1987 GN paint

[JimG]

Hi,
My car is still carrying its original paint on most of its body. there was a damage repair done while previously owned. The condition of the paint is becoming more difficult to maintain, and I am wondering if there are proven materials and methods to bring it back to its former shine and lustre. I am not in the position to have her repainted at this time, so what are my alternatives.
Many thanks for all the replies.
Jim

 

[scgnx2]

I'v seen many many GNs with original paint including mine which the paint is showing
small cracks all over. Its referred to as "checking", I believe. I tried the colored wax from Turtle wax.
It helped a little..I finally had it repainted as it just kept getting worse..

 

[Red C5]

You might want to have a professional detailer look at it. I've seen some amazing paint work from some of them.

 

[flamed86gn]

Depends on how bad it is but get you some zaino brothers and go to town it takes days to complete it but it's pretty amazing stuff not cheap though

 

[626gn]

There are many different types of buffers and products that can bring out the best of your original paint. If you’re not familiar with the process I would recommend talking to a professional detailer.

Aside from selecting a particular product or process, one of the more important things that hardly anyone ever talks about when working with a car with 26 year old original paint is paint thickness. Paint thickness on a vehicle that has been recently repainted is not so much of a concern but if you truly have original paint it should be one of the first things you check before attempting any type of aggressive paint correction. These cars came from the factory with single stage paint and it was paper thin to begin with. 26 years of polishing and who knows what else can effectively reduce the thickness of the paint. If your paint already looks a bit faded and polishing a small area does little to improve the finish, it could be that you’re getting close to the primer coat.

Any half way decent professional detailer should be able to measure your paint thickness and if there is enough paint remaining, can suggest the best way to restore your paint finish. Just my 2 cents…

 

[JimG]

thank you 626. That was the kind of information I was looking for.
I will follow up with a pro to determine the next course of action.
Jim

 

[Brian Harper]

There are many different types of buffers and products that can bring out the best of your original paint. If you’re not familiar with the process I would recommend talking to a professional detailer.

Aside from selecting a particular product or process, one of the more important things that hardly anyone ever talks about when working with a car with 26 year old original paint is paint thickness. Paint thickness on a vehicle that has been recently repainted is not so much of a concern but if you truly have original paint it should be one of the first things you check before attempting any type of aggressive paint correction. These cars came from the factory with single stage paint and it was paper thin to begin with. 26 years of polishing and who knows what else can effectively reduce the thickness of the paint. If your paint already looks a bit faded and polishing a small area does little to improve the finish, it could be that you’re getting close to the primer coat.

Any half way decent professional detailer should be able to measure your paint thickness and if there is enough paint remaining, can suggest the best way to restore your paint finish. Just my 2 cents…

What 626gn says is very true. The paint on these cars is very thin to begin with so you have less to work with. When you are buffing you are actually removing more of the paint from the car.
My car is about the same as yours with original paint. There is weathchecking especially on the hood and the paint is getting thin enough that it is starting to look metallic in a few spots (probably the primer underneath starting to show through). I switched to Zaino wax products a few years ago with great results. Since I switched I have had lots of compliments on the car including people who have accused me of lying when I tell them its original paint. Zaino is not really that expensive but I recomend you follow their directions to a tee. It won't make your paint last any longer but it will look good until the bitter end, when you're ready to hand over that hard earned cash for a paint job.

 

[626gn]

My original paint also has very small traces of metallic in the paint if you look at it closely in the sun. I've also talked with other owners who've noticed this. Dennis Kirban even mentions this in one of his books. He said that he has owned several low mileage GN's that did not have any paint work but had silver specs in the paint. Another story by a former GM worker who worked in the plant in that time period confirmed that paint guns may not have been cleaned out properly before shooting the GN black. If any of these stories are true, this might be one thing to look for when buying a car that claims to have original paint..