83/80/CX on neglected beater

[Cam]

Had some time this afternoon to experiment with my new PC on the winter beater. It's a 1981 Oldsmobile Toronado donated to me by my grandparents about ten years ago when I was learning to drive. It was in rough shape then, and it's even worse now. Single stage burgundy paint, chalky oxidization, terrible etching, rust on the bottom half of the body, and checked/cracked paint all over.

It's parked during the summer while I drive my fun car, and only sees spray washes through the winter. But since the hood is big enough to play soccer on, there's lots of neglected paint to polish. I decided to try #83, #80, and ColorX. Or as we spell it up here in Canada, ColourX. ;)

I took pre-wash pics, but they're too horrendous to show on a public forum. After a wash, it looked like this:

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/586B1.jpg
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/586B2.jpg

I started with ColorX on a polishing pad, but it gummed up real quick with all the crud that was coming off. So I did a quick once over the hood with ColorX by terry towel. Then I tried a section with #80 with a polishing pad, and there was still a fair amount of swirling. So then I break out the foam cutting pad and the #83. I do the entire hood with DACP on 5, then Speed Glaze on a polishing pad at 5, then ColourX on a finishing pad at 3. Here's after:

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/586A1.jpg
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/586A2.jpg

Still awful with all that etching and failing paint, but still an improvement. And more importantly, more practice for me! :)

[travisdecpn]

Looks like a good test vehicle for wet sanding and a rotary

[Teak]

Looks good. Did someone say mobile product testing lab.


Eric

[Lt1Corvette]

Great makeover,
The oxidation in the first picture is a killer. Did you notice the biggest color improvment when you applied the 80 speed glaze?

[Cam]

Actually, I was surprised how much of the oxidization came off with the ColourX. It was pretty tough to work it by hand though, so I stepped up to 80, and then to 83. Some stuff that I didn't expect to remove (chalk & stains just left of the hood ornament) came out OK.

Also, it wasn't really a 'makeover' - just a chance for me to get some practice and confidence handling the PC on a paintjob that I couldn't hurt... :)

[hirosh]

nice transformation. and nice looking hooptie. :D

my '89 Mustang, now my beater car, or as we call them in Hawaii, the beach car, also has a single stage paint, although it didn't get that oxidized, and the couple times i detailed it i had success at removing the light oxidization and water spots by using MPPC with a polishing pad.

here's a picture of half of the hood done with MPPC.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/rmiyash/89%20Mustang/89-halfdone-mppc.jpg

here's the hood afterwards
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/rmiyash/89%20Mustang/89-mppc.jpg

and you gotta love these cars for giving us more experience with the PC. :xyxthumbs

[Chris Nemlich]

That's a great improvement!

Looks good!

:xyxthumbs

Chris