Hi. When we bought our Chevelle, it had a red paint job that was very dull, that was fairly new. We did a light compunding and wax and the paint came up pretty good. It now looks like a 20/20 car (20 ft at 20mph). Could one of you paint people tell me if a wet sanding with a very fine grit sand paper would make it betteR? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Chris

My experience is that wet sanding will help to eliminate orange peel and other flaws in a paint job, but it will not assist in getting the car to shine better.

Could you explain orange peel ? please,

"orange peel" basically means a rough textured surface made because the paint was applied too "dry". If you can imagine the surface covered with thousands of tiny drops of paint that did not properly flow into a uniform thickness layer. If it is not too bad, nor the paint too thin, wet sanding can take this out.

My experience...if you have actual defects in the paint (drips, runs, orange peel, etc...) this is where wet sanding comes in handy. If the surface of the paint is already smooth, you need to look more toward polishing. Or at least start with 1500-2000 grit wet sanding, then a microfinishing glaze and a polish, finally a wax.

I'm sure others could go into more detail but that is the basic system I have used.

Corey, would the wet sanding the that fine of sand paper be the same as a good compunding?
Thanks a lot Chris

Well, not really...it may look the same on the surface of the paint, but the whole idea behind wet sanding is that you are leveling the surface because (hopefully) you are using some type of sanding block.

With any type of compounding or glaze (even if the grit is the same size at that of the sandpaper) you are just refining the surface finish. Compounding won't "level" the surface.

If the surface of the paint looks smooth, but dull, compounding would probably achieve the desired result (may be a 2,3, or 4 step process depending on how many different "grit" levels you use...ending up with a quality wax)

If the surface is rippled or orange peel...even if it is shiny, this may require wet sanding in two or three steps followed by all the compound/glazing/waxing steps.

Actually if the paint has oxidized and dulled color sanding with a fine grit will remove the damaged paint. Then when the paint is polished it will have a much deaper apperance and shine.

After wetsanding, light compounding, or whatever, to really make it shine buff it with 3M Finesse It II or III on a foam pad at slow speed. Then follow with hand applied polish and wax. That could make a turd shine. :D

von ,
what do you consider a slow speed.

Wetsanding su*ks......period

ratuned, What I meant was in the area of 1500-2000 rpm on a buffer. I use the slower of two speeds on mine.

Thanks a lot for all the opinions, but the only one i should have listened to was 69ssragtop. After prepsol-ing the surface to take all the old wax off, wetsanding with 1500 grit sandpaper very lightly, and putting on a rubbing compound (3M Perfect-It 2) and liquid wax (Perfect-It Show Car), the fender appeared to have a film over it. graemlins/clonk.gif Boy, did i feel stupid :rolleyes: . So, then i prepsoled the fender again to take all that off and washed it with soap and water, and the film was still there. Then i picked up some Mothers 3 stage wax. Put that on and the fender looks good, but not as good as the rest of the car. If you knew the film was their you can still see it, but if you didn't you probably coudln't tell. Well, i have to say thanks to all of you but in the end, you live and you learn.Next time i will just give it more wax.