hi i want to make the 95'* paint shine a lil bit as it is a lil dull and has lots of scratches on the fenders from mechanics..i wash my car every weekend but i want to try and make it shine and i want it to be noticable as opposed to how it looks now..

I had a grand am once that sat out in the weather for several months, paint looked horrible. I went to a paint shop and got some 3M rubbing compound and some Macguires(spelling?) polish.

I put the 3m stuff on by hand (the grand ams were short in 89) so I didn't burn the paint with a buffer, and then took it off with a little 4" buffer. There were a few swirl marks left behind, which were easily removed (or covered up) with the polish.

All and all, over a 2 day weekend, I was able to get the car buffed out and waxed and it looked 50x better. Paint was shiney, water spots and light scratches were gone, looked brand new.

Hope this helps a bit.

88bonnsse
I will take a stab at this and help you out.

First where do you live?

Do you have access to a Porter Cable Random Orbital Buffer and polishing pads?

A claybar might help a little, along with using an otc polish by hand. But as 95SLE asked about a polisher, that'* really the only way to really see a difference without spending hours and hours by hand with a good quality polish.

i have a hand held sander, polisher, and buffer all in one. its not a porter cable its a craftsman i beleive..... how would i do this.. ? thanks for all the help

what is the model? The typical 10 inch buffers don't do much for polishing, but since you say it'* a sander it'* possible it will do a decent job. The question will be whether you can adapt the proper polishing pads with it.

Yes please post the model # of the sander.

It also helps if you have a budget in mind for the equipment/product you are willing to buy. Even if you are willing to put the elbow grease into the job we will help you out.

I will say that you can get a PC + the velcro backing plate, a yellow pad and an orange pad + some decent polishing compound for around $200. This would not include the wax or sealant needed to preserve you polishing work.

Some balk at the price but remember you are buying a life time tool. Also there are quite a few persons that take their high end car, MB, Porsche, etc before selling and pay anywhere from $300 to $600 for a detail. This will increase the value of the car from $800 to $1,500. IKYN

Some on this forum change engines as a relaxing pastime, LOL. I like to detail cars and help other members out with their detailing projects. Most would agree that pulling an engine or shining up a car is relaxing. I believe the real value is working with other members and enjoying a good time.

It sounds like he needs a rotary to me. I would suggest just having it professionally detailed by a well known detailer and then just keep it in nice shape. Wash with a lambswool mitt, dry with a microfiber. Be extremely careful about what touches your paint after you get it detailed. It will look 100x better once its buffed.
Grant

You are lucky you have white. My black gets swirls on it just by looking at it.

LOL made my morning. How true it is!

88bonnsse:
You may want to consider the option put forth by *B2*. After the detail all you need to do is the ongoing maintenance. You should be able to find a competent detailer that will do the outside paint surface for $100 to $150.