To just clear coat my '74 260 while I rebuild or not?

[HermanM]

My Z looks pretty good as it sits, but there are spots that are a little bare and SHOULD be covered up. The rainy season is starting here in northern California and I would like to protect my shell as much as possible.

I have been told by a few that a good and semi cheap way was to protect my car. I was looking for everyone's/anyone's input

[siteunseen]

Bare of paint or dull from lack of clear? You could get a cover that's weather proof then drive it to the paint shop.

[HermanM]

Just age I'm sure. It's still the original paint on it that was taken care of pretty well. I just want to know the best idea to do in order to keep it from rust or anything of that nature while I get the engine redone (1 of 3 engines I should say) and have it been ready to drive in any weather once it is mechanically sound before I start to redo the interior and then finally the new paint

[Stanley]

If it's rusty at all, you can hit it with a little ospho. Otherwise maybe wash and wax til paint time. Black Dragon has some good car covers, but the cheepie ones are done in a year. Clear over old paint? If you clear coat now it's more work sanding when you decide to paint. Clear coat is great over great paint and perfect body - otherwise it just shows all the defects. Worth it but way more work. My car has a lot of almost invisable dents that would be noticable it it was clear coated.

[HermanM]

If it's rusty at all, you can hit it with a little ospho. Otherwise maybe wash and wax til paint time. Black Dragon has some good car covers, but the cheepie ones are done in a year. Clear over old paint? If you clear coat now it's more work sanding when you decide to paint. Clear coat is great over great paint and perfect body - otherwise it just shows all the defects. Worth it but way more work. My car has a lot of almost invisable dents that would be noticable it it was clear coated.

Ok, I understand that. There are very few spots of, smaller then a pinky nail, of surface rust that I could have to blast and there are some noticeable defects within the paint (gas cap area where you can see the overflow has hit it, the hood around the emblem is a little "braille like" and the roof right at the windshield has small dents) but I was curious of the idea if it was worth the clear to just keep things where they are at and "preserve the patina" of the years of ware that have been place upon the car before I paint it because it will be about a year before the get her painted

[CW240Z]

Just age I'm sure. It's still the original paint on it that was taken care of pretty well. I just want to know the best idea to do in order to keep it from rust or anything of that nature while I get the engine redone (1 of 3 engines I should say) and have it been ready to drive in any weather once it is mechanically sound before I start to redo the interior and then finally the new paint

Correcting me if I'm wrong, but if the paint has clear coat peeling then it is not the original paint. Nissan used a one step enamel paint job on these cars that did not consist of a clear coat. Today we use a method which includes spraying a final clear coat over the base color. There isn't much you can do to "spot in" the faded spots on the car and not make them noticeable.

Like stated above, get a car cover of some sort and protect what you can until the car is ready for paint.

Chase

Edited October 30, 2012 by CW240Z

[HermanM]

Correcting me if I'm wrong, but if the paint has clear coat peeling then it is not the original paint. Nissan used a one step enamel paint job on these cars that did not consist of a clear coat. Today we use a method which includes spraying a final clear coat over the base color. There isn't much you can do to "spot in" the faded spots on the car and not make them noticeable.

Like stated above, get a car cover of some sort and protect what you can until the car is ready for paint.

Chase

Yeah, I know there isn't a clear on it. The original paint is on it and I was thinking if getting it sprayed with clear just to "preserve" the original color until I can paint it. I just don't want the body to get any rot

[CW240Z]

Yeah, I know there isn't a clear on it. The original paint is on it and I was thinking if getting it sprayed with clear just to "preserve" the original color until I can paint it. I just don't want the body to get any rot

Clear won't preserve the the original color or prevent rot unfortunately. Unless the rust and rot on the body have been taken care of with products like Stanley mentioned or a paint that converts rust into primer, it will come back through the clear making more work for when you go to actually paint the car.

Chase

[HermanM]

Clear won't preserve the the original color or prevent rot unfortunately. Unless the rust and rot on the body have been taken care of with products like Stanley mentioned or a paint that converts rust into primer, it will come back through the clear making more work for when you go to actually paint the car.

Chase

Well thank you very much for clearing that up for me. I do really appreciate it

[LeonV]

Well thank you very much for clearing that up for me. I do really appreciate it

Pun intended?

[HermanM]

Pun intended?

Haha, no. But once I wrote it, I noticed it and well... it seemed fitting