[EL FUTURA]

Own a 96 EL Falcon Futura in "Bermuda Green" and the guy who owned the car before me seemed to enjoy neglecting the paint
So with the expense of a few bottles of Meguirs polishes(cleaner + wetlook) I've tried to make it look a tad better...the previous owner also seemed to enjoy going 4wding in it also, with some nice scatches on the front and rear bumper...

I want to know if its worth getting the car professionally cut and polished (for say $70) or keep using the Meg. polish...

Can the scratches in the bumpers be fixed without too much expense??

Also, I've had problems trying to get a paint touchup bottle (I know I can get them from Ford) but I can't find them anywhere...tried most local auto shops + Kmart/etc. but can't find any :cussing: :cussing:

Are there any other "Bermuda Green" Falcon owners out there with the same problem?? (ie can't find any touchup)

 

[ebxr8240]

Hi ;I went to a Panelbeater Friday to see about the same thing.They can repair quite alot of damage.Depends how bad it is, but I was in MY CAR the other day and saw a video Peter Brock was showing how easy it was to mend and spray a plastic bumper,they made it look easy.They had to spray the whole bumper tho.

 

[EL FUTURA]

yeah, it might not be too bad to repair the scratches, but finding the green paint to finish is another thing

 

[ebxr8240]

That was quick! Yes I think that a pro spray painter would be worth it though,keep some paint? get quote?? Auto barn can make the paint up but fairly expensive...

 

[jaytyn]

EL FUTURA, email me with the paint code, ill find out how much it is for you.

(Paint code can be found on comp. plate)

 

[EA S]

Have you tried tar and spot remover? It's the first thing to try as a lot of scratches are really just colour left by contact with something else and a good rub with tar and spot remover will get rid of those.

If yours is a stock colour, you can do without the paint pens. Just get a spray pack and spray it into a container and use a fine point brush (from art suppliers or Bunnings craft section) to touch up. You need fine point so it doesn't spread too wide. Should be a colour code book in the paint section. K-mart, Repco etc all have them. Get the paint code off your car's identification plate. Another manufacturer's paint may be identical colour. Put very little paint on brush, so it doesn't build up too much on car. Several thin coats are better than one thick one. If you put it on too thick it stands out more.

If the scratches are more than few mm wide, feather the edges CAREFULLY with some 600 or 800 wet and dry and finish with 1200. Fold the paper over something firm and thin like a credit card and use narrow edge. The part in contact with the work area shold be short enough that you can control it without going off line into good paint. Using anything wider than the scratch, like your finger tip, will only enlarge the area to be worked on. Prime the bare plastic by brushing on plastic primer (also in spray cans). Normal primer won't work on plastic. If primer is above level of surrounding paint, rub it back with 1200 wet and dry level before painting. Ideally it should be lower than paint so that paint ends up at same level. Then paint with brush. When it's dried for the recommended time rub it back with some light cutting compound and buff it with a lambswool buff on a drill.

Before each stage, and especially before applying paint, rub with wax and grease remover(prepsol). Apply with one clean cloth and remove with another to ensure all contaminants removed. Don't touch work area with anything, and particularly not your fingers as they can leave oil on the surface, after prepsol before paint or finish may be affected.

You might find those coloured polishes will help, although I've found the white ones to be useless at filling even hairline cracks and covering up poor finish.

Cut and polish can't replace missing paint. If the scratch has gone through to the base plastic or metal, it has to be repainted. You can do a pretty good job yourself with a cut and polish compound/liquid and a bit of effort. Prepsol it first to get rid of the existing polish, so that you're cutting the finish not the old polish.
Use the lightest cut available.

To wash your your car, put a couple of tablespoons -no more- of kerosene (yes kerosene - it's old trick but it works) in the bucket with the carwash. CT something is what I use and it's good, but I can't remember the number CT 21? CT24? There's a truck wash and a car wash - use the car wash.

Sorry if I've told you stuff you already know.

 

[svo347]

Im sure the truck wash is CT18 its a green liquid & CT28 is an ally wash pink in colour..
Darn good stuff if ya caint get rid of that red dirty look, used to use it in the pilbara on minesite 4wds with awesome results(CT18 that is )

 

[EL FUTURA]

I have used ChemTech (truck) wash on my car before but it seems to strip off the polish...I think i'll stick to using Meguirs Car wash (not as good on bugs, but water sleets off really well and it doesn't affect the polish)

Actually ordered some touchup paint from a local dealer today....guy said that the genuine Ford stuff is better (wonder why $$$) so will try to use that

Thanks alot for your comments though guys...

 

[XR8chic]

I got my engine bay resprayed while I had my engine out recently.

At first I bought a can of spray, but the colour was slightly different..

So I got the local Auto One to mix up some paint for me.. just gave them my paint code, and for $20 I got a bottle of paint, and a gas cylinder thingy to spray it on with.

REALLY easy to use. and a lot cheaper than a few cans of spray paint, or the touch up stuff from ford.

1 bottle did the entire engine bay in 2 coats.