Type of paint on Boomers

[webbmeister]

Hi:

Anyone know what type of paint is on the TC25D through 33D series? Gel Coat? Enamel? I'd like to clean up my 25D and want to get the right detailing polish and sealant.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[stuartshomepc]

Hi:

Anyone know what type of paint is on the TC25D through 33D series? Gel Coat? Enamel? I'd like to clean up my 25D and want to get the right detailing polish and sealant.

Thanks!

Jim

Well since no one else has chimed in yet I'll provide my thoughts. If it's a painted part it would be an enamel (Acrylic enamel or polyurethane based). They don't use lacquers anymore. There is a chance that the fiberglass parts are gell coat, with the color in the resin.

Either way most any of the good care care products like those from Mcquires would be great.

(Here's a link) Car Care Products: Car Waxes to Leather Cleaners, Meguiar's the Leader in Car and Surface Care since 1901

I would shy away from the turtle wax or the other low $ brands. I restore a lot of vintage motorcycles and the Mcquires NXT Generation Tech Waxｮ 2.0 Paste wax gives a great shine. Their old stand by Carnuba wax is also very good.

If I have to polish after a wet color sanding job, or have some oxidation or small swirl marks to remove I use the Fine Cut Cleaner. It is also a good general purpose polish. You don't need a power buffer to use it as you can do it by hand. But you can't use this all the time as a pre-wax cleaner.

Their COLORx polish is a fine polishing compound and could be used as a polish virtually anytime that you want to clean the paint before you wax. It will remove tree sap, water marks or whatever surface "grunge" has built up.

Of course you need clean soft cloths. I see more problems (like fine circular scratch marks) by people that grab any old tower to buff the way with.

Stuart

 

[webbmeister]

Thanks, Stuart! I'll give it a shot. For the record, it is the blue fiberglass that I'm trying to revive.

Jim

 

[stuartshomepc]

Thanks, Stuart! I'll give it a shot. For the record, it is the blue fiberglass that I'm trying to revive.

Jim

If it's just lost its gloss or it has a bit of a white haze it would probably be time for a good polishing and then a few coats of the new Mcquires wax.

The Fine Cut Cleaner on a buffing pad, even one of those that goes on an electric drill, will do a good job. Just be very careful with the pressure you exert on the round edges. They are easy to buff through. Run the polishing pad at a medium speed if you are using your drill. Not full speed.

The Fine Cut Cleaner will initially have some light grit in it, and then the grit breaks down as it turns to a buffing compound. The cutting starts while the compound is liquid. After the compound breaks down and seems dry, you still keep running the buffer to polish the surface. The key is that it will take some time. You don't want to press hard with the buffer, it's more light pressure and time.

The fine cut cleaner and some time with a buffing wheel will strip off a fine layer of oxidized paint and leave a nice surface for a waxing.

If you are looking for a super deep gloss follow up with the COLORx polish, or just put 2 coats of wax on it.

If you can't find the Mcquires products you can use turtle wax polishing compound. But it's a bit coarser than the Mcquires. I would rather have a mild compound and put a little more time into it, than a aggressive compound that you need to worry about the abrasive and how fast it cuts. Don't use "Rubbing compound", it's too course for what you want to do. Unless you are trying to buff out some deep scratches.

Stuart

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

Something that will really clean up the paint is a clay bar, it comes with a spray and a block that is like play doe. You wet down a small surface and gently rub the area with the play doe, you would not believe how much dirt it will pull out. The Play Doe is a yellow color but will end up black.

Something we have been using is a product called Five Star Shine, it's a Teflon type finish that only has to be applied once every 5 years. We have the duty of keeping up my Dads Van and Car, the Van is a cream the car is a burgundy. We did them two years ago and it looks great. I've used this on our Harley and we will be doing our jeep and truck this year. Hope this helps, you do have to clay bar first before you use the Five Star shine.

The Five Star Shine is used on the Aegis Radar units in the Navy, so it must hold up good.

 

[ray66v]

There is a chance that the fiberglass parts are gell coat, with the color in the resin. Stuart

Molded fiberglass, with gel coat, is becoming a thing of the past, (except in boats), in favor of sheet molded compound, (SMC), PVC, ABS, and polypropylene plastics.

SMC has some fiberglass strands in it, but does not use fiberglass resin. Corvettes which most people think of as old fashioned molded fiberglass, have actually been made entirely of SMC since the 1984.

How can you tell which you have? Check the inside, or underside of a piece. If it is rough, and strands of glass are apparent, its fiberglass, which is usually gel coated. If its smooth, and the bare plastic is of a gray color with faint swirls in the pigment, it's SMC, this is painted. If it's rigid, smooth on the inside, and white or black on the inside, it could be ABS, or PVC, which is used raw, and painted. If it's the same color on both sides, smooth, or lightly textured, low gloss, and somewhat flexible, it's usually polypropylene, or similar plastic, cast in color, and not painted.

If its polypropylene, raw PVC, or ABS, products designed for painted surfaces will have little to no effect. Mechanical buffing can actually melt them. Your only options then, unless you use extreme care, are vinyl cleaners and shine products.

 

[webbmeister]

Thanks, everyone. I'll take some before and after pics and post them. Thanks for the product recommendations - and especially the technique pointers. I'm sure things will turn out great!

Jim