C3 Super Buff and Polish

[Don W.]

I have an older riverside gold re-paint job on my nearly 40 year old '69 coupe. I was going to try and spruce up the apperance this weekend on the oxidized and faded paint. I am going to try an orbital buffer.

Any suggestions on other buffing equipment, polishing compounds, steps or other suggestions.

Thanks,

Don

[Michael L.]

Buffing

Don, I had great results with 3M finesse products, using a lambs wool pad to cut the paint and a foam pad to polish. Most manufacturers specify which pad to use with their products and sell them as kits... I like a 7" buffer, a good size for me, make sure it is variable speed, not just controlled at the trigger. Find a speed you are comfortable with and practice on something that needs polishing before you hit the car. Most pads are hook and loop, so make sure you have a hook and loop pad for the buffer that fits your pads...

[Chuck S.]

Re: Buffing

I would not use a lambswool pad on original paint...especially with rubbing compound; lambswool is the most aggressive cutting pad. Even with an orbital polisher, you might burn through worn original paint...I would be as gentle as possible.

I prefer CCS (Lake Country) 6.5" foam pads on a Porter Cable 7424 polisher. Search the internet using "Porter Cable 7424" and you can find this polisher cheap(er) at internet tool sites; you may be able to find a polisher kit that includes a "hook and loop" backing plate and counter weights for the bigger 6.5-7" pads. A good source for the pads and other detailing supplies not available locally will be Autogeek.com...if you go to their site from CorvetteForum, you'll get a 10% discount by entering the discount code. Not a lot, but maybe it will pay your shipping. Their end of year clearance sale just ended Jan 2...20% off.

The yellow foam pads are used for cutting. I've used yellow pads with 3M 05973 Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound. On healthy paint, it's pretty slow with the orbital, but better to take longer than go too fast. If you're afraid the yellow pad will be too aggressive, start your cutting with the orange foam pad...it's a little less agressive. For final polishing, I use 3M 05996 Perfect-It II Foam Polishing Pad Glaze on the white foam pad...the 05996 product is for dark colors, and your gold paint will probably require the equivalent light colors product. After polishing, I apply wax or sealant by hand.

[Don W.]

Re: Buffing

Thanks...I checked several stores at lunch and they did not have anything usefull. I just ordered the porter cable unit from one online store and a bunch of stuff from autogeek. I guess I will not get to work on it this weekend.

[Greg L.]

Re: Buffing

Hey Chuck do you know how well this Porter Cable 7424 compares to the Makita 9227c?

I've been thinking of getting the Makita 9227c as I get ready to spray the lacquer, yes you heard me, on my car this spring but the Porter Cable might be a good choice too.

The nice thing about the 9227c is that it keeps the same speed that you set it to regardless of the load and lord knows I'll need all the help I can get!

[Chuck S.]

Re: Buffing

No, I hadn't heard about the Makita, but they make good tools.

In the case of the Porter Cable, you shouldn't really apply any force to the polisher that would cause the polisher to slow...you just allow the weight of the polisher to do the work. You can even do your polishing one-handed...sounds like a breeze, but won't really make it any easier to polish a car. The PC has a speed setting dial with speeds from 1 to 6, but I ususally keep it set on 3...for tough jobs, you can bump the speed up.

BTW, Don, I couldn't think of the name of the internet site before, but it was Coastal Tool...heck of a deal on the PC 7424. The kit included the heavier counter weights, which you will need for the 6.5" pads, and a Porter Cable foam polishing pad. I had to buy the hook and loop backing plate, and a steel carrying/storage box separately. I didn't trust the mandrel mounted PC pad on my paint, so I used it to polish out some dull Lexan headlight covers...worked great for that.

Oh, uh, Greg...If you use that faux lacquer, you better watch out for loitering Canadian Geese.

[Chuck S.]

Uh Oh, Indeed...Better Watch That 9227c!

I just looked up the Makita 9227c at the Coastal Tool site. That particular Makita model appears to be a rotary buffer rather than an orbital polisher.

A rotary buffer works faster, but it does that by generating more heat...brush a peak too long or dig into a valley carelessly, and you will burn through your paint faster than you can say "Jackie Robinson"...as in, "Hello, primer!" Use of a rotary buffer requires skill and experience I don't plan on gaining the hard way, and I doubt you need that kind of help either.

[Don W.]

Re: Buffing

I got the PC for $99 + shipping at this site: http://www.tools-plus.com/porter-cable-7424.html
Chuck: Am I missing anything besides the case?

[Chuck S.]

Re: Buffing

That's a really good price on the PC.

It looks like you're set except for the foam pads I recommended before (Autogeek.com)...as I said, I wouldn't use the free lambswool pad unless I had no other option. Lambswool is the most aggressive cutting pad, and may be too aggressive for worn paint...even if you don't burn through, the lambswool pad will remove more paint than necessary. You'll be able to get the oxidation off with the foam pad...it may take longer, but that's a good thing in this case.

Tools-Plus says that you don't need to change the counterweight to match the pads, and I agree it's not essential...you'll just experience a little more vibration as you work. Ideally, I would get the 6" counterweight to optimize the buffing process; it'll reduce the fatigue on you and the stress on the polisher. You'll probably standardize on the larger 6.5" pad anyway, so there is no need to be constantly changing the counterweight. A 6.5" pad on the 6" hook and loop backing plate gives you the ideal setup...it provides good support with a quarter inch of cushion around the edges to keep the backing plate off your paint.

I searched for the 6" counterweight on Tools-Plus' site, and they don't stock it. You would have to order from somewhere else.

[Dick W.]

Re: C3 Super Buff and Polish

Keep the speed of the buffer slow to avoid burning the paint. The 6.000 rpm's that the buffer is capable of will burn the paint before you can bat an eye