Blow torch to re-activate clear coat?

[bradleyheathhays]

96 XJ here. Both my front fenders look like in the pictures (spots are rain drops) and a buddy just was telling me that if you take a blow torch and hold it far away and move it back and forth, then slowly toward the fender that it would 're-activate' the clear coat and make it look new again, getting rid of the white that I guess is caused by UV.

Is this true?

If so I guess I'd take the fenders off to do the job. Never heard of this before so thought I'd run it through you guys before attempting it.

Thanks.

[mark sr]

I've never heard of that either. I'd be especially leery of doing that on the fenders flares which could get distorted from the heat.

[superj]

I have heard of it but never on painted flares. That is for the black unpainted flares. I dont know if it would work on the painted one

[JPNinPA]

I’ve heard on the black plastic flairs (YJ/TJ) and steps, that a heat treatment will change grey to black.


Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson

[Jeepergeo]

Have your buddy do a demonstration on his Jeep's fender so you can better understand the technique. He might change his advice.

[TerryMason]

I've heard plenty of stories about using a heat gun to bring unpainted fenders back around, but never painted.

I'd think you'd have better luck with wet sanding than a torch.

[bradleyheathhays]

Thanks, I get the picture.

What's the sanding and painting process I need to follow?

Wet sand using which grit?
And what spray product to use for the clear coat?
Re-sand and do multiple coats?

[superj]

No idea for that. Painting and sanding always looks like preschooler did it when I do it so I gave up

[JPNinPA]

Its tough to see if the clear coat if checked meaning cracked or the paint faded.

I’d pick a small area and try rubbing compound then move to polishing compound. This can remove the clear coat and paint. It depends on how long and hard you rub it.

If you do go for sand and paint. Yes remove them. Dupli color makes paint matching colors. If you go the can route. Just have to look your color up.

Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson

[Gennybro]

No idea for that. Painting and sanding always looks like preschooler did it when I do it so I gave up

Awwww but you learned from the first time, and second and third. But winners never quit.

[superj]

winners just repaint in camo, ha ha ha. thats what happened to my cherokee

[bradleyheathhays]

Well I got all 4 fenders off but not without breaking at least one bolt off each of the retention plates, of which each fender has 3.

Where do I find replacement plates? Not even sure what they're called or if they're even sold.

[JPNinPA]

This what you are looking for?
OMIX 6100041 Fender U-Nut for 84-07 Jeep Cherokee XJ & Liberty KJ | Quadratec


Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson

[bradleyheathhays]

No but thanks JPN. I ended up needing 12 long plate like parts w/ 3 screws on them each. Ended up costing 82$ sheesh.

Problem now is though...

I've taken a route suggested on a different forum where I sand up to 600 grit, as is, then a layer of high build colored primer (sanded), then 3 coats of color (matched), then 2-3 coats clear acrylic. Problem is, I ordered them from automotivetouchup.com and now they're saying there's a 2 week+ supply chain delay in shipping, and I can't wait that long.

Going with this method of restoration, what other supplier can I source these three products from in rattle cans?...

- high build red tinted primer
- matched color
- clear acrylic

Also, what's the difference between 1k and 2k acrylic clear?

[JPNinPA]

Duplicolor matches stock paint. Check you local autozone, advanced snd NAPA or Amazon. Spray can color.


Those parts were on Quadratec also.

Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson

[bradleyheathhays]

Well I got my shipment from touchupdirect.com of 1 can aerosol primer, 2 cans of color, and 1 can 2k clear. I've sanded everything down with 220 grit (heading toward 600) trying to smooth out some of the divots that were easier to get to.

I was hoping to get a high build primer but the only thing this company offered is what they call their Aerosol Primer, so I'm not sure how well this stuff will fill the divots I'm still looking at.

So my question is...do I need to stick with the 220 grit I'm at now and continue smoothing out all these other divots, or will say 2 coats of this primer fill them in once sanded out?

I'm not looking for anything close to perfection here. Just good adhesion, color and decent finish. Nicks don't bother me much.

[mark sr]

220 is ok for the initial sanding. Get some spot putty for those chips. I rarely use any paper finer than 400 grit when sanding the primer prior to finish paint.

[JPNinPA]

FYI
Changing headlight assembly in late model liberty. The paint on the bumper was grey due to dirt and snow. So driver side I used rubbing compound followed by polishing compound. This was a quick job. Maybe 10 min tops.
The passenger side was not touched.


Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson

[bradleyheathhays]

Well, here's where I've got to...

I sanded everything up to 600, filled the dings with putty, sanded back up to 600 then coated with 2 dashes of high-build primer. Next step is to wet sand with 800 then go to color and clear coat. Question is...how do I go about sanding the curved parts? Basically, each piece has 6 curved plane surfaces to sand...

1 is 1/2 to 1 1/2" wide
2 & 3 are both about 2"



4 is 1/8" wide
5 & 6 are 1/2" wide



This might be illustrated better by my original pictures but surfaces 1 and 2 are flat enough they could probably be block sanded, but 3 is mostly an all bulbous curved surface. 5 and 6 are probably flat enough to be block sanded, and 4 is so thin I won't be doing anything there but knocking off the edge between it and 5. Don't want to risk getting too close to 3 and scratch it with the edge of the paper. It's thin enough I don't think remaining unsanded will matter that much, but let me know if I'm wrong here.

2 questions are...

How do I go about sanding that curved 3 surface?

Before coating with primer, my previous sanding got down to the plastic in a few places. If I sand through the primer (to plastic or paint) and wet sand up to 800, will the paint layer stick to that? Or do I need to re-coat with primer if I sand through?

[mark sr]

A small part here/there sanded thru the primer isn't a big deal. Personally I see no need to go any finer than 400 grit when sanding primer.