hey guys i just bought a 82 camaro its burgandy (thats prolly not spelled right but o-well lol) well the paint on this thing isnt bad but it is weather beatn any suggestions on bringing the shine back...... im pretty sure that its a lacquer based paint therefore it dosent have clear coat on it, its just paint
thanks,
john

 

I dont really know anything about the paint on the older cars, but I do know that some single stage paint jobs (no clear) can be buffed with the right compounds to look real good.

 

any idea on what polishes to use?

 

Post a pic so I can see how bad it is.

There are polishes and compounds that, when used with a rotary or random orbit sander will bring new life to old paint. But, there is a limit to what they can do.

 

I did mine early summer 2007. It was a 4 hour job, looked good for a few months, but if you don't continue to do it, it looks worse than before. I used Turtle Wax rubbing compound on the really rough spots, and Turtle Wax Polishing compound on the whole car. Then finished it off with some Meguiar's swirl remover. Looked like it had just been painted... Until the sun hit it.

 

To keep the shine, even after being exposed to the elements, you need to make sure that you have cleaned the paint really well before any polishing. This is what the clay bar is for. After all the buffing and polishing, use a high quality wax/sealant. I use one by 4 Star, can't recall the exact name, but I bought it from Danase detailing supply online. Even after months of driving, my father's '96 Impala and my '95 Formula still look good. And, cleaning and detailing them the next time will be a heck of a lot easier. I probably spent a good 15-20 hours on my '95, completing all of the steps needed.

 

thanks for the info guys well as soon as i get some decent weather ill have at it... ill post up some pics of before and after

 

"color back finish restorer" works great on old oxidized paint. Then finish up with car wax....

 

The paint on my car wasn't terribly old when I used a clay bar and the Meguiar Three-Step process. The results were impressive, IMO.

JamesC