Here’s a good before-and-after...
Here’s a good before-and-after example of the big payoff from doing a proper cut and buff on a car.
This is on the hood of the...
This is on the hood of the Corvette.
When Lindstrom can’t find...
When Lindstrom can’t find just the right block he switches to small flexible pads. These conform better to curves so that Lindstrom can get consistent results. Again, extra care is taken with sharp body lines, since burning through the clear would mean having to repaint the panel.
Sometimes the larger 8-inch...
Sometimes the larger 8-inch wool pads are just too big to get into the smaller areas around the car. In those cases Lindstrom breaks out this mini wool pad. In areas that are even too tight for this, Lindstrom has to finesse the finish by hand.
To finish up the car we used...
To finish up the car we used our Meguiar’s Dual-Action polisher along with the appropriate pads and their Ultimate line of polishes and wax.
And this is the intended result,...
And this is the intended result, a mirrorlike shine that sets a high-dollar paintjob apart from a scuff and squirt deal.
Here’s the stash of a guy who’s been doing this for a very long time. Over the years Lindstrom has collected a menagerie of various pads, blocks, and widgets for getting paint just right. We found sections of radiator hose, metal tubes, and even blocks of wood. There was even a small block of aluminum that Lindstrom says is perfect for sanding out runs.
Stripes or other graphics painted on a car require a slightly different approach. Sure, they are typically covered by numerous layers of clear, but the lines can still be felt so it’s necessary to do some sanding to get that true “buried” look.
Lindstrom has been doing this a long time, and over the years he’s picked up quite a few tricks. When cutting down over graphics, like these stripes, he uses a different technique compared to regular panels. As Lindstrom told us, “Charlie Hutton, of Foose and Coddington fame, stopped by the shop and said that we should start with a coarser paper and a harder block to knock down the areas over graphics.” This is because, with today’s high-solid clears, a soft pad will just float over the bumps rather than knock them down. Depending on the condition of the paint, Lindstrom starts with either 400- or 600-grit paper. In this case he chose 600 grit.
The 600-grit paper is wrapped around this 3M rubber squeegee. Lindstrom has found that it’s hard enough to knock down edges yet flexible enough to conform to the contours of the car. Also key to this process is water, lots of water. Lindstrom ads a bit of Ivory dish soap to the water and lets the paper soak for a bit to get soft. The soap helps the paper slide against the paint and Lindstrom has found that Ivory, over other brands, is easier on his hands.
Here’s the result after a little bit of work. If you look close you will notice shiny areas adjacent to the white stripe. These are “valleys” in the paint and the goal is to sand until those areas become level with the rest of the clear. Once level, the area is finished in steps like the other sections of the car.