Detailing and paint restoration

Jackalope501 · 11-20-2010, 10:10 PM

You have your dampened applicator and buffing product in hand. Place about a quarter-sized dollop on the applicator, and wipe it on the 1/6th area we talked about earlier. Set your applicator aside (face up) and grab your buffer. (wool pad attached, 3000 rpm) Pull your trigger and set the buffer down flat on the surface you're buffing...moving side to side with the body lines of the hood, then back and forth to cross your patterns like a big "T". Keep your buffer moving at all times. Work this area until the surface comes out clean. Don't overdo it. You may leave a couple of small smut marks where you didn't get all the polish off...that's ok. Better to leave a couple of spots than attempting to grind them out.

Be particularly careful around windshield wipers, washer jets, trim, antennas, etc. the edges of your wool pad can snag one in a heartbeat and sling it across your shop. I'm not kidding. I've seen fuel doors, trim, rearview mirrors and hood ornaments ripped off of cars before. It happens in a nanosecond, so always be aware of your pad's proximity to hazards.

Practice that for a bit, and we'll pick up again later...

Jackalope501 · 11-22-2010, 05:09 AM

Ok, so here it is...the wife's "new" car. The body was straight as a pin and I was able to pick it up for $300.oo (minus the motor). This is what the paint looked like after the trailer ride home. The grasshopper on the hood came with the car...actually made the whole trip home with us.

Kinda nasty looking huh?

You can see here where I started on the passenger side of the hood with a wool pad and Lite Finish. Look at the same image below with our coverage areas I mentioned earlier drawn out on the hood...

These sections are not numbered in the order you need to do them, it's just to show how many areas you need to break the hood down into for buffing one section at a time.

And this is what the hood looks like after the first pass with Lite Finish. That's 23 year old paint you're looking at. Hell of a difference isn't it?

Black is one of the most difficult colors to buff out, because it shows EVERYTHING you didn't get right. White is also a pain in the ass, since you can't see the product you apply to the paint. This makes it hard to tell what you're doing and where you have or haven't been. To solve this, I always keep a few "ketchup" bottles in the shop. You'll notice one in section 5 of the layout picture above. If you're buffing white paint, put some of your product in the ketchup bottle along with a little food coloring. Blue or red works best. Don't worry...it won't stain your paint, but it will make your polish stand out for better visibility.

So it may be a bit more difficult to work on, but black is also a high payoff color. Get it right and it looks like new money. The only color that pays off better is red. This is why I always kept my little red sport coupe parked in front of the shop. Buffed out red glows like nothing else can, and red is also a very forgiving color to buff.

Oh, in case you were wondering...

The grasshopper is doing just fine. He stayed to watch me buff out the first half of the hood, now he's taken up residence in my yard somewhere.

crazyasianr6 · 11-22-2010, 05:49 AM

Awesome stuff. Are you also going to give some of your experience on interior care, and engine decorating?

Jackalope501 · 11-22-2010, 06:01 AM

Sure will crazy...I'm working from the outside in. I always do this because buffing leaves all that residue in your door jambs and I like to clean things once when doing a car. We'll get there in the next few posts, I promise you.

TurboSupera · 01-06-2011, 07:33 PM

Thanks for all the info.

Question for you: have you ever heard or used a product called System One and what are your thoughts about it?

11-20-2010, 10:10 PM	#1
Jackalope501 Stock Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tulsa, Ok Posts: 22	Buffing the Hood You have your dampened applicator and buffing product in hand. Place about a quarter-sized dollop on the applicator, and wipe it on the 1/6th area we talked about earlier. Set your applicator aside (face up) and grab your buffer. (wool pad attached, 3000 rpm) Pull your trigger and set the buffer down flat on the surface you're buffing...moving side to side with the body lines of the hood, then back and forth to cross your patterns like a big "T". Keep your buffer moving at all times. Work this area until the surface comes out clean. Don't overdo it. You may leave a couple of small smut marks where you didn't get all the polish off...that's ok. Better to leave a couple of spots than attempting to grind them out. Be particularly careful around windshield wipers, washer jets, trim, antennas, etc. the edges of your wool pad can snag one in a heartbeat and sling it across your shop. I'm not kidding. I've seen fuel doors, trim, rearview mirrors and hood ornaments ripped off of cars before. It happens in a nanosecond, so always be aware of your pad's proximity to hazards. Practice that for a bit, and we'll pick up again later...

11-22-2010, 05:09 AM	#2
Jackalope501 Stock Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tulsa, Ok Posts: 22	Ok, so here it is...the wife's "new" car. The body was straight as a pin and I was able to pick it up for $300.oo (minus the motor). This is what the paint looked like after the trailer ride home. The grasshopper on the hood came with the car...actually made the whole trip home with us. Kinda nasty looking huh? You can see here where I started on the passenger side of the hood with a wool pad and Lite Finish. Look at the same image below with our coverage areas I mentioned earlier drawn out on the hood... These sections are not numbered in the order you need to do them, it's just to show how many areas you need to break the hood down into for buffing one section at a time. And this is what the hood looks like after the first pass with Lite Finish. That's 23 year old paint you're looking at. Hell of a difference isn't it? Black is one of the most difficult colors to buff out, because it shows EVERYTHING you didn't get right. White is also a pain in the ass, since you can't see the product you apply to the paint. This makes it hard to tell what you're doing and where you have or haven't been. To solve this, I always keep a few "ketchup" bottles in the shop. You'll notice one in section 5 of the layout picture above. If you're buffing white paint, put some of your product in the ketchup bottle along with a little food coloring. Blue or red works best. Don't worry...it won't stain your paint, but it will make your polish stand out for better visibility. So it may be a bit more difficult to work on, but black is also a high payoff color. Get it right and it looks like new money. The only color that pays off better is red. This is why I always kept my little red sport coupe parked in front of the shop. Buffed out red glows like nothing else can, and red is also a very forgiving color to buff. Oh, in case you were wondering... The grasshopper is doing just fine. He stayed to watch me buff out the first half of the hood, now he's taken up residence in my yard somewhere. Last edited by Jackalope501; 11-22-2010 at 05:57 AM. Reason: Additional content

11-22-2010, 05:49 AM	#3
crazyasianr6 Stock Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Posts: 9	Awesome stuff. Are you also going to give some of your experience on interior care, and engine decorating? __________________ 95 Toyota Supra 08 Yamaha YZF-R6

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11-22-2010, 06:01 AM	#4
Jackalope501 Stock Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tulsa, Ok Posts: 22	Sure will crazy...I'm working from the outside in. I always do this because buffing leaves all that residue in your door jambs and I like to clean things once when doing a car. We'll get there in the next few posts, I promise you.

01-06-2011, 07:33 PM	#5
TurboSupera 3" Exhaust Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Garden Grove, CA Posts: 106	Thanks for all the info. Question for you: have you ever heard or used a product called System One and what are your thoughts about it?