25 replies to this topic

[Shifty]

High gloss didn't do it for me, I used some '404 superflow' thinners, not sure what type that is but I got it from autopaint.

[blacktulip]

the shine will be the result of the hard work your willing to put into the finish. flatting back, polishing, then a wax will see you right. i have just had some work done on mine and it now looks like its just rolled out the booth again. what i will say is you MUST and mean must keep on top of the cleaning regularly and keeping it waxed for a while. i had some problems from neglect after i had a full respray which has cost me.

[Mini_Alex]

Thanks for all the info everyone, it's interesting the different ways people go about it.

 

I'm now making up a list of all the polish, wax and compound I am going to buy! 

[Skortchio]

As BT says it's all about the effort. There's 3 stages to consider;

 

The flatting and cutting (wet&dry + compound) will give you the base for a great finish. - This should be a one off unless you have to repair damage.

 

Then there's the polishing, this is what brings the paint to life - You shouldn't need to polish (actually polish not clean or wax) very often if the paint is protected well by ...

 

Glazing, sealing and wax. This is what will make your paint last and save you hassle and money over time.

Glazes emphasise the depth and wetness of the finish making it look fresh off the booth, some (Poor Boys Black Hole for example) also contain fillers to deal with light imperfections and swirl marks.

A wax adds a resilient layer to your paint to reduce oxidisation and general wear and tear (dust, dirt, rain) but it doesn't last long and needs refreshing regularly.

A sealant is a synthetic wax, it's much more robust and will protect the paint for long periods (in the case of something like Klasse, about 9-12months) but gives a slightly, very slightly less wet finish.

 

I've just finished cutting and polishing my paintwork and didn't see any difference in the test areas between using polish and sealant and polish, glaze, sealant, wax.

Which leads me to believe that 1) My finish or my eyes aren't good enough to appreciate the minor improvement of wax + sealant over just sealant.

And 2) Glaze is less important on the fresh paintjob.

 

Patience is the key, flat back and wipe down then have a cup of tea and after go back and check again. Same after compounding, with something like G3 you can push out 1200 level imperfections with extra passes and a little pressure on the mop.

Once you've got a shiny finish, then get the car out in the light so you can see all around it to check for any rough bits before you start the polishing.

Make sure there's plenty of reflection pics too!

 

[Shifty]

My MGB that I painted with celly, done in the garage and not yet polished.

 

 

[miniman_7]

My MGB that I painted with celly, done in the garage and not yet polished.

 

 

 

 

Is that original colour? I think it's called "BL 1970's piss-stain Gold" right?

Looks good

 

How many coats of top coat did you stick on?

[oli8925]

Any colour that's to do with BL and bodily fluids is a win in my book.

Some good tips coming up here, I'm making notes. Paint work scares the British Leyland Brown out of me.

[Mini_Alex]

Well today I used 2000 W&D and then started the G3 compounding, I'm pretty pleased with it so far. There is quite a bit more to do as I can see a few swirls but that may be reduced when I use my AutoGlym Polish.

 

I've been doing it by hand and using the machine polisher.

 

So far i've bought

G3 Cutting liquid compound

Autoglym polish

Auto smart wax

 

Is there anything else I should buy?

 

 

 

 

[sam7]

looks good mate!!!!!

 

as long as u have all the imperfections out when u flatted it back, it will look amazing!!!

 

u need to get some finishing compound to get rid of the swirls. like:

finesse it

machine glaze

3m perfect it extra fine plus

all finishing compounds designed to get rid of smaller scratches and swirls

 

then some good wax and it will be perfect.

[Mini_Alex]

Thanks!

Well it's a much better improvement than it was, I will try and get some finishing compound.

I bought some carnauba wax to give it some protection when it's done!

[dame]

just a quick one...

 how soon after painting celly can I mop it? it has painted also in my garage so not baked

 I was told  I need to wait weeks??

 

 same goes for flatting it? I was planning to  go over it with 1500 but do I need to wait!

 

shifty that mg looks great!!