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On 02/28/97 11:48:32 you wrote: > > > Someone mentioned that I could give oxidized paint new life by sanding > with 2,000 grit sandpaper, buffing with polishing compound, then > waxing. Is this correct? Where should I buy the sandpaper? Any kinds > of sandpaper and/or chemicals I should seek/avoid? > > Thanks! > > thanson@frost.com > > I can give a qualified yes to the above. It's subject to how much paint is still on the surface, how badly oxidized, chips, rust spots, etc. I was caught short of time on my painting this fall, ended up doing that to my roof, worked out pretty well. I had to use a touch up gun on multiple chips and rust spots, but didn't work out too badly. Kept things from getting too much worse this winter. WIll strip and refinish come better weather. You can get 2000 grit wet or dry finishing paper from your local body supply store in sleeves of 25-50 half sheets, be prepared for sticker shock. Note that the 2000 grit is a non-US designation, it's equivalent to about 1000 grit US. Most of this super-fine finishing paper is made overseas. Must be used wet, preferably with a couple of drops of detergent in the water to wet the surface and a sanding block. Surface must be extremely clean, can't have any grit or dust on it or will get caught under paper and scratch. I used VM&P naptha to wipe down before I started, availble at paint or hardware store. This is all done by hand, circular motions. I also had a gallon jug with a pump handle and hose, formerly week killer container(well cleaned, of course) to keep things wet down. If you're going to do the whole vehicle this way, you might as well resign yourself to days of labor, I don't know of any magic super-fast solution. I did small sections of the roof, about 2 feet! ! on a side, looking for dings an d rust spots as I went, took me a couple of days to get the oxidation off and do spot touch-up. My SB had been sitting in the PO's back yard for a couple of years in the SF Bay area, didn't help any. When the original color was back I used VM&P naptha to go over the area again to get everything loose off, then used my power buffer and some rubbing compound to get a shine back, then waxed the whole top. Original color was Iberian red, had faded to dull orange, the top now matches the new paint. Be careful in the areas around the rain gutters on the top, I had to respray just about all the top edge because it had worn through to primer before I started. I picked up a name-brand 11" power buffer for about $60 locally, saved a lot of work, was well worth the cost. If your oxidation isn't too bad, you might be able to go to the power buffer directly, get some heavy-duty finishing compound from said body-shop supply place. Be careful with the buffer, it's very easy on old paint to go right down through to the primer, then you have a repainting job as well. Stick with the hand work, it'll take longer but less risk of damage. Check out your local library on car-refinishing books if you're just starting out, lots of tips and kinks. Good luck.