What is the best method to deal with oxidation of paint on my 82 240 (China Blue)?
I tried some turtle wax rubbing compund but maybe I did not do it correctly. I didn't see much of a diff.
My paint is actually pretty good and the car was garaged from 82 until last year when it sat out in the vegas sun for 5 months and oxidized. Looks like it may be a repaint somewhere along the line..
Any suggestions as to what products and what method worked for you?

thanks

bennett

Try the Meguiars line of products. They work pretty good.

I think the Turtle Wax is too abrasive. See if you can find ScratchX- Walmart has it and most McParts. I think it is a Meguire's product.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

TR3 works great! it rubs out and puts a wax type protective coating as well. you can get it at most any parts store. I made my faded 240D look like new

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Andrew Villasenor
805-720-5057
1984 300D turbo 5-speed manual(daily driver)
ALL MY DIESELS RUNNING WVO
Everything is for sale for the right amount
Ebay Store

TR3, sounds good... who is it made by?.... that available at autozone and alike?

i have found that after the 123s start oxidizing they will still buff out well but the buff wont last very long before the oxy returns. weeks or even days. so i have painted a couple of them ... the 115 too. it seemed like the paint on the two fintails i had was different and once buffed lasted longer.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I would much rather polish it than repaint, it's easier cheaper and you get a better longer lasting finish. And there is nothing like having an old car with the original paint job even if it is showing a little wear.

You need a very fine polishing compound. You get it at an auto parts store. It should be a similar fineness to Brasso or chrome polish.

Do not use a buffer, do it by hand. It is too easy to burn thru the paint especially on corners and edges if you are not experienced with the buffer.

Once it is polished you MUST wax it well or it will oxidise again in a week or 2. If you keep it waxed, it will last forever.

I have done the same thing with ordinary car wax, no buffing or polishing compound at all. I simply waxed the car over and over, by hand, according to the directions on the bottle of wax. The worst one I ever did was a red Renault LeCar. It was so oxidised it looked like primer, I didn't think it would ever shine. But in a couple of days it looked like a new car - I polished it a total of 9 times with Turtle Wax and Rain Dance, using up what I had in the garage. When I was done you could throw a clean rag on the roof and it would slide right over the roof, down the windshield across the hood and onto the ground without slowing down.

If you are in a hurry a good detailing shop can buff it out. Once it is shiny just wash and wax it regularly twice a year and it will stay that way. By the way when you wax it, you can build up 2, 3 or 4 coats for extra protection.

I used a random orbital polisher (best $25 I ever spent) and Zymol cleaner- wax ($10 ). The results were fantastic! Be sure and use good carnauba wax afterwards, I like Meguier's but Zymol Light/Dark to match the paint is unbelievable if you can afford it ($45 ). Check out the detailing forum. There are many good recommendations there.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Hire a detailer, I'm not kidding it would be cheaper.

You need to get a real buffer not one of those cheap $30 jobs. Porter Cable has a random orbital buffer for like $200 but I have seen other brands for under $100.

You then need to use a good polish system, going from an aggressive polish on down. I wouldn't rule out a fine wet sand either.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?L1=L1_1000&L2=L2_1004&SKU=11119

It will take a weekend, but if the paint can be saved it will be.

Buffing isn't rocket science, with a little practice anyone can do it.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I got a chuckle out of this.

I have a 1989 Dodge van with a paint color of very dark red. It just oxidizes like crazy and I'm not about to spend a whole lot of time making it look good.

But, once per year, I get out a new bottle of Turtle Wax and go to town with about three shop towels. The towels end up looking like I murdered someone, but the van looks almost as good as new.

People spend a fortune on Meguiars and the Turtle Wax effectively accomplishes the same thing.

when i was young and full of energy i would wax it several times too. but now i would just pay someone else to wax it or paint it and save my energy for playing with my grandkids!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Brian if you wax your van 2, 3 or 4 times then do it again every 6 months it will look like new forever.

This is not as brutal as it sounds, once you have polished it once, each succeeding time it gets easier and easier. And if you don't let it go too long it will come up a treat with relatively little work.

And, after 20 years working in body shops I DO NOT recommend anyone use a buffer. It's too easy to wear through the paint and it's not necessary to use one unless you are hustling to complete 3 or 4 cars in a day because the rent is due tomorrow. For your own car, take it easy and do a good job, and the paint will last a lot longer.

A good man with a buffer can make your car look like new in a couple of hours, but it takes experience and a delicate touch to do it right.

You see...............it's the "every six months" part that I have difficulty with.

This van is not the object of my eye.

I heard clay bar does a pretty good job. Got one on my shelf but have not tried it yet. Personally I've used Meguire's Paint Cleaner Compound then topped it off with Blitz wax. I found that just about most brand waxes can produce pretty and impressive shine. But nothing protected and endured as well as Blitz.

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Peter
1984 300D MB "Klara"
1996 4Runner SR5 "Toy"
1997 Impreza Outback "Subie"
80's Diesel PU Rig (to be purchased)

A clay bar is a vitail step to properly clean your paint. If you clay while you wash your car you don't need the lube.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200