CLASSIC RESTORATION
& PRESERVATION
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Single-stage paint, older clear-coated paint, or even newly restored paint finishes often require a different level of attention. Orange peel texture may need to be sanded and leveled down, faded paint may need to be brought back to life again, or sanding marks from body shops may need attention as well. Paint thickness measurements are taken very frequently, and in multiple places per panel to ensure safe levels of paintwork still remain. It's not just about restoring the paintwork, but preserving as much of the original paint as possible.
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Each vehicle and situation is unique, and requires in-person evaluation. If its not too far I can certainly come to you to take a look, as I have done before for previous customers. From there we can determine the best route to bring out the very best results for your classic car!
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Examples: 1917 Fire Truck / '50 Desoto / '55 Thunderbird / '55 Mercury Montclair / '64 Mustang / '66 Mustang / '67 ShelbyCobra / '67 LTD / '68 Camaro SS / '68 GTO / '69 Firebird / '69 GTX / '70 GTO gold / '70 Mustang / '70 Torino / '72 Chevy C20 Fire Truck / '74 Chevy / '77 Grand Prix / '78 F-250 / '79 F-250 / '80 Firebird / '80 Camaro Berlinetta / '81 Rabbit / '82 El Camino / '85 Sierra / '90 Miata /
OXIDATION
The most common issue for older vehicles, especially single-stage paint, is going to be oxidation. Due to older age and environmental exposure, UV protection fails over time and the paint becomes faded and chalky. Removing this layer of oxidation can bring back a tremendous amount of gloss and shine. Taking paint thickness measurements is crucial, and adding protection afterwards to prolong that shine is just as important!
ORANGE PEEL & TEXTURE
Textured imperfections in the paint, also known as orange peel, can greatly reduce the overall appearance of your paintwork. The flatter and smoother the surface, the more uniformly it reflects light, and therefor shines better. Wet-sanding, compounding and polishing are required to smooth a textured surface, but we also need to keep in mind that any time we remove clear coat, we're reducing the paints protection. Knowing how much to remove and removing as little as possible is vital.
REPAINT ISSUES
Getting a quality repaint and refinishing by a body shop is one of the most difficult things you can find. Some body shops are great at painting, some great at sanding, some great at polishing, but almost never great at all 3. Fixing not only sanding marks, but polishing and refinement work has become a specialty of mine. Check out this Thunderbird project for perhaps the best demonstration of what can be accomplished here to bring out the best in your paintwork.
PAINT PRESERVATION
It's one thing to cut through paintwork to remove defects, but a true professional knows when not to. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a scratch in the paint in order to prolong & preserve the original paint's lifespan. With older or thinner paint, improving the gloss and shine can be a delicate process, as the primary focus here is on removing as little paint as possible, with the least amount of abrasion, which will extend the life of your paintwork.
AGED INTERIORS
Cleaning interiors on older vehicles is a much different process than on modern day vehicles. Surfaces are aged and often much more delicate, so knowing what chemicals and products to use is crucial to avoid causing potentially permanent damage to the interior surfaces. Conditioning is just as important, as most shops use "dressings" with high amounts of silicone, which will actually dry out vinyl and leather over time. Yet another reason why SHINING ARMOUR uses safer, natural cleaners and conditioners.
