Guys,
I want to preface this thread with a disclaimer. I am a novice when it comes to detailing. I have been a member of this forum for years and have learned a lot just reading threads and seeing some of the amazing transformations that many of you produce. I am an old Triumph fan. I recently acquired a 73 TR-6 from a gentleman that had owned it since 1987. It has been on blocks for over 10 years.
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My first order of business was to get the car running which I have accomplished taking it on a "maiden" voyage last weekend.
I am now turning my attention to bringing the paint back to life. The car is pretty much all original including the paint. The exterior paint has deep "scratches"....deep enough to catch a fingernail. I started the process by giving the car it's first bath in over 10 years. I then decided to test an area for results. I chose the rear deck because it is a relatively small area, easy to get to, and easier to read with the lighting in my shop. I clay barred the area and then started the correction face using GG 6" with LC orange flat foam pad with Meg 105. I then swapped to a LC white flat foam pad with Meg 205. Here are the results:
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I have several questions...how aggressive should I be in correcting this paint. I do not have a thickness gauge. As noted above, even after a correction and polishing pass as described above I can still catch my fingernail on the corrected surface. I am pretty happy with the results as is, but I have been considering a second pass with the 105. Should I leave "good enough" alone? Additionally, you can see that the car has pin stripping and decals that were applied to the car after painting. Should I tape over these when I am correcting and polishing or should I work over these surfaces? Finally, I plan on cleaning the engine bay and underside of the hood. How would you recommend attacking these areas?
Thanks for helping me out!
I want to preface this thread with a disclaimer. I am a novice when it comes to detailing. I have been a member of this forum for years and have learned a lot just reading threads and seeing some of the amazing transformations that many of you produce. I am an old Triumph fan. I recently acquired a 73 TR-6 from a gentleman that had owned it since 1987. It has been on blocks for over 10 years.
View attachment 68558View attachment 68561View attachment 68563
My first order of business was to get the car running which I have accomplished taking it on a "maiden" voyage last weekend.
I am now turning my attention to bringing the paint back to life. The car is pretty much all original including the paint. The exterior paint has deep "scratches"....deep enough to catch a fingernail. I started the process by giving the car it's first bath in over 10 years. I then decided to test an area for results. I chose the rear deck because it is a relatively small area, easy to get to, and easier to read with the lighting in my shop. I clay barred the area and then started the correction face using GG 6" with LC orange flat foam pad with Meg 105. I then swapped to a LC white flat foam pad with Meg 205. Here are the results:
View attachment 68565View attachment 68566View attachment 68567
I have several questions...how aggressive should I be in correcting this paint. I do not have a thickness gauge. As noted above, even after a correction and polishing pass as described above I can still catch my fingernail on the corrected surface. I am pretty happy with the results as is, but I have been considering a second pass with the 105. Should I leave "good enough" alone? Additionally, you can see that the car has pin stripping and decals that were applied to the car after painting. Should I tape over these when I am correcting and polishing or should I work over these surfaces? Finally, I plan on cleaning the engine bay and underside of the hood. How would you recommend attacking these areas?
Thanks for helping me out!