I might be doing an exterior detail on a '91 VW Vanagon. It appears to have an acrylic paint job. Questions:

1. How can I tell for certain if the paint is acrylic enamel?
2. There are light scratches in the paint. Can these be buffed and polished?

IF the paint is from the factory, then more than likely it is Single Stage Urethane...Yes it can be buffed and polished even if it was AE... What makes you think it is AE instead of SSU ? If it is metallic you dont want to sand it much, if it is a solid that is less of an issue... that is if you have to sand it...

I would make a guess and say if anything it is indeed SSU based on the year of the car, and the fact it is a wagon does not suggest some one has tried to "custom paint" it.

Does the color rub off on a rag when you apply some polish??

Matthew

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BondoKing wrote:IF the paint is from the factory, then more than likely it is Single Stage Urethane...Yes it can be buffed and polished even if it was AE... What makes you think it is AE instead of SSU ? If it is metallic you dont want to sand it much, if it is a solid that is less of an issue... that is if you have to sand it...

I would make a guess and say if anything it is indeed SSU based on the year of the car, and the fact it is a wagon does not suggest some one has tried to "custom paint" it.

Does the color rub off on a rag when you apply some polish??

Matthew

I see. I only guessed that it's AE because of the way the paint was chipping off in some spots--very thick, chunky, and white beneath.

I guess I'll just try an inconspicuous test panel and see what results I get.