73 Twin Cam Special

[rjbaren]

Yes, it is a GT6.  Its a British car shop, mostly.  In the second photo from the rear, the chassis in the background is a Lotus 51.  The shop owner has Europa S2 RHD he has raced for 20 years.

[1970EuropaGuy]

Lovely colour for a Twin Cam. I like the gold and silver rims as well although I might be a little biased!

Good luck with the polishing. She'll look great when you're finished.

[rjbaren]

An update.  I tried the Meguiar's 105 ultra-compound with not much success at all.  I sent an email to Meguiar's and they replied "my first mistake is doing it by hand".  I have since joined the AutoGeek Forum with Mike Phillips.  Mike advised using Meguiar's Show Car Glaze with about three heavy applications, and even leaving it on overnight.  I have done this with pretty good success.  I can see reflections now.  Next step will be the Ultra-Compound by hand followed by a coat of wax.   

[surfguitar58]

Post some pics of the finished product!
t

[rjbaren]

Hi guys, here is a photo of my car after rubbing it out.  I would like to send more but the rezsizing is time consume, especially when it doesn't work the first time. 

I went to a forum, Autogeekonline.net and The Host Mike Phillips, gave me invaluable information on restoring the paint finish by hand.  Begin by applying Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze.  It took 5 applications, lots of rubbing with terry cloth toweling and finally SC Johnson wood floor wax.  You can see the results.  I tried Meguiar's 105 Ultimate compound and it dulled it out.  I tried Meguiar's Ultimate polish and it dulled it out.  Each time I would go back over whatever I tested with Show Car Glaze again to bring back the shine. 

When it finally came time to wax I tried Zymol original formula one step cleaner wax, and it dulled it out.  Next was Meguiar's Deep Crystal Carnauba and it dulled it out.  Then I tried Meguiar's Professional Polymer Sealant and it dulled it out.  Out of desperation I tried the SC Johnson wax my wife was using to clean our wood table (they are members of the national wood flooring association) and it kept the shine.  So I used it for the entire car and I am quite happy with the results.   

The explanation I was given is that the original Lotus paint is Nitro Cellulose Lacquer and it absorbs oil which both the Show car Glaze and SC Johnson wax have and that is why it shines.   The show Car Glaze is really oily.

If anyone is interested Check out the Forum "Autogeekonline.net "  they have a full instructions on how to use Meguiar's Show car Glaze on old single stage paint.

[gideon]

Looks great 

[BDA]

She really does look great, rj! Your hard work was well rewarded!

[SilverBeast]

Looks really good.

[surfguitar58]

Looks great! Paint is only original once.
t

[dakazman]

   Very interesting results. were you polishing or buffing?
 What were you polishing it up with as far as equipment? What speed? foam pads or lambs wool? When did all these products dull?

    Your results looks good, don't get me wrong I"m just asking questions.

   Dakazman

[rjbaren]

dakazman, everything was done by hand mostly with terry towels.  That is, the first three times with #7 Show Car Glaze.  Terry towel to apply and terry towel to remove.  The fourth time after experimenting with compounds, I used a foam pad to apply the glaze and terry towel to remove.  The final waxing I used a foam pad to apply and terry towel to remove.  All by hand.

After the first three coats of #7 Show Car Glaze every compound or wax I tested, dulled.  I tested them on a small area and when they dulled I just wiped on more #7 Show Car Glaze to bring back the shine and tried the next one.

This was the method recommended on the Autogeek.net forum on restoring original single stage paint.  I have the instructions copied and I can email them if interested.

[TurboFource]

How awesome to have nice looking original paint ! 

[dakazman]

  Thanks RJbaren,
  You gave me a new favorite with the Autogeeks site. A lot of information there and way too many toys.  I’ll have to set aside a bit more time to watch and read . Lol .
 You mentioned terry cloth towels ,  I would switch to some microfiber cloths and keep them separated in the step your in. Their ABC’s basics flowchart mentions these steps. I wished they elaborated a bit more.
  Application and removal of a product by hand is very slow going and may not achieve the speed necessary to cut into the defects. Just my two cents and I’m not a expert, Just want to save you some time.

Dakazman
 
 

[rjbaren]

I did everything by hand because I was afraid of burning through the paint.   I also found the microfiber cloths would not remove very much so I went back to terry cloth and it worked much better.

[dakazman]

    I understand your fear of burning thru, been there done that. if your having problems removing product , your either putting on to much or your not working it in.  The abc's mentioned paint , and left it there . that's where you have to start. Having a clean, flat surface is what to aim for.  I have documented the use of a glaze, once put on it is difficult to cut thru to correct the scratches that are confused with dulling, the terry cloths also scratch the paint.  don't go directly from a compound to a wax . Follow the steps that autogeek documented. another step autogeeks left out is the stages of foam pads . the colors mean something as far as what step to use them , if not used correctly they will dull the finish. Once again my 2 cents.
 
   Dakazman