Shiny, deep paint has always been the go-to for car people looking to turn heads with their classic cars. But for car purists — especially those concerned with originality over everything else — there’s nothing better than having that OE paint on your classic.
For years, original paint wasn’t a priority for many car restorers, and that has made original-paint cars relatively rare today — with those cars that do have OE finishes sometimes valued higher than their resprayed counterparts, because “it’s only original once.” But those original finishes have lived full lives and have the bumps and bruises to show it — scratches, thin spots, cracking, you name it.
If you have an original-paint car, however, you don’t need to choose between a great, deep shine and that all-important originality. If you’re careful, and if you use the right methods and products, you can eliminate imperfections and bring a lot of depth to your car’s original paint without hurting what makes it so special.
We got together with Nick Griot and Sam Battersby — a couple of the experts at Griot’s Garage in Tacoma, WA — to show you the right way to make your car’s original paint look its best while maintaining its integrity.
Griot’s Garage Parts List
- Spray-On Car Wash, 22 oz., P/N 10984, $14.99
- Paint Cleaning Clay, 8 oz., P/N 11153, $19.99
- Speed Shine, 35 oz., P/N 11146, $13.99
- BOSS Long-Throw Random Orbital Polisher, P/N BG15, $365
- BOSS Correcting Pad, set of two, P/N B120F5, $23 (2)
- BOSS Perfecting Pad, set of two, P/N B130F5, $23 (2)
- Correcting Cream, pint, P/N B120P, $24
- BOSS Perfecting Cream, pint, P/N B130P, $20
- Foam Pad Conditioning Brush, P/N 15548, $15.99
- Best of Show Paste Wax, 9.5 oz., P/N 10871, $24.99
- PFM Terry Weave Towel, set of two, P/N 55586, $19.99 (2)
- PFM Detailing Towels, set of three, P/N 55526, $19.99 (3)
- PFM Dual Weave Wax Removal Towels, set of four, P/N 55525, $19.99 (4)
- Three-inch Red Foam Wax Pads, set of three, P/N 11263, $13.99 (3)
- Palm Grip Pad Holder, P/N 10637, $9.99
Time spent: About eight to 12 hours, depending on vehicle size
Difficulty: 2/5
Here’s how we did it:
