So last Thursday I bought a project 1992 Z28 Convertible Heritage package... 1 of 208 made

The car has been sitting under a tree for the past 2 years, and the rear vert window was busted out when someone broke in for the cd player... so it needed lots of help.


I had time to do the exterior of the car on Sunday. I used basically a 6/7 step process for the paint "restoration", of course starting with a good hand wash and dry. I first started with using my Dr. Colorchip touch up paint kit all over the cars various little chips and scrapes.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...yone-used.html
I second used Meguiars clay bar kit, to smooth out the paint and remove foreign materials... this is where a another step which I DON'T recommend for everyone came in. There was SO much tree sap on the paint that the clay bar was having a tough time with it, so in come the Brake Cleaner and cotton towel. Using the brake cleaner soaked rag rubbing on the sap quickly removes the sap with very little effort (I'm not sure of the effect on others paint brake cleaner will have, but has had none on any vehicle I has done this with... still not really condoning it). I thirdly fired up my Porter Cable with a selection of Lake Country and CCS pads, and using my Prima products performed 2 levels of polishing, a jeweling glaze, and finally a wax.

Before:




After:





Can really see the shine in the paint here when there is lots of things to reflect off it!



I was gonna go take some more pics in a little more scenic area down the road, then realized that something is spraying out from under it... water pump crapped the bed!

Wholly crap dood...you did a "super fantastic' job! What are your plans for the car going forward?

I'm pretty proud of how nice it turned out. Will need to re-spray the hood, but untill then I can drive it feel ok while fixing all the other stuff.

Plans are to perform a mini restoration, and probably sell it. I'm feeling like I might fall in love with it thought and end up trying to park it in the garage next to my 91

Very nice, it's amazing what a simple Porter Cable and some polish can do.

I love seeing this kind of stuff. Great job!

How many folks here would have just gotten out the black primer rattle can instead of restoring this car's paint finish?

Man!!!! You did a fantastic job on cleaning that car up!!! Doesn't even look like the same car! How long did it take you to do all steps?? And would you mind sending me a PM with details and products to use? I can never get my show car cleaned up like that!! but I really only use turtle wax Black box on mine. Shines up well but not like the difference yours made.

If he ever sells it I am first in line haha

Looks awesome btw! You did a great job.

Way too many!!! Thanks man!

I will send you a pm here in a few with my recommendations.
True. Hopefully I can run into some money to keep it instead of trying to turn it for a profit. I will keep you in the loop.

Great job man....you brought it back from the dead. I have been using the porter cable orbital more and more over the past few years instead of the buffer. Plus the lake country pads are top notch.

It looks like a hole nother car. The red wheel accents now look pink tho

Yeah they looked pink anyway! Gonna have to order some paint, and aircraft stripper.

Looks like a keeper to me

I would love to get my hands on a convertible in that kind of shape. Not to rough....and not to nice....perfect for a good restoration/modification car!

BTW, great work on makin'er look good again

You did a killer detail my friend, you rock! So how good is the Dr Color Chip? I would like to get some for my Koup as the Kia touch up paint pens SUCKS and my car gets alot of small chips from all the freeway driving I do. The vert is sweet and if I had it I would want to keep it too.

Yeah I totally want to keep the car, but I bought it to have some summer fun restoring it, and hopefully make a dollar or two.

I honestly don't work well having multiple "toy" vehicles... I had a sweet mini truck, a 9" lifted monster truck, and 67 chevy p/u that all took time and money away from the 91, and working on them was never as rewarding as working on my 91. We will see what happens. If I can't get decent money out of it, the car is rare enough that it would be worth putting under a cover and letting it appreciate in value a while.

I know the feeling, I have a sweet 2007 Harley-you can always do more work to a Harley, My 2002 B4000 is my main project and did not even know it LOL! I just Monstalined the whole body-looks killer and got the TA as a project car and so far it just sits as I work on the truck. Sometimes too many toys is a problem, but it could be worse right?