Just as the topic states.. how do you restore oxidized paint?? im buying a 89 crx si and the paint has seen better days.. i think the paint is salvageable, ive seen worse come out pretty damn nice... any help would be much appreciated..

 

Try to wax and polish it...

 

what products work best?.. i was thinking of using some kind of rubbing compund, or a claybar.. any suggestions??

 

Me and a friend salvaged the red paint on his 88' Oldsmobile that was really oxidized. Wash the car really well, then use a polishing compound if the paint is so oxidized that it feels rough. I personally use Turtle Wax clear coat safe polishing compound, it works great and is really cheap. After that, or if the paint didn't feel too rough, use a non-abrasive polish or paint cleaner. I use Mothers paint cleaner, and this is really what cleans the paint up. Then I use a glaze, like Meguires show car glaze, and finally seal it up with som pure carnabua wax, not the cleaner wax, but a pure wax only.
Waxing might make it look shinier, but is just temporary, and is really just meant to protect the finish. The paint should be smooth to the touch before wax is applied. The state that your paint is in will determine what to start with, you can buy all different levels of polish, from a heavy cut that would be used to fix large chips, to a less abrasive paint cleaner. I have never used one, but hear that the clay bar works good, but I think with oxidation might require a polish.