[B]Tips on wetsanding and buffing[/B]

bigblokstang

Founding Member
Feb 10, 2002
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Tips on wetsanding and buffing

I need to wetsand and buff out my 95 metallic silver mustang.(Ohio winters have taken their toll on the finish)
I have never done this on a clear coat painted car, and was wondering if Y'all had any tips.

Thanks!
 
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First off have you tried to buff out the finish? Is it oxidation, scratches or something else? You would be amazed at what you can do without resorting to wet sanding. There are some defects that even wet sanding aren't going to fix.
 
It had vinyl "shelby" stripes on it for about 4 years. I removed them due to the vinyl deteriorating, and it is quite visible where the stripes were "preserving" the paint.
I washed it and applied a coat of wax, but I knew that would'nt do much for it.
I just want to bring the finish back, the silver just doesnt shine the way it used to.

Thanks.
 
bigblokstang said:
It had vinyl "shelby" stripes on it for about 4 years. I removed them due to the vinyl deteriorating, and it is quite visible where the stripes were "preserving" the paint.
I washed it and applied a coat of wax, but I knew that would'nt do much for it.
I just want to bring the finish back, the silver just doesnt shine the way it used to.

Thanks.

Is the paint the stock paint? If so I would suggest buffing it out to see how it looks before you resort to wet sanding and buffing. Stock paint is too thin to begin with. They only put enough on there to make it look good and that's it. They don't leave much room for wet sanding and buffing. I've seen it done on stock paint with much less age on it, but even then you have to be super careful. Something else to consider is that the only part of the paint that has UV protectant is the clearcoat. When you sand that clear you are actually taking away from the UV protection because you are making the clearcoat thinner then it already is. It's not such a big deal on aftermarket paint because it's generally thicker than stock paint and there is plenty of protection left after you wet sand and buff it.

Just buff it and see what you get...you might be surprised.
 
any suggestions on what product to use?
i am totally in the dark on this subject.
also can you use an orbital (works like a d.a. sander but is made for buffing, so it says on the box...lol) buffer, or do i need to use something like a 6" grinder with the right pad/cover?
:shrug:
 
I would seriously start by hand and see what you can do there. See if you can find Meguiars Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner, it is going to be the best products to use by hand on oxidation. It is a chemical cleaner. Another product that would be good to use is Meguiars #9 swirl mark remover. You may have to call around to various body and paint supply shops to find them but, that is where I would start. It may take several applications and lots of elbow grease but, it is possible to do by hand. If you want a machine I would take a serious look at the Porter Cable dual action polisher. It will make the work easier and is safer than a rotary buffer. You can find more information on it at http://www.properautocare.com/porcabpolac.html . With that machine you can look at more agressive products like Meguiars #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish.