I recently bought an old '55 pickup (not a Dodge) that was built by a guy who was an excellent mechanic but a lousy painter. The truck is fire engine red and the paint has lots of orange peel and even a few runs.

I originally though that someday I'd have it professionally repainted, but a couple of people have told me that it just needs to be "buffed out". How do you buff out orange peel from a paint job?
I assume this is a project involving grades of polishing compound, but I am not sure.

Anyone know?

 

Hi RCE,

I am working out some of the same issues with my Charger 'cept the person whoever it was, who preped the car before it was painted (before I bought it) did a horrible job of it. Luckily, even though it is a metallic...it is clear coated which allows me to work the finish a little to get some of the orange peel and other deep under paint scrapes smoothed out. I started with 1000 grit paper (wet) and found that it was really too aggresive for my issues. So, I went to 1500 and eventually settled on 2000 grit paper figuring that I am willing to put a little more time and effort into the finish and it is better to take off as little as possible.

Is the paint on your ride metallic? Has it been clear coated (you can usually test it in an inconspicuous area with a piece of very fine paper...see if you get white dust or pink-ish)? How old is the paint? (guesstimate)

You may be able to use a buffer to work the finish, but you have to have the right equipment for the job and type of finish you have and the results you are looking for. You will need a variable speed ($200+) buffer and various grades of pads and product to work the finish properly. I would say that a rough estimate in equipment and product I have spent to date is about $500.00 But, that is alot less than a new paint job.

Hope that helps...

 

Brian,

Thanks for the advice. I thought polishing compound would be the way to go, but I've never attempted this before.
I'll get some 1500 and 2000 grit paper and try wet sanding, starting with the inside of the pickup box to develop my technique.

The paint is probably a year old or less and is not clearcoated. From a distance it looks great, but up close it's not so great.

Thanks again,



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Hi RCE,

Not being clear coated...you will want to be very careful not to take off too much of the paint. You may find yourself all the way down to primer, and that would not be good. If you are going to get fine sandpaper, the finer the better, always use it wet and put it in water at least 20 minutes before you use it to allow it to soften up so you do not have any hard edges. Also, when wet sanding, you will want the water and the surface to be as clean as possible. Even a small piece of airborne dust can really ruin your day. A few more tips;

NEVER wash, wet sand, compound, polish, etc in the sunlight. Always find shade. There are loads of reasons why, but trust me on this one.

Get a bucket of clean water and put about a teaspoon of dish soap in it for wet sanding. The soap changes the skin tension of hte water and helps act as a lubricant.

NEVER sand with your bare hands on the paper. Get a backing pad (Meguires has a nice one) a small squeegee (about 1 1/2" X 2 1/2") for squeeging off the water where you are working to help show the orange peel still left. It will help to reveal the shiny and sanded areas.

Keep everything CLEAN!

Always remember to take off as little as possible and check your progress often. It is easier to take off a little more than to fix going too far.

A spray bottle with water and a few drops of dish soap will also be helpful. That way you can spray the area and sand it til it starts to drag, then hit it with a few spritzes and sand a little further. It will help wash away the slurry of paint and water in the area that you are working on.

Hope that helps...

 

Brian,

Thanks for the detailed suggestions/recommendations.

If it ever stops raining, I'll try doing some work, starting with the inside of the tailgate so my goofs won't be as noticeable.

RCE

 

As you wet sand the paint you will notice that the paper slides easily across the surface after you have sanded. This is a sign that peel is gone or mostly gone on that section. After you have finished with the sanding you will need to polish the truck with a polish not a wax.