Reviving a Faded Car Finish with Polishing

Over time, a car’s finish can become dull and faded due to exposure to the sun and other elements. However, polishing the clear coat can restore the shine and give your car a freshly painted look.

To get started, you’ll need some sandpaper (1500-2000 grit) if you need to remove scratches, as well as a polishing system with the following items: a coarse pad and compound, a finishing pad and light compound, ultrafine compound (optional), and wax (optional).

If you need to remove scratches, use the sandpaper to sand them flat. Remember to wet the sandpaper for a smoother cut. Once you’ve finished sanding, you’ll need to remove the haze left behind with a polishing system. If you’re not sanding, you can skip straight to polishing with a coarse pad and compound. After a thorough polishing with the coarse pad, you may notice some light scratches remaining. To remove these, follow up with a lighter compound and pad. For even better results, you can use an ultrafine compound and a blue pad. Finally, you can apply wax to protect your newly polished finish.

Overall, the process is relatively simple, but it’s important to follow the directions for the polishing system you choose. With the right tools and techniques, you can achieve satisfactory results and bring back the shine to your faded car finish.