The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints

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Mike Phillips

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The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints






Restoring original and antique paint

In the collector car hobby world, there’s a lot of interest in restoring and preserving original paint on classic and antique cars. Restoring the original paint maintains the overall originality of the complete car and adds to the value as long as the resulting finish is acceptable in appearance and represents how the vehicle would look for its age had the paint been properly maintained over the years.

Hard as it is to believe, people are still finding old cars in barns, storage buildings and garages across this great land and with the right products, techniques and a little knowledge of what to do and what not to do, it’s possible to restore a show room new finish to these time capsule treasures.


What to do

If preserving the original paint is important to you then the first thing you want to do is condition the paint before working on it. Most people just jump right in and start rubbing some type of abrasive compound over old, dry, fragile paint and this will remove a lot of paint quickly and possible remove too much. Instead, take the extra step of conditioning the paint and bring it back to life with product that's been around since cars and thus car paints have been around.


Below I will share the product and actually a technique that may restore your car's paint to your expectations without using any abrasives at all. In the car detailing world we're always talking about the idea of,


"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"

In this article I'll show you at least one way to put that philosophy into practice.



What not to do
The first thing most people do when trying to restore an old, oxidized finish is reach for some rubbing compound and try to rub the dead, oxidized paint off the car. While this will work, it's the caveman approach because it's too aggressive, it will remove too much paint and because there's a better, safer approach that will provide a better chance at preserving as much of the original paint as possible which is the goal if you're trying to preserve the "originalness" of the car.

So if you're reading this and you have an old car out in the garage that has oxidized single stage paint, let me share with you a way of conditioning the paint in a non-abrasive way that will make your car's old, tired paint come back to life. Then you can either stop at that point if you like the results you're seeing and apply a coat of wax or I'll share with you how to machine polish the paint to squeeze out even a little more depth, shine and gloss.



The problems with restoring antique and original paint

  • Single stage paints are prone to oxidation
  • Single stage paints are thin
  • Single stage paints are fragile
  • Single stage paints are soft


Single Stage Paints are Prone to Oxidation
Antique and older, single stage paints are usually some type of lacquer or enamel and these paints are prone to oxidation when exposed to air and moisture over time.

Oxidation in simple terms is when the oxygen molecules in the air act to remove electrons from the paint resin. In other words the paint deteriorates by coming apart or disintegrating.

This usually shows up as a chalky whitish looking color on the surface of the paint even if the paint was originally some other color besides white. Just to note, white paint will oxidize too but because it’s the same color as the chalky white oxidization you have to look carefully to see it. Oxidized white paint can just look dull when it in fact is oxidized.

If the oxidation isn't too extreme it will merely be a topical problem that is easily fixed by simply abrading the surface to remove the oxidized or dead paint off the surface, which will expose a fresh base which you can then polish to a high gloss.



Single Stage Paint = Easy to Restore

Here's an example of mild oxidation on a yellow single stage enamel paint on a 1960 Ford Ranchero, on which I restored the paint a few years ago...

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Here's what the paint looks like after the oxidation was removed and the paint was polished to a high gloss.

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Single Stage Metallic Paint = Difficult to Restore

Single stage, non-metallic paints like the above paint on the Ranchero are actually very easy to fix because the problem is for the most part just topical, that is the problem is just on the surface. All you have to do is remove the dead paint off the surface and if there's enough paint left then it's just a matter of polishing what's left to a high gloss. The most difficult paints to restore are single stage metallic paints.

The reason single stage metallic paints are the most difficult to restore is because not only does the paint itself oxidize, that is the resin used as the binder, (generally some type of seed oil like Flaxseed oil or Cottonseed oil), but also the aluminum flakes embodied inside the paint oxidize. This is where the problem lies.

It's a problem because the entire exterior surface of each individual aluminum flake oxidizes over time but you and I can only work on the surface of the paint and thus we can only work on the portion of the flake that is exposed at the surface level. Any portion of each aluminum flake that is below the surface and is surrounded by paint cannot be cleaned or polished so there's no way to remove the oxidation on the portions of the flakes inside the paint.

Oxidized Aluminum Turns Black

With metallic single stage paints, oxidation can show up as a darkening effect on medium to light colored paints because the aluminum metal flakes embodied inside the paint will stain or discolor the paint with a grayish black color.



If you’ve ever polished uncoated aluminum then you’ve seen this grayish black color coming off the aluminum and onto your polishing cloth as you work a metal polish over it. This same type of oxidation is taking place to the aluminum flake inside the paint.


Polishing Uncoated Aluminum
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Oxidized Aluminum Comes Off Black
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Wolfgang MetallWerk™ Aluminum Polishing System


In the same way you see the black residue coming off the aluminum wheel onto the piece of white cotton terry cloth material above, when working on metallic single stage paints you will see black residue coming off the paint and onto you applicator pads, buffing pads and wiping towels.


This darkening effect can take place even at the same time the surface of the paint itself is turning chalky white. This is because you have two different substances oxidizing, both the paint and the aluminum flake, which both are oxidizing at the same time. The paint oxidizes white and the aluminum flake oxidizes black.


Besides the oxidation issue, here are some other problems associated with restoring antique and/or old single stage paints...


Single Stage Paints are Thin
Factory paint is thin to start with, now add to this that over the years other people may have worked on the paint in some fashion and abraded some of the coating off, so not only is old factory paint thin to start with, it can potentially be thinner than when it was first sprayed just due to the fact that other people have worked on the paint before you.

This is another reason you need proceed with caution and always follow the best practice of,

"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"

(Note I used the word aggressive, not the word abrasive, there's a difference)


The challenge when paint is thin is how to restore the paint by abrading it without destroying it at the same time because there's just not a lot film-build to work with. Words cannot describe the heart sinking feeling an owner must experience when they discover they’ve polished through the topcoat of paint and exposed primer or even worse… shiny metal!


Single Stage Paints are Fragile
Single stage paints are a lot more porous or permeable than today's modern basecoat/clearcoat paints. Liquids can penetrate more easily into them and the oils the paints are made with will more easily leach-out and as a result the paint will dry-out over time.

When the paint dries out, besides having a chalky appearance due to oxidation, it will also become fragile and weak. It will be dramatically more susceptible to attack by any corrosive or destructive liquid introduced to the surface, for example brake fluid.

Modern clear coat paints are non-porous or impermeable, that is the resin structure is more dense and oftentimes harder. Liquids cannot easily penetrate into the resin, nor will the resin, deteriorate as easily or quickly like single stage paint.


Single stage paints are soft
Generally speaking, single stage paints are soft, at least soft when compared to modern basecoat/clearcoat paints. I wrote an article about this here,

The practical differences between single stage paints and a clear coat paints

The exception to this rule, (single stage paints are soft), is when it comes to single stage white paints and this is because the type of pigment used to add color to a single stage paint can and will affect the hardness of the paint. In the case of single stage white paint, the pigment type is Titanium Dioxide Powder. Titanium Dioxide is a very hard substance in and of itself and when mixed with a paint resin it modifies the workability of the paint making it a harder coating than the resin would have been with no Titanium Dioxide added to it. Conversely, single stage black paint is the softest paint there is to work on because the pigment used to make black paint is Carbon Black, which is basically similar to the soot that builds up inside the lid of an outdoor barbecue or inside your fireplace chimney. Next time you’re around either a barbecue or a chiming, rub your finger against the lid or inner brick wall and you’ll remove a very soft, powdery substance; this is a type of Carbon Black.


Suffice to say, most single stage lacquers and enamels are soft to start with because of the raw materials used to make them, (seed oils), except if they are white. Over time as they dry out, they become softer and it’s important to know this because using anything sharp or abrasive like an archaic rubbing compound will remove a lot of paint quickly.



