Dogginator

My '97 GSR has a decent amount of paint fade on the front bumper, hood, roof, trunk, wing, mirrors, and door tops. I have searched for solutions, and some people suggested using a clay bar or rubbing compound. My question is three-fold:

1) Does anyone have personal experience with restoring the paint luster by means of a clay bar or rubbing compound?
2) Can new clear coat be applied to restore the luster?
3) If I have to repaint the car, are there any colors that are more resistent to fade? Obviously, Milano Red would be a poor choice. I was thinking of painting the top black.

eluam

I work at a car dealership and we've had 3 MR Hondas traded in. All 3 were around the same year as yours. All 3 were faded badly. We took one of them and hit it with the buffer and one of the compounds, can't remember which one. It came out pretty decent. I don't understand why, but Milano Red blows for longevity. I really want to paint my car MR, but I know it won't last. If you repaint, pretty much any other color(Honda-wise) should last longer than MR. Might I suggest Captiva Blue? It was on the DAs. My friend has a 92 Captiva Blue DA that is on its 4th owner, 170k miles and the original paint still looks amazing. It definately stands the test of time. Very pretty color too.

ebelp

I wouldn't use rubbing compound. That's not meant for oxidation. That's more for removing surface scratches and other surface defects. You need a good Cleaner Wax that will get in the paint and pull out all the oxidation.

Drian

I have a '98 milano teg also. Fading is starting to show in some areas. I'd say repaint it imola red. I wouldnt mind a titanium silver, but getting the bay/jams/trunk is alot of $$$. Good luck.

Dogginator

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to buff the paint first to see if it can be saved.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by geeZus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">We took one of them and hit it with the buffer and one of the compounds, can't remember which one. It came out pretty decent.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Do you know if the buffing will last? My hood, etc. look decent immediately after waxing, but it quickly fades.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Drian &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I wouldnt mind a titanium silver, but getting the bay/jams/trunk is alot of $$$. Good luck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was thinking the same thing about the jams and under the hood. That's why I was thinking that painting it two-tone with the milano red on the bottom would be a good option to avoid that hassle.

alltech_hybrid

Use Mothers Gold Carnauba wax and it will look like a brand new car!.. well maybe not brand new but you will definately notice a difference.. i used it on my hatch when it was still milano and i was very please with the results.. i waxed half the hood and compared and i was so suprised that my paint could look that good. I forget the exact name but its in the little red can.. that and some buffing should help your paint look its best

MidwestSi

use sink cleaner COMET or AJAX to wash it make sure you hit it all that will remove the oxidation then give it a good waxn it will look brand spankin new and wont hurt the paint

Dogginator

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MidwestSi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">use sink cleaner COMET or AJAX to wash it make sure you hit it all that will remove the oxidation then give it a good waxn it will look brand spankin new and wont hurt the paint</TD></TR></TABLE>

Common sense is telling me that applying bleach and abrasives to the paint isn't a good idea. Have you actually tried this?

MemphisNate

if you get it painted MR just get a good thick clearcoat put on it. the clearcoat is what gives the car the shine and "luster". the actual paint is dull until the CC is applied.

MidwestSi

yeah just mix it with water and let dissolve and use a wash mit or rag its not like your using steal wool and yes i tried and it did wonders