Orange Peel

[04Mach1]

Is wet-sanding usually the only way to get rid of orange peel or will Ultimate Compound and a DA remove some of it? The Mach 1 I recently purchased has what I feel is too much to be from the factory on driver's side door.

Thanks,
Barry

[Murr1525]

Re: Orange Peel

Yeah, wet sanding only.

And not really recommended on factory paint jobs.

[greg0303]

Re: Orange Peel

Barry,

If you decide to remove orange peel proceed with caution. You have about 2 mils of clear coat thickness of which 1.3-1.5 mils are necessary for paint protection of average vehicle's lifetime. You risk clear coat failure either right away or in the future if you wet/ damp-sand too deeply.

You really need to take paint thickness readings with a gauge and they will vary in different areas (even on the same panel). Then try to remove about 0.25-0.3 mil and see where it takes you.

It's a risky operation on factory paints. Sanding mark removal/ intense polishing need to follow up.

[Blue Apollo IV]

Re: Orange Peel

I would just let the paint be. It's really not worth it to wet sand and risk doing real damage. The risk/reward is just not there in my opinion.

If the paint is really that bad, I would save up money for complete professional show quality paint job on your Mach1.

[Paul S]

Re: Orange Peel

First you must decide how much you desire a slick show car finish. Is this a weekend toy or a daily driver ? If you go further a paint thickness reading would be next on my list by a local pro detailer or paint shop.You will need to know if that drivers door is original paint or a repaint. The warnings that the forum members are offering are all true and must not be taken lightly. If you don't care to have a pro take care of this and are hell bent on trying it yourself , try wet sanding on a couple of old beaters first or some body shop panels that have been discarded. Some guys will tell you that they did it with no problems, there are plenty of others out there with real horror stories.Remember sanding away clear coat will shorten the life span of the paint.With this being said , I have a 2002 Firebird that had terrible factory orange-peel . It's a 18,000 mile garage queen and I decided it was driving me crazy so if I failed then it would need re-painted anyway. Chris Dasher (PorscheGuy997) came buy and with his skill and the new Megs M/F system it was sanded and came out beyond my wildest expectations.So good luck whichever way you decide to go.Feel free to PM me with any questions on this process. Paul S