TECH
>>>>
REPAINT OR REVIVE?
Can that old, faded paint be saved?
by Tom Shaw, photography by Danielle Pandeline and Tom Shaw
Peter Geisler of Orlando Mustang determines that the exterior is a good news/bad news deal. The good news is that, despite its looks, the
paint on the steel panels can be polished and saved. But the urethane will have to be repainted to match the rest of the body. The area to be
polished is taped off to prevent damage and discoloration to adjoining trim.
S
ooner or later, just about
every Mustang owner
has to make a decision —
keep the original paint job, or let
it go and repaint. But how do
you know when the original
paint can be saved, and when
it’s beyond hope?
We contacted Orlando Mustang
for some expert help in sizing up
the old, original paint on our very
weathered ’93 GT convertible. It
was originally Bright Red, but the
factory paint was in sad shape,
having sat out in the rain and hot
Florida sun for way too long. What
used to be glossy and beautiful
was now dull as dirt.
66 FOXMustangMagazine.com
Peter Geisler from Orlando
Mustang eyeballed the car and
went to the cabinet for supplies.
Coming back with 3M 06060 Extra
Cut Rubbing Compound, 3M
Perfect-It Machine Polish, and a
pair of fresh pads for the buffer,
the job was on.
Typically, Fox Mustangs received
single-stage paint for solid, nonmetallic colors. Single-stage paint
goes on in one application.
Metallic colors used basecoat/
clearcoat, which is color followed
by a coat of glossy clear. If you’re
not sure, take a cloth with some
compound and rub lightly in an
inconspicuous area. If you get
color on the cloth, you have singlestage paint. If you get no color, you
have basecoat/clearcoat. The ’93 in
this article had some of each. Steel
panels were single stage, while the
rear fascia and some of the side
urethane parts were painted
basecoat/clearcoat. Other urethane
parts were molded in color.
“You can revitalize paint a
couple of times,” Peter says, “but
each time you do, you’re taking
off part of the paint, so you’ll
eventually start seeing primer
and metal.”
What about our old, dull paint?
What about yours? Peter walks us
through the steps of old paint rehab.