7 year old oxidation

earnhardtracer38 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-06-2008, 10:43 PM

I bought a 84 Bronco II that was sitting for seven years. The paint has really oxidized in that seven years of not moving. I have tried rubbing compound on some spots and it seems to take more of thecolor off than the oxidation. Then I got a wild idea and tried some mag/aluminum polish on it. That worked out great in the spot that I did. No paint coloring came off and the paint was smooth. The thing is though, I dont have enough to do the whole vehicle. Whats the best way to go about getting rid of this? It doesnt have to look perfect since its an off roader, but I dont want to keep the dullness of it now. I would like a little shine on it.

ReAX · #2 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 01:42 PM

I would go with the clay bar first. Old style rubbing compounds are good on enamel paints but aren't designed for clear coat paint. Mag/Alum is very abrasive compared to non-commercial paint cleaners. start as light as possible and move to more abrasive compounds as you have too. The clay bar isn't very abrasive, it mostly just sticks and pulls.

skaterbro · #3 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 02:24 PM

Yeah, i too will say clay it. It won't do anything for the oxidation, but it will smooth out the surface and give you a good starting point.

I would go:

-Wash
-Clay
-Paint cleaner
-Polish
-Wax

The third step is where you'll remove most of the oxidation. If you have a DA, you'll see much better results. But doing it all by hand will also yield good results. A day's worth of work and your Bronk could be shiny again.

ClydeSDale · #4 (**permalink**) 11-18-2008, 10:28 PM

Cllyde was heavily oxidized when I found it .... more than twelve years worth of oxidation. I don't think it ever saw a wax job and I do believe the wash jobs were few and far between. I used Mequires three step process and a relatively inexpensive random buffer. When you squirt the cleaner on DON'T let it set too long before you spread it with the buffer. Don't ask me why I know this!

This is the second paint job revival I've done with Mequires. The first was a Laguna Blue '94 Miata that was totally flat! You couldn't even see the reflection of your hand in the paint, when I got done you could see the wrinkles on your knuckles!

No "before's", but here's an "after".

With the exception of the back of the cab (PO's damn topper boot) everything above the lower chrome trim is OE.