Recently, while restoring the finish on my old racecar, I started checking into some 3M products. I was familiar with some of their compounds, but recently they introduced a product line for retail customers that covers a wide range of applications. The bottom line is that the average user can save that old paint and really make it look great. So the good news is that you can give your old Alfa a face-lift without dropping a few thousand on a paint job, and you maintain that original finish that seems to be getting more desirable these days.

So what steps do you take to salvage that paint? Well, first assess what type of paint you are trying to rejuvenate – clear coat or non-clear coat. If it is clear coat, then you have to be careful with your selection because you can remove the clear coat if the compound is too harsh. Second, do you want to try this by hand or do you want to use an orbital buffer? Orbital buffers are safer than rotary buffers for us non-professionals. On the other hand, what if you don’t have a buffer? I almost prefer to work by hand. Yes, you will take a long time, but if you are trying to salvage a really worn-out finish, then take your time and observe how the paint is responding to the effort.

If you are working with a clear coat, then most likely this is a modern finish and you probably need to look at removing scratches and swirls. Possibly the gloss needs to be enhanced. If you look at the chart offered on 3M’s website, you can quickly find the right compound for taking on the task. Clear coats are really great because they do hold up well, and with the right effort they can be rejuvenated easily.

Let’s assume that you have a non-clear coat car. Perhaps this car is an unrestored example with original paint that looks really horrible. It is all intact but just oxidized beyond recognition. Can it be saved? Of course! And it may even make the car more valuable than an expensive new paint job because it is the original finish. Where do you begin? Well, try an inconspicuous place to start.

I start by hand with 3M’s Imperial Glaze. This is really a cutting compound, but you will quickly see the oxidation work it’s way off. Be careful not to work through the paint layer – you can do the same damage by hand as you can by running a buffer. You can even work out orange peel and other surface blemishes with this compound. Just make sure that you work evenly. You will see the chroma in the paint get back to original, but it will have a dull look. The next step will cure that.

I then follow up with Finesse-it II, but 3M also recommends the Perfect-it rubbing compound. Both are very mild and will take out the faint scratches that are dulling the finish. This step should remove any final dirt too. The gloss should really start to shine.

Keep working fender to fender – you should be sweating heavily by now. Notice how much oxidation and dirt is coming off of the car? I usually like to do this to the entire car, working fender to fender, before beginning to wax. This way, you can assess the car in its entirety in case you see any uneven areas, and you can simply redo them by hand.

[I’ve seen both the "before" pictures of Steve’s barn-find vintage racecar and, recently, the actual car itself, and can attest to the lustre of its restored original finish. And no, I’m pretty sure that he does not work for 3M. –Ed.]