how to polish up poor paint job

Hi, Just bought a nice mk2 8v Golf. Bodywork is great apart from the paint job it has had on the roof. It hasnt been done too well and it has a very flat finish (matt). what is the best way of brightening this up without spraying it again. Ive heard of mopping that involves sanding but not sure how this is done

 

I think if its really bad you can use a very high grade wet and dry, then polish it up.

Or use a cutting compound which is like a harsher version of t-cut and use that to bring it to a shine then polish or wax on top.

Either way, get yourself a machine quick, by hand won't be funny!!!

 

thanks, got any names for the cutting compound and sand paper grades? also I have a halfords ocillating machine but would a fast drill be better?

 

they do stuff in halfords called rubbing compound, not sure about the grades but get the highest you can find, and if it does no good step down a grade

 

Seen a garage use this stuff, couldnt remember the name its G4 or G3 compount to use after wet sanding - it removes all sanding makes permenently www.farecla.com

 

yeah thats the stuff.... they use slightly different stuff down boat yards etc is really good.

Do some before and after pics, would be interested to see how it goes

 

Before and after pics thats a good idea, hadnt thought of that. Just hope the weather is good over the weekend. I just called the local stockist and he said G4 is finer so I will use that after sanding with 1500 grit wet paper...lets see what happens.

 

my house has a 3 foot wall round the parking spaces, ideal for polishing the roof....

not that ive ever done it lol

 

Door sills will have to do for me

 

If you're going to wet and dry it first, make sure you try it on a small area first. Get yourself a spray bottle filled up with water, the paintwork needs to be kept wet at all times otherwise the cutting compound will just burn the paint. Make sure it's wet when using the wet and dry too

 

1500-2000 wet and dry paper until perfectly flat (use flat face hand bloc), take it easy on swage lines and pannel edges. if you can get 3000 grit 3m trizact pad and finish on that then it would make polishing easier and faster.. You can use g3 to polish up but i prefer the 3m range like trizact compund, i find it works faster and you dont need water either so is less messy.

 

thanks for the tips I will try and get hold of the 3M stuff in time for the weekend, if not I will just give it a go with the G stuff. Would I need to use a finer compound after the coarse? or will fine sandpaper and polish be enough. Im sure the stuff will come with clear instructions though but any tips are welcome as I done want to mess the whole thing up

 

Woah!!!
Why is everyone advising to wade in with the wet and dry when it hasn't been established if this is required?

A matt finish can be down to oxidisation, if the pain has oxidised then taking wet and dry to it is using an anti-tank missle to crack a walnut.

If the paint is single-stage then I'd first buy some meguiars scratch-x and have a real good go attacking a small section with it - this will tell you whether or not you need to go to the trouble and effort of colour sanding the panel.

If the paint is clearcoated (ie basecoat and lacquer) then going nuts with sanding is likely to result in striking through the clearcoat into the basecoat - respray required!

Personally I'd attempt to correct this with a light abrasive hand polish first, such as poorboys SSR2 or Sonus SFX-2, or 3m Finesse-it fine cut - then progress up to wet sanding only if required. The first rule of paint correction is to use the least abrasive product possible, so you retain as much paint thickness (and therefore protection) as possible.
Golf Nut Pete's advice is sound, so follow that if you don't have any joy by hand.

 

?? has it definatley got laquer on it?

 

not really sure to be honest. I take it this would make a difference?

 

what colour is it? might just ave dulled off in the sun light and just need a buff up and not need wet sanding.

 

I think the colour is royal blue. Almost black but comes out lovely blue in the sun. I dont think it is fading. It looks like poor spray job (probably to cover up scratches or something. Maybe I should try something like claying first to see how it reacts, although I think it needs an aggressive treatment.

 

if its as bad as you say it may need re painting. Give the polishing a go first see how it goes.

 

i have a 1.3 mk2 with a flat blue paint job it is orgional still and only the roof is bad really and i wanted to know what could i use to give it a bit of better shine and also it does not have laquer on as when i re-sprayed the wing it says dont use laquer .. the colour is martirime or something like that any help please

 

I done my roof yesterday, I will try and put up spme pics It came out great. Before you could see a very blurry reflection in the paint, now it is spot on. I used 1500 grit wet sand paper from halfords. then worked in some G3 rubbing compound. finished up with some Zymol just to protect it.