Paint Fade
 

Does anyone have any tips on fixing or stopping paint fade that has hit a lot of the cars from the 90's? my 1994 Camry CSi has got it bad on the roof, bonnet and boot so any help would be appreciated.

Cheers Sam :)

It has been years since I have done this type of thing thus can only offer general advice as many new products have come out.

An internet search will result in many hits about restoring paint finish.

The Toyotanation website has LOTS of posts about restoring paint finish.

I suggest you find posts for Camry (or Avalon/Lexus-basically the same car back then) in the ballpark year of your car as Toyota paint finishes have changed over the years.

Strongly suggest you research any method before using it on your car and try the material in a spot that will not be noticed if there are problems.

Determine if you color coat had a clear coat on top, this will make a difference in how you go about attempting to restore the finish. If the fad is bad enough restoring the color may be impossible, a metallic finish may be even more difficult.

If the issue is just paint oxidation resulting in dull finish this can be removed via a number of methods. Basically using a very mild polish to gently remove a thin layer of paint. You want to use the mildest polish that gets the job done (polish is basically like sand paper, having a wide variety of grit sizes available).

A professional shop would use various polishes and wax along with a power buffer, however if you don't know what you are doing suggest staying away from power equipment. If going the power equipment method us quality tools and large diameter quality buffer pad.

If using a hand method or power tools follow the product directions! Rubbing in a circular motion or rubbing back and forth can make a big difference in the appearance of the finish. Let the polish do the work, don’t lean into the cloth or marks will be left. Extremely important when using a power buffer!

Use clean, separate lent free cloths for polishing, buffing and clean up and keep them away from any debris that can carry over on the cloth and scratch the paint.

Have the paint as clean as possible (wash, remove road tar, etc,); any dirt on the pan will be ground into the paint during process. Use a detergent that will strip off any wax. Keep the car out of the sun until dry to avoid water spots.

Do the job on a cool day if possible and out of the sun if possible to avoid having the polish to dry out too fast.

Vendors like Turtle Wax, Meguiar, etc have their own line of products for restoring paint finish and may even have an 800 line to call for advice on what to use.

If doing the job by hand take your time! It can be very labor intensive. Do one small area at a time, overlapping with the next.

One done apply a wax coat.

If the paint is badly faded don’t expect miracles but there should be a dramatic improvement.

I guess thats depend on the paint you are using...