For more information on the topic of hardness and softness of paints, see my classic article,

The Lesson White Paint Teaches Us
(Be forewarned, this is real Tom Clancy type, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat reading material)



The Problem = Abrasives are too Abrasive
The problem when restoring antique and original paints is when the person doing the work uses too aggressive of a product and chews off or abrades off too much paint too quickly, he exposes either the primer coating under the colored layer of paint, or the material that makes up the underlying panel, which is usually steel or aluminum on classic cars. Besides that, some rubbing and polishing compounds use a type of solvent as a carrying agent, that while it may work well for suspending the abrasive particles in a uniform consistency, it will tend to dry out a single stage paint, which is opposite of what you want to do when you’re trying to preserve and restore an antique paint. If you’re working on a modern clear coat then this is not a huge facto. If you’re working on a 1936 Hupmobile found with the original paint in an old farm barn you inherited, then you don’t want to use products that can scratch and dry out the paint.


All too often I've seen a well-meaning person select a very coarse, or heavy duty rubbing compound to remove the oxidation off an old car and because the paint is thin, soft and fragile because it's dried-out and old, and thus it’s easily abraded, that by the time this person can see how much paint they’ve removed they’ve already gone past the point of no return and at this point it’s game over, to quote my 11 year old son.

What you want to do is remove the oxidation safely and carefully while at the same time bringing the paint back to life by gorging it with rich polishing oils. What you don’t want to do is remove the oxidation by scouring the paint with a rubbing compound that’s similar to beach sand while at the same time you’re exposing the newly exposed fresh base or layer of paint to a harsh solvent.

Stoddard Solvent is inexpensive and a commonly used solvent for in-expensive rubbing and polishing compounds. Stoddard Solvent is commonly used in automotive parts washers; it works great for stripping grease and oil off car parts and in the same way it will dry even more, already dry paint. Avoid products with inexpensive solvents on paint that's important to you.


Here’s the good news… there is a way to safely restore antique paint using a product that as near as I can tell came out in the early 1920’s and possibly even earlier… it’s hard to find out this kind of information because anyone that would know this kind of information is no longer with us and alas nothing’s been written down over the decades…



The Secret of Number Seven
There is a way to restore single stage paints that is non-abrasive and as gentle as you can get using a product that’s been around since early paints were formulated. That product is called Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #7 Show Car Glaze.


#7 Sealer Reseal Glaze = Show Car Glaze
Here’s a photo of a few bottles of #7 from my car wax collection. I have some older bottles from before WWII, but this picture shows the transition from when the name changed from Sealer and Reseal Glaze to Show Car Glaze.


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(Click here for a larger picture)


The glass bottle on the left hand side is post-WWII. You can identify glass bottles as pre-WWII or post-WWII by the name on the label. Pre-WWII bottles will say Mirror Bright on the front label and post-WWII bottles will have Mirror Glaze on the bottle. This has to so with a posterity program instigated by the U.S. Government at the start of World War II which prevented companies from raising prices on existing products; because the cost of raw materials were increasing due to the war a lot of companies couldn’t make a profit under the new regulations so to get around them they would introduce a new product line at a higher price point. These could be the same physical products but introduced as a new product line by giving the products different names.

#7 Show Car Glaze as it’s called today is what’s referred to as a non-abrasive pure polish, it’s not for abrading paint but instead for maintaining paint and creating a beautiful finish. There’s a lot of confusion over this product and any product that uses the word polish in the product's name or on the label because the word polish is usually interpreted to mean some type of abrasive product as in a rubbing or polishing compound. While that might be true for some products it’s not true for this product.

Sometimes I have to remind people that #7 has been around long before plastic was invented, thus the glass bottles. The plastic "cylinder" bottle you see below, (just to the right of the glass bottle), was the first plastic bottle used for #7 and was introduced I think in the late 1950's, maybe early 1960's.

The 4th bottle from the right shows when they changed the name from Sealer Reseal Glaze to Show Car Glaze primarily because as our lingo changed in the car appearance world. People were confusing the word "Sealer" with the word "Sealant" and M07 is water-soluble. Hopefully everyone reading this can understand why that kind of confusion could be a problem in the enthusiast or consumer market.


The third bottle from the right shows the label during the transition when the name was changed. If you look closely under the words Show Car Glaze it reads, (Same as Sealer and Reseal Glaze)

Transition Label Circa Late 1980's or 1990's
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Just in case you don’t understand why there was some confusion over the use of the word "Sealer" here’s why; a paint sealant is for protection and should last through inclement weather and repeated car washings. #7 is water soluble; that means it will break down in inclement weather or with repeated washings. It offers no lasting characteristics. It’s not supposed to be a paint protectant, but a glaze that’s safe for use on fresh paint and will give paint a wet-look.

The name sealer and reseal glaze came from it's ability to hide or mask hairline scratches temporarily, or in other words it would seal hairline scratches and as it wore off and was re-applied it would reseal, or re-hide hairline scratches.

In today's detailing lingo hairline scratches = swirls.

#7 has no protection ability and no lasting ability. So when the word sealant became more commonly used in the car wax market people were confusing the word sealer with sealant and purchasing and using the product thinking it was a paint sealant that would last for a long time and protect for a long time when in fact it's nickname is Queen-For-The-Day, in that car guys would wipe their car down with #7 to give it the wet-look for the day of the big car show but the first time the car is washed the extremely wet look the product would impart to paint would disappear as the water soluble oils would wash off with the rinse water.


Anyway, the name was changed sometime in the early 1990’s as back in the 1980’s and continuing through to even today, a lot of “paint sealants" have been introduced in the car appearance market to compete along side Carnauba car waxes. So to avoid confusion the name was changed to reflect, (no pun intended), what this product is and has been famous for over the last century and that’s create a deep, wet shine on show cars.



Bringing the dead back to life...
Besides being used as described above, #7 is also famous for its ability to revive dead, oxidized single stage paints. This has to do with the unique feeder-oil formula created by Frank Meguiar’s Jr. back in the early days of Meguiar’s which was also the early days of the Automobile. Meguiar’s was founded in 1901 and for perspective, only a few years earlier in 1886, Karl Benz was awarded a patent for a gas-fueled car and it wasn’t until 1908 that Henry Ford introduced the Model T.

I don’t know exactly when #7 was introduced but I think sometime in the early 1920’s, like 1923 or 1924. While #7 may have been introduced in the 1920’s, the formula that became #7 was around even earlier, possibly back to 1901. Here's a collection of 4 very old Mirror Bright polishes; it is my opinion that the formulas used in these products were pre-cursors to what became #7 Sealer and Reseal Glaze.

Photos Courtesy of MeguiarsOnline.com
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Now let me tie this back to the topic at hand…
Restoring antique single stage paints can either be done the caveman way, using an aggressive compound and risking grinding all the thin paint off the car, or it can be done the careful way, and that is FIRST conditioning the paint using the unique, time-proven rich polishing oils found in the #7 Show Car Glaze and THEN if needed, then use some type of abrasive product to abrade and polish the rejuvenated paint back to a deep, wet shine with a rich, high gloss.

The technique I will share with you in this article works great for old, oxidized single stage NON metallic paints. If that describes the paint on you car, for example you have a classic 1965 Mustang in your garage with non-metallic single stage enamel paint, then this technique will work great as long as the paint isn't past the point of no return in the first place. Restoring non-metallic paints is a cake walk.


The hardest paint related task to do in the car detailing world is to revive and restore single stage metallic paints because not only will the paint oxidize, but the aluminum metallic flakes inside the paint will oxidize and you since you can’t remove the oxidation off each individual flake inside the paint then most you can do is remove the topical oxidization and gorge the porous or permeable paint with the rich polishing oils famous to the #7 Show Car Glaze and cross your fingers that it works. That's the most you can do and the most you can hope for.

