Car finishes....shine/dull.....

[mrvette]

Some of you may remember that my '72 vette I painted myself some years ago was backed over by a jacked up pickup, and so I finally got it fixed after 3 months time....it's just a Macco paint job....

so the shine is too much with high gloss, revealing every possible flaw or paint gun hesitation on the car, the paint itself looks too thick like it has a grainy/sandy appearance to it.....so to lessen that look and make it easier on the eyes in sunlight....I want to....

knock that high gloss off the paint, it MAY be/was supposed to be clearcoated over the green metallic paint, which is considerable lighter and more metallic than what I put on years ago....not that I mind the paint so much, just to knock down the gloss to something tolerable....

anyone???:drink::nuts:

 

[phantomjock]

GENE -
Funny you should ask. I was just looking at an article on a "Frozen" clear coat. Gives a matte-like breakup of reflections - and ease the eyestrain on the "Earl Scheib". Maybe the paint supply store could help?

Goodluck - Cheers - Jim

 

[JPhil]

Gene--Funny you should ask! Just yesterday I got my car back with the brand new repaired & painted front bumper. Same problem. The color matches, but the bumper is way too shiny with the clear coat they had to put on it. I am wondering the same thing--how to dull it a little to match the rest of my old paint job.

 

[BBShark]

There are white Scotchbrite pads that might be able to take the gloss down without scratching. I think they are available at HD and Lowes.

If that won't work maybe do the whole car w/ 0000 steel wool?

 

[JPhil]

Rubbing compound.

I just got done rubbing my bumper out. It looks pretty good in that it now doesn't look out of place on my car.

Be gentle. Practice on a non-visible area like under the nose first. Don't use a heavy hand or rub too long. Just enough to bust the gloss.

I haven't seen it in direct sunlight yet because I'm still re-assembling the grill, but I don't see any swirl marks in indirect sunlight, under the fluorescents or using my drop light reflecting on it.

It was pretty funny seeing the reaction I got from body & paint guys when I asked them how to dull my shiny new paint job. Nobody had ever asked them that question before and they just couldn't comprehend it. It was a younger hot rod guy who laughed and understood exactly what I was after. He was the one who, after talking about several options including spray on de-glosser, suggested trying rubbing compound first.

Next step in making my car reasonably presentable is touching up all the dings. The man who did the bumper gave me some of the paint and I have gone around doing all the chips & dings--well, the worst of them-- but it is a flat paint. I think I'll try clear nail polish to seal and even out the bigger ones. We'll see how that works.....Hey, it's already down to a 20 foot paint job instead of 50 foot!

 

[mrvette]

Hey, there is a detail shop under a tent who has been set up on a corner of a large BP station, not a mile away, back when I had the shitty paint on the car, before the accident, he wanted 65 bux to put some wax on the car, and bring it out a bit .....I know, never happy.....but at any rate maybe he would do the rubbing compound, but I wait until our 100f and 100% daze are past, wooden want him to keel over dead in my car, it's a convertible so easy enough for to happen.....:noworry::wink: