Rub them out... day 1

I chose to have this car painted with a single stage, urethane paint.  This is about the toughest stuff you can get, and about the easiest to maintain.  I decided not to use the more common two stage, base coat/clear coat paint because I just don't think it looks right on a 50's vintage car... it has a very "modern looking" deep gloss.  Plus, it costs a little more, and is harder to repair.

This isn't to say that single stage paint shouldn't have a deep shine.  Most professional classic car restorations use single stage paint, and of course they look fantastic!   Here are two of Uncle Packard's cars, both with single stage Centari paint.  Check out the depth of the shine!

Check out the clarity of the reflections in the doors and fenders.  How does he do that without clear coat?  He does it by the time honored method of rubbing out the paint before polishing it.  This process is also referred to as "cutting and buffing".

I've never "cut" or rubbed out paint before, but Uncle Packard has been doing this for 50 years.  Professionals in a hurry use buffing wheels, but Uncle Packard always does it by hand. 

For Uncle Packard, rubbing out the paint involves several packs of absurdly fine grit sandpaper, soapy water, bright lights, elbow grease, and a lot of patience.  Several days worth of patience.  The goal is to smooth over all the irregularities in the paint... the occasional nits (trapped dust particles), minor runs, and the orange peel.  Runs happen when the paint goes on too thin, and orange peel (lumpy finish) happens when the paint goes on too thick.  When painting a flat horizontal object like a hood or a trunk lid, the consistency of the paint can be adjusted to completely avoid runs and orange peel.  When painting the entire car, however, there are both vertical and horizontal surfaces.  What's thin enough to flow well on the hood may run on the side of the fender.  Adjusting the paint consistency becomes a tightrope walk... and once the paint is mixed, it has a finite pot life, and the clock is ticking to get it on the car quickly.  I am very pleased that Paint Guy painted the car, and I'm quite pleased with the quality of his work.  Still, EVERY paint job will initially have some orange peel, a few nits, and maybe a few runs.  This car has it's share, although it is very manageable and completely correctable with minor cutting.

Uncle Packard graciously volunteered to help me rub out the paint, and suggested that I take the car back to paint guy afterwards for a professional polish.  I didn't really HAVE to do this... the paint looked good right from the shop.  I even debated not cutting and buffing the car at all, simply enjoying it as it was.  But I think this car is supposed to look its best.  The extra step here isn't really hard, it's just a minor delay, and it provides a great opportunity to spend meaningful time with Uncle Packard!  I also expect it to make a big difference in the appearance of the car.  It shows an attention to detail that would honor my Grandmother's memory, and I will remember the time Uncle Packard and I spent together every time I see the shine of the paint.

Today was an "off" Friday from work, so I arranged with Uncle Packard to spend the next three days rubbing out the paint to his satisfaction.  He seemed confident that we could do it.  I stopped by the auto paint store to pick up packs of 2000 grit and 3000 grit sandpaper, then swung by Paint Guy's shop to tell him that the car would be arriving for polish on Monday.  I also swung by Tire Guy's shop to see the beautiful wide whitewalls that he will be installing after the car is polished!

Rubbing out paint requires carefully inspecting and feeling the paint for rough or uneven spots, then lightly sanding them with a piece of wet sandpaper.   The sandpaper could either be on a sanding block, wrapped around a paint stick, or used just with fingers, depending on the extent of the rough area.  The paint needs to be wet when it is sanded, but it needs to be dry to see and feel the rough spots.  There is a lot of wiping involved, and we went through a lot of paper towels.

It was gratifying to see that as the finish got duller, the paint got smoother, and felt silkier.  The orange peel gradually smoothed out... at first as a pattern of dull dots on a shiny surface.  As the sanding continued, the dots gradually expanded and the shiny bits retreated until the surface became one dull smoothness.  This happened in one small area at a time, as my attention gradually moved over the car.  Uncle Packard and I finished rubbing out the rear fenders, deck, trunk lid, and driver side door... about half of the car.  I'm pretty confident we can finish tomorrow.  I'll post some pictures then.

While Uncle Packard and I rubbed out the rear half of the car, #1 Son got very busy and installed the weather stripping on both rear fender skirts, the weather stripping on both doors, and then assembled and installed the engine compartment splash guards.  Whew!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow!