detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

[lakesiderider]

hello,

I am going to be detailing an old car that was my great uncles. This car was restored 20 years ago and has been in storage for the last 10 years. There are no chips or bad swirl marks in the paint. Could any one recommend what to do to the paint since it has been sitting for such a long time. Also, is it bad to wash the car down with a hose? I heard this can get through cracks and cause mildew or something in older cars. But, I don;t get how else I could clean it.

Thanks, Ben

[Murr1525]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

When you say restored, do you know what kind of paint is on it?

As fa as water, it can cause rust obviously. So people with old cars will tend to avoid it. However, sounds like it may need a good wash this time, then up to you how to proceed in the future.

Any chance of pics?

Will you be working by hand?

[stephensdetail]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

sounds like it needs a good washing what i would do is wash it with car soap and water using the 2 bucket method then if you got an air compressor or leaf blower use that to blow out all the cracks. but do not over look a rinse wash. i have seen some pretty dirty cars get washed using a rinseless. really depends on how they car has been stored

[lakesiderider]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

what is the 2 bucket wash system? the car was repainted about 20 years ago and i do not know what kind of paint it is. i will post pictures later this week after i get it back from the shop..


thanks

[Mr Miyagi]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

what is the 2 bucket wash system? the car was repainted about 20 years ago and i do not know what kind of paint it is. i will post pictures later this week after i get it back from the shop..


thanks

Two bucket method is exactly what it sounds like...two buckets. One is your 'wash' bucket, and the second is the 'rinse' bucket. Basically the wash bucket has your water and wash product. The rinse is just water. Rinse your wash mitt in the rinse bucket and load it up in the wash bucket. The purpose is to keep the grimy residue out of the wash bucket. Also Grit guards are a good idea

[lakesiderider]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

thanks!! and what would be a good wax to use?? i will be hand waxing it, do not want to use rotary just yet

[Murr1525]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

You can google "How to Wash Your Car Showcar Style" as well.

Probably doesnt need a rotary anyway...

You probably want to do something like Wash, Clay, Ultimate Polish, then any of the waxes. Gold Class+ might be nice, or Nxt 2.0 for a bit more durability.

[lakesiderider]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

i looked at the polish but i dont get what it does exactly???? and should i use terry towels or microfiber for removing wax and polish?

thanks

[Murr1525]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

Well, the Ultimate Polish is what is considered a cleaner/polish, so it has the ability to

1. Clean - remove dirt, and some swirls if worked in really well. Probably wont get a lot of defect removal by hand.

&

2. Polish - Polishing oils are going to help keep the paint from drying out, as well as temporarily fill in mild imperfections to add to the gloss of the paint.

I prefer MF towels for removing products, like the Supreme Shine type.

[lakesiderider]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

what would be an ideal detailing sequence after doing the initial wash, clay, polish and wax...i am curious because i have done this to my mother's 32 ford and i am trying to avoid the washing part because i do not like getting the water everywhere on the car....i guess my question is after doing the complete detail, could i just wax again in the future?? and how long should i wait between waxes?? the car is garaged and rarely driven, but we will be taking it to multiple car shows this summer! thanks

[Murr1525]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

If the car is kept fairly dust free, you would probably want to look into one of the quick detailer spray type products. And probably in bulk, if doing often.

You would use something like Last Touch, or Final Inspection with a MF towel to remove the light dust. Then you would follow up with a regular wax, or a spray wax. If staying indoors mostly, something like Ultiamte Quick Wax would be very quick and look good.

[GRAND DADDY'S XLR CADDY]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

what would be an ideal detailing sequence after doing the initial wash, clay, polish and wax...i am curious because i have done this to my mother's 32 ford and i am trying to avoid the washing part because i do not like getting the water everywhere on the car....i guess my question is after doing the complete detail, could i just wax again in the future?? and how long should i wait between waxes?? the car is garaged and rarely driven, but we will be taking it to multiple car shows this summer! thanks

From what I have read on Meguiar's site you should use a detailing spray to do keep up the maintenace so you would not need to wash it hardly ever. That is what the detailing spray is made for. Than waxing would not be need very often either if it's garaged most of time anyway.

05 Grand Daddy's XLR Caddy

[lakesiderider]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

sweet, thanks for the replies. i am getting addicted to detailing i think

[lakesiderider]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

have been doing a lot mof research lately and i think im going to go with a porter cable da buffer. havent taken pics yet, i was supposed to get it back from the shop last week but had to get the water pump rebuilt. after reading an article i found on single stage paints i found to use #7 i believe first to try and get the paint more ready for a polish and see if that can actually get the pant to where i want it before getting abrasives involved. primarily the paint has a little oxidation but the main thing i will try and fix is the swirl marks. the paint is a dark blue and in the sun the swirl marks are easily visible. if i dont get the results i want with the 7 should i use 80 or 83?? i think thats what it was?? and also what pads should i purchase for the porter cable da! thanks

[Murr1525]

Re: detailing old 36' ford cabriolet

#80 is always a good place to start for single stage paints.

I am still unsure about the #7 article... I have not done it myself of course, but rubbing in some #80 seems more gentle than working in #7 like crazy with a terry cloth to get the cleaning ability out of it.