New paint job - advice

[paul_h]

My ruby metallic coloured Saab comes back with a full metallic jacket from the paint shop in the next few weeks, and I need some advice on 3 points.

First though, let me say that after about 12 weeks I am anticipating one great paint job. I know the guy personally, and he stripped it right down, taking photo's, into a low-bake oven, the full works.

1) He's said that he will be polishing it after it is painted, I'm keen to know about this process. I've used pro products to restore an older finish, but I'm kinda nosey about what goes on with new paint. What type of product will he be using, and what is the effect?

2) As great as my guy is, he's not going to spend a whole weekend with a D-A polishing up the car, whereas I would think nothing of it. Can I do anything extra when I get it back, or should I leave it well alone until it needs maintainence and protection?

3) What special instructions are there for new paint (it's a metallic with clear coat, low bake oven)?

Your advice, as ever, greatly appreciated

[Mike Phillips]

Re: New paint job - advice

Originally posted by Paul_h
but I'm kinda nosy about what goes on with new paint. What type of product will he be using, and what is the effect?

My experience with many people in your shoes over the years has been that even if you find a great paint, it's the wet-sanding, cutting and polishing work that makes or breaks the end-results.

Most great painters either don't do the wet-sanding and machine polishing work, or don't like doing the wet-sanding and machine polishing work.

Both of these affect your car's finish. What you want is someone that is good at wet-sanding and machine polishing, and actually likes doing this, or takes pride in doing this.

Another thing that's very important to consider is the type of sanding paper and the compounds they plan on using.

Meguiar's offers a very high quality Finishing paper, which utilizes Unigrit construction. This levels the defects like orange peel while leaving behind a sanding mark pattern that buffs out quickly while leaving more paint behind on the surface.

There are wool pads and foam cutting pads, wool pads are faster, but tend to leave swirls that if not removed by re-buffing with a foam pad will be left in the finish.

That's why I have always really like Meguiar's. Meguiar's offers a system approach that in my opinion is the best, most well thought out system on the market. Your paint is thin, and getting a new paint job is a lot time, work and expense, after the new paint has finally been applied, the last thing you want is to have some one sand off more than is necessary, and then swirl the finish using compounds that don't diminish, (like Meguiar's), and don't finish buff with quality foam pads and cleaner polishes like the #83 DACP, #82 SFP, or the #80 Speed Glaze.

Before getting a paint job, I always recommend a person to discuss this first with your painter. At this stage of the game, you can check with him, but if he's not using the Meguiar's system, it's probably too late to get him to change.

After you get it back, inspect the results under bright lights carefully, if you see swirls, you might consider rebuffing the entire finish yourself, (if you're comfortable with the rotary buffer), while the paint is still not fully cured, and hopefully, not completely hardened.

Just some thoughts.

Mike

p.s.

I've seen a couple of vehicles come to our Saturday Detailing Classes that were painted by shops with good reputations with the expectation of a show car finish, but both of them had buffer swirls in them. Remember, it's not the painter, it's the guy who wet sands, cuts and buffs the paint after the painter is finished, that makes or breaks the final results.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

Excellent write-up Mike!!! I could not agree more! I have seen many excellent paint jobs only to be butchered my someone inexperienced in wet sanding a finish!! As Mike also pointed out, if you find someone that has a passion in detailing, the end results will probably turn out better!

Tim