85 Ford Van

[stinger66]

A buddy of mine has a 1985 ford van that has some heavy oxidation & needs some help. I am getting a makita rotary buffer next week & he has agreed to let me learn how with the new buffer.

questions are:

what compounds & or cleaners
what pads to use
I do have the g-100 already
#83 #80, DC 1, 2 & 3
#7 show glaze
Gold class wax, NXT wax along with the usual stuff(towels, pads, etc.)

What do you guys think the plan of attack should be?

I am sure it is not a BC/CC.

Thanks.

[travisdecpn]

I would start out by washing and claying the surface. Then start with the least aggressive approach first. #80 via rotary @ 1200 rpm and a W-8000 or 8006 pad would be a good place to start. SS oxidation is not extremely difficult to remove and doesn't usually need a very aggressive approach. Sometimes even a chemical cleaner will do the job. If you have some #2 Fine Cut Cleaner, that is another option. Any spots that require something more aggressive, should be treated to #83 with a new W-8006/8000 pad @1200 rpm. Follow this with #80 to remove any marring.

When using the rotary take the time to tape off any rubber molding and trim to prevent having to clean it up later. Also avoid corners, edges, and curved areas. The paint can be very thing in these areas and easy to burn through. If you find that the polishes are drying too quickly, you can spray some qd or water on the pad and surface of the vehicle. Just be sure not to use too much as it dramatically increases the likelihood of splatter. Building off that last bit, be sure to wear an apron, or a shirt you really don't care about as you will have paint/polish all over your shirt if you get any splatter.