Re: Mercedes $50 rolled on paint job - COMPLETED!
Excellent work and great documentation to your process. :dblthumb2:
So many people have cars that are mechanically sound but suffer from
clear coat failure. I know because I can't even begin to count how many times I've seen someone ask how to remove oxidation from their car's finish only to find out that the problem isn't oxidation but clear coat failure.
Then the next bad news they find out is the only way to fix clearcoat failure is to
repaint the car.
What happens next is the person will get a quote for a new paint job and find out that compared to what their car is worth, at least to them, in relationship to what it will cost to get a "quality" re-paint is
more than they want to spend.
But because their car is still mechanically sound they end up driving around a car with plenty of reliable years left in it but it's going to look like it has a severe rash the entire time.
Here's a way the average person able to do even minor mechanical work can paint their own car in their garage and get decent results.
The key besides the prep work and the actual painting steps is to put enough paint on the car so that it can be sanded flat and them compounded to a high gloss shine and that's where Autogeek fits into the picture as we carry all the sanding, compounding and polishing products to create a show car finish out of a roll-on paint job.
If a person even uses a paint brush and leaves brush lines in the paint, as long as you brush on enough paint to create a thick film-build or layer of paint on the body panels, you can EASILY sand the brushed on or rolled-on paint job flat and then buff out your sanding marks.
The key after all the work is done is to,
"Find a product you like and use it often"
And what I mean by this is that
single stage paints, and that's what a Rustoleum paint job is going to be,
will oxidize a lot more easily than a modern basecoat/clearcoat automotive finish.
So find a polish that has known good polishing oils that keep the paint rich in color and then find a LSP, that is a wax, paint sealant or coating you like and use these two products often enough to maintain the brush-on paint job to your satisfaction.
I would recommend keeping it simple and find a polish like the Meguiar's #3, #7 or #9 and hand or DA apply this polish for the polishing oils, and then seal with a quality wax or paint sealant. Then periodically repeat this process.
If you see light oxidation, use the #9 Swirl Remover not as a swirl remover even though it can do this too, but because it's rich in polishing oils and also contains some light diminishing abrasives to abrade off the oxidation. This will also perfectly prepare the paint for re-application of a wax or paint sealant.
Most coatings are specific to modern automotive clear coats, so that's why you might find it easier and simpler just to use basic polishes and waxes on your single stage paint.
