98 jeep xj - repainted

[hyperbolical]

Hi Mike,

I've been reading some of your posts on AGO.

I bought a 98 jeep xj for my daily driver, this jeep had been a government state vehicle, painted black. I bought it from someone who probably was getting this at an auction and had it repainted white. I believe it is very cheap paint, perhaps a Maaco, and I believe it is modern SS urethane. I am doing my first attempt at machine polishing a car with abrasives and starting out baby steps. I got a cheap DA at Harbor freight, also a 5" DA palm sander. I have some rupes fine pads and the Megs Ultimate Compound.

My plan was to do a once a year detail, then maintain. I'm in south Florida. I was going to put a strong sealant on the cleaned and polished paint, and top it with a wax for a warm glow.
It sits outside.

I washed it, put some Ironx on it, and it changed color, became much whiter. I clayed the roof and am starting there. Last night I used the ultimate compound for half the roof and a cleaner polish for some other test spots (Angelwax perfect polish).

It has some orange peel. I think its too thin to sand it, and I also don't have time.

I'm posting some pics. What would be my next steps in your opinion? Try a stronger compound? Do I need to use a panel prep before sealing it? Would Megs #7 be of any benefit here? I did a test with a dark grey microfiber on a corner of the hood which seemed to remove a very small amount of white paint. (I have not clayed the hood yet, only the roof.)

The polish brightened the paint and gave it more gloss, and I may not be able to do better, but I'd like to get the best result I can while I'm at it, without spending too much time or breaking the bank. This morning the roof had dew on it which I towel dried - you can see the area on the left where I polish and on the right where I had not, but had clayed.
Thank you for any tips, I have learned alot from you already, and I do appreciate it!

 

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Mike,

I've been reading some of your posts on AGO.

Thank you, I have over 1000 articles on the AGO forum and I see over the decades other people have copied and pasted them all over the Internet. LOL.

I bought a 98 jeep xj for my daily driver, this jeep had been a government state vehicle, painted black. I bought it from someone who probably was getting this at an auction and had it repainted white. I believe it is very cheap paint, perhaps a Maaco, and I believe it is modern SS urethane. I am doing my first attempt at machine polishing a car with abrasives and starting out baby steps. I got a cheap DA at Harbor freight, also a 5" DA palm sander. I have some rupes fine pads and the Megs Ultimate Compound.

My plan was to do a once a year detail, then maintain. I'm in south Florida. I was going to put a strong sealant on the cleaned and polished paint, and top it with a wax for a warm glow.
It sits outside.

I washed it, put some Ironx on it, and it changed color, became much whiter. I clayed the roof and am starting there. Last night I used the ultimate compound for half the roof and a cleaner polish for some other test spots (Angelwax perfect polish).

It has some orange peel. I think its too thin to sand it, and I also don't have time.

If this is a DAILY DRIVER that will spend all of it's time outside, then I would NOT do any sanding as you'll want and need, (that's two things), for the paint to last as long as possible and more paint is better in this situation.

I'm posting some pics. What would be my next steps in your opinion? Try a stronger compound?

Ultimate Compound is a consumer version of M106 a pro-grade compound, so I think you're fine here. You could try a more aggressive pad or a more powerful tool.

What pad have you been using with your HF Polisher?

Do I need to use a panel prep before sealing it?

You only need to use Panel Wipes before installing things like ceramic coatings. The idea being the coating needs a perfectly clean surface in order to make a proper bond. When it comes to using waxes and sealants, then the miscible oils are your friend - at least according to Meguiar's chemists.

See my article from 12-17-2010, here

Miscible and Immiscible - Wax and Paint Sealant Bonding

Would Megs #7 be of any benefit here?

Not for a modern single stage paint in good condtion.

I did a test with a dark grey microfiber on a corner of the hood which seemed to remove a very small amount of white paint. (I have not clayed the hood yet, only the roof.)

Yup, that's single stage. The good thing about single stage is you'll never experience clearcoat failure.

The polish brightened the paint and gave it more gloss, and I may not be able to do better, but I'd like to get the best result I can while I'm at it, without spending too much time or breaking the bank. This morning the roof had dew on it which I towel dried - you can see the area on the left where I polish and on the right where I had not, but had clayed.

