Technical Keeping 70 Year Old Paint Shiny

Ok, so first off, my paint isn’t quite 70 yet, but is getting close. Also, I have been painting for 40 years now and know how to make paint nice. But, I have to admit that I am no expert in keeping old paint nice as evidenced in the shine, or lack thereof, on my Fairlane. When I got this car about 12 years ago, the paint was about dead. I hand rubbed it then to not take too much paint off since it is thin in spots. About 4 years ago, it was bad again so I decided to use my buffer this time mainly because I am older and fatter than I was last time. Well, it’s dull again and I am running out of paint to buff so I need to find a better way. New paint isn’t an option since this car is still too nice for that and it can only be original paint once... I’m not looking for the latest fad wax or some clear coat or something but would like to hear from others maintaining old original paint on a car that gets used, sits out sometimes, etc. It rarely sits out but does if the shop is full of other crap at times.

This pic was when I decided to shine it back up 4 years ago before the Gathering at the Roc. The shiny part is what I just did and the rest is what it looks like again now. Thoughts?

 

I’d drive it

 

Nice car, I can't help with any magic tricks but what you did in the past looks good to me. HRP

 

I would try “Meguires” step 50 cleaner/wax on a small spot…

 

When I was a kid had an old man live down the street. He used to wipe his car down with a rag and trans fluid. It'd get dusty as hell and he'd just wipe it down. If I remember correctly about every couple months he'd put the trans fluid to it, the rest of the time he'd just wipe it down with soft rags after washing it.

...

 

Ceramic coat seems to work very well, not sure if that falls under your fad wax heading

 

I’m not a fan of clear coating any and everything because it’s the in thing to do. However your base color is too thin now but your car is still a solid color thru out. In this case, I would not have a problem with you clearing it. Also, this would give more material to detail on down the road.

 

I do have some experience with this at least in the areas that transmission fluid drips on it when it is under something else on the lift.

 

Friend of mine is doing a lot of ceramic coating on old rides.
Pics look great

 

One of our suppliers at work is doing the ceramic coatings on several cars...I didn’t think of that. I may talk to him. Other ideas?

 

Jeff, this is such a timely thread. I’m dealing with the same thing on my Dad’s old F-150. I’m watching with great interest!

 

Talk to the pro's, or car collector museum curator's might direct you to someone, Jay Leno even comes to mind as he test drives (so to speak) quite a few products. A friend gave a low mileage 57 the clay bar treatment & I thought he had repainted it. Please share the outcome.

 

Buff it out and then keep it waxed, at least twice a year with something decent, Turtle Wax or Simoniz or something. Every time it's buffed, you're losing a little bit more paint thickness. Putting clear or oil or anything else on top of the old paint is a big risk of it lifting off, I would not recommend that. Even if you test it in a small area, paint can do odd things, a tiny chip with an open edge can lift paint even if it wouldn't where the paint is complete.

 

The original old paint on my 62 Bel Air does the same. Buffing brings it back, but it eventually oxidizes, fades and dulls. I haven't found a solution yet.

 

Just watched a couple videos on ceramic coating and another on just bringing back old paint. The bringing back part I have down it’s the keeping it shiny that eludes me. I do admit that I am not the best at keeping stuff waxed either whether newer paints or this car. I’m sure that is a part of my problem. I’m still researching and will definitely report back what I find and how it lasts. Sounds like this is a somewhat common problem. I have a buddy with an original paint black 55 Chevy that his dad always kept nice. I may ask him how he kept it up.

 

I have a good friend with shiney black cars thst are always, ALWAYS, spotless and he says the ceramic really makes them easier to clean up as well.

 

Yea that was my plan the last time I made it shiny...and somehow 4 years snuck by. I know that is likely the real answer.

 

Subscribed.
Our highly off topic Impala SS hasn't seen a wax pad since my wife waxed it twice in the late 90's as I had R&L carpal tunnel surgeries in the early 90's, and being a machinist, waxing cars was no longer a thing for me.

 

Looks great Mark but that paint is WAY newer...lol

 

And, this is what mine looked like last time I made it shiny and was going to wax it a couple times a year for reference.

 

Man, I could stare at that car all day.

 

Alkyd enamel or Synthetic enamel . Good stuff

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Indoor storage if possible….

 

It gets that probably 99% of the time now and getting more daily as I sell off junk in the shop.

 

My Dad was a religious car waxer. Always used Kit brand wax and our cars and trucks always looked great.

 

I did the oil thing on faded painted fiberglass except I used WD40 on it. It would get dusty fairly quick but a quick wipe with a clean cotton rag would clean it off easily. It was a driver and was always outside. When it faded again about a year later, out came the old rag with the WD40 resprayed on it. It looked good as new. The surface just needs to be clean before applying.