Detailing the original paint.....any tips???

[southplainsag02]

The wife and kids are going to be out of town this weekend and I want to spend the alone time detailing my truck. It has the factory original paint and I want to bring out the best shine that I can.
Two problems though...previous owners son got shoe polish on the paint and there are little flakes dried on the paint. What is the best way to get this off. The other problem is that there is some patina on the roof and a little on the fenders. If I use some kind of compound will it make this worse?
What are the best products and tools to restore old paint?

[Joesjunk]

There are two little tricks I have used on really faded original paint, one, you can wipe the truck down with lacquer thinner and it will remove the oxidation, then it will wax much easier. Or, Castrol super clean and a sponge will do the same thing. Here is what castrol super clean will do by just spraying it on the truck and washing with a sponge. BUT, both will remove some paint

[Joesjunk]

BTW, nice clean truck you have!

[re1]

Make sure you post the before and after pictures when your done !!

[Rochlow]

Wash the truck with dish soap (dawn)
dry entire truck (air chuck to all cracks and crevis)
buffing compounds with wool pad
swirl remover with sponge pad
pre cleaner wax by hand
wax

These are some of the methods that have worked for me for the last 26 years. Products that different people like vary. I'm partial to Zymol products, but can make it work with off the shelf products too.. To do an entire car inside and out takes me roughly anywheres from 10-12 hrs depending on the color and condition of the paint.

[LockDoc]

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Here's a thread on what I did to my truck. Turtle Wax White Polishing Compound by hand and one coat of carnuba paste wax. I need to give it another coat of wax to finish it off.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=471907

If you use a buffer you better know what you are doing or you will take off way to much paint...

LockDoc

[ChevLoRay]

Last weekend, I watched an episode of Two Guys Garage. Fuller went to Surf City Garage in Huntington Beach, CA for the filming. One of the cars that was part of the show was a '58 Pontiac Bonneville HT. It had its' original paint, plus some patina issues...like surface rust.

One of their products was used along with a buffer and it cleaned up and looked good. I would not have believed it to be possible...and maybe there was something about the paint that they knew before hand, but the portion they did, looked really nice.

Go to www.surfcitygarage.com

[SacramentoJoe]

I would suggest Meguiar's products. Try to see if a No. 5 will bring back the color. If not, then go for a more aggressive cleaner product like a cleaner No. 2. These products have been great for me for cars that have enough paint to restore.

If you can salvage that paint, you'll be my hero! Even if you get some "rub-through"

Kragen and O'Rielys Auto carry the products or else check on-line.

Edit, BTW, nice paint.

[54Caddy]

might sound strange but my dad has a 68 we got bored one day and tried to clean some of the paint. 0 or 00 steel wool and turtle wax made it shine good. Hit it with the steel wool first then wax it the spots are still shining ahaha.

[VA72C10]

Before you go too crazy, try some CLR or Lime away with a green scotchbrite pad...

How to clean off rust

Then if more is left or you want the paint to shine more....you can buff and polish and then wax it....

[wild4wheels]

Look at Stella Mae in the builds thread..he buffed out that paint ..plus it's awesome inspiration for ya. he sent me an email and told me what he used and how he did it, but I had to go and move and lost all my emails..figures Good Luck ..Awesome truck

[southplainsag02]

LockDoc...Very nice job! That gives me hope!

I purchased meguires ultimate compound and then I am going to hit it with cleaner wax after that. Should I use another kind of wax (like a carnuba wax) after the cleaner wax? I will post before and after pictures for y'all.

[72BlckButy]

Great info here guys!

[oldblue1968chevy]

I wetsanded our 53 chevy