After washing and claying, COMPOUND HARD. You can pick up a cheapie rotary polisher and cheapie wool pad at Harbor Freight. If the paint can be taken to a higher level via paint correction then the rotary would be the fastest approach. Follow the rotary step with the HF Orbital Polisher and the same compound with a foam polishing pad to remove the hologram scratches and then apply a wax or sealant.

Thank you for any tips, I have learned alot from you already, and I do appreciate it!

No problemo.



Mike

 

[hyperbolical]

Fantastic, I feel so lucky to get your feedback!

I put a purple synthetic wool pad from Lake Country that I had purchased a month ago onto the HF Bauer Polisher and did half the roof again with the more abrasive pad using Megs Ultimate Compound. Then I used the Rupes yellow pad. It did make a difference! Thank you!! Paint feels super smooth now and while it isn't a high-level mirror finish, it definitely looks much better and does have shine!

The deeper cut made the white whiter as well. I'm sure I'm not doing it perfectly yet but I am maybe a bit more comfortable with the machine now.

Just read your piece on white paint too. Yes! The road film turned the color a grayish tone. It's true that white isn't an exciting color for reflection and depth however my mother had a 76 chevy impala white station wagon and it was majestic. The white whale. Moby Dick. lol.

She also had a white 4wd Cherokee in the 80s. I suppose I got mine in memorium.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Fantastic, I feel so lucky to get your feedback!

I put a purple synthetic wool pad from Lake Country that I had purchased a month ago onto the HF Bauer Polisher and did half the roof again with the more abrasive pad using Megs Ultimate Compound. Then I used the Rupes yellow pad. It did make a difference! Thank you!! Paint feels super smooth now and while it isn't a high-level mirror finish, it definitely looks much better and does have shine!

The deeper cut made the white whiter as well. I'm sure I'm not doing it perfectly yet but I am maybe a bit more comfortable with the machine now.

Practice makes perfect. Here's a saying of mine,

If you spend enough time behind any tool, you can make it dance on paint -Mike Phillips

Just read your piece on white paint too.

I'm guessing this one?

The Lesson White Paint Teaches Us

I wrote the orignal version back in 1997.

Yes! The road film turned the color a grayish tone. It's true that white isn't an exciting color for reflection and depth however my mother had a 76 chevy impala white station wagon and it was majestic. The white whale. Moby Dick. lol.

I like white cars and I notice a LOT of detailers puchase white vheicles for their daily drivers. White is a lot more forgiving than darker colors when it comes to upkeep.

She also had a white 4wd Cherokee in the 80s. I suppose I got mine in memorium.

That 1976 Chevy Impala Station Wagon would be a real gem to own today.



Mike

 

[hyperbolical]

Yes, I read the article on the Lesson of White Paint!

One thing I find so illuminating is your explanation of the difference between paints before and after the 90s when car manufacturers switched to 2-stage paint jobs.

At one point I believe you said that detailing nowadays is basically polishing plastic (ie clearcoat) lol, and that's about right! It really stuck with me because I love the old lacquer and single stage paints and how they have such rich color.
I understand the whole drive toward efficiency and utility which ultimately leads to ceramic coatings etc today but I personally prefer the richer and warmer look.
It is so easy to get confused by the multitude of product lines out today, because many times they don't make this distinction between these types of finishes and what they were made for. I have made alot of purchasing mistakes due to not understanding this. But thanks to you, I think I'm starting to understand.

Mom's giant white station wagon got in a hailstorm in Texas around 1980 and was totalled. That was a shame. About that time I got a 1979 Triumph Spitfire painted chocolate brown with cream pinstriping and a hardtop that you could remove. That was real lacquer I believe. Unfortunately I had to sell it when I moved overseas. I still miss it and if it weren't for the summers in Florida, I would have bought another one. You cannot put AC in those.

Yesterday my brother showed me a black Lincoln Continental from the 70s he had, which he sold to Miami Vice in the 80s and they blew it up in one of the first episodes. He had the clip on his phone. He was wishing he still had that car lol he didn't know they were going to blow it up.