I just got done clay barring the 83. Certainly it needs a buffing. Should I carefully tape off all the decals and stripes or just use light pressure around them? Dont want to burn them or peel them off. Never had to deal with decals before. Thanks

 

I think you might want to put some tape on any fender corners or creases also. Power buffing can "burn" through fairly quick.
......Just my two cents worth.

 

I think it depends on what you are using to buff the car. If you are using rubbing compound and a rotary buffer, you need to be very careful. If you are using a a dual action buffer and something like cleaning polish, it will not burn through like the compound and rotary buffer will. There are videos on utube that might help.

 

They had really crappy paint jobs in the 80s. For the H/O stripes, I'd certainly tape them off if possible if using a rotary buffer. Depending on how bad the paint is and how much correction is needed, you may consider a 1500 grit wet sand with the dual action type polisher if you're needing some buffer action. Still tape off the decals. This will minimize any potential damage to the decals.

 

The sides aren’t bad but the flat tops are really checked. Pretty sure it’s not “fixable” but can look better.