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Can a car's old paint job be restored to a new "shine" with a new buffing and adding a couple fresh coats of clearcoat?

RON

 

Clearcoat is really designed as a "system" to be painted over freshly painted basecoat.

My opinion would be that it is possible. But I would not recommend it. I don't think you would find a pro that would try it.

 

If shine is the issue have you tried just a good compound and buff job first?

As for as clear coating only, i have seen this done with acceptable results. Definitely not what the manufacturer had in mind but if the car is properly cleaned and preped, the clear should stick and be there a long time. Be careful with what your paint looks like now though. The new clear will be very shinny and it will make problems such as chips and scratches seem worse than they were before. With black or dark colored cars you may even notice all kinds of problems you didn’t know were there, white or light colors may not be so bad. Also be prepared to deal with the orange peel that you'll likely get with new clear. Either live with it or put a enough clear down to color sand it out.

steve

 

I dont think you would be happy with the results , mur

 

I used to work with a guy who would pick up used cars, scuff them quickly with a gray scuff pad and spray them with clear coat to sell them. They looked OK for about a year or so but then the clear would start to flake off.

I would not recommend it.

 

Responding correctly to this type of question requires seeing the car, otherwise you could be steered down the wrong path. First, you need to examine the reason your finish is dull. It could be as simple as changing the way you wax the car.

The most common cause for loss of gloss in a cured paint job are fine scratches caused by washing, drying, wiping, car covers, or contaminates such as sap or environmental fallout settling on the surface. The fine scratches might not be visible in normal light and many and are invisible to most people except for painters, it is a curse. These scratches multiply over time and regular wax may not be abrasive enough to remove them. Dullness can also be exagerated by orange peel. Also, fine cracks in the paint can cause areas to appear dull. Look at the finish under good bright flourescent lighting and you may be able to tell the problem. Flourescent lights magnify paint problems. Before you decide to recoat, make sure you have identified what the problem is.

Once you determine the cause you can address it with the correct repair method which may be a simple buff. There are many products available to restore the finish provided the paint is not damaged. The products you use and the method of application are dependent on the type of paint you have. In the simplest case, you may only need to clay bar the car and use a series of polishes to restore the finish. For the best results on any paint, even on the simplest job, a orbital buffer will be required to remove the fine scratches and achieve the high show car gloss everyone wants. Once the scratches are gone, you have pure shine. Sample one area on the body first to see if you get the results you are looking for. Good luck and keep us posted.