Polish Classics For Cleaner Looks
March 29th, 2009
Taking care of a classic car is a labor of love for most owners. If you fall in this crowd, chances are you go to great lengths to make sure your ride always looks like it just rolled out of the pages of an automobile history book. If you are not using an abrasive polish on the finish, however, the pristine paint job might not be as flawless as you think.
A good polish can do a number of things to improve the appearance of your car. When it is used in conjunction with a solid maintenance routine, a paint job can be kept in pristine condition. It can even help improve or even fix a number of imperfections. Problems that can be mitigated with polish include:
- Scratching – When scratches do not penetrate past the first quarter of the top coat can be completely removed with polishing. Deep scratches might remain, but even they can be improved in appearance.
- Scuffing – Scuff and rub marks tend to be rather shallow into the paint’s surface, but they might not be removed entirely by the typical washing process. A good polish should remove or at least lesson any minor surface abrasions.
- Etching – When hard water causes paint etching, polishing can often repair the damage or at least lessen it. It is imperative to remove more acidic sources of etching as quickly as possible though. Things like bird droppings and acid rain can cause major problems with paint.
Improving the look of a classic often only takes a little elbow grease. A good mildly abrasive polish can help make sure a ride looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor.
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