EspritS4s

I've had the '87 for a number of years, but it's been a project competing for time with my other projects. Well, I finally took it out and polished and waxed (partially) it. The paint was heavily oxidized but has turning out pretty nice after buffing. It's still far from perfect, but the oxidation is largely gone. The car isn't done, but this is a teaser for anyone in the future looking to pick up a guards red car with heavy oxidation. Prior to buffing the paint was a milky white (over red) with no reflection to speak of.



I know, it's blury, but still cool:

RKD in OKC

Keep it up, the wax jobs on my guards red GT did not last very long before the oxidation started coming back.

EspritS4s

Yeah, that's the question. The car is garaged, so I was hoping that a good wax job, with regular refreshing, would limit the need for future buffing to remove new oxidation. Maybe your post should be labeled: "The downside of Guards Red".

RKD in OKC

Make sure the wax u r using has a good UV protector, that helps a lot. AND be very careful what car wash detergent you use and rinse rinse rinse all the detergent off when you do wash it.

928nut

What oxidation are you guys talking about ;-)

Landseer

Nice.

Our 86 was so inexpensive partly because people wrote-off the chalky red paint. Turned into a mirror shine with a little work.

Question: What other colors are single stage?

Marine Blue

Polish it properly and put two coats of carnauba on it. It driven regularly in rain and if it sits out just wax it every 30 days and you'll be all set. A simple cleaner polish can also help keep paint shiny if it does lose its luster.

Guards red and black single stage are very easy to revive IMHO.

EspritS4s

I buffed the car using 3M polishing compound on a foam polishing pad. It took several applications to cut the oxidized layer. I'm sure a pro could have done it much more quickly using a more aggressive pad and or compound. I then followed with Mcguire's cleaning wax using an orbital.

Landseer

That Mcguires is really useful on the red paint. That's what we used.

EspritS4s

Were you able to remove the oxidation with just the cleaner wax?

Landseer

Yes, but multiple passes, by hand, sore arms. Wife bonded with the car doing it. It has some sort of action thats similar to the old turtle wax polishing compound but much much finer.

We did a little clay work first in a couple of spots as a test, and it would have worked, but that was impossible to continue across the whole car.

(The 84 avatar car is a respray, BTW).

This 86, single stage like you said, was completely chalky/ugly. Hard to believe it had 73,000 mi and cost $2K just 60 days before this 1st photo was taken, but the paint appearance was a major reason for it. The second photo shows it where we found it, abandoned behind the Porsche dealer, waiting to be signed-up for a charity auction. 944 is my son's car, he was snapping pictures of the red car:

EspritS4s

The car looks beautiful. I haven't finished mine yet, so maybe I'll try the cleaner wax with the buffer on the remaining panels. It looks like a PO burned through some edges in the paint with a buffer, so I'm trying to use the least aggressive method I can (without doing the whole car by hand).

928 obsession

Guards red really loves to be buffed and waxed frequently to keep the glossy finish. Usually though a good wax will really bring out the shine.

928nut

Don't know, perhaps all colors like to be buffed & waxed frequently. I do mine once or twice per season and I see no reason to do it more often. Then again, it isn't driven every day and is always parked in the garage - I guess that has a bearing on how long the sparkling finish lasts. Also, I do mine by hand and once/twice per season is about as much effort as I'm willing to put into it. Too chicken to use buffers. I've got reminders from PO's adventures with a buffer, not sure I'd do better.

EspritS4s

Yeah, I've got reminders from a PO's prior adventures with a buffer as well. I stayed away from those areas with the buffer and just used a foam pad with the polishing compound. A wool pad is much riskier. It would take a long time for me to clean this car up by hand.

I am wondering though about the possibility of repairing the scars from previous buffing efforts without repainting complete panels.