new paint job a little dull

[bhermes]

I recently had my 280Z painted.  I would say an average paint job at best but the intent of the car is to drive often and not really looking for top notch show quality.

With this said I would like for the paint job to have a little better shine.  If that is the proper term.  Sorry just not a paint guy.

I am pretty sure that not much was done after the final coat of paint was applied.  This was a single stage paint.  Not sue exactly how many coats were applied or what process was used between coats.  I did apply some compound by hand and that helped a little.

It does have some shine but not as much as I would like.  Maybe to late to really do anything here but any thoughts would be appreciated.

When I say recently it has been over a year but the car has not been driven much during that time and kept inside.

House of Kolor paint was used.

 

Thanks

 

[psdenno]

Did you happen to ask the paint shop why it doesn't have a little more shine/depth/reflection?  As you mentioned, rubbing compound will help, but be careful about rubbing through on edges and hard lines.  Nice color, however.

Dennis

[madkaw]

Might try color sand and buff in a area down low. Buffer and 1500 grit can do wonders , but caution is needed. Maybe find someone that is experienced at that.


Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club

[jfa.series1]

Almost every paint job has to be buffed out to raise the gloss factor as well as reduce or eliminate any eggshell texture.  First - avoid rubbing compounds!  They are way too aggressive for a fresh coat of paint.  Go back to your painter and ask him if it was buffed out.  A special liquid product is used for that process.

[Zed Head]

Most new cars today have a clear coat on top of the color coat.  It adds a lot of depth and shine and holds it even as it gets dirty.  So if you're comparing yours to a new car's paint job, a single coat can't really compete.  A clear coat on top of what you have would help, and might not cost much.  Stick a piece of clear packing tape on to a hidden spot and you'll see the effect.  Hidden, just in case you can't get it off.

[Patcon]

Single stage paint is hard to get real glossy. Part of the problem is as single stage paint cures all the UV protection rises to the top and cures making it shiny and protecting the color. When you wet sand you cut that protection off. It's hard to know how much you can cut because you don't know how thick the paint is and you don't know how much protection you are removing. It's a pretty color but it's prone to fade, so too much buffing hurts you long term.

Base coat clear coat allows you to stack extra clear then cut off the orange peel and the flaws.

Another possibility is the underlying primer base was not real smooth, so the paint they shot over it didn't come out smooth either.

If it was mine, I would go back to the original shop and ask them what can be done. If they cut through the paint or burn a panel then it's not on you and they should fix it

my 2 cents...

[bhermes]

I am still trying to digest all of the great advice here but one question, can you put clear coat over single stage paint?

The shop is no longer available to help or consult with.

 

Thanks.

[Patcon]

I think Eastwood offers a clear to run over single stage, but it may not be compatible with what you have. Do you know what product line they used? Do you have any left over color? You would need to know what type of paint you have, there is more than one type of single stage. If you know what product line they used then I would find the local distributor and go there and ask them for advice. They can advise you on what is available and what can be done about it. Also if you know what product was used I will look at the P sheets and try to do a little research as well. I would think they bought their products locally somewhere

[Zed Head]

Surface preparation is key. especially on cured paint.  You'd want to find a good shop and let them know what kind of paint you had sprayed and what you've done to it since.  If you've used certain waxes to shine it up it might not be a good candidate anymore for a clear coat.  But it is done in the repair business, so the expertise is out there.  Look through some of these videos.

https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=ww&ei=dq5PVNe5B8j8igLU9ICABg&ved=0CAMQ1S4#q=clear+coat+automotive&tbm=vid

[Consigli]

You might want to try 3M Finesse-It II polish on it first, as the low cost least complex solution. I've used it with great success on single stage paints. Do it by hand, and you won't have to worry about it taking too much off. Then wax. But don't take my word for it, read the reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/3M-05928-Finesse--Machine-Polish/dp/B0006GBTP8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1475890437&sr=8-3&keywords=finesse+II

[bhermes]

Anyone else here have experience with the 3M Finesse-it II product?  The cost is not to bad, about $50 and may be worth trying.

I am a little concern that the problem may be from prep prior to painting and I may be getting all that I can at this point.

Regardless may be worth the effort to try the 3M stuff.

 

Thanks.

[Zed Head]

3M makes good stuff.  The polish uses light oils as a carrier for the abrasive.  So some of that immediate shine is probably from the oils absorbing in/on to the paint.  If your dullness is from microfine scratches it will probably help.  If you have a mirror smooth finish already that still looks dull, maybe not.  The 3M product looks like what you'd use to get that final polish done.

Not really clear what your issue is though.  You said " the problem may be from prep prior to painting" which kind of implies that you're seeing a non-smooth finish, like orange peel or something.  Patcon mentioned it in #6.  If you're seeing something that projects through the paint film then you'll just be polishing bumps.  That's a different problem.  Maybe take a close-up picture that shows the defect.  A smooth finish will reflect a crisp image.  Get the camera in the picture as a reflection.  Or your feet.

http://3mcollision.com/3m-finesse-it-ii-machine-polish-05928.html#moreInfoDetails

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSuUn_zu8l00xm8tZP8_9lv70k17zHvu9lxtD7SSSSSS--