What Type of Wax After Buffing Original Paint?

Payoff! I'm an impatient bastard so I just let the sealant sit on there for about an hour while I drank a beer or three...and this is the result. I have a shiny car again, and even the 'battle scars' look halfway decent!









Here's the worst of it...the sides. You can see primer pops in a few spots and some areas that will eventually need metalwork, but for 2 Saturdays worth of work, I'll take it.





The passenger rear fender scrape was actually all over the length of the fender. After buffing, glaze, and sealer the only spots left are the hardest hit parts in the front. The rest seemed to melt away.





Details
Compound was 3M Perfect-It, 2000 grit 3M paper, Turtle Wax Black box glaze (I know, its cheap stuff but it worked very well and gave good depth to the paint. I gave the shitty wax it came with to my neighbor), followed by Show Car Glaze. Last step was the HD Poxy sealant that CountrySquire generously let me try out. Applied with Craftsman orbital buffer and foam pad, removed with microfiber towels that my wife bought for cleaning...but never used since she never cleans.


Okay, what did I learn?

-I learned the HAMB is the greatest resource for advice (once again!)

-I learned that heat, and the type of pad you use on a buffer is what works...not pressure! I used foam for everything, which was a first for me. I used to use terry cloth and wool only. I also learned that I need to get a better buffer.

-I learned that sealants have depth and shine not unlike a good wax, and they're so much easier to apply & remove.

-I also learned that next time I do this on an old paint job, I will remove all trim, door handles, and emblems so I have a uniform finish without the extra detail work. This took the longest time to 'blend' everything I didn't remove prior to wetsanding and compounding. Wouldn't have taken that long either.

-I finally learned how to save something that most people would just 'strip and repaint". Its not 100% show car, but its clean and shines nice and hopefully will keep old dudes from asking me "when are you gonna paint it?" when I go to the local burger joint for a cruise night.


Thanks HAMBers, you guys came through again! I owe you a TON.



Happy motoring!

 

Congratulations!
It looks like it came out tits for you, and nothing is better than taking some pride in your ride!
The feeling of accomplishment you currently have will stick around long after you've finished those beers....

 

Thanks Ed! I'm still stoked, but its rainy here so I can't drive it tonight. Oh well. Maybe a breakfast run tomorrow. You know it seemed to run better with the shiny paint

 

Looks real good! Love that you went through the trouble to preserve it, too!

 

Outstanding! I do disagree that it's not 100% show. I can't name one car guy who really gets 'it' that would rather see nice new paint as opposed to properly restored original paint. The exposed primer and various scrapes & dings? THIS is patina.

Now, are you ready to talk about how to easily maintain it? It's going to cost you about $40 in supplies...

 

Chop: Thanks for the kind words!

Bobby: thank you as well. Sure thing, I'm all for hearing how to maintain stuff so I don't have to have Popeye arms again. Whatcha got in mind?

 

Hahhahahaha, you don't want to know the picture that puts in my head.


The car looks great and some really good advice

 

X2 if finish is good and clean.

 

Gorgeous! The battle scars are it's proof of authenticity. I wouldn't touch a thing.

 

OK, here's a brief description of what I would recommend, but maybe a better detailed tech post is in order. This could be some benefit to many whose cars never get so dirty that there's chunks of mud stuck to it, so maybe I'll get off my lazy ass and write the post soon.

Anywho, it sounds like you are gonna drive this thing (God bless you for that) so it's going to get dirty at some point and need to be washed. You can wash it conventionally, and there's nothing wrong with that, if done properly. My suggestion is either to use a rinseless product or a waterless one. I use both, depending on the car and how dirty it is.

Several manufacturers of quality products are now making waterless car washes and they work much better that conventional wisdom would have you believe. When used properly, these products work really well on cars that aren't that dirty. Actually, they work well on dirty cars, but they are a bit too expensive to use every time IMHO.

For normal washes, and what I typically use both on my daily drivers and customer cars when doing details and maintenance washes is Optimum No Rinse. This is one of the few detailing products that pro detailers from coast to coast agree is simply the best available. A 32 oz. bottle will cost you about $13. Add one ounce to two gallons of water and that's all the water that you need to wash your car. Not only does it work well, it keeps the eco-nazis at bay. Order a bottle from one of the on line retailers such as Autogeek or Detailed Image. Now, head to Target and pick up one of the microfiber wrapped car wash sponges and two of the drying towels. I could describe how to use it, but there are several good videos on YouTube that describe the process better than I can. After washing, I like to go over the car with quick detailer and a fresh microfiber towel to give it a just polished look. It normally takes a time or two to get the hang of using ONR, but it is really worth it. Also, when you are ordering the ONR, I would suggest ordering Optimum's quick detailer in the 32oz. bottle. It dilutes 3:1 (use distilled water) will cost you $18 and is my favorite quick detailer.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions, I'm just glad that I can help. I learn so much on the HAMB that it's good to be able to contribute.