Dupont No.7 and Elbow Grease...

[47 Coupe Tom]

Since I am waiting for parts and still want to make progress, I decided to try and do something about the cosmetics. I have brought back finishes before that seemed too far gone, and my coupe would, I am sure, seem way too far gone to a lot of people. Keep in mind, I currently have the '47 in a storage unit, with no power and no running water. Given those two facts, I am, as the English would say "Rather Chuffed" with the result. The formula? Spray bottle of water for repeated dousing of the crud, many, many large terrycloth towels (that have to be frequently washed in hot water), Dupont #7 (orange), followed by Dupont fine polishing compound (white), followed by Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, followed by Turtle wax's tinted black wax. I generally think Turtle Wax products suck, and how they came to be so big in this industry I will never know, but their tinted black wax hides a multitude of sins on dark colored cars, especially. Particularly if you have busted your keester prepping the surface first. On the unfinished side of the hood, that's not just dust. It's how the actual finish looked before I started. It was like running your hand over sandpaper... 

 

The photo with the blue VW Passat in it (my daily driver) is the reflection in the hood. Now I just have to do the rest of the car!!! 

[Plymouthy Adams]

and I thought you were showing your similar taste in car colors....looking good....#7 compound I have used lots in the old days....Maguires is my go-to today.  Hand polishing is my preferred method also....machine compounding is ok if you turning out a car that you or your customer will trade soon for a new one.  Seen a few paint jobs ruined by Mr heavy hand and the buffer, especially if they do not know to stay off sharp body lines.

[47 Coupe Tom]

Thanks, Plymouthy - If the paint was in better shape to begin with, I would have used Meguiar's exclusively. But I really needed to (inexpensively) cut through heavy crud first. I cannot say enough good things about Meguiar's Ultimate Compound though. I had a '53 Buick Special in black. The paint was horrible. It was single stage enamel, which most "kids" today will tell you cannot be color-sanded. Well, I color sanded every inch of that car by hand (ruining my right rotator-cuff in the process) ending up at #3000 grit wet-sand, then buffing the whole car with Mequiar's Ultimate. When I was done you could shave yourself in the finish. As my dad used to say to me when I had been out in the garage way too long polishing a car "Son, you can stop now. I just saw a mosquito slip and break his neck on your car..."

[Plymouthy Adams]

color sanding black is doable....have done it.....and as stated...hand finish and no tell tale marks....hard on the body....but the pay off is well worth it...movie quote......wax on-wax off, good shine and you can karate chop that skeeter before he sneaks up behind you...

[47 Coupe Tom]

We are on the same page. When you use a buffer, you can't "hear" the paint over the electric motor noise. I love when you are progressively using finer compounds that you can "hear" the paint getting more and more quiet as the imperfections get smaller and smaller. Once your sanding, polishing, waxing efforts are nearly silent, you've done the best you can do. When the paint is literally squeaking from the polishing cloth. You are there.

[Doug&Deb]

That is truly amazing. That should inspire people to restore their paint instead of automatically repainting. Excellent work!

[allbizz49]

Good job,looks nice. I machine compound and polish cars on the regular.  Never had any issues but i am an auto painter and it's part of the trade. Did mine with an orbital, not rotary. 

[47 Coupe Tom]

6 hours ago, Doug&Deb said:

That is truly amazing. That should inspire people to restore their paint instead of automatically repainting. Excellent work!

Thanks Doug&Deb - I used to manage a restoration shop. We did amazing work, even when just detailing. It also made me painfully aware of how expensive a quality, complete repaint can cost. I really like this car, but it's not a Bugatti  - and I am on the strictest of budgets. If I can make her look pretty with my own sweat equity then I'll keep scrubbing!

[47 Coupe Tom]

4 hours ago, allbizz49 said:

Good job,looks nice. I machine compound and polish cars on the regular.  Never had any issues but i am an auto painter and it's part of the trade. Did mine with an orbital, not rotary. 

allbiz49 - That's amazing. What products/equipment?

[allbizz49]

Thanks! I used Meguiars 105 ultra cut with a Griots orbital and cutting pad follwed by Meguiars 205 ultra polish and Griots polishing pad. My go to is 3m compounds and polishes followed by Meguiars carnuba wax and race glaze polish but I got the Meguiars as samples so I gave them a try. Pretty good stuff. Hope you get your car on the road soon. Looks really good.

[47 Coupe Tom]

Well, I keep going - but it is exhausting (although really satisfying). The left side of the hood was 2.5 hours by hand. Dupont #7 followed by a wet color sand in #3000, back to Dupont white polish, Mequiar's Ultimate Compound and black wax... 

[Sniper]

Nice work, excellent dedication

[47 Coupe Tom]

Thanks, Sniper - this counts as cardiac-rehab, right!?