Auto paint renewal

[dlminehart]

I have a 30-year-old silver Toyota Corolla (250,000 miles) whose paint is oxidized in places, mainly on the roof. (Yeah, I neglected to keep it cleaned and waxed as I should.) I'm considering polishing it with one of those abrasive pastes, the idea being to remove the oxide without removing the paint.

First question: do I have any chance of improving the paint job, given it is obviously oxidized though not showing metal? Or is it more likely I'd just remove all the paint down to metal, and then really HAVE to get it repainted?

Second: it looks like a lot of polishing to do by hand (maybe half the roof). I've seen a couple random orbital polishers that folks seem to like, including the Porter Cable 7424 and a new Griot's Garage improved version of the PC one. On Amazon, folks generally thought the PC was way better than the $30 cheapies from Ryobi, et al. Anybody here have experience using these ROS systems on their car?

Given I have 3 cars to wax, but with no intention of having showroom finishes, does the mechanical system offer enough speed and capability to warrant spending $150 on machine + pads?

[MilDoc]

First question: I had a 15 yo Mazda, rubbed it out twice, applied a "paint restore" then wax. Looked almost as good as new.

Second question: I bought one from Sears. Not too heavy (that is a big point) and easy to maneuver. 5" ROS, did and does a fine job for far less than $150. I think it was about $60.

[Stormbringer]

Given I have 3 cars to wax, but with no intention of having showroom finishes, does the mechanical system offer enough speed and capability to warrant spending $150 on machine + pads?

If you do elect to drop that kind of coin on a machine, I strongly suggets you get the velcro back dimpled sponge pads instead of the tie on wool ones.

Also, keep in mind, the machines like to whip the paste onto the windshield and other spots and the machine has to be moving to prevent burn. If this is going to be a once a year project I would probably do it by hand and make a weekend out of it.

Just my $.02

Good luck,
Greg

[Tundra_Man]

I used to have an old Saab 99 that was originally tan, but had oxidized so severely that it turned into a human flesh color. I decided to try and make it look better, so I hit it with rubbing compound and wax.

The good news: after I did this, the paint looked great. Shiny, just like it rolled off the assembly line.

The bad news: apparently, the paint had been neglected so long that it must have been badly damaged all the way through. It returned to it's oxidized state in about two weeks.

[knotley]

I bought a PC 7336/7224 and renewed the paint on an 8 year old truck. And it worked on a 22 foot boat.

It is worth the money (about $120 at Lowes, so I am told).

It also makes a GREAT sander. There is a whole culture dedicated to the PC. It is a great tool.

http://www.guidetodetailing.com/articles.php?articleId=47

[Curly Qsawn]

Without actually seeing the finish it would be hard to tell how much improvement polishing might make in the finish. Is the oxidation a dark or light area on the roof? The problem with silver, especially old silver, is once the paint oxidizes the pigments that present the silver color are gone. You'll kind of get a shiny grey/white of the base color and will still look spotted no matter what you use or how much time you put into it. I'm not a professional, but I've been polishing and waxing as a semi hobby since before that Corolla was built. I don't think Toyota was clear coating in '76. I know my '74 Corona was not clear coated. Which means old school products will probably work better than the new sealants and polymers. I don't think I would chance a machine on that old of a finish if it was me, unless you want to experiment. Even the foam pads and mild polishes will burn through before you know it or the paint will be fairly brittle. You'll also quickly find out that you'll spend half of what the machine costs in pads. On an old finish, the pad will load up quickly, and you'll probably need a fresh pad for each panel or section or you'll put a lot of swirl marks in from all the old grit (or you could stop and wash the pad each time). You’ll probably want to use body clay to remove all the old containments that washing doesn’t get. All that said, I'd recommend a mild hand polish to start with and only go to a more aggressive polish or machine if you need to. Lots depends on how much sweat equity you want to put into it. There are several good mail order places that have "boutique" waxes and polishes. Some products that have a good reputation are 3m Imperial Hand Glaze, One Grand, Collinite, and Malms. Griots products get good ratings, but sometimes I wonder if it is just Meguiar that is rebottled. For local auto store I just like Mothers. One of the easiest ways to keep a finish is with Stoner’s Speedbead.

[onedash]

I spent a couple hours with some meguires scratch remover waxon the hood of my truck. It works pretty good on the light scratches but takes forever doing it by hand. Im gonna have to try to fix some of the chips. Couldn't believe how many there were after I cleaned it. I am trying to convince my wife I need the Porter Cable sander and those buffing pads for it. It would be over $150 for all of it.

[Sam Conder]

There is a whole culture dedicated to the PC. It is a great tool.

http://www.guidetodetailing.com/arti...p?articleId=47

Sheesh... next thing you know they'll start a forum devoted to just the PC 7424. Sickos. Must be a cult.