faded paint restore.

[Bluesman]

I just picked up an 88 635 Zinnberoot (SP) Red and the rear bumper bellows and the hood are a lighter shade than the rest of the body. What do you guys suggest as a course of action to restore the paint? I went all over the detail forum and they talk all about power this and that but couldnot find an answer to my question.Thanks Bluesman

[jmenacker]

If you are serious about bringing the best out of good but oxidized paint, contact Dave Crawford at Glosshaus:

Glosshaus link

Dave is a super nice guy and is quite familiar with e24 paint. Highly recommended.



Joe M in WV

[jbd5015]

i wish i could do that to wolfie, but im in the missing clearcoat category. Give it a shot, wont be as expensive as a new respray for sure.

-Jeff

[sixseries]

hey same here!!

[GWL]

Originally Posted by jmenacker

If you are serious about bringing the best out of good but oxidized paint, contact Dave Crawford at Glosshaus:

Glosshaus link

Dave is a super nice guy and is quite familiar with e24 paint. Highly recommended.



Joe M in WV

I agree!! Dave is a great guy to work with and he has outstanding products.

[jmenacker]

Originally Posted by sixseries

hey same here!!

Clearcoat on my son's '87 Bronzit looked like it had been in several sand storms. The glosshaus kit did help a lot (looks good from 10 feet away instead of 25 feet away) but once the clearcoat has failed there's nothing to be done other than strip and respray.



Joe M in WV

[sixseries]

Originally Posted by jmenacker

Clearcoat on my son's '87 Bronzit looked like it had been in several sand storms. The glosshaus kit did help a lot (looks good from 10 feet away instead of 25 feet away) but once the clearcoat has failed there's nothing to be done other than strip and respray.



Joe M in WV

mines a bronzit too!! with some the paint completely gone on the top. the top and trunk are quite terrible and the hoods not that bad. so im thinking of getting a cheaper paint job on just the top and trunk cuz i dont have the money for a full respray. anyone think that this is a good idea??

thanks
Brad

[sixseries]

i also love those wheels on ur sons bronzit. what kind are those??

[jmenacker]

Originally Posted by sixseries

i also love those wheels on ur sons bronzit. what kind are those??

His wheels are OZ Fittipaldi style with chrome finish. They need to be rechromed but are fine for a daily driver.



It is probably better to save up for a complete respray on the paint. Going cheap is not a recipe for satisfactory results. Going cheap on a partial paint job would likely take a miracle to end up with anything resembling a respectable finish.

Keep the car as clean as possible with plenty of wax to prevent further deterioration. I had good luck with Maaco on a single stage paint job.


$2K Maaco paint job.

Joe M in WV

[jbd5015]

i didnt realize how high the 6er is on stock suspension, almost looks like the 87 is sitting higher than normal though. nice wheels, i think theyd look great in a stock BMW finish, im just not big on chrome except on the bumpers!

-Jeff

[jmenacker]

Originally Posted by jbd5015

i didnt realize how high the 6er is on stock suspension, almost looks like the 87 is sitting higher than normal though. nice wheels, i think theyd look great in a stock BMW finish, im just not big on chrome except on the bumpers!

-Jeff

The second pic posted was shortly after we got the car with stock springs/shocks. The earlier pic is with Bilstiens and ST springs.

Joe M in WV

[jbd5015]

ah yes...i see the difference. these cars definitely look great with a modest lowering. really helps the stance.

can your son make it up this weekend?

-Jeff

[jmenacker]

Originally Posted by jbd5015

can your son make it up this weekend?

-Jeff

Mike will be holding down the fort at home. He usually works weekends for gas/discretionary spending money and is currenntly recovering (both financially and mentally) from a new component-built computer for his gaming addiction .

Joe M in WV

[Bluesman]

as for my cinnabar red paint job. I don't know what I did in my previous life but I am one lucky guy. I hit the trunk first with Maguires cleaner wax (by hand) and presto could see myself. Now the whole car looks great, can't wait to see it after the clay bar treatment I will be doing on it next.Thanks for the help guys.You guys rock.

[CW6er]

Not all cars were clear coated, I think some colors only came in the single stage paint?

[GWL]

Originally Posted by CW6er

Not all cars were clear coated, I think some colors only came in the single stage paint?

True! My black 87 M6 has no clear coat while my 80 Euro Cypress Green has clear coat. I think I read somewhere that the metallic colors were all clear coated while base colors were not.

[sixseries]

yeah it is very unfortunate. it was an option however for base colors. mine was oringinally scheduled to get a clear coat after being prduced but then that option got deleted. and its very evident today

[alpinacsi]

Originally Posted by sixseries

yeah it is very unfortunate. it was an option however for base colors. mine was oringinally scheduled to get a clear coat after being prduced but then that option got deleted. and its very evident today

My 86 Bronzit car was clearcoated and when I was buying paint for the spoiler, it was noted that all BMW metallics were B/C. It was also noted when I was buying Alpinweiss for my 85 that all solids were single stage during this period.

I have never heard of a clearcoat option from the factory but part of the option cost for the metallics was due to the required clearcoat. Are you sure yours was not repainted at some point with a single stage metallic?