There are other high quality polishes on the market that contain polishing oils, but because the paint on an old car is thin, dry and fragile, you usually only get one shot at restoring it and if your project car is important to you, then evaluate your options and make your best choice. I don’t know if other modern polishing products will work the same way the old school #7 Show Car Glaze will work but you can try them with the same techniques I outline below as the techniques are as non-evasive as you can get. The head chemist at Meguiar's has told me in the past that he's never touched or modified the #7 Show Car Glaze formula, assuming this is true, (and I do), that means the product is the same today as it was in the 1920's and possibly even older. It's a product that's been around as long as these early paints were formulated and I've personally revived and saved many antique cars using this product. For the recored, I would consider myself an expert at correctly restoring antique lacquer and enamel paints and if you're reading this I would be happy to consult with you on any project car where it's vitally important to you to restore and maintain the original paint.



On to the technique…
This technique is a lost art form as many of the craftsman that know of the technique never preserved it in writing and are either no longer with us or unable or without incentive in our computer driven world to transfer their head knowledge to digital media.


Jack Birkby and Bill Stewart
I’ve had the good fortune in life to have worked with many people more seasoned and experienced than myself all of whom have freely shared what they know about polishing paint. Two such people are my old boss at Meguiar’s Jack Birkby, and another long time Meguiar’s RDC owner and good friend, Bill Stuart. Bill shared the secret of number seven with me in person and in a booklet he wrote in the late 1980's. I still have his booklet and sometime in the future I’ll digitize it and post it to the Internet.


Bill taught me how you could use a non-abrasive pure polish like Mirror Glaze #7 Show Car Glaze to gently restore a single stage paint using the nap of 100% Cotton Terry Cloth to gently abrade the surface, not simply scour it like common rubbing and/or polishing compounds will do with their hard, sharp mechanical abrasives.

In this updated version I'm going to use the nap of a microfiber polishing towel as microfiber is more gentle to paint than cotton fibers and at the time this technique was developed, microfiber had not yet been invented. You can use either 100% Cotton Terry Cloth or any high quality microfiber polishing towel with a nap. The weave design microfiber towels are great for most things, especially for wiping of a coating or wax or paint sealant, but my personal opinion is that for removing oxidation you really want a cloth with a nap, either loops of fibers or tufts of fibers; both will provide a gentle form of abrading and scrubbing action and it’s this feature you want since you’re not using any mechanical abrasives with this technique.

It's the use of the nap, that is the little loops or tufts of fiber from the cloth which together with the rich polishing oils found in the #7 Show Car Glaze that work together to offer a type of gentle abrading and/or scrubbing action to gently remove years of oxidation and massage the rich polishing oils into the paint to gorge it and restore the full richness of color.


Freely you have received, freely give
My goal with this article is to share this technique as my duty of passing down what I've learned from others who have gone before me...

The hardest thing there is to do as it relates to restoring antique and original paints is to restore an oxidized single stage metallic finish. Not all metallic paints can be saved, for example most single stage metallic silver paints cannot be saved due to their high content of aluminum as a pigment. Non silver gray metallic paints stand a good chance if they have not passed the point of no return and if some guy named "Bubba" hasn't already used some type of caveman compound on the paint in years gone by...

So if I can restore the metallic paint on our donor car for this article, chances are very good than anyone reading this can duplicate my success on their car, especially if the paint on their project car is a non-metallic finish.

First we need an old car with a single stage metallic finish that has been neglected and has deteriorated but is not so far gone that it cannot be brought back from the dead.


Enter the Lincoln Continental
At this year’s Detail Fest in Stuart, Florida at Autogeek’s Corporate offices and our new Studio and Training Center, a gentleman attended with the sole purpose of asking if there was anything that could be done to restore the paint on his all original 1973 Lincoln Continental. At the time of this article, this car has 46,826 original miles.

Odometer on the 1973 Lincoln Continental
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At this years Detail Fest we scheduled 2 Mini-Classes on Machine Polishing Paint which introduced the students to 4 different types of electric polishers. In-between these two classes we opened our Training Garage for people to bring their cars for evaluation and recommendations as to the correct products procedures to restore a show car finish.

Bill heard about our event at a local car show and asked me if I could take a look at his car, once he told me the year of his car I said “yes” as I love working on single stage paint. At that moment in time I didn’t know how much time I would later be investing into his car’s finish to carefully remove the oxidation and restore a show room new, factory finish.

Bill carefully maneuvered his classic American Land Yacht through the crowds of people and pulled it right up to the entrance of our studio and training center. I had him leave it outside in natural light so I could both inspect the paint and take some pictures.

Without further ado, here’s Bills all original 1973 Lincoln Continental with the original, well preserved but extremely oxidized single stage metallic finish.

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And a few weeks later... here it is ready to have the paint restored...

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Re: The Non-Abrasive Method To Restore Original and Antique Single Stage Metalflake Paint By Hand - Part 1

Continued...

The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints

First things first... start with a clean car...
The first thing you want to do is wipe the paint clean using a waterless wash. Generally speaking you don't wash classic and antique cars using a normal car wash approach because you introduce water to all the cracks and crevices throughout the vehicle that you cannot get to in order to dry and this promotes rust in places you cannot see nor reach.

A waterless car wash is a high lubricity spray detailer with a combination of gentle cleaning agents embodied in a high lubricity liquid that can be sprayed onto the paint and then gently wiped-off. This will enable you to remove any dust or loose surface dirt while reducing the potential to inflict swirls and scratches during the process.

By using a waterless wash you avoid flushing water over the body and thus avoid getting water into places you cannot see let alone dry. If you have never owned a classic car and contemplated the idea of doing a body-off restoration and the costs involved then you might not understand how important it is to avoid getting a classic car wet. If you have done a body-off restoration and had to deal with replacing rusted floorboards and other integral support components prone to rust then I'm preaching to the choir.

There are a lot of quality waterless car washes on the market and for this project we're gong to use one that's very popular among both detailers and online car enthusiasts, plus it can be purchased in bulk quantities.

Detailer's Pride Waterless Wash with Cobra Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels (16 x 16 inches)

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Cobra Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels have a thick, plush nap which is extremely soft and absorbent, making them perfect for carefully wiping delicate finishes clean with a waterless wash. Because they are thick and plush, they help to spread out the pressure of your hand when you fold them 4 ways. Folding them 4 ways gives you 8 sides to wipe with out of a single towel.

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If you like, here's a how-to video on using a similar product called a Rinseless Wash, but in the beginning of the video I explain in detail the differences between,

  • Normal Car Wash
  • Rinseless Wash
  • Waterless Wash
The difference between a Normal Car Wash, a Waterless Car Wash and a Rinseless Car Wash and how to use a Rinseless Car Wash



After wiping all the panels clean including the glass, vinyl top, chrome bumpers and trim, the Lincoln is now ready to work on.
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The appearance of the paint is dull and lifeless, it's darker than it should be and there are water spots all over the surface.

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Just like working on a modern car, the first thing you want to do is inspect the paint by feeling it and checking it for Above Surface Bonded Contaminants.

Above Surface Bonded Contaminants
  • Overspray Paint
  • Tree Sap Mist
  • Industrial Fallout
  • Air-borne Pollution
  • Any contaminant that lands on your paint and makes bond tight enough that it won't wash or wipe off
You can do this with your clean hand or you can use what's loosely called "The Plastic Baggie Test". That is where you take and place your hand inside a plastic baggie like a sandwich baggie and then feel your car's paint. The thin film of plastic covering your hand will intensify your sense of touch and enable you to feel contaminants on the paint that you otherwise could not and would not feel with just your hand alone.


The Plastic Baggie Test
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Inspection Results
The paint has a rough feel without the baggie but it really feels rough when I use The Sandwich Baggie Test. The results from my inspection tell me the paint is extremely dirty with Above Surface Bonded Contaminants. These could be air-borne overspray paint, tree sap, industrial fall out, pollution, etc.

To remove Above Surface Bonded Contaminants you want to use detailing clay to clay the paint. Detailing clay is like a hi-tech version of Play-Doh only it contains a special type of abrasive that won't put scratches into your cars paint but it does have the ability to abrade anything sitting on top of the paint somewhat like how sandpaper works.

Using Detailing Clay to Restore a Smooth as Glass Finish
For this project we're going to use XMT Speed Clay and XMT Speed Clay Lube in the XMT Product Line from PinnacleWax.com

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The XMT Clay bar is a whopping 226 grams or 8 ounces of clay! You only need a patty of clay large enough to fit across the face of your four fingers so we'll tear this clay bar in half and save one half for a future project and use this half to clay the paint on this Lincoln Continental.

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Next, knead the clay into a round patty kind of like a small pancake, like this. You want to hold it in your hand like this too when you're claying the paint. If you've never used detailing clay before here's the link to a video on how detailing clay works and how to use it to clay your car's paint.

How detailing clay works and how to use detailing clay to remove above surface bonded contaminants


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The black film on the clay was the black film that was on the paint and this was after only claying about a two foot square section of paint.

Eewww.....
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As I work through this project and remove built-up contaminants like you see on the face of the clay patty, plus embedded dirt and surface oxidation, you're going to see the color of the car become brighter and brighter as it gets cleaner and cleaner.

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Detailing Clay is the most effective way to remove above surface bonded contaminants
The paint on this car has a film of dirt and oxidation over all the panels as do most cars, trucks and s.u.v.s that are daily drivers. It's important to understand that even if you don't own a classic car like this Lincoln Continental, the paint on your car gets just as dirty and contaminated and washing or wiping the paint clean WON'T remove above surface bonded contaminants. That's the job detailing clay does best. Detailing Clay is the most effective way to remove above surface bonded contaminants.


Do the test yourself...
Next time you wash your car, whatever it might be, take a moment after drying it to feel the paint with your clean hand or try out the The Sandwich Baggie Test and if you feel any kind of little bumps on the paint or a surface texture then this is a strong indicator that you need to clay your car's paint.

How long will a coat of wax last?
Also note that a quality car wax or paint sealant is formulated to stick or bond to paint, not a layer of dirt. Applying a coating of wax to paint in the condition this car was in would be for the most part a waste of time. If your car is a daily driver, that is it's parked outside while you're at work and exposed to the elements, then chances are very good it has bonded contaminants and you need to clay your car's paint.




In this picture I've finished claying all the painted panels and even the glass and the chrome. You can clay anything that has a hard, smooth surface.

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Removing Oxidation Without Abrasives
Now that all the bonded contaminants have been removed off the top of the paint it's time to remove the dead oxidized paint off the surface and to some degree some of the embedded dirt and oxidation below the surface. To do this we're going to use a plush, microfiber polishing towel with some Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze.


Always fold your microfiber towels 4 ways
What you want to do is take your polishing towel and fold it 4 ways to create a working cloth that is large enough you can place you hand on it when working the #7 over the paint. Folding the cloth 4 ways will also provide plenty of cushion to spread out the pressure of your fingers and palm. This enables you to work gently and safely on antique, fragile paints and will also help you to avoid instilling fingermarks.

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Non-abrasive abrasives...
Here's a close-up of the tufts of microfibers that make up the working face of this microfiber polishing towel. When used dry this microfiber polishing towel is soft and absorbent. The way we're going to use it however, it will still be soft and gentle to the paint except that I'm going to put a little passion behind my hand as I move this microfiber towel over the paint and the pressure I apply is going to engage the microfibers with the paint and provide a very gentle scrubbing and even abrading action.


Tufts of microfiber threads... these are your abrasives...
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Shake well before using
Shake your bottle of #7 up exceedingly well. One of the reasons #7 used to come in clear glass bottles and later clear plastic bottles was so that you could see that the product had separated out and the hope was that as a thinking human being you would see the product had separated in the bottle and thus shake the bottle till the product had a uniform color and consistency.

After you shake the product up well you want to pour a generous amount of product out onto the face of just one side of your folded microfiber towel and note that you're going to use this one side for each panel over the entire car.

The words or terms for how much product you use goes like this,

Use the product heavy or wet

Because this is important, let me repeat these instructions...

Use the product heavy or wet!

This means you use a lot of product, you want the surface wet with product as you're working a section. You're trying to saturate the paint to gorge it with the rich polishing oils found in the #7 but you're also trying to emulsify and loosen any embedded dirt or oxidation off and out of the paint. For this car I used one full bottle on just the hood and the top of the trunk lid and most of another bottle for the passenger and driver's sides. The horizontal surfaces are always the worst because they are exposed to direct sunlight, water from rain and air-borne pollution and contaminants and thus always require the most work to clean, revitalize and restore.

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Fold the cloth into itself to spread the product out and wet the face of the cloth.
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"It ain't braggin' if you can back it up" -Dizzy Dean

Now comes the passion: Start working the #7 Show Car Glaze over and into the paint in a vigorous manner. I'm in pretty good shape as I work out at the local gym and lead an active lifestyle that includes rubbing out cars both by hand and by machine.

I also dare say I'm pretty good at rubbing out cars by hand. I'm not bragging, just stating a fact that I can back up. It's more work than most people think and my point is this, rubbing this behemoth of a vehicle out by hand vigorously got me breathing hard and made my hands and arms tired.

Here's the point I'm trying to make...

If you're not breathing hard and you're not getting tired then you're not working the product over the paint vigorously enough.

Out of all the steps, this is the hardest, most time-consuming and most important step there is to do and it is this step that will determine your end results. If you don't remove the topical oxidation and embedded dirt and oxidation during this step then it will still be there when you make the final wipe to remove the wax. So put your heart and soul into this step. If you need to, take a break in-between panels.


It is vital that you work the #7 against the paint vigorously...
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Rub out one panel at a time
After you work a small section, about 20" squarish or so, stop, re-apply fresh product and move onto a new section and be sure to overlap a little into the previous section.

  • Panel = a door, the hood, the roof, etc.
  • Section - a portion of a panel
Note the color being transferred onto the cloth. Part of the color you see is the color of the #7. The other part of the color is the dirt coming off and out of the paint and part of the color is the oxidation coming off the aluminum flakes.

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Work a panel at a time, section by section
Continue working your way around one major panel until you've worked the entire panel. In this example


This is key...
Saturation Application --> The First Application
This is a mostly unknown technique and that is to let the first application penetrate and soak into the paint for up to 24 hours before wiping the product off. The idea being to really apply the product wet and work it in really well and the walk away.

The idea is to allow the heavy concentration of oils to penetrate and seep into the paint for maximum saturation before removing the product and continuing with the process. In this case I finished applying the first application of #7 around 9:00 pm and then left the #7 to soak in until the next day. I started wiping the product off then next morning right about 10:00am.

Some will argue if this works or not but my experience is that with a porous single stage paint it does in fact help. One thing for sure it can't hurt.

Paper Test for Capillary Action
If you place a few drops of #7 onto a piece of paper and then monitor it over a few days you will see the oils in the #7 migrate or seep away from the actual drop of product. It does this through capillary action and the same thing can work to your car's paints' advantage if it's a single stage lacquer or enamel paint.

I placed a few drops about the size of a nickel on a piece of standard printer paper around 3:00pm.

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The next day I took these pictures at approximately 10:00am, (19 hours later), note how the oils in the drops of #7 have migrated outward via capillary action.

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Feeder Oils penetrate or feed the paint
This same effect can take place in a single stage paint but not only will the oils travel horizontally, they will also travel vertically, that they will penetrate downward "into" your car's paint and this is where the term feeder oils comes from as the oils penetrate into or feed the paint. The result is they will condition the paint restoring some level of workability as compared to just working on old dry paint, and they will also bring out the full richness of color, something that will showcase the beauty of your car's paint.



