Oxidized auto paint question

lightshow

Newly Enlightened
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Dec 11, 2003
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Tallahassee, FL
I have a 96 ford probe with red paint. The paint on the hood, doors, and body looks good but the paint on the front and rear plastic bumper covers has oxidized to a whiter/chalky red color. What is the best way to improve the appearance to match the rest of the car without spending a lot of money or owning an electric buffer? Thanks
 

Lynx_Arc

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Oct 1, 2004
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Tulsa,OK
try some wax for older cars that has abrasive in it. Cars prior to clear coat you essentially have to grind off the oxidation when waxing it, the abrasive wont take it off fast, you may have to wax several times to get the shine and color back if the damage isn't too deep. If the oxidation if bad try some buffing compound which is more abrasive. Essentially you just about have to grind the oxidation out.. either by hand or by power tool.

There is a possibility the bumpers are still clear coated and the paint and plastic have faded somehow to the odd color. If the problem/color is underneath the clear coat you may have more work than you want to bother with. It may require repainting either the paint and/or just the clear coat.
 

V8TOYTRUCK

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Jul 31, 2001
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San Gabriel Valley + Burbank
You can try Meguiars Scratch-X in the black tube or Meguairs Swirl Mark remover #9. Both will remove the oxidation without being too aggresive and should be available at your local store. You should be able to get good results by hand. Anything more aggresive, you can try it by hand but it might leave it hazy. If you want I can even send you a small sample of Swirl Mark Remover #9 and Poorboys Super Swirl Remover 2.0 (more aggresive and can get decent results by hand)
 

VidPro

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Apr 7, 2004
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Lost In Space
OOPS scratch all that.
if this is on PLASTIC fender well things, and plastic bumpers, then usually a abrasive doesnt work.
you need something to re oil it instead (for lack of a better word)
silicoln waxes, and silicoln tire waxes will put oils back into dry plastics, it wont last long before its back where it was, but it wont do any damage.

------Scratched part-------
if it aint clear coated, and there is some real paint there, "compound" polishing compound will grind the first layer of oxidation off, then a uv protection wax or silicoln wax applied regular after wards.

compound is harsh, and strips off a layer of paint fast, if the oxidation is light, is better to use high abrasion waxes, my favorite (but still harsh) is scotches finish restorer, in the smallish bottle. its high abrasion like "compound" but it has enough good wax stuff to fill in after in one move.

used to be they PUT paint on a car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif now they put a thin layer on and a plastic clear coat, that last about 5 years in the California sun.
before you just scrapped off a bit , with compound, now you re-pain and re clear coat. another fine improvement /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

clear coat doesnt oxidize like paint, it seems to crack fail chip and peel more like plastic.
and any abrasive , even in the waxes is pretty harsh on thin clear coats, and thin paints.

that was a disclaimer, so if you have PAINT like they did in the 80s these lite abrasives are great, if you dont, then the CC and the paint just keep getting highly depleated.

there is a AUFUL acrylic wax, that is nothing more than FUTURE type floor wax, it was called "touchless" it puts a weak soft acrylic clear coat on, and it can make a horrible mess of a bad situation. mabey its good for faking a finish, to sell a car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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