Orange peel clear coat

[AC78]

The previous owner of my otherwise pristine SC commissioned a clear coat at some point and unfortunately a small portion has not been rubbed back properly resulting in an orange peel effect.

It's only a small patch over the rear guard, but with 10 coats of wax and under a fluro light it's pretty obvious.

Is this a job I can tackle myself with some ultra fine sandpaper? I prefer to work on car myself but will gladly pay to fix it if this job is too delicate for amateurs.

Grateful for any advice and detailed process of fixing!

Cheers, Alex

[Simonoz]

Alex

Google paint correction and see what comes up.

Its well within the realms of a home handyman, and very satisfying.

Mind you, its an addiction so be careful.

[Harvs11]

I'm no expert on what grade papers and polish to use so I'll leave that to others.  Learning how to rub back paint really shouldn't be done on a Porsche. Huge risk of botching it.   My only advice is practice on an old panel from the wreckers.  If you don't like the results then find an expert to do it.    Good luck.

[firstone]

I also like to do my own work and have watched this work many times.

The peel can be rubbed down, however in your endeavours you could rub through the clear not knowing how much has been applied or take only the tops off each high point and end up looking worse. A surface with more than one curve is tricky requiring rubbing from many angles or you risk flat spots.

Buffing afterwards is also a fine art. You can burn through edges or over heat the paint.

Maybe attend a school for it if its a skill you would like to aquire?

I have vehicle I just bought needs a buff also. I'll give it to a shop then polish and seal it myself.

My 2c

[Peter M]

Assuming you have sufficient thickness of clear coat to work with:

2000 or 2500 grit wet and dry paper lubricated with soapy water. (You could start with 1500 grit to speed the removal but for your first time slow and steady is the safer option.)

Go steady, taking care to only take off the high spots and to do it evenly.

It is normal to freak out the first time as the sanding will turn the clear coat an opaque "white".

Once all the high spots have been levelled, use something like Mother's Scratch Remover to polish the clear coat transparent again.

Then use your normal polish and waxes to restore the shine.

Also suggest you start with a small area first to gain confidence.

[smule]

Hand rub it 2000 wet with a soft pad, then run a good cutter over it with a buff and a spray of water .. You just won't get enough heat buffing it by hand so a machine is preferable.

Caveat.... Be very careful with rubbing back and buffing. It doesn't take much to cut through especially on the edges...

[Harvs11]

This video gives a good general description of the process along with good images of the paint surface as it changes from peel to mirror finish.

[AC78]

Thanks for the advice all. I will err on the side of caution and polish up a car that isn't a Porsche first!

[Pauly]

If it's orange peel, you can sand back with wet and dry. start with 1000, then 2000 then 4000 and what ever is higher. 

 

Then you'll need to get some cutting compound to remove the swirls. go to a pro car detailer, he'll give you best advice