37 Year Old Paint Soaking in Seven...
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The worse condition the paint, the more times you repeat the #7 conditioning step
For this project I applied, worked and removed the #7 four times to the hood and tops of the fenders. After the initial saturation application I applied and worked in the #7 three more times the next day.

I put as much energy into the last application as I did the first application and in order to do this right it takes the desire for excellent results as well as the human elements of care and passion to rub out a hood 6' long and almost 5' in width 4 times like your life depended upon it but the results will be worth it.



After approximately 12 hours of soaking in #7 Show Car Glaze, we're ready to wipe off the first application off this 37-year old paint.

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Look at the paint surrounding the towel...
In the picture below, note how after just one well-worked application of #7 the finish is now more smooth and clear and the color is more vibrant and even.

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Look at the color of the residue coming off the paint and onto the white terry cloth towel; it's black. The single stage paint is butterscotch gold.

Question: Where's the blackness coming from?
Answer: The aluminum flake.


One of the benefits that we enjoy when car manufacturers switched over to basecoat/clearcoat paint technology is there's a clear layer of paint covering over the color coat of paint and this seals the paint and keeps it from oxidizing and deteriorating. This enables metallic finishes to last for a long time without oxidizing and this is why you no longer see any black residue coming off modern metallic finishes.


:)
 
Continued...

The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints


Up to this point, I've rubbed out the paint on the horizontal surfaces of the front clip 3 times. I have not included the pictures from the 2nd and 3rd application and removal because all it's going to show is product going on and product going off.


The picture below show the 4th application of #7 after I've worked it in thoroughly over the paint.

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#7 = Non-drying Oil
#7 doesn't really dry but remains an oily film. Wipe off is easiest with a stout towel like a cotton terry cloth towel and that's what I used for the first and second applications. For the third and now fourth applications I've switched over to a microfiber polishing towel as the fibers are more gentle to the finish and it removes trace residues better than cotton fibers.

Polishing paint is an art form
Remember, polishing paint is an art form, not merely a grinding process. As you work the paint to a higher and higher level of quality of finish, you need to amp up your level of technique for applying and removing products and insure everything that touches the paint is the highest quality you an obtain.


Ready to wipe-off the 4th application of #7 Show Car Glaze
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As you can see, at this stage I'm no longer seeing heavy concentrations of black oxidation residue coming off and out of the paint. This is a good sign. This is what you want to see when restoring a single stage metallic finish.

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Here are the results of 4 applications of #7 Show Car Glaze as seen from overhead looking down from a ladder; the paint is clean and clear and completely gorged to whatever level is possible with the rich feeder oils found in the #7 Show Car Glaze.

Maximizing the full richness of a single stage paint...
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It's hard to get great reflection shots out of light colors like you can dark colors and blacks and in these lighting conditions I was having a hard time even getting this shot, but you can see the paint is clear and clean as well as smooth and glossy.

At this point, if the goal was purely to revive the paint as best as possible without abrading it with any type of mechanical abrasives then you would stop here and apply a coat of wax or a paint sealant to seal the paint from exposure to oxygen and moisture in the air.

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After I finished the hood I repeated the same process to the deck-lid. This is the first application of #7 and you can see the paint looks wet but is not as clean or clear as it will be after 3 more well-worked applications of #7.

I'm still using the same microfiber polishing towel and you can see I've removed a lot of black oxidation out of the paint.
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Your towel acts like a filter
Here I've unfolded the towel to show you what it looks like. As you can see the towel is completely saturated through and through with the polishing oils found in #7. The towel acts like a filter: as new product is placed onto the working face of the towel some product seeps through while the majority is worked into and over the paint after the towel reaches maximum saturation. The oils that filter through the towel are different than the original product that comes out of the bottle. If I were to refold the towel when applying the #7 I would be in essence changing the product as I would be introducing the fresh product out of the bottle to a different version of itself on a different fold of the towel. I could switch out the used towel for a fresh towel but then I would have to re-saturate the towel all over again and that would use up a lot of product.


Visually inspect the working face of your application towel
After each application I inspect the working side of the microfiber towel and if I see any particulates I remove them, one thing for sure, once you break in your towel it requires a lot less #7 to coat over and work the oils into the paint than when I first started out with a dry towel. This technique is actually written about in the booklet Bill Stewart wrote. I know it doesn't look pretty but it works in that the paint comes out looking great and after towel break-in you really feel like you're reviving the paint in very wet manner as you work around a panel. Keep in mind single stage paints are much different in their polishability and workability than a modern clear coat paints. Clear coat paints don't absorb oils like a single stage paint and they are scratch-sensitive, that is they scratch very easily and the scratches are easy to see.

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Sealing the paint with a Carnauba Wax
Next we'll seal the paint. For this I've chosen a modern version of a traditional Carnauba Hard Paste Wax from Dodo Juice.

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Dodo Juice is located in the United Kingdom and offers a wide variety of high caliber Carnauba waxes that are conversation pieces in and of themselves. Before purchasing a full jar of any of their different formulas you can start with what's called a Panel Pot, which is small jar of wax with more than enough product to cover a large panel on most cars and give you a really good feel for the wax as far as how it applies, wipes off and most important... looks!
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The original paint on this 1973 Lincoln Continental is a very warm, golden, butterscotch color and in the Dodo Juice line of waxes they offer a wax called Banana Armour and right on the label it states it's for WARM COLOURED CARS. In fact it's fairly close in color to the actual color of paint on the car, so it seems like fate has already sealed the deal.

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This is what the wax looks like when you first open the jar. All Dodo Juice full size jars of waxes are sealed with plastic indicator tab to show that they have never been opened since leaving the manufacturing plant so you can be assured of their quality.
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So far every procedure has been performed by hand and in keeping with this theme I have applied the Banana Armour Carnauba Wax by hand. After covering just the hood with wax you can see I'm still pulling oxidation out of the paint just from the simple act of rubbing a liquefied paste wax over it.
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Here's a close-up of the soft, foam applicator pad, the yellowish wax together with the blackish gray that comes out of the paint looks kind of green. I want to point out that this is not the result of this wax having any cleaners or cleaning ability as that is not the case as this is a non-cleaning, non-abrasive finishing wax for paint in excellent condition.

The oxidation coming out of the paint is normal for a single stage metallic finish and it will do this with just about any liquid paint care product applied to it. Because the applicator pad is small, rubbing out a massive hood like this has an accumulative effect as it relates to the build up of residue on the working face of the pad. This is nothing to be concerned about, it's a normal result for this type of paint.
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Here's a uniform layer of Banana Armour drying on the paint.
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Circles or Straightlines?
To really work the wax into the paint I used an overlapping circular motion, as long as everything that touches the paint is clean and non-abrasive, that is your applicator pad, the paint itself, your working environment, your choice of wax and even you and your hands, then you can rub in circular motions or straight lines as you won't be instilling any scratches either way.

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If you want to take the extra precaution of rubbing in straight lines then here's a video that explains why to do this and how to use this technique.

How to Apply a Carnauba Finishing Wax by Hand using the Straightline Technique


This is a new, clean, white microfiber polishing towel. This style is actually new to Autogeek.net and I don't know how long these specific types will remain in inventory but I really like them, they have a very soft and plush short tufted nap on one side and a medium length tufted nap on the other side and they are edged with a soft piping.
(If you want some of these towels you better order them quickly, there's no part number you have to call the 1-800-869-3011 number)

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After wiping off the dried wax residue you can see some of the black oxidation on the microfiber towel. Again, this is normal for these types of paints and there's nothing that will prevent this kind of transfer of oxidation out of and off of the paint.
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And here's the end result.
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The paint has been take to its maximum potential for what can be achieved working only by hand without any abrasives.
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End results by hand
Here's a close up because I want to show you that the finish isn't perfect, it's just dramatically improved. I have no idea how this paint was taken care of over the last 37 years but like the car, the paint has survived and the goal up to this point was to share with my friends in the collector car hobby how to remove oxidation and restore a show room new finish to antique single stage paint without using anything abrasive.

