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So I recently picked up this silver anniversary car and the right front fender is showing some clear coat failure, but it's not burned all the way through. Is there anything kind of rubbing compound that might restore the finish or is my only option (aside from doing a full repaint, which I don't want to do right now) to sand down to the base coat and shoot some new clear coat on it?
Last edited by hotrodv840; May 17, 2016 at 11:33 AM.
...... Is there anything kind of rubbing compound that might restore the finish or is my only option (aside from doing a full repaint, which I don't want to do right now) to sand down to the base coat and shoot some new clear coat on it?
If the base color is consistent looking, you can shoot a few coats of clear over it, in "most cases" without a problem. BUT. . .
Here's the thing. If it's a repaint, you can never really be sure what type of paint that is on there, what type of primer / clear they used so you want to avoid any adhesion problems by having your paint guy suggest what type of clear coat to re-shoot.
If it's an older repaint, you can quite often get away with lacquer clear coat over it after scuffing. I used to do body and paint a ton of years ago. (thankfully a friend still owns his shop so I can always pick his brain about compatibility issues and he usually sets me straight).
For example, I don't think I'd want to shoot some of this newer water based "stuff" over an old system. I've done about 6-7 "re-clear" projects over the last few years (did our last Volvo C-70 convertible last summer before selling it, and did a quick re-shoot on my 97 Ford stepside about 4 years back). Both of which really came out awesome. The Ford still looks great (and it's over a burgundy / wine color which is a color that really fades inconsistently).
Hey, give it a shot, It's gotta look better than the current fading ... right?
As an alternative before re-coating it you could try Meguire's M100 Pro Speed Compound with a wool cutting pad on a rotary polisher, or M105 with a foam cutting pad on a DA polisher. I've tried them both after wet sanding with 1200-1500 grit on CC. M100 is more agressive and would require a polish afterwards, M105 doesn't leave any hazing but won't get as deep as M100.
If you think there is enough CC still there wet sanding with 2000-3000 first would improve the end result. If that doesn't do it, re clearing it I think would be you're only other option.
Here's a pic of my car showing before/after using M100 with a wool cutting pad on a rotary polisher, was wet sanded first with 1500.
Last edited by Tubbafatt; May 18, 2016 at 03:27 PM.
As others have said, 78 Corvette's were single stage acrylic lacquer, the very first Corvettes to be painted in base coat clear coat enamel were the 81's built at Bowling Green staring June 81.
It's a little hard to tell from your picture, but it does appear that your car may have been repainted. The fender pinstripe doesn't seem to come as close to thw bumper, as they do on factory done stripes.
Is that a 55 Packard Patrician I see, keeping the Corvette company? Back in the 70's, we had a 14000 mile, 56 Packard Caribbean hardtop in a black, pink and white tri-color paint job. It was a pretty rare car, but we didn't know how rare back then. Turned out it was one of less than 300 built.
I still love those mid 50's Packard's.
Last edited by gbvette62; May 18, 2016 at 06:45 PM.
As others have said, 78 Corvette's were single stage acrylic lacquer, the very first Corvettes to be painted in base coat clear coat enamel were the 81's built at Bowling Green staring June 81.
It's a little hard to tell from your picture, but it does appear that your car may have been repainted. The fender pinstripe doesn't seem to come as close to thw bumper, as they do on factory done stripes.
Is that a 55 Packard Patrician I see, keeping the Corvette company? Back in the 70's, we had a 14000 mile, 56 Packard Caribbean hardtop in a black, pink and white tri-color paint job. It was a pretty rare car, but we didn't know how rare back then. Turned out it was one of less than 300 built.
I still love those mid 50's Packard's.
Cool, thanks for the info! It's easy to tell the beak has been painted and they never put a new stripe sticker on it, and now the tit is so cracked up that it needs to be repainted again. There a couple places along the side where someone did little bandaid sections with the stripe sticker.
My Packard is a '55 400, good eye. They're super interesting cars.
My Packard is a '55 400, good eye. They're super interesting cars.
They are really neat cars. I don't know much about them. Wasn't the 400 a little sportier of a car "back in the day" or am I incorrect? It seems like all of the Patricians that I see are Post Cars and the 400's seem to be more of a non-post / pillar-less car..... but again, I'm not that familiar with them.
I'm into Olds and some of late 60's Cutlass's used to have a "Club Coupe model" that had a post and a Holiday Coupe which had no post. In the case of the 1968's that are my favorites, they are both nice looking cars, and I can't say I really have a preference, but the Holiday's do look at bit cleaner with all windows down...
Nice Packard though.
Last edited by 76C3forme; May 19, 2016 at 02:31 PM.
They are really neat cars. I don't know much about them. Wasn't the 400 a little sportier of a car "back in the day" or am I incorrect? It seems like all of the Patricians that I see are Post Cars and the 400's seem to be more of a non-post / pillar-less car..... but again, I'm not that familiar with them.
I'm into Olds and some of late 60's Cutlass's used to have a "Club Coupe model" that had a post and a Holiday Coupe which had no post. In the case of the 1968's that are my favorites, they are both nice looking cars, and I can't say I really have a preference, but the Holiday's do look at bit cleaner with all windows down...
Nice Packard though.
Yep, all the 400's were a 2-door hardtop. Patricians were essentially the same car, just with a B-pillar and 4-doors. And as far as sporty goes, Packard claimed the endurance speed record in 1955 at 104MPH, and I believe they used a Patrician for that demonstration.
Yep, all the 400's were a 2-door hardtop. Patricians were essentially the same car, just with a B-pillar and 4-doors. And as far as sporty goes, Packard claimed the endurance speed record in 1955 at 104MPH, and I believe they used a Patrician for that demonstration.
Good to know. So all Patricians were 4 doors, or where there Patrician Coupes as well? (just curious)...
But I guess to keep the post on topic, I guess I should mention that both cars didn't use clear coat....
'78 clear coat failure
