I have a T-reg, 1999, 1.6l mk2 which is “classic red”
Problem is that she is now more of a faded red/pink in some places.
Does anyone have any solutions to restore the colour back? (or close to original)
Thanks!!
Depending on how far gone it is:
Polish (by hand or machine)
Wet sanding followed by polishing if the above doesn’t help
Respray if all else fails
I would take it to some one who knows what they are doing; no point in spending time and money if it’s too far gone to recover.
I too have a Mk1 in classic red, 1991. I purchased the car 16 years ago with the same problem. My solution was to invest in a good quality cutting polish and then wax polish. Sixteen years later she still wins admiring glances and comments. Having said that I still re-wax twice a year and sorn the car over the winter months.
Greased Lightening with Carnauba wax is the one I use, after the cutting polish . . . About £16 a bottle!
Good luck with it.
Some interesting replies
Please take note, that Mazda paint is very soft compared to European Paint
The use of harsh ‘Cuttiing Compound’ is asking for trouble
A thorough inspection of the paintwork will be needed by someone who has polished many cars… ie a Valeter/Detailer
Paint thicknesses must be taken
The use of mild/finishing polishes and light pads is often successful via a Machine Polish, but some sections can be done by hand
Pro Detailers will have the knowledge and the experience and they will give it a new life, providing that its not too far gone
Chris
ChrisRS Valeting & Detailing, Bingley, West Yorks
I can echo what ChrisRs says, my ND is currently in for a professional detail and after taking paint thickness measurements the guy was very concerned about how thin the paint is. However he has dealt with MX5’s and Mazda’s before and has seen the same issue and he knows what he is doing. I have decided to have a ceramic coating applied which hopefully will give it a bit more protection than a wax or sealant.
Red flat paint seems to have been a “soft” issue across manufacturers across the decades?
How many odd-panelled pink Pox-all Cursas do we see etc?
My 80’s red Morris Ital estate (company car…I was not certifiable enough to actually BUY one) lost it’s lustre every few weeks.
Must be a generic pigment/chemistry thing.
Equally, with careful & progessive correction as I’m sure Chris in particular will know about, flat red comes up a treat more than others.
Our 1962 Tartan Red woody mini traveller was never, never polished and had slowly and evenly faded the upper surfaces to a gentle pink. Down at the rust line it was almost pristine Tartan Red, partly because of the ongoing repairs. When it came time to sell it on in 1984 I used a gentle application of T-Cut and there was ample paint left below the faded stuff to make the car look like new after the final waxing and polish. The wood also came up a treat with careful sanding and lots of bleach, hardener and yacht varnish. The fantastic good looks sold it even though I pointed out all the remaining rust and the grievous lack of power in the utterly clapped out engine.
By contrast we needed to respray my mate’s Red 1968 MG Midget (Cooper S head mod) at only four years old, because he had polished it so many times to keep the pink away that the primer was showing! (Rag top rotted and replaced three times in five years, last time not with BL fabric.)
The paint on my old Flame Red Astra was much the same, again never polished except once when about ten years old; big mistake, it looked fantastic for about a week and then faded more in some areas than others depending on how much it had been cut back. After another few months the top surfaces were as pink as ever.
Moral: avoid a flat Red if the car is going to be left to cook in the sun, and you care about it looking great.
Goodness me Richard.
There we go then!
[quote=RichardFX]
Not strictly true.
Red is affected by UV light more than any other colour…TRUE
However, this can be arrested almost indefinately by using sealants and waxes which protect it against UV light
Where the problem lies, is with not maintaining this protection. It must be topped up on a regular basis.
Lack of beading/sheeting of water is a tell tale sign
I regularly still clean my cars with wash & wax, but that is not the same as applying a sealant, and “sealants” were not in the DIY car cleaning lexicon when I began fifty-odd years ago (Zodiac, Minor, Mini, Sprite, Midget etc). The cars did bead nicely for a week or two afterwards, vanishing sooner if the road dirt & diesel coating was re-applied too quickly. But the fading on all of them with various colours proved that type of “wax” is not the answer for flat-coat paint finishes.
Hmm, now for modern cars. Does the lacquer coat on modern paint finishes contribute any UV protection?
One problem with the lacquer coat is that it is not possible to remove a faded surface, if it happens, because it is under the lacquer. What will the soul red with its tinted lacquer look like after five or ten years of sunshine?
Another problem with the lacquer is that after a while it begins to flake off - as happened with my old dark-blue-metallic Vectra B after about fifteen years. At the time I assumed this was because the UV killed the lacquer. The exposed blue was OK though and didn’t fade, and when I re-coated the lacquer it was hard to tell where the flaking had been, and that slight visibility was mainly because my prep&spray skills are definitely amateur. (Next time, if the car is worth more, I’ll pay a good professional, and ask for a warranty.)
Of course this is a first world problem, and for most people who move the car on after three years it is not something to even begin to think about.
But I like to keep the car if it is a good one…
If you want to take it to someone who knows what they are doing, talk to Paul Townsend at Autocuratos of Hampshire. If it is recoverable, he’ll tell you.
If it isnt he has a great body-shop he sues (who are painting my mk1 in the new year).
Tell him Ed sent you.
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Hmm, now for modern cars. Does the lacquer coat on modern paint finishes contribute any UV protection?
One problem with the lacquer coat is that it is not possible to remove a faded surface, if it happens, because it is under the lacquer. What will the soul red with its tinted lacquer look like after five or ten years of sunshine?
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Still good I hope!!! It does look the nuts with bright sun shining on it. I do although try to keep it in the garage, although its been evicted just lately while I’m fettling the NA…
A body shop he sues? That’s hardly a ringing endorsement!
Thanks for all the help everyone!! I decided to try T-cut and AutoGlym’s sealant first. It honestly looks like a different car now! I’ll upload some photos of a before and after so you can see the difference.
Hmm, now for modern cars. Does the lacquer coat on modern paint finishes contribute any UV protection?
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Judging by a few red metallics I saw in Oz 3 months back, and a few other colours, I’d say no.
Lacquer peel and matt paint in abundance.
Mind you, the sun there is weapons grade!