Be careful not to compare apples to oranges
While the quality of results don't compare to a modern day basecoat/clearcoat finish, if this was compared to the same paint the day this car rolled off the assembly line it would be pretty close in appearance. Chances are many people that will read this article and look at these pictures will have never owned a car with a single stage paint let alone restored an antique but intact single stage paint, and if that describes you then chances are also good your only point of reference for finish quality will be new cars with their new hi tech clear coat paint technology.

That is an unfair comparison as modern clear coat paint technology is capable of creating show car quality paint right off the assembly line. Back in the old day the only way to get a show car finish on a car was to spray on plenty of paint and then have a true craftsman sand and buff the paint to perfection.

Now days even the most inexpensive cars in the market place have paint jobs that far surpass the quality of what was available and possible 20 and 30 years ago.

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Here's a few beauty shots...
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The paint actually reflects images now...
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I hope the above how-to article will help anyone trying to restore and preserve an original antique finish. Remember, metallic single stage paints are the hardest of all paints to restore, if you're just working on a non-metallic single stage paint, you can easily surpass these results just by following the techniques outlined above and pouring a little bit of yourself into the process.

Next up, we're going to try to create a little more shine, gloss and clarity by machine polishing the finish.


:)
 
Continued...

The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints


Machine Polishing AFTER Hand Conditioning
In the first installment of this article we looked at how to safely and carefully restore oxidized, neglected single stage metallic paint by hand without using abrasives. Besides removing topical oxidation we conditioned the paint, making it more workable than it was when we started. And to some level this can prepare the paint for more advanced techniques like machine polishing to try to take the paint to an even higher level of finish quality.

In this segment, we'll take a look at how to build on the results achieved by hand by carefully machine cleaning and polishing the paint using a rotary buffer and a dual action polisher.

It's vitally important that you work on antique paint by machine with the utmost caution as using too aggressive of a product or a pad or even buffing in one area for too long can remove too much paint off the surface and the effect this will have is to change the appearance of the metallic flakes in the paint. If you remove too much paint and change the appearance of a single stage metallic finish there is no way to undo the damage except to repaint the car.

This is where you as the owner of an antique, collectible car might decide that accepting the results created by working only by hand might be the best option and stop after you've restored the finish using the non-abrasive technique by hand shared previously.

If you choose to try to machine polish an antique single stage metallic finish, then I recommend you follow the practice of,

"Use the least aggressive products to get the job done"

and above all...

Focus on the task at hand...


Tiger Stripes
A common visual defect created by machine polishing with too aggressive of pads and/or products or buffing too long on a panel is to create lighter and darker sections which are easily seen when viewed from a few feet away from the car. If a person is using a rotary buffer and running the buffer in a side to side, or front to back pattern, the effect will look like stripes in the paint. I've heard the term "Tiger Stripes" associated with this visual effect but cannot say for sure if this is an accurate term for the mistake.

The point being is that because the metal flake is in the paint you're directly buffing on top of, the potential exists to dramatically alter the appearance just by making one pass too many with your electric buffer. So when buffing on top of single stage metallic paints be very careful to avoid a Tiger Stripe effect. (I'm going to be using a very light touch for the rotary buffer step)


A dual action polisher like the Porter Cable 7424XP is safer than using a rotary buffer but from experience, the rotary buffer is much better at restoring and creating a smoother, higher gloss surface when used first versus just using a dual action polisher. If maximum shine is not a necessary result, then stick with only using a dual action polisher and this can include dual action polishers like the Porter Cable unit mentioned above, the Griot's Garage ROP, the Meguiar's G110v2, the Cyclo Polisher, and the Flex 3401 forced rotation, dual action polisher.

These are all dual action polishers just with differences in their designs. For more information on the differences, benefits and features of these tools, see this article,

How to choose the right polisher for your detailing project



Pad selection
There are a lot of different types of foam buffing pads on the market. It would take another article just as long as this one to share all the different styles of pads available so I'll save that information for a dedicated article on this topic. For now I'm just going to share the pads I chose to use for this project and why.

Kompressor Pads
The first machine step I'm going to use on the 1973 Lincoln Continental is the 6" Purple Heavy Cutting Pad. This is a very aggressive cutting pad in and of itself but used carefully it can be used safely and successfully on vintage paints.

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The reason I chose this pad is because the loops of foam fibers offer good cleaning and scrubbing action and the face of the pad is slotted or tabbed and this gives the pad the ability to flex and contort to the shape of the panel being buffed.

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Another benefit to the slotted tabs is when you clean this pad on a Pad Washer the tabs separate and release any built-up polish residue and paint residue.
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M80 Speed Glaze
M80 is like #7 on Steroids. #7 is non-abrasive. M80 Speed Glaze on the other hand contains diminishing abrasives and on a scale from 1 t 10 ranks a 4 as it relates to how aggressive it is. Compared to a true rubbing compound it's not very aggressive. The benefit to using this product on old single stage paints is that while the diminishing abrasives are cutting the paint, because it uses the same type of feeder-oils found in the #7 formula, you are at the same time gorging the paint with feeder-oils which acts to revive the full richness of color as well as hyper-lubricating the surface as you buff.


Flex 3403 Lightweight Rotary Buffer
The rotary buffer I'm using for this first machine polishing step is the Flex 3403 Lightweight Rotary Buffer. This rotary buffer weighs 5 pounds! The light weight and compact size makes it very easy to use and if you're new to using a rotary buffer this is a very easy rotary buffer to learn on as it's very easy to control. Most of learning how to use a rotary buffer is learning how to control it. When using the Flex 3403 Lightweight Rotary Buffer, it's a good idea to stick with smaller pads like you see me using for this project as larger pads, 7" and bigger, will cause excessive heat build-up.

Speed Setting: 1 on the variable speed dial which is 1100 RPM

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Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer
The water in my Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer started out clear, but after cleaning my Purple Kompressor Pad multiple times after machine cleaning the entire car the water is now a soupy, grayish color.

Lid coming off the Pad Washer
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Vortex Base and Water Pumps Removed from Pad Washer
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Residue removed from pad sinks to the bottom of the bucket... if you don't wash this residue off your pad as you're buffing it accumulates on your buffing pad and can cause swirls as well as make buffing and wipe-off of polish more difficult.
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Removed buffing residue in the pad washing solution - time to change the water...
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Here's a video on using a Pad Washer
How to clean buffing pads using the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer



Using a DA Polisher
For the below steps on using a DA Polisher like the Porter Cable 7424XP we have a brand new DVD which shows you how to get show car results without the risk of instilling swirls or burning through the paint due to the unique Free Floating Spindle Assemble, which stops the pad from rotting if you apply too much pressure.

Mike Phillips' Principles of Machine Polishing

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This DVD will show you how to use both the Porter Cable 7424XP and the Cyclo Polisher to remove swirls, scratches and water spots.

While this video showcases the Porter Cable 7424XP and the Cyclo Polisher, all the techniques shown will also work with,

Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0
This is a light cutting polish that will remove any swirls left by the rotary buffer, M80 Speed Glaze and the aggressive purple Kompressor Pad. Wolfgang Finishing Glaze is easy to work with and leaves a clear finish on any paint system. In this picture I'm using it with the Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher with a 5.5" Flat Foam Buffing Pad. For this step you could substitute any light cutting polish.

Speed Setting = 5.0 to 6.0

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XMT 360
This is a step most people wouldn't do and you can skip but it's a step I like to do and here's why: XMT 360 is a light machine applied cleaner/wax that polishes to a high gloss. The reason I chose this product is to clean off any left over residues from all the previous steps while leaving behind a high shine that's dry to the touch, not oily. This product also will ensure any minor swirls or defects missed by the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze are removed. This cleaner/wax has a long buffing cycle which gives you lots of time to work a panel and wipes off incredibly easy. For this step you can substitute any quality light cleaner/wax.

Like the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, I'm using a soft, white foam polishing pad. Out of all the different polishing pads available, regardless of the design, the polishing category is one of, if not the most versatile pads available and if you're into machine polishing you should have a good collection of polishing pads on hand.

Speed Setting = 5.0 to 6.0

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Sealing up your results
After all the machine cleaning and polishing steps were over it was time to re-seal the paint. The first time I sealed the paint I applied Dodo Juice Banana Armour Paste Wax by hand. In this follow-up to the first segment in this article I'm doing each step by machine including applying a paste wax by machine.

Personally I prefer to apply all my waxes and paint sealants by machine because a machine will apply uniform pressure over the entire face of a foam buffing pad and do a really thorough job of pushing the wax or paint sealant over and into the paint to whatever level is possible.

Here's how to apply a paste wax by machine, (note this won't work with all paste waxes). To use the technique I'll show below you need to be able to remove the wax out of its container. If you can't remove the wax as one solid chunk out of the container then you can always scoop some out using a spatula or spoon or knife, etc.



How to apply a paste wax by machine
You'll need a DA Polisher like this Porter Cable 7424XP with a 5.5" Flat Gray Finishing Pad, Dodo Juice Banana Armour Hard Wax and some Microfiber Gloves. For this step you could substitute any quality finishing wax or paint sealant. Here's a list of finishing waxes, sealants and hybrids.

How To Choose The Right Wax or Paint Sealant for your Detailing Project


For this procedure I'm going to place a microfiber glove over one hand in order to hold the wax without contaminating it or without it slipping out of my hand.

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To get the wax out of the plastic jar you just have to carefully knock it out using inertia by holding the jar upside down and then knocking it against your other hand with a Microfiber Glove on it.

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Then hold the polisher in one hand and the wax in your other hand with the glove on it and blip the on/off button of the polisher while holding the wax against the face of the pad and you can quickly transfer wax to the pad.

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The Microfiber Gloves keep the wax clean until you place it back into the jar and enable you to grip the wax so it doesn't slip out of your hand and onto the floor...

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Ready to start laying down some Banana Armour...
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It takes a little muscle to do this because in one hand you're holding the wax and the other hand is holding the polisher for the duration of time it takes to run the polisher over every square inch of the car. If you had a helper they could hold the wax with microfiber gloves on and you could use both hands to hold the polisher, then as you needed more wax your helper could apply the wax while you hold the polisher, otherwise hit the gym.


If you look carefully you can see I spelled out Dodo on the hood in my wax pattern...

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In the forum world you'll often read people talking about getting the "Sun Shot" , that's where they pull their project car out into the sun to show there are no swirls in the paint.

The below shot is kind of like the "Sun Shot", but I call it the "Fun Shot" because I was just having some fun with the Dodo name in wax.

I used a rubberband to hold a Cobra Indigo Microfiber Bonnet over a 3" Griot's Garage Polishing Pad on a DA Polisher and took the wax off only where the word DODO was spelled out and then pulled the car into the sun for a "Fun Shot".

The Sun Shot Fun Shot
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Yep, this is how you get the high overhead shot, you have to get up in the air a little ways...

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Removing the wax
After capturing the fun shot I pulled the car back into our studio and let the hood cool down and then removed the wax by hand using Cobra Indigo Microfiber Towels. Always fold your towels 4 ways to give you 8 sides to wipe with and to provide cushion to spread out the pressure of you hand.

Below is a link to a video and at the end of the video I show how to remove Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 by hand using the Cobra Indigo Microfiber Towels. In this video I share a technique I call "Breaking the Wax Open" and then "Creeping Out". Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 is a finishing synthetic paint sealant but the technique shared in the video can be used with any finishing wax, sealant or hybrid.

How to Apply a Synthetic Paint Sealant by Hand using the Straightline Technique


After removing the majority of the wax it's time to give the paint a final wipe. Here's an article on the technique for giving paint a final wipe.

The Final Wipe – Tips for creating a streak-free, show car finish




Shiny paint isn't complete with out dressing the tires...
For the tires I used the newly improved Detailer's Pride Gloss Tire Gel This tire gel leaves a nice dark sheen on your car's tires while leaving a durable polymer coating that blocks UV rays.

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If you really want to see this new tire dressing in action, check out this article...

Behold Behemoth! - Cleaned & Sealed with DP Poli-Coat




Here's the "Beauty Shot" with the final results
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Here's a postcard from 1973... (Picture taken on May 2nd, 2010)
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Here's another one...
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And the parting shot before I hand the keys back over to the owner...
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Here's all the products I used...
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I included a selection of the different types of pads available in the Kompressor Line and the Flat Pad Line as I know some people reading this might not be aware there are plenty of options to choose from depending upon what you're working on and what you're trying to accomplish.

This is where the AutogeekOnline Auto Detailing Forum comes in handy, if you have any questions about products or process you can post them to our forum where our forum members and myself will do our best to post accurate and helpful answers.

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Products Used
#7 Show Car Glaze
Detailer's Pride Waterless Wash
Cobra Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber Towels
XMT Speed Clay
XMT Speed Clay Lube
Dodo Juice Banana Armour Hard Wax
Soft, foam applicator pad
Porter Cable 7424XP
6" Kompressor Purple Heavy Cutting Pad
M80 Speed Glaze
Flex 3403 Lightweight Rotary Buffer
Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer
Mike Phillips' Principles of Machine Polishing
Wolfgang Finishing Glaze
5.5" Flat Foam Buffing Pad
XMT 360
5.5" Flat Gray Finishing Pad
Microfiber Gloves
Cobra Indigo Microfiber Bonnet
3" Griot's Garage Polishing Pad
Cobra Indigo Microfiber Towels
Detailer's Pride Gloss Tire Gel
Autogeek Show Car Garage Apron


Not shown but probably the most used product throughout the entire project
Autogeek Insulated Tumbler


Further Resources
How-To Videos
How-To Articles
Autogeek Online Discussion Forum


:)
 
Absolutely brilliant write up, top notch work (but we all expect as much from you Mike) and brilliant finish.

Nuff said!

:)
 
Wow! Today my friend and I visited a gentleman with a classic Corvette with the original paint, 1960's ( i think).. which we probably going be working on with baby blue paint, i seen cracking on it and a lot of oxidation.

From what i read here, would using #7 be a good idea for non-metallic paint?

Problem is i don't have paint gauge for fiberglass which apparently what car is made of, owner wants us to remove oxidation, it will not have to be mirror like after we done since original paint is VERY important. any other recommendations? thought of using Menzerna 85RD and light cutting pad (white or black) and see what we can do. only megs stuff i have is 205(which haven't used yet, and 105 but this is no no for this paint for sure)

any suggestions are appreciated.
 
Wow!

Today my friend and I visited a gentleman with a classic Corvette with the original paint, 1960's ( i think).. which we probably going be working on with baby blue paint, i seen cracking on it and a lot of oxidation.

From what i read here, would using #7 be a good idea for non-metallic paint?

Hi Misha,

Yes, rubbing the original, cracked paint down with #7 Show Car Glaze as a first step would be the first thing I would do before any other correction step. The idea being to condition the paint before working on it.

It doesn't matter that the paint is non-metallic in fact it's BETTER!

As I pointed out in the article Metallic paints are the HARDEST paints to restore and to be honest most of the time you can't restore them because there's just too much damage to the paint caused by the metal particles in the paint.

Rubbing out and restoring NON-Metallic antique single stage paint is a cake walk, that means it's EASY. Count your blessings, I would love to restore the Baby Blue Paint on a 1960 Corvette.

Or course wipe the car clean or wash if you have to or if the owner requests you to, but note I pointed out the problem with introducing lots of water to antique cars in the above article.


And most important... GET THE BEFORE SHOTS "BEFORE" YOU START WORKING ON THE PAINT.

