Restoring Oxidised paint

[Guest]

Any one know of a good body shop in North London that can polish out my oxidised Gaurds Red wing? I've tried rubbing compond and Auto Glym paint renovator, T-Cut etc etc but needs something heavy duty like a machine mop polish with some cutting agent. Any one had this sort of a job done before?

 

[Kevin Welch]

Hi Andriko,
With reguard to your paintwork I think you might have a problem there as the original finish should be a clear laquer over a base coat thus overcoming the dreaded oxidisation discolouration. Either someone has been over exuberant with the T-cut or the wing has been resprayed without the laquer top coat at some time. If T-cut doesnt work then I would think its probably the latter option in which case you could be looking at a spray job.[][][]

 

[Diver944]

Has it started to turn Guards Pink?

If so I think this is fairly common for a car that might not have had it's fair share of protective wax over the years. There is a 944 owner in the Lake District with a similar problem. He could polish it back to Guards Red but within a few weeks it would start to turn again.

I know an owner in London who had a complete Guards Red respray at 911 Bodyshop (0208 900 0572) and his car looks immaculate and won the London Region Concours in 2001, may be worth calling them for advice.

 

[NorthernBloke]

I've had this problem on other cars, as sometimes the lacquer clouds.

If you can get someone to give it a power buff (or buy yourself a Stayer polisher from Machine Mart) using the AutoGlym paint restorer, then go back over with the Super Resin polish - on by hand and off with a lambswool bonnet, and then wax it regularly it should be OK []

A respray would certainly sort it but that a little more expensive []

Andy

 

[Guest]

Thanks for that, I'll ring up 911 body shop see what they say. I hope they can sort it with out having th respray the wing.

 

[Guest]

you will be surprised at the difference. I had my whole car done last year and it positively gleamed!! One thing though, your MUST get yourself some good wax and treat it as quickly as possible and your new finish will last for many more years.

Regards

Phil

 

[Guest]

Phil,
What did you have done exactly? Did you have the paint restored by the body shop?
Can you remember what they did?

 

[Guest]

I had the whole car "cut back" which they did using a rotary pad, effectively scrubbing off the oxidised paint in much the same way you would if you did it using t-cut or the Zymol "chocolate sauce". Afterwards, they glazed it with a special prewax treatment and then I got the old biceps to work and Zymolled the whole car. I know people rant and rave about Zymol, but I really do believe that it is the best.

This treatment is something that cannot be repeated more than twice, as it removes a whole layer of paint, but if you keep on top of making sure the car is cleaned and polished regularly, then you will not have a problem.

DO NOT USE COLOURED POLISH!!!

This will only give you a quick fix and the finish only lasts a few days.

Good luck and as I said before, you will not believe the difference in your cars appearance afterwards.

Regards

Phil

 

[Guest]

Any one know of a good body shop in North London that can polish out my oxidised Gaurds Red wing?

You don't say how old the car is. My '87 Guards Red has no factory clearcoat. It is easy to check - when you cut back clear coat, the rag stays 'clean'. If colour coated, (or, God forbid, you get through to the base coat of base-and-clear) it goes red (or whatever).

No harm in letting a bodyshop have a go at buffing out the oxidation but I suggest getting them to measure the paint thickness before and after. If much more than 0.3 mils (thousandths of an inch) to 0.5 mils (if clear coated) is removed, you could be in for paint (and that assumes you haven't removed much already).

I agree that power-buffing is best left to pros with the right stuff. If you want to have a go, do mask off the wheel arch lip, top edge etc. because a mop can cut through to the primer in seconds.