TTAC Commentator Nick R writes:
Two questions pertaining to the Thunderbird we previously discussed:
My dad waxed this thing almost every month. However, those layers and layers of wax have now turn greyish. I have tried to remove it with rubbing compound and this filthy grey coloured crap eventually comes off. However, it does come off to an adequate extent and it is VERY time consuming. I’d love to hear some tips on sloughing this crap off more quickly.
Some the plastic in the cabin is a bit faded. Can it be redyed or should I look for NOS parts (yes, I know, good luck with that)?
And now, two generic questions:
Let’s say you are poking around a junkyard or a barn and find engine that you might just want, is there a way to determine if it’s ‘stuck’ or if rust has rendered it unusable?
Is there a way to buff glass to make it clearer? My daily driver’s windscreen, even when I wash it vigorously, is not terribly clear.
Sajeev answers:
I’d try a clay bar and a little bit of water as it’s far less invasive compared to rubbing compound. Which is important for a vintage Thunderbird still wearing original paint. I’d hate to see streaks of primer in the blue paint because you worked too hard on getting the wax residue off.
Several companies make a vinyl-specific paint that has more flex than regular paint. I have used it with great success when I added the factory cell phone parts (from a junkyard car in the wrong color) to my Mark VIII. Why I did that is not relevant (even to me), but that stuff works for sure. Finding someone to make that paint in your particular shade of blue may not be easy, but I know you’ll find it with enough Internet searching.
Some people could write an 800-word editorial on this one. Not me: so put a wrench on the crank (pulley) and see if the motor turns, or drop the oil pan and look for bent rods and pull the head to see if anything catastrophic happened. Sometimes a good looking junkyard motor still needs time at a machine shop. No matter what, buy a complete gasket set and refresh/clean the motor before installation.
Lucky for me, we discussed buffing glass in a previous Piston Slap. I’d go with the more aggressive treatments listed there, unless we are talking about a late model vehicle: replacement glass is cheap and easy in these cases.
Whew!
[Send your technical queries to mehta@ttac.com]
Mid 80s Fords were notorious for clear coat failures. Are you sure that grey you are seeing is wax? It is much more likely to be the clear coat top paint layer failing. First it turns grey and cloudy, then it starts flaking off. I owned an ’86 Taurus which did just that. At first I was mystified by the gray layer over the paint, then it became obvious. I found a picture on the Meguiar’s site of clear coat failure before it flakes off:
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/forums/photopost/data/500/1998_DodgeDakotaHood_1.JPG
There is no cure for failing clear coat other than stripping it off and repainting.
For the interior bits, I would try a dye as opposed to a paint. SEM and others make ’em.
http://www.autostyles.com/sem.htm
I agree that the failure of the clearcoat sounds like a more likely culprit. That being said, if you do need to remove excess wax, Dawn dish detergent — not just any dish detergent, but that particular brand — is commonly used by detailers to remove excess wax before detailing. (Don’t use dish detergent of any sort for normal car washes, and don’t use Dawn if you don’t intend to wax the car right away.) You might also want to supplement that with a clay bar.
If you can’t find NOS plastic, the best restorer I’ve run across is 3M Leather and Vinyl Restorer. I’m no fanatic about such things, but even I noticed this is clearly superior to ArmorAll, STP, and whatever else I’ve forgotten I’ve used previously.
Off Topic, sort of. The 80’s was the last time we went through a major paint reformulation – to get rid of VOCs with water-borne paints. It took a while for the manufacturers to get the formulation right and there were a lot of cars that looked leprous as a result of paint/clearcoat debond failures. It’s a good thing that, for heat reduction inside cars under the sun, Cal CARB has apparently decided not to pursue more reflective paint and instead concentrate on the much more significant window glass – which will still probably pose its own problems….
Plastikote also makes a good dye. The dye won’t cover the plastic like paint, and therefore won’t change the texture.
Here is a preety good article on using it on plastics (albeit computers, not cars). Has some good tips for a first time user.
“Is there a way to buff glass to make it clearer? My daily driver’s windscreen, even when I wash it vigorously, is not terribly clear.”
I have heard that tootpaste works as a glass polish. I would assume the whitening toothpaste would be better. But I have never tried this so I can’t say from experience.
Proper auto care offers a product called Glass Scrub which it says will remove baked-on mineral deposits, lime scale and even tree sap. I haven’t used this either, but it’s not expensive so I would try it.
http://classic-motoring.stores.yahoo.net/glassscrub.html
If your problem is actual imperfections in the glass then replacement or polishing by a professionial is your only recourse. Since that’s way more $ I would try other remedies first.
“…with rubbing compound and this filthy grey coloured crap eventually comes off.”
I vote with everyone that says that this a a clear-coat problem…
The reason that rubbing compound works and solvents don’t is that you’ve rubbed the clear-coat off down to the paint beneath.
John Horner : For the interior bits, I would try a dye as opposed to a paint. SEM and others make ‘em.
http://www.autostyles.com/sem.htm
Whoops, that’s the stuff I meant to talk about. I’ve used it, works quite well.
Do you have windshield coverage on your auto policy? If so, you’re only a ball peen hammer, I mean a rock on the highway that a big truck spit out, away from a new one.
Just talked to a friend who is a T-Bird enthusiast. He recommended a site for T-Bird and Cougar enthusiasts:
http://www.coolcats.com
You will find plenty of knowledgeable T-Bird enthusiats in the forums there.
Hope this helps…