White paint in need of some love, no clear coat, what do? (1 Viewer)

[Travis Bickle]

Hey guys, just wondering what you do to take care of white paint on your LC?

Mine needs a serious detail but since the white on these has no clear I'm not sure what the best way to go about it is.

Pic for views

 

[jlm43]

No help to offer but I'm looking for the same as I have the same color combination that's in need of a good detailing. I took the flares off and need to get the marks taken care of. My bumper corners are marked up so I'm trying to decide what color to paint them as well.

 

[aharlan001]

I'm with jlm43 on the color combo and corner scrapes/marks. I just bought a harbor freight da polisher, compound, foam cutting disc, foam finishing disc, 2k clear coat rattle cans and light greyish beige metallic rattle cans. My plan is to cut, polish, and wax the white then touch up the corners followed by the same... I'll let you all know how it goes I got the spray paint from paintscratch.com ... expensive.

 

[chrisratz]

Answer from a non-professional: I went through this a few years back, helping a buddy detail his white 4runner. My conclusion was the concerns over single stage paint are overblown. We did standard paint correction/detailing and it looked really nice and glossy after. My standard amateur method: Wash the car with Dawn dish soap, Clay bar along with Griots paint prep spray. Then based on the condition of the paint I'd use all 3 stages of the Meguiar's DA products, or something similar along with your random orbital polisher. Of course the more time you spend on it, the better it will turn out.

 

[MongooseGA]

You can compound and polish just as you would a clear coated car. The only differences will be paint transfer to the bads (non issue if you're not surprised by it) and the depth of paint you have to work with(not much different than clear coated cars). If you want to play it safe, you can use a chemical cleaner product like Klasse All-in-One with no abrasives but will do wonders for chalky, single stage paint. Then just seal it up with your LSP of choice.

 

[texasrecurve]

What’s an LSP? A paint sealer?

 

[JT4runner]

LSP = Last Step Product. So that would either be a sealant or a wax. There are tons of options that you can go with these days. I like the Meguiars Ultimate Fast Finish. Now days lots of companies have a spray on sealant that you just spray the product off with your water hose. Check out brands like Adams, Shine Supply, Klasse, Griots Garage, Poorboys World, McKees 37, CarPro, Gyeon and others. Check out www.autogeek.com and you can learn lots of info about detailing and the stages to bring back and protect your paint and find the best products for you.

 

[WaHoo]

I am doing mine this spring...I have the Griot's Lithium Ion cordless and some "complete compound"...most of my paint is in pretty good shape though, just dull. I will post before and after pics...if you are really that worried about it, take it to you local detailer...they can do wonders. You will spend about half of what you would at a detailer buying the tools and products...I have them for another car, so it is a no brainer for me. If you REALLY want to take it to the next level...wrap it...but that will set you back at least $2K...

 

[Njck22]

Yup, I agree with the above, buy a da polisher, some pads in varying aggressiveness and experiment on which one or combination leaves you with your desired result. You can read many forums posts, but nothing is gonna tell you the results better than trying yourself. Too many variables. Meguiars m105 or m205 is an economical and good compound used by many pro detailers and body shops. Best thing is to accept that a land cruisers paint shouldn’t be without its share of scratches. Not gonna get perfection.

 

[gungriffin]

It comes down to one of two paths. Either you correct the paint with a buffer, or you will just try to preserve what you have. I would look on Craigslist for a Porter Cable 7424 DA polisher. It might be possible to find one used for under $100. Then just work with a milder compound and go more aggressive as needed. You can go through the paint, but it will be hard to do if you are careful.

 

[JT4runner]

For a DA Polisher it matters how much you want to spend. I purchased a Harbor Freight DA polisher and bought a Lake Country 5” backing plate and use 5.5” Lake Country pads. You can spend more and buy a Porter Cable 7424 DA Polisher , Griots DA or you can spend $$$ for a Rupes or Flex. It all depends on your budget.

 

[JT4runner]

Another awesome 2 step paint correction that does a great job that is not pricey and easy to use is the Griots Garage BOSS System.

 

[LongHaulCruiser]

Because I don't like the swirls left by orbital polishers, (though it wouldn't be too noticeable on white), I'd try to get by without one. My approach would be to use the Meguiars products. I like the Car Cleaner Wax, available just about anywhere. Lots of elbow grease if you try to do it stag, though.

 

[gungriffin]

Because I don't like the swirls left by orbital polishers, (though it wouldn't be too noticeable on white), I'd try to get by without one. My approach would be to use the Meguiars products. I like the Car Cleaner Wax, available just about anywhere. Lots of elbow grease if you try to do it stag, though.

Swirls wouldn't be left if you are using an appropriate step down method for the paint you are working with. This would apply to any type of buffing machine. You just need to test on a small patch somewhere on the vehicle to make sure the products will finish well with the paint you are applying them to.

 

[LongHaulCruiser]

I just feel safer going with a method that is gentle on paint. I have good success with Meguiar's products applied by hand.

 

[100club]

I just feel safer going with a method that is gentle on paint. I have good success with Meguiar's products applied by hand.

Nothing wrong with that when you're simply applying wax. Just takes longer.

If you want to correct your paint, there's simply no substitute for an orbital or rotary polisher.

 

[JT4runner]

I just feel safer going with a method that is gentle on paint. I have good success with Meguiar's products applied by hand.

You are better off getting a DA polisher and getting the Meguiars M105 and 205 compound and polish. Doing that by hand will yield very little results. The only good thing applying by hand is applying sealant or wax.

 

[dinnertime]

Ive got to get mine detailed, Just haven't had the time. Also figured I would wait until I did my roof rack delete before having someone buff/compound it.

I could DIY, but after I buy all the stuff I'll be in it for a couple hundred bucks then Ill have to send a weekend doing it.

 

[JT4runner]

Ive got to get mine detailed, Just haven't had the time. Also figured I would wait until I did my roof rack delete before having someone buff/compound it.

I could DIY, but after I buy all the stuff I'll be in it for a couple hundred bucks then Ill have to send a weekend doing it.[/QUOTE

So why don’t you get a professional detailer to do the initial detail for you and then every 3-6 months just maintain the paint yourself? It is very easy to maintain it.

 

[LongHaulCruiser]

Of course in Oregon, we don't get much paint fading...