Lacquer paint discussion with a real pro

[David Greenburg]

Last weekend, our Region had a tour of the Academy of Art University car collection in San Francisco, which is spectacular.  A number of significant Cadillacs including among others, the '34 V-16 Aero Coupe, the 1941 60S NY Show car, and the customized '59 known as "Elvis III," as well as several Duesenberg's, a Tucker, Ferrari's, gullwing 300SL's.  One of our docents was the head detailer of this incredible 200 car collection, and I started talking to him about maintaining paint, and specifically original black single stage lacquer.  He had an approach that was different than the conventional  wisdom I have heard on the detailing forums that I occasionally follow.  He recommends never using anything that will transfer color to your polishing cloth, including things like Meguiars No.7, as these will ultimately thin the paint.  Instead, he recommended several coats of quality carnauba wax; if you keep enough wax on the car, it is very easy to dust off with microfiber, or perhaps microfiber with a little detail spray on it (as opposed to spraying it onto the car).  Unfortunately I did not have time to explore with him how he would go about cleaning/polishing the paint if that were to become necessary.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

David...unfortunately carnauba wax tends to both - build up and cloud up - particularly after freshly applied, especially on a bright sunny [hot] day. For this reason, many show participants prefer not to use wax at all on dark colors prior to showing, instead using a light hand glaze product having very minimal abrasion. 

There is an excellent product I use for this purpose which does not remove any paint, which I believe Dan had used on the car with excellent results.

Unfortunately, it is only available by a local dealer supplier however I would think there are similar products being used by local auto detail shops/ auto dealers near you. If you're on personal terms with any individuals directly involved in such businesses, I'm sure they might be able to help finding a suitable product.

[Dan LeBlanc]

Eric is correct. 

I used Meguiars # 7 on the car once to re-hydrate the lacquer and that was it.  You shouldn't need to do that part again.

From there, I used Eric's glaze (as I do on all my vehicles) followed by Pinnacle Souveran pure Brazilian ivory carnauba wax (2 coats).  The finish already has a good foundation.  You should be able to get by with a waterless wash and a spray detailer for years to come.

The Pinnacle wax is not cheap (a 4oz can is $99), but of all the waxes on the market, it is the most optically clear giving the greatest depth of image and gloss.  It's a very soft wax that is reserved only for show cars because it does not last long on a daily driver.  Most people using this stuff apply it sparingly on concours-quality vehicles (it seems that's where that wax is popular).

I recently started the exterior detail on the 70, and even on Byzantine gold, the difference after applying Eric's glaze with a top coat of wax is striking.

This of course was after a pass with a fine clay bar, fine cut compound to level out the surface, swirl remover, and then a finishing polish (all Pinnacle products).

Your paint has already been polished and conditioned on the 61 - you should only need to maintain the finish I created for years to come.  This was done with only the finest quality materials available and the utmost care to what was being conditioned.  The paint is about as good as it's going to get on a 56 year old acrylic lacquer finish.  Most people who have viewed the car believed the finish to be only 2-3 years old based on how level the paint surface was, depth of image, and level of gloss.  This was the result of about 120 hours worth of work on my end to get it there.

[76eldo]

Eric,

Enlighten me about your special glaze.  Please email or call or text tomorrow.

Thanks,

Brian

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Brian...and anyone else interested, here's the stuff.

I get it from CDN Distributors who supplies to dealers and recon shops around these parts.

It's super-easy to apply and works great. It comes in quart and gallon containers.

[Dan LeBlanc]

It's excellent stuff. I used it on my 99 F350 and, after a clay bar, swirl remover, and finishing compound, it really restored depth of colour to my paint.

I'd post a photo of the results but being a Ford, I can't

By far, the best glaze I have ever used. On the daily drivers, I have a dedicated foam finishing pad that I apply it with using a dual action polisher on low speed and it wipes off effortlessly.

[Dan LeBlanc]

This is an example of what proper polishing and paint conditioning can do to Magic Mirror Acrylic lacquer

[David Greenburg]

Eric- Thanks for letting us in on your "secret." I do have access to people in the trade.  In terms of finding something comparable, are there characteristics other than being a nonabrasive glaze suitable for lacquer that I should be aware of?

Dan - I certainly appreciate your efforts on the paint, and certainly am trying to do what's best to keep it healthy. I haven't done anything yet to the finish, other than the occasional wipe down with detail spray, although I'm gearing up for the Spring season.  It sounds like the maintenance regime is simply glaze + a couple of coats of wax should do it.  I'm glad another #7 treatment is not needed. 

[76eldo]

Is it similar to Maguires?

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Is it similar to Maguires?

Not really. It's much easier to apply/remove than Meguiars and doesn't require a lot of rubbing the way Meguiar's body shine (Step 2) does. Works great on glass too.

It's basically for surfaces that have been polished to begin with but have lost some luster over time as they all do. The best thing about it is that it doesn't "fog" on black even in direct sun the way carnauba does. 

Eric- Thanks for letting us in on your "secret." I do have access to people in the trade.  In terms of finding something comparable, are there characteristics other than being a nonabrasive glaze suitable for lacquer that I should be aware of?

Dave...those in the trade who you know should be able to steer you to the product you're looking for. Type of paint should not be all that critical for the fine type of abrasive we're dealing with here. If unable to find something that works to your satisfaction, let me know.   

[David Greenburg]

Eric - Thanks.  I'm making some inquiries, but in the interest of not undermining what is already on the car, I may just try contacting CDN and see if they will sell me some.  It looks from their Facebook page like they do sell to individuals at events. 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

If they'll do that, that's great. I was not sure whether they would.

As far as undermining is concerned, well there is really little to undermine except for the slight dullness that black paint tends to do within a few weeks (or even days) of being polished. 

In any case, I believe you'll be pleased with the results.

[David Greenburg]

I'm actually doing a little testing today on the lower edge of the trunk lid of a couple of different approaches, and will add to that either the CDN Glaze or local equivalent. I've had "glowing" results on my '60 using Klasse topped with a couple of coats of high end wax (P21S in the past, although I will likely try Pinnacle this year), although that is relatively new 2 stage paint, and it's not black.