My car was last repainted in 86, but the paint has held up incredibly well. Here's my dilemna. The bodyman who did the paint did not CC the door jamb, sills or inside of the door skins. There's an obvious difference in the gloss of the paint, and it's rough textured. I'm thinking it might have been shot with a lacquer instead of BC/CC.
1. Is there any way to verify this?
2. Can lacquer be 'cut' and polished to a high gloss? I'm thinking it can
3. Can I spray CC over it to give it a high gloss, or do I have to strip this whole thing to get the consistent finish?

Also, my car was never wet sanded and polished after it was cleared. There are a few places where it could probably benefit from this - like minor runs and bumps. If I was to do that, what grade wet should I use? I'm thinking around 600- 1200? I also need to 'thin' down some of the trunk and door edges so the stainless will fit back on. Right now the BC/CC is too thick for the trim to fit without damaging the paint or trim.

The color on the outside matches the color inside, just that the finishes are completely different.

 

You can take a piece of 400A sandpaper and lightly sand a spot on the jambs. If what you sand off is white looking, it is clear coat. If it is the car color, it is laquer or enamel.

 

Yeah, I'd start with 400 to smooth out dull areas (unless they are actually rough), then progress up to 600, 800, 1,000, and 1,200, depending on your personal level of OCD (in the 1970s, when my dad and I were restoring a '40s Mercury, my grandfather, and old body man from before the War, used to say, "I don't know why you're wasting your time with that 600 crap - we used to use 400, and it was fine - nobody can tell the difference anyway.").

And in answer to your question, yes, lacquer should rub out just fine - extremely shiny.
That's what these cars were painted in originally, after all.

- Eric

 

Thanks guys, I'm positive the jambs are lacquer but I know the rest of the car is BC/CC. I'm just at a loss to understand why Ken did that.

Eric, the rough areas I'm talking about in the door jambs are somewhat rough. I did take some 600 to them to see what happens and they do get quite a bit smoother. I'll need to probably take the doors, and windlaces off to get a polisher with cutting compound in there. And you know that if I do that, I "might as well" install the new glass, PW and PDL at the same time. And since the doors will be off, it would be a great time to remove the seat so I can run the wiring for them, + install the wiring loom for the defog on glass and put in a new headliner. Heck, since the carpets out, that's a good time to remove the dash and install all the goodies (options) I've collected over the years.

I need a vacation from retirement

 

make sure it is base first. if you sand it and no color comes off than it has clear. if you sand it and color comes off it's not. I used a activated base coat on the door jams on my olds it's pretty much single stage and it is a bit dull but if polished by hand it looks good. I would not clear over 600 as the clear will not cover the sand scratches for base it's ok usually 1000 grit or gray scuff pad is good to clear over. If the paint is in good shape it is fine to clear over just do light coats as laquer is very easy to re activate and lift. Most rattle can clears are laquer based . Just back mask the jams and once done remove them soon so there wont be a defined hard line just sand the edge with 3000 grit and hand polish .

 

sounds like its lacquer with a polyurethane clear,bc/cc acrylics wernt out in 86 but we used polyurethane on a few jobs .bc/cc is acrylic urethane and sands much easier.Is it possible the jambs are covered with overspray from the clear as that would feel rough and look dry sprayed also. try some 800 wet on an inconspicuous area and buff it to see.