More polishing on HTFLSHN...

[astroracer]

HTFLHSN is my wifes '94 Formula. It is red. When we bought it last September it was pink. After we got it home I spent over 30 hours hand polishing it in a three step process to bring the red back. It looked great!
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Over the winter the red died back a bit, which I expected, so I started repolishing it last Sunday. I used a 3M polishing compound from a bottle and hit the rear half of the car which made the paint pop again. THEN I broke out some wax I bought at Big Lots for a couple of bucks to give it a try and OH! MY! GOD!... This stuff is incredible! Eagle 1 Nano Wax... The paint looks wet after I applied this wax. My mother even exclaimed how bright it was. If you get a chance to pick up some of this wax do it...
Here is a couple of picks to compare. The first one is simply a back view in the shop and the second is a comparo view of the drivers door which is still unpolished and the rear quarter.
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The pics don't really do it justice but you CAN see the difference in the two panels.
Mark

[my1994z28]

I also use the Eagle 1 nano wax in a spray bottle...That stuff is awesome..spray it on and wipe it off,works great.I really like because you dont have to wait for it to dry,and no messy white residue.

[phoenix_rising]

Looks good!. Wait until you try the new Meguiars stuff. You'll flip!

[93formulalt1]

This is just my opinion, take it or leave it, but I think that car would look a TON better if you removed the pinstripes, side moldings, and the decal on the windshield. It looks too "busy", and I think those things (along with maybe removing the decals on the doors as well) would do a TON for the appearance of the car, really clean it up. Just my opinion though. It did wonders for my car, removing the side moldings.

The wax really did a great job! I've used that stuff before, but I gotta agree with Ben, I hit my car with Meguiar's polish and a coat of Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Wax. . . WORLD of difference, my car had never looked that good with off-the-shelf detailing products before. You should give the stuff a try, or, if you're feeling really spendy, give some of the internet-only stuff a try, people around here used to swear by Zaino Bro's products, I know there are other products, like the Tropi-Care stuff, that has gotten rave reviews, but it costs a bit more. Just some ideas, you might get even better results from those.

More pics of the Formula by any chance?

[ITSSLOW]

Looks great but wtf is HTFLSHN?

[Fbomb]

pure carnauba or bust! nanowax doesn't last too long. looks good though.

[BP_Z28]

Looks good. Should buy a PC and use a 4 step process and cut that 30 hours down to 2-3

[astroracer]

Looks great but wtf is HTFLSHN?

HOT FLASHEN... My wife has a bit of a problem with that.

[astroracer]

Finished up the polishing today. Damn it looks nice.
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[astroracer]

This is just my opinion, take it or leave it, but I think that car would look a TON better if you removed the pinstripes, side moldings, and the decal on the windshield. It looks too "busy", and I think those things (along with maybe removing the decals on the doors as well) would do a TON for the appearance of the car, really clean it up. Just my opinion though. It did wonders for my car, removing the side moldings.

Thanks Nick,
I would like to remove the pinstriping also BUT... The stripes are so dry and brittle it would be a major production to get them off. If I did get them off without paint damage there would be a "ghost" stripe left where the original paint is not faded... All of that stuff will come off when it is time for a repaint.
I asked my wife about the windshield decal she likes it and it is her car so it will stay for a while. I am looking for a new bumper cover though. The previous owners son thumped a wall with this one. It was crudely repaired and is servicable but I will fix it eventually.

I hear what you guys are saying about the carnuba. I have a ton of the stuff. You would be amazed at the selection of waxes and polishes I have. I use one called Formula 113 on my show truck that is incredible! The issue with this car is getting the paint to STAY shiney. It was neglected for so long that it was always dying back after it was polished. I am getting it to a point now where it will maintain the shine for a while. A long lasting wax is not a priority at this stage in the game... If you know what I mean.
Thank you all for the comments, points well taken.
Mark

[Fbomb]

It's not staying shiny...are the rags red when you buff the polish off?

[astroracer]

It's not staying shiny...are the rags red when you buff the polish off?

No, if the clearcoat was gone it would be flat and there would be no polishing that... By not staying shiney I was simply saying the clear was dying back and losing a lot of it's luster. The paint was so dry it took a number of polishings to get down through the oxidized layers. It looks like it will be good for a while. The first time I polished it the shine faded after one night. This last die back was over the course of the winter so it is getting close.

[ITSSLOW]

HOT FLASHEN... My wife has a bit of a problem with that.

That's what I thought it was supposed to be but wasn't 100% sure.

[Fish-man]

i vote for Eagle 1 Nano as well... it lasts long time. I use it on all our vehicles.
one tip for anyone though... make sure the paint is clean before polishing or waxing.
the guy i bought the firebird from said he used Zaino. Looked like sh!t.
paint felt like sand paper. I spent 4 hours with a clay bar (actually 2 bars)... it was that dirty.
now its as smooth as glass.

[93formulalt1]

Thanks Nick,
I would like to remove the pinstriping also BUT... The stripes are so dry and brittle it would be a major production to get them off. If I did get them off without paint damage there would be a "ghost" stripe left where the original paint is not faded... All of that stuff will come off when it is time for a repaint.
I asked my wife about the windshield decal she likes it and it is her car so it will stay for a while. I am looking for a new bumper cover though. The previous owners son thumped a wall with this one. It was crudely repaired and is servicable but I will fix it eventually.

I hear what you guys are saying about the carnuba. I have a ton of the stuff. You would be amazed at the selection of waxes and polishes I have. I use one called Formula 113 on my show truck that is incredible! The issue with this car is getting the paint to STAY shiney. It was neglected for so long that it was always dying back after it was polished. I am getting it to a point now where it will maintain the shine for a while. A long lasting wax is not a priority at this stage in the game... If you know what I mean.
Thank you all for the comments, points well taken.
Mark

I don't think you'll have as much trouble removing the pinstripes and side moldings as you think. . . My car was 15 years old had 160k on it, and I didn't have any problems with the paint under the moldings not matching the rest of the car.