Working down the body side,...
Working down the body side, Patrick pulled the fine-line tape taut to ensure a straight line across the door. Achieving proper panel alignment before applying graphics is critical. If you decide to adjust a body panel to fix a gap after the graphics are applied, you'll end up with a straight gap and crooked graphics.
Mixing Components
| Item | Mixed with | And |
| KP21-A Kwikure Epoxy Primer, 1 part | KP21-B Kwikure Epoxy Primer, 1 part | RU311 Reducer, 1 part |
| KoSeal II, 4 parts | KU150 Exempt Catalyst, 1 part | RU311 Reducer, up to 10% |
| BC12 Zenith Gold, 2 parts | RU311 Reducer, 1 part | --- |
| BC01 Pale Gold Shimrin' Metajuls, 2 parts | RU311 Reducer, 1 part | --- |
| UK-08 Tangerine Kandy, 2 parts | RU311 Reducer, 1 part | KU150 Exempt Catalyst, 1 part |
| SG-100 Intercoat Clear, 2 parts | RU311 Reducer, 1 part | --- |
| UFC-35 Kosmic Urethane Flo-Klear, 2 parts | RU311 Reducer, 1 part | KU150 Exempt Catalyst |
| KS-10 White Ko-Seal II Primer, 4 parts | KU150 Exempt Catalyst, 1 part | RU311 Reducer, 1 part |
| BC-26 White Basecoat, 2 parts | RU311 Reducer, 1 part | --- |
| PBC-44 Snowhite Pearl ,1 part | RU311 Reducer, 1 part | --- |
| U03-B06 Red Striping Enamel, 2 parts | U00-P02 Pinstripe Reducer, 1 part | --- |
Classic Restorations On Buffing And Polishing
It takes approximately 12 to 15 hours to properly buff and polish a car, but the results are worth the effort. Here are techniques, tips, and procedures from Melvin Benzaquen.
Once the taping is completed...
Once the taping is completed and the area to remain white is covered, Patrick sprays three coats of Victory Red urethane base, which will serve as the pinstripe that separates the white graphics from the Tangerine body.
Techniques
* Never rush this process--it requires intense concentration.* Make sure the cord of the buffer is loosely over your shoulder and not dragging on the body, potentially scratching the paint.* Generally, hold the buffer at a 20-30 degree angle to the surface. Do a 2-foot-square area at a time, overlapping passes.* Don't push down too firmly. Let the pad and material do the job as you guide it.* Always keep the buffer moving to avoid burning the paint or creating a wave in the clear.* Keep checking your work as you go.* Be very careful at the edges to avoid burning through the paint.* Wipe the panel down after each stage with a clean cotton cloth to check for consistency across the paint surface before you move to the next panel.
Tips
* Buffing and polishing must be done in a clean, dust-free environment.* Mask any area that you don't want to see compound on, as it makes quite a mess.* A small 3-inch, handheld polisher can be used in tight areas where a 7-inch one won't fit easily.* Once you're done polishing, clean the compound and polish from every area of the car immediately--nooks, crannies, and crevices. Once it's hardened, it's very difficult to remove and can chip the paint.* Never let compound get on convertible tops, as it's very difficult to remove.* Always have spare pads in case one gets damaged during the process.
Machine Buffing And Polishing Procedure
* First, 3M 06063 Perfect-It 3000 Rubbing Compound was applied with a 7.5-inch (1.5-inch-thick) wool buffing pad (Tuffer Buffer #57-375) to begin removing the scratches left by wet-sanding.* The next pass over the car was made with 3M Perfect-It 3000 once again, but this time with a foam compounding pad (#05723).* Keeping the pad moist with a little water so it doesn't cut too deep, the third pass was made with 3M Finesse-It II (#05929) and another clean wool pad.* For the fourth pass, 3M Perfect-It 3000 Swirl Mark Remover (#06064) was applied using a foam polishing pad (#05725).* The final machine polishing pass was with 3M Perfect-It II Foam Polishing Pad Glaze on a foam polishing pad (#05725).
 After the red paint dried...  After the red paint dried for at least an hour, Patrick ran 1/8-inch fine-line tape directly over the red paint, butting it up to the earlier-applied fine-line tape in order to create a red 1/8-inch wide pinstripe once the body is painted. Here, he has applied three coats of Ko-Seal II metallic primer. As covered in detail in Part I, he will follow with three coats of Zenith Gold Shimrin' universal base, two coats of Metajuls Pale Gold metallic basecoat, and four coats of Tangerine Kandy. |  When removing the masking...  When removing the masking products, Patrick is careful to pull the tape in the opposite direction of its application to avoid pulling the paint up along the edge. (This photo is a mockup to show you how the car was taped for the red stripe. However, the -inch fine-line tape shown should be two pieces of 1/8-inch fine-line tape butted up to one another. The shop happened to be out of 1/8-inch tape at the time.) Next, Patrick will apply three coats of Kosmic Urethane Flo-Klear over the body and graphics, making sure there is plenty of material on the Bird, as some of it will be removed during wet-sanding and polishing. |  The Pontiac was left to cure...  The Pontiac was left to cure for a week before Patrick and the Classic Restorations crew began wet-sanding. Using 1,500-grit (600-grit would be the starting point on a two-stage job) on a 3M soft-back flexible sanding block, the high spots were sanded down to the low areas to smooth the paint surface. There should be a uniform dullness of the paint, with no shiny spots visible after wet-sanding and drying, as shiny spots indicate low areas that have yet to be sanded, thus an uneven surface. Next, Patrick and the crew employed 2,000- and finally 3,000-grit to further smooth the surface. It takes about 16 to 20 labor hours to complete this process. Afterward, the Pontiac was washed thoroughly with water. Another week allowed the paint to release solvents after the wet-sanding process, and then the buffing and polishing began. See the sidebar for those details. |