Wekend Restorations

I assume anyone stopping by Detailing & Showroom enjoys getting out in the garage and tinkering with something they are passionate about - our cars. Especially this time of the year, when we probably are not driving them much. It is great to go out and get away from work, the daily news, politics, etc. and just do something enjoyable. So I thought I would create a post of small projects that may only take a few hours, and yet can make a noticeable improvement.

These taillights are off my 30-year-old Maserati spyder with nearly 60,000 actual miles. I am the 3rd owner and bought it in 1995. This being its 30th year, I just wanted to spruce things up a little. Here are some photos of them being cleaned, wet sanded, polished, and coated.

As removed
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taillight bucket
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original (top) completed (bottom)
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wet sanded (top)
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both complete
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a warning - NEVER use alcohol to clean transparent plastic. In this case, taillights are probably made from acrylic plastic and headlights are often made from polycarbonate. Both will crack as seen above when cleaned with alcohol. I will have to find a replacement for the one I ruined...

 

In this case, the scratches were minor, so I started with 1000 on a block, avoiding the lettering. If I were interested in customizing, I would have removed all lettering. Then I used a 3000 grit pad going over everything. Certainly no need to worry about sanding through! Then just a quick once over with the 5000 grit pad - not sure it made any difference. Buffed with Griots #1 and then perfecting cream on a medium size orbiter using orange pads.

Coated with Gyeon Can Coat. Very easy to apply. My first venture into coatings.

FYI - you will lose your microfiber cloths! DO NOT use your brand new ones...

 

I decided it was time to improve the look of my battery terminal. Replacement would require removing the entire induction system and that was something I have not wanted to do unless necessary. So I took a file and tried to clean it up little. I think a patina will develop over time. One more to go...

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I did the ground terminal today. In time the patina will return and it will look normal.
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