Wetsanding?

[FISHTAIL]

Hi guys, I never post in here but I'm hoping for some advice. I picked up a 92 LX 5.0 vert over the weekend for 800 bucks. The car needs lots of work everywhere, but it's straight, and rust free.

Anyway, the paint is a mess. It's faded all over and hazy in spots. The paint is wild strawberry, so it's got a clearcoat. I can still see myself, even in the haze, so I think the clearcoat is trying to hang in there. I gave the car a good dawn bath when I got it home, then hit a panel with a yellow pad and PB SSR3, followed by orange SSR3, then orange and SSR 2.5. It's no longer a white color, but rather red again with lots of swirls in it. Other areas are still just kind of hazy.

The car probably really could use painted, but that's on the very bottom of my list of things for it at the moment. I'm hoping to make the existing paint presentable for the time being. I'm considering wet sanding it with some 2000 grit to see if I can remove some of the haze...any reason I shouldn't do this? Any other things I should try first? I'm at work, so I can't post pics of the paint right now, but trust me..it's kind of rough.

 

[FISHTAIL]

Given the nature of my subject, which implies that I have a question about wet sanding, not whether or not to wet sand, I might as well ask that question too...any advice on how to do that properly?

I read to put some detergent in a bucket of water and let the paper soak, then to work in the direction of the body lines of the car. I was going to try a small spot first, with 2000 grit, since I've never done it before and would like to try and preserve what I've got. Advice is more than welcome.

 

[188slo50]

Id do a full paint correction first and being the age of the car I bet the clear coat is super thin and wouldnt take much to go through it. At least with the correction it will have a shine of some what with out the fear of burning through.

 

[FISHTAIL]

Paint correction being what I've already done, or do you have another product in mind? The heaviest combo I have is SSR3 and a yellow pad. A friend told me to try Meguires #105 with an orange pad, but I haven't looked into that yet.

 

[encasedmetal]

biggest things to consider are staying away from any edges and using a block or pad to keep the paper flat. don't press down hard at all, just glide the sand paper. then follow with 105/205, a finishing polish, sealant, and finally wax.

 

[188slo50]

I use the ultimate compound on the orange pad ,the 105 is a little more aggressive I think but not by much. If the clear is dead nothing will bring it back to full shine but to reapply it.

 

[RC-5.0]

Since you may be painting down the road, Im assuming if you did try to wet sand and it went through, it wouldn't be the "end of the world"?

That being said, you could try the 3000 3M pad that they sell in the store. It's a wet-sand ONLY pad. I use the 3" ones that go on a buffing machine. If you did a full corrections with chemicals and it's still not good, either:

1. the clear is gone (in which case the paint will show on the pads)

or

2. It's so bad that only a wet sand will work...if that's the case start with 3000. They also sell a 5000 pad.

Good Luck
RC

 

[Palmer]

I do the 3M wet only 3000 paper and it does the job 95% of the time. Use it on a DA with an intermediate pad between the DA and 3000 grit. Make sure to keep it wet, stay off body lines until you get the hang of it or very very lightly hit them, then go over it with the 105 and an orange pad, then 205 with a white pad. That will give you the best results IMO. That's a tough color to learn on just take it real slowly like stated that clear could be extremely thin. Watch your pads to see if any paint is getting on them. Good luck and post some before/after pics. Worst case you burn through which really isn't that big of a deal on a car like that. It's a great canvas to start/learn on.

 

[FISHTAIL]

Well I didn't make it to the store to get paper, so I just sat out there and went back over the same spot 3-4 times with an orange pad and SSR3. All told, I have about an hour in a 2'x8" section. But, it's reflective again. It looks like there might be some pitting or other type of damage to the clear, wetsanding *might* fix it, but at this point I'm tempted to see how far I can get with some patience and the poorboys. I'm worried I'll destroy the paint with sandpaper, since I'd have no clue what I'm doing.

I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow, show you guys what I've done and what I'm working with.

 

[Mach1USMC]

Ditto on M105 (CG32 is a little better IMO) and I'd try an yellow hex logic pad.

 

[Electrokid]

Unless you have one of those paint depth gauges, I would be too nervous to try, for fear of going through the clear.

 

[RC-5.0]

Well I didn't make it to the store to get paper, so I just sat out there and went back over the same spot 3-4 times with an orange pad and SSR3. All told, I have about an hour in a 2'x8" section. But, it's reflective again. It looks like there might be some pitting or other type of damage to the clear, wetsanding *might* fix it, but at this point I'm tempted to see how far I can get with some patience and the poorboys. I'm worried I'll destroy the paint with sandpaper, since I'd have no clue what I'm doing.

I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow, show you guys what I've done and what I'm working with.

just try a section that is not very obvious to practice (like under the trunk lid or hood). That 3000 paper doesn't even feel like sand paper..it feels like a rubber foam pad. If you put that much time into that little section..the clear is damaged beyond "buffing" repair.
RC

 

[FISHTAIL]

just try a section that is not very obvious to practice (like under the trunk lid or hood). That 3000 paper doesn't even feel like sand paper..it feels like a rubber foam pad. If you put that much time into that little section..the clear is damaged beyond "buffing" repair.
RC

Well I agree that wetsanding might make it that much better, it actually looks decent after all that buffing. I was playing around with different buffer speeds, ended up turning it up to 5, and by the time I was done, there were no swirls, but there is pitting.

I'll take pics this evening.

 

[FISHTAIL]

Picture time.

I know how the before's look, but believe it or not, the car is clean..this is after a wash AND a clay the paint still looks like that. That crap is IN the clearcoat. As you can see from the after shots, the clear is pitted pretty badly, not sure if a wetsand would help or not.


Before:

After:

 

[rideorange812]

I do alot of high end details on show cars, if it was my car I'd pick up the 3m stuff its pricey but works. set your buffer about 800 on edges and very very LIGHT buff them, go about 1200-1400 anywhere else unless your experienced...

step 1 white pad 3m extra cut compound
step 2 gray pad 3m machine polish
step 3 blue pad 3m ultra fine machine polish
step 4 car brite ultra shine by hand
step 5(optional) use a high end wax, i use black fire but only on cars that see rain, if its a show finish i never use wax, EVER.


my car

66 shelby i recently refinished....

me driving lol

this car has won every show its ever entered.. i cleaned this one up as well

note the board... (wenks auto body is my dads..)

text me if you need any help.. pm me for my number

 

[Mach1USMC]

Pretty good results Fishtail- came out pretty good.

 

[188slo50]

If you have to go over the same spot 3-4x than I'd switch to something more agressive and go down from there. Usually your top surfaces (especially plastic bumper covers) are the worst so I'd start there.

 

[FISHTAIL]

I do alot of high end details on show cars, if it was my car I'd pick up the 3m stuff its pricey but works. set your buffer about 800 on edges and very very LIGHT buff them, go about 1200-1400 anywhere else unless your experienced...

step 1 white pad 3m extra cut compound
step 2 gray pad 3m machine polish
step 3 blue pad 3m ultra fine machine polish
step 4 car brite ultra shine by hand
step 5(optional) use a high end wax, i use black fire but only on cars that see rain, if its a show finish i never use wax, EVER.

text me if you need any help.. pm me for my number

Thanks, but any recommendations for a PC? I don't have a rotary.

Pretty good results Fishtail- came out pretty good.

Yeah, not to bad...it's taking forever though. I bet I'll have well over 20 hours in the car by the time I get it all done.

If you have to go over the same spot 3-4x than I'd switch to something more agressive and go down from there. Usually your top surfaces (especially plastic bumper covers) are the worst so I'd start there.

Suggestions on something more aggressive than Yellow/SSR3? That's the most aggressive cut I've got at the moment. That's why I was asking about wetsanding...

 

[FISHTAIL]

Since you may be painting down the road, Im assuming if you did try to wet sand and it went through, it wouldn't be the "end of the world"?

That being said, you could try the 3000 3M pad that they sell in the store. It's a wet-sand ONLY pad. I use the 3" ones that go on a buffing machine. If you did a full corrections with chemicals and it's still not good, either:

1. the clear is gone (in which case the paint will show on the pads)

or

2. It's so bad that only a wet sand will work...if that's the case start with 3000. They also sell a 5000 pad.

Good Luck
RC

No color on the pads...the clear is intact. Think the 3000 pad would work alright on a PC? Or would I be better off with a sanding block and doing it by hand?

 

[188slo50]

Going to a more aggressive compound is what's needed the wet sanding is taking it farther than required and you may sand or burn through since it sounds like you haven't done it much.