride to your local home improvement or house paint store and purchase a small container of Penetrol it is made by the Flood company and all you will need to do is test it but it will do amazing things to faded metal flake and just might be what you are looking for.

Down side is it's a little sticky. HRP

 

When I bought my truck it was very faded from 39 years of neglect. I entered my first show with it in ’08 and spent ONE day cleaning it. I grabbed Meguiar’s NXT wax at the parts store and was VERY pleased with the results. Plus I got a nice trophy on the bookshelf for my labor.

You can see in the before shot it is faded badly, but the NXT gave it a good shine. Just apply it, let it dry and then rub it off. Not sure the chemistry involved but it is well worth the money. Try it first, I think you’ll be pleased.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.do?q=4601

 

HRP,
Just apply it like wax?
-Pat

 

Simple as smear it on and let it do it's thing. Then wipe it off. Takes a tiny bit extra effort to break the dried stuff loose from the surface as you wipe it off, but still it is easy as 123. I haven't reapplied since '08 and the truck still shines after a quick wash job. Oh and by the way, until May of this year, it has been out in the West Texas weather 100% of the time.

Edit: Sorry Pat. Missed the HRP part. My bad.

 

No problemo Lee. Maybe HRP will see this again.
-Pat

 

So here it is. It is fading fast. doesn't look too bad now, but I just don't want it to get worse if I can help it.

 

Another Lots of good advice. , and I'm going with it. Thanks for the links. Thanks for the pics Slammed, the one you sent me is where this one is headed. I had a KW that looked the same, although I couldn't save it at the time.