Reviving Black Paintwork

thatfatbloke · July 28, 2011

Hi - have polished and waxed my old girl,she shines nicely now but the paintwork on the bonnet is letting the side down. I tried to t-cut it a while ago to no avail. There is a flat section in the middle about 'engine size' caused I am told by the engine heat. Does anybody know of a product that will bring it back to life please?. I dread to think what the cost of a bonnet respray would be. By the way she managed a 700 mile round trip a few weeks ago and didn't miss a beat!!. Not bad for a £500 car. Also got 30 mpg when on motorway. I LOVE MY LEXUS!!.

ManicMark · July 28, 2011

Hi the cost opf a respray on the bonnet £873 ( Lexus price) I got a quote for mine as some kids throwing stones damaged mine. If t cut doesn't work try black colour cut, if that doesnt do the trick, its rubbing compound then t cut then wax, if there is still no joy its 1500 wet & dry using lots of water tcut then wax. + lots of patience & elbow grease.

itarumaa · July 29, 2011

I have polished my black ls400 quite many times and I would definitely buy the polishing machine for the job, because without that it is really hard job to get the car look nice. Well, I did succeed but definitely not an easy job.

is200_craig · July 29, 2011

a machine polish would probably bring it up a little but with it been heat damaged im not sure you could find a respray alot cheaper than 800 that's really expensive. and t-cut is no good you want a proper product like auto glym or dodo juice these are more expensive but well worth it i use all the products on my cars do you have a picture i would be able to say yay or nay better i think

abs66 · July 29, 2011

As previously stated, wet and dry surface I use 2000 paper then 3000 pads, T3 cutting compound, auto glym polish. A polishing machine is a godsend but even then, take your time use loads of water to avoid further heat damage and keep the machine moving. If the damage is too far gone then its gonna be respray time but £800! No way not on a £500 car, shop around I reckon you might get it £300 ish depends on how good a finish you require.

Good luck and keep us posted its how we all learn :)

thatfatbloke · August 1, 2011

Have spent the weekend on the bonnet with the t-cut,and I must admit it has come up nicely. All the faded paint has come back to life. I guess I was too scared to rub too hard before in case I took all the paint off!!. Thanks for the replies.

abs66 · August 2, 2011

Thats great news fella. Nice one.

Its always a bit daunting when you know you are effectively using an abrasive on bodywork no matter how fine it is, have often said "Phew" after tackling a badly scratched body panel that came out alright in the end. Reds that have gone pink are very satisfying just have to be careful on the edges and curves.