Best compound for original paint?

[Toro]

I started on one fender with the original paint. I'm still using the Meguiar's ultimate compound and foam pads. I was very surprised with the results. Two separate cycles of about 5 to 6 slow passes each resulted in a nice shine/gloss. The paint has many nicks/gouges/scratches and I never intended to try and get those out, just clean it up as best as possible. I think the only issue now is that the paint on the hood that I started with isn't as sun faded as the rest of the panels on the Blazer. I'll post some pictures soon.

[68bowtie]

Any updates?

[MikeB]

I take back what I said above about sanding with 2000 grit as a last resort.

Even 3000 is meant to remove orange peel on multiple coats of NEW paint.

Stick with polishes to renew original paint!

[theastronaut]

One issue with using a really mild polish or Meguiars #7 is that it probably won't get quite all of the oxidation off- the more you lightly polish it the more gloss it will have, but it will be nearly impossible to have the same level of gloss over the whole truck. I fought this on my original paint '64 VW for years when I was using a really mild cleaner wax that never got all of the oxidation off. It was blotchy, even using an orbital and making multiple passes over the panels. An oily glaze/wax like #7 or Zymol cleaner wax would mostly hide it temporarily but after it was in the sun for a week the oils dried out of the oxidized layer and it would be blotchy again.


We bought a '74 C10 in 2020 and have been tinkering with it recently. A good bit of the paint is already faded to primer so we decided to buff it pretty hard and get all of the oxidation off. I started with 0000 steel wool and CLR on the rusty spots to remove light rust and stains, then 2000 on a thin/flexible plexiglass block to sand the heavier rust down flat, then Jescar Correcting Compound and a wool pad on a rotary to remove all of the oxidation and bring out as much gloss as possible. I went over that with a swirl remover and foam pad, then Meguiars #7 to finish it off.

[68bowtie]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

One issue with using a really mild polish or Meguiars #7 is that it probably won't get quite all of the oxidation off- the more you lightly polish it the more gloss it will have, but it will be nearly impossible to have the same level of gloss over the whole truck. I fought this on my original paint '64 VW for years when I was using a really mild cleaner wax that never got all of the oxidation off. It was blotchy, even using an orbital and making multiple passes over the panels. An oily glaze/wax like #7 or Zymol cleaner wax would mostly hide it temporarily but after it was in the sun for a week the oils dried out of the oxidized layer and it would be blotchy again.


We bought a '74 C10 in 2020 and have been tinkering with it recently. A good bit of the paint is already faded to primer so we decided to buff it pretty hard and get all of the oxidation off. I started with 0000 steel wool and CLR on the rusty spots to remove light rust and stains, then 2000 on a thin/flexible plexiglass block to sand the heavier rust down flat, then Jescar Correcting Compound and a wool pad on a rotary to remove all of the oxidation and bring out as much gloss as possible. I went over that with a swirl remover and foam pad, then Meguiars #7 to finish it off.

Thanks for sharing. That turned out great. My next project will need something similar.

[sscooter]

#7 is an interesting product. It actually "absorbs" into ol school paints and will bring some life and workability into them.


I used to use it exclusively, but found that modern products actually do a better job of protecting and sealing "patina" in. Some paints don't respond to #7.

Astronaut's '74 C10 is the look/finish that I love getting out of old paint!!

Jescar powerlock, followed by Collinite Insulator wax, I have found is the BEST final seal after putting the shine back in.......

[oem4me]

Another fan of 0000 steel wool here on the initial cleanup. Not so much a fan of CLR though. Not that CLR does not work, it's just weak. I personally use Metal Prep phosphoric acid solution by Blue Lightning and it goes to town on the surface rust without thinning out what's left of the original paint film. Polishing later with 3M products. I find that virtually any polish/compound found on the shelf at your local chain stores isn't nearly as effective as what is available to the professional through paint suppliers, or online.
IMPORTANT: The aforementioned Metal Prep is aggressive and needs to be tested first in an area not seen. NOT RECOMMENDED for metallic finishes! It kinda bites into those metallics and can streak permanently. Don't ask how I know. Doh!

I'll include pics showing a comparison between CLR and Metal Prep on UNTOUCHED original (non-metallic) paint. That is, nothing done but spray it on and wait. No rubbing except with a soft sponge to wet it out evenly.
The acid works especially well to bring back the brightness of white areas that have turned lightly orange with surface rust.

The pic of the front panel in the bed with the two bottles shows what each product does to the oxidation after about 1/2 hour of just sitting while kept wet with a sponge. Obviously, the CLR does not do much.

[oem4me]

More pics.