[alpinacsi]

Originally Posted by Bluesman

as for my cinnabar red paint job. I don't know what I did in my previous life but I am one lucky guy. I hit the trunk first with Maguires cleaner wax (by hand) and presto could see myself. Now the whole car looks great, can't wait to see it after the clay bar treatment I will be doing on it next.Thanks for the help guys.You guys rock.

Pictures are required!!!

[sixseries]

Originally Posted by alpinacsi

My 86 Bronzit car was clearcoated and when I was buying paint for the spoiler, it was noted that all BMW metallics were B/C. It was also noted when I was buying Alpinweiss for my 85 that all solids were single stage during this period.

I have never heard of a clearcoat option from the factory but part of the option cost for the metallics was due to the required clearcoat. Are you sure yours was not repainted at some point with a single stage metallic?

Originally Posted by JayM

Here it is (your car was loaded):
Type Value
VIN WBAEC510701275087
Type code 5351
Type 635 CSI (ECE)
E series E24 ()
Series*, 6
Type, COUPE
Steering, LL
Doors, 2
Engine, M30
Displacement, 3.50
Power, 0
Drive, HECK
Transmission, MECH
Colour, BRONZITBEIGE METALLIC (139)
Upholstery, BUFFALO-NUTRIA LEDER (0181)
Prod.date, 1985-04-01

Code Description (interface)
S209A LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL (25%)
S314A HEATED WINDSCREEN WASHER NOZZLES
S401A SLIDING/VENT ROOF, ELECTRIC
S458A SEAT ADJUSTMENT, ELECTRIC. F DRIVER/PASS
S500A HEADLIGHT WASHER SYS/INTENSIVE CLEANING
S530A AIR CONDITIONING
S540A CRUISE CONTROL
S669A Becker Mexico Elec. CR Saf.
S682A RADIOANTENNE AUTOMATISCH
S915A nur Boden konserviert

The S915A option is the deletion of a paint protection option.

You got a great buy!

thats my build sheet. i guess its bronzit metallic paint but the option S195A option for im guessing clearcoat got deleted. not fair

[alpinacsi]

That paint protection option is not the clear coat. I believe that was a polymer sealer that was applied as just a protector. Almost like a floor wax. I think that people were selling these aftermarket at that time and saying you would not have to wax the car for 5 years.

I could be wrong but I would still say it has clear coat.

[HayekFan]

Isn't single-stage paint actually more restorable than B/C? My understanding is that once your clearcoat is shot, it's shot. On the other hand, you can usually use buffing compound (a mild abrasive) to take the oxidized layer off of single-stage paint.

To go a little further, I've been told that clearcoat is actually an inferior method that the auto industry was basically forced to adopt because of environmental regulations. Back in the day, they used certain solvents that let the paint dry down really smooth and glossy. But those solvents were banned (or their use was made prohibitively expensive), so they had to start using clearcoat to get the right gloss.

[alpinacsi]

Originally Posted by HayekFan

Isn't single-stage paint actually more restorable than B/C? My understanding is that once your clearcoat is shot, it's shot. On the other hand, you can usually use buffing compound (a mild abrasive) to take the oxidized layer off of single-stage paint.

To go a little further, I've been told that clearcoat is actually an inferior method that the auto industry was basically forced to adopt because of environmental regulations. Back in the day, they used certain solvents that let the paint dry down really smooth and glossy. But those solvents were banned (or their use was made prohibitively expensive), so they had to start using clearcoat to get the right gloss.

I perfer not to have the clear coat on a solid color as you can restore the paint. Instead of having 2 thin coats of color and multiple coats of clear it is all color. I was only able salavage the original paint on the Alpina because it was solid single stage.

To get the depth in the metalics, it was necessary to apply a top coat of clear. Compare the depth of a single stage metallic to that of the B/C. Although the single stage metallics have come a long way, I prefer B/C for them. If "sixseries" has single stage metallic without clear, then it should be able to be wetsanded to remove the oxidized paint and leave a nice prevously unexposed layer visable. The problem is that the clear starts breaking down and will/can loose its bond to the thin layers of color. At this point, the only option is to sand and repaint.

[GWL]

Originally Posted by alpinacsi

I perfer not to have the clear coat on a solid color as you can restore the paint. Instead of having 2 thin coats of color and multiple coats of clear it is all color. I was only able salavage the original paint on the Alpina because it was solid single stage.

To get the depth in the metalics, it was necessary to apply a top coat of clear. Compare the depth of a single stage metallic to that of the B/C. Although the single stage metallics have come a long way, I prefer B/C for them. If "sixseries" has single stage metallic without clear, then it should be able to be wetsanded to remove the oxidized paint and leave a nice prevously unexposed layer visable. The problem is that the clear starts breaking down and will/can loose its bond to the thin layers of color. At this point, the only option is to sand and repaint.

I agree with you about no clear coat on basic colors. If my black car had clear coat I would not have been able to buff out the blemishes. BMW has been clear coating since at least 1977 as my brand new BMW 320i had to have the roof clear coat warranted after less than 6 months in the Arizona sun. It started to peal, pretty ugly site on a new BMW.

[Bluesman]

How do you get a copy of your build code?
Thanks
Steve