See this article as I explain why in detail...


The power in the after shots is created in the before shots



Here's the important part for you to read again and look at the pictures of the oils traveling through the paper, not merely over the paper. This is what you want to happen to this old, dried out single stage paint before you work on it.

Mike Phillips said:
This is key...
Saturation Application --> The First Application
This is a mostly unknown technique and that is to let the first application penetrate and soak into the paint for up to 24 hours before wiping the product off. The idea being to really apply the product wet and work it in really well and the walk away.

The idea is to allow the heavy concentration of oils to penetrate and seep into the paint for maximum saturation before removing the product and continuing with the process. In this case I finished applying the first application of #7 around 9:00 pm and then left the #7 to soak in until the next day. I started wiping the product off then next morning right about 10:00am.

Some will argue if this works or not buy my experience is that with a porous single stage paint it does in fact help. One thing for sure it can't hurt.

Paper Test for Capillary Action
If you place a few drops of #7 onto a piece of paper and then monitor it over a few days you will see the oils in the #7 migrate or seep away from the actual drop of product. It does this through capillary action and the same thing can work to your car's paints' advantage if it's a single stage lacquer or enamel paint.

I placed a few drops about the size of a nickel on a piece of standard printer paper around 3:00pm.

7CapillaryAction01.jpg


The next day I took these pictures at approximately 10:00am, (19 hours later), note how the oils in the drops of #7 have migrated outward via capillary action.

7CapillaryAction02.jpg


Feeder Oils penetrate or feed the paint
This same effect can take place in a single stage paint but not only will the oils travel horizontally, they will also travel vertically, that they will penetrate downward "into" your car's paint and this is where the term feeder oils comes from as the oils penetrate into or feed the paint. The result is they will condition the paint restoring some level of workability as compared to just working on old dry paint, and they will also bring out the full richness of color, something that will showcase the beauty of your car's paint.



37 Year Old Paint Soaking in Seven...
NonAbrasiveMethod016.jpg



The worse condition the paint, the more times you repeat the #7 conditioning step
For this project I applied, worked and removed the #7 four times to the hood and tops of the fenders. After the initial saturation application I applied and worked in the #7 three more times the next day.

I put as much energy into the last application as I did the first application and in order to do this right it takes the desire for excellent results as well as the human elements of care and passion to rub out a hood 6' long and almost 5' in width 4 times like your life depended upon it but the results will be worth it.



After approximately 12 hours of soaking in #7 Show Car Glaze, we're ready to wipe off the first application off this 37-year old paint.

NonAbrasiveMethod017.jpg

Problem is i don't have paint gauge for fiberglass which apparently what car is made of, owner wants us to remove oxidation, it will not have to be mirror like after we done since original paint is VERY important. any other recommendations?

First, you don't need a paint gauge for this project. Second, single stage paint is very soft and easy to restore as long as you use the right products and start by gorging the old, dry paint with the oils found in the #7 Show Car Glaze.

Actually, if you re-read the above article c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y you'll see I pointed out that you can use your "cloth" as your abrasive together with the oils in the #7 and some elbow grease.

AFTER conditioning the paint you can use just about anything to abrade the paint if you feel it's needed, wait till you've applied the #7 a few times and then check your results. You'll be amazed at what the nap of either some cotton terry cloth, #7 Show Car Glaze and some elbow grease can do.

any other recommendations?

thought of using Menzerna 85RD and light cutting pad (white or black) and see what we can do. only megs stuff i have is 205(which haven't used yet, and 105 but this is no no for this paint for sure)

any suggestions are appreciated.

You can tackle this job with either the Menzerna 85RD or the M205 as both of these have some type of polishing oils in them and single stage paint is pretty easy for ANYONE to create a dramatic before and after.

The point of this article was targeted at showing the old-school method to restore antique single stage paints and as I posted above, the oils in the #7 Show Car Glaze have been around since car paint was invented and have about a 100 year, time-proven record of success at restoring and maintaining single stage paints.

Explain to the owner what you're going to do and order a bottle of #7 Show Car Glaze and put off the project until it arrives, get some soft cotton or microfiber towels with a nap like I explain in this article and follow the steps I outline in this article because that's why I wrote it... to help people restore antique paints. Because the tend to be thin and dry, there's not a lot of room for error.

Order 2 bottles just in case you get asked to restore another antique paint job after the owner recommends you to his car buddies after seeing the results you achieve on his car...

#7 Show Car Glaze


:)
 
Great write up as always.

Being that there's still oxidation left after #7, would using KAIO remove remaining oxidation?
 
Great write up as always.

Being that there's still oxidation left after #7, would using KAIO remove remaining oxidation?

Sure it would work, how aggressive your application material would be a huge factor as KLASSE AIO isn't a very aggressive cleaner/sealant.

A better idea would be to use a dedicated compound, abrasive paint cleaner, abrasive cleaner/polish or polish, or Swirl Mark Remover, something with some type of abrading ability to chew off dead paint but do it carefully.

Keep in mind whatever you use, this article is targeted at someone that is trying to preserve something that is very old and fragile, it's not like working on a modern car with a modern clear coat, besides the paint being different the mindset is different.

Someone that buys an antique car that has restorable paint isn't going to want to have all the easily abraded single stage paint abraded off to the primer. The idea is about being careful, not fast...

It's pretty common in my experience for the average person, not knowing that much about detailing to simply compound antique paint and destroy it.


:)
 
Thank you so much Mike. Now I have a step-by-step method spelled out for me! And you won't have to deal with me asking all those questions about single stage paint again!! :laughing: :laughing:
 
***Update***

This article is scheduled to be published at AutoTraderClassic.com

I talked to the Content Manager at AutoTrader and he said their server choked when they tried to add it to their article library.

I did a picture and word count and here's what I came up with...


The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints

12,143 Words
91 Photos



Dampsanding has less words but more pictures...

Damp-Sanding Tools, Tips and Techniques by Mike Phillips

10,758 Words
154 Pictures


:)
 
This is very rewarding...

A forum member on MOL read my recent article on restoring antique and single stage paint then applied the techniques, entered his car into a car show and won a first place trophy...

1St place trophy, thanks to Mike Phillips, MOL & M07!

BillyJackElCamino.jpg



:dblthumb2:


Thats pretty awesome right there. I'm going to be getting a 1986 Lincoln Town Car (white) pretty soon...i believe it still has its original paint as well. Its in pretty rough shape right now...but i believe using the techniques listed in your artice (MAN that was a lot of reading lol) along with the thrill of doing my very own FIRST car will end up with awesome results. I'll have to hold back thou when i first get it as i want to make sure everything is in running order....gotta get the AC fixed...couple windows/door handles need to be fixed or replaced...and the biggest factor is when its on the freeway it overheats...and its not the radiator so gotta figure out what the problem there is.

after all thats done thou THEN i'll put the loving touch on it. I dont want to put all that work into it and then let a mechanice grease/scratch it all up...that might make me angry lol....I'll be sure to post pictures once i get it all finished.

Good stuff Mike!
 
Mike, I just read through this whole article again and wanted to say thanks for all the time you put into it. Your love for single stage paints is very apparent when reading through that one!
 
Outstanding work Mike, this is one of the most dedicated and thorough write ups I have ever seen. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into it. I have to agree with Corey, your love of SS paints definitely shows through here.
 
Okay, so I have SS paint. I have slight swirls and scratches as well. Would the best approach be to use swirl remover, then glaze, then polish, then seal?
 
That is an amazingly exhausting process! But, well worth the results. That's fantastic. I always knew single stage paint can be worked back to life...I just thought maybe there was an easier way, ha. Apparently there's not.

Just out of curiosity...what would you recommend charging for a service like this?? Cause this is a LOT of work. I would imagine this would be around $500 and up...

I would definitely like to offer this to my customers...so any advice on what I should charge would be much appreciated! Amazing